Grant-Nexstar update: Status of QC deal unknown

First, it was that every station owned by Grant would be sold to Nexstar except KLJB, which would be sold to Mission Broadcasting but operated by Nexstar along with WHBF and KGCW. I expected the deal to be official in May since the WHBF deal was finalized in about six months like the sales of KWQC and WQAD. But May passed, then June, then in July, it was said that KLJB would be sold to Marshall Broadcasting instead of Mission but still be operated by Nexstar. That was the last I heard about anything in regard to selling Fox 18 and The Quad Cities' CW. I'm starting to wonder if that deal "fell thru" or what. As Krusty The Clown on 'The Simpsons' would ask: "What's the freakin' holdup?"

The FCC has been looking more closely at these attempts to get around the ownership caps recently. Maybe this is one of those situations as it seems like Nextar may have been using these other companies to get around the limits. It was something that Sinclair has done in some markets over the years with Cunningham Broadcasting. For a situation closer to home, just look at how all of the commercial radio stations in Burlington are controlled by the same family. The father owns most of them, and the 30 year old son owns the other two with studios and offices in the very same building! The FCC looks to be looking more closely at future deals that seem suspect.

Will we see something similar to KHAS in Hastings NE where the NBC programming was moved to a subchannel of the acquiring group (Gray's KGIN-11.2)? Could this be the end of WHBF on RF channel 4? CBS on 18.2 seems the most logical direction in such a scenario.

joebtsflk1 said:

Will we see something similar to KHAS in Hastings NE where the NBC programming was moved to a subchannel of the acquiring group (Gray's KGIN-11.2)? Could this be the end of WHBF on RF channel 4? CBS on 18.2 seems the most logical direction in such a scenario.

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Maybe Nexstar could still transmit WHBF digitally on VHF low band Channel 4 in the future due to the spectrum, channel sharing, and channel repacking situation in the future.

Maybe Nexstar could try to fit 3 streams of separate programming onto WHBF digital spectrum.

WHBF CBS programming would still be on the 4.1 digital channel with the local and CBS programming being transmitted in 1080 HDTV, running KLJB programming on the 4.2 digital channel with the local and FOX programming being transmitted in 720 HDTV, and running KGCW programming on the 4.3 digital channel with the local and CW programming in either 480 SDTV widescreen or if possible in 720 HDTV in the future if when digital compression continues to keep improving and keep advancing.

Nexstar could run WHBF multicast programming streams on both VHF low band Channel 4 and uses either KLJB or KGCW RF DTV channel to run CBS, FOX, and CW and local programming streams being simulcast on both WHBF VHF low band Channel 4 and either KLJB or KGCW RF DTV channel at the same mainly for the viewers in the Quad Cities areas to view WHBF multicast programming streams on a UHF RF DTV channel in which WHBF RF DTV channel is very difficult to pick up over the air reception unless using an outdoor antenna to pick up channel that are transmitting digitally on VHF low band channels 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6.

Nexstar would be doing what Gray Television did in the Lincoln-Grand Island-Hastings-Kearney TV DMA with 10/11 and CBS programming on 10.1/11.1 in 1080 HDTV, KHAS/KSNB to be known as NBC Nebraska with NBC programming on 10.2/11.2 in 720 HDTV, and MyME with METV and MYNET programming on 10.3/11.3 in 480 SDTV widescreen. KOLN of 10/11 for Lincoln transmits digitally on VHF high band channel 10 from a tower near Goehner and Beaver Crossing southwest of Lincoln with KOLN tower being close to KLKN tower south to southeast of Utica and KGIN of 10/11 for Grand Island also reaching Hastings and Kearney transmits digitally on VHF high band channel 11 from a tower near Heartwell west of Hastings, southeast of Kearney, and southwest of Grand Island with KGIN tower being close to KHGI tower in Lowell near Gibbon.

jamesjimcie said:

Maybe Nexstar could still transmit WHBF digitally on VHF low band Channel 4 in the future due to the spectrum, channel sharing, and channel repacking situation in the future.

Maybe Nexstar could try to fit 3 streams of separate programming onto WHBF digital spectrum.

WHBF CBS programming would still be on the 4.1 digital channel with the local and CBS programming being transmitted in 1080 HDTV, running KLJB programming on the 4.2 digital channel with the local and FOX programming being transmitted in 720 HDTV, and running KGCW programming on the 4.3 digital channel with the local and CW programming in either 480 SDTV widescreen or if possible in 720 HDTV in the future if when digital compression continues to keep improving and keep advancing.

Nexstar could run WHBF multicast programming streams on both VHF low band Channel 4 and uses either KLJB or KGCW RF DTV channel to run CBS, FOX, and CW and local programming streams being simulcast on both WHBF VHF low band Channel 4 and either KLJB or KGCW RF DTV channel at the same mainly for the viewers in the Quad Cities areas to view WHBF multicast programming streams on a UHF RF DTV channel in which WHBF RF DTV channel is very difficult to pick up over the air reception unless using an outdoor antenna to pick up channel that are transmitting digitally on VHF low band channels 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6.

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That low-band VHF signal is hard to get with most antennas no longer tuned to get lo-VHF. While the UHF translator helps in the metro, the outer areas still struggle (Muscatine, Clinton, Galesburg, Burlington) to get a usable signal.

At Last, FCC OKs Nexstar Buy Of Grant TVs

It took over a year, but the agency finally approved Nexstar's $87.5 million acquisition of seven Grant stations with one being spun off to minority-owned Marshall Broadcasting. Marshall will own and operate KLJB Quad Cities-Davenport, Iowa, with the help of sales and shared services agreements with Nexstar.

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/...ign=At+Last,+FCC+OKs+Nexstar+Buy+Of+Grant+TVs

More news on KLJB, coming in 2016.
http://changingnewscasts.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/more-news-kljb-in-2016/

This just in: After almost a year of uncertainty, KGCW is officially owned by Nexstar. However, KLJB is still awaiting FCC approval...