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CBS leaving some markets?
- Thread starter mvcg66b3r
- Start date
The consensus seems to indicate that smaller markets are going to be sold, and radio in markets without CBS o&o tv properties will be sold. But that's just speculation.
I wonder if that would include a market as large as Houston, where CBS owns four FMs and two AMs, but does not own CBS-TV affiliate KHOU, which is owned by TEGNA.
Years ago CBS (during the Viacom era) apparently tried to buy KHOU, but was rebuffed by (then owner) Belo. At the time Viacom had indie KTXH and was wanting to create a duopoly. KTXH eventually became the duopoly partner of Fox O&O KRIV.
Anything is possible these days. CBS may be able to purchase KHOU so Tegna can buy more stations in medium markets. That would become the third O&O in the market after ABC and the FOX duopoly. KPRC-TV would be the odd man out in this case. Hopefully NBC will buy it but it seems that their strategy is to get away from OTA and concentrate on cable.
They may even be able to purchase KTRH, another station that rebuffed them, for their news radio (whatever is left) heritage. CBS Radio News may return to Houston on KTRH (after being dropped during Rathergate). It's the only radio network left after ABC's demise. (Didn't like the fact that KROI partnered with ABC during the news radio era. Can't stand the hysterical tone of the TOH newscast compared to the calm delivery on CBS.)
ABC News Radio does still exist, they just lost a bunch of (major market) affiliates this year when their deal with Cumulus ended.
Fox News Radio still exists. KTRH is its Houston affiliate.
I was referring to the previous affiliations before the current Fox News. Before that it was ABC news and for a little while CBS. KPRC was the CBS Radio News affiliate c. 2000.
But I haven't heard Fox News TOH lately on KTRH. They do local updates and traffic & weather at the TOH spot now.
You may want to consider Orlando... 
This thread just shows how quickly everything can change. Just a couple of months ago, a major stockholder of CBS was pushing for it to do a Reverse Morris Trust with Cumulus for the radio division. With how badly and suddenly Cumulus has tanked, that's idea's dead, at least for the foreseeable future.
There were also rumors Entercom would do a deal with CBS that would result in CBS getting newly-acquired Entercom stations in Atlanta and Miami for a few CBS clusters. It even looked like iHeartMedia was banking on that happening with some of the changes it was making at WPOP 1410 in Hartford, but, alas, CBS still has a major cluster there, and Entercom is putting its mark on Atlanta and Miami.
There were also rumors Entercom would do a deal with CBS that would result in CBS getting newly-acquired Entercom stations in Atlanta and Miami for a few CBS clusters. It even looked like iHeartMedia was banking on that happening with some of the changes it was making at WPOP 1410 in Hartford, but, alas, CBS still has a major cluster there, and Entercom is putting its mark on Atlanta and Miami.
What has hurt the chances of CBS selling (or trading, which is what they did with Beasley in Tampa) is the fact that Beasley has had financial problems with the CBS stations. Let's face it, a big NYC TV-radio company operates with different economies than a smaller radio-only company. Citadel and Cumulus discovered that with the ABC Radio purchase. Other companies who've purchased stations from CBS, such as the now-bankrupt Regent and Wilks (who have sold off half of their CBS stations), have also realized this. So the story now is that the phone isn't ringing as loudly as it once was at CBS.
Why is this in the NATIONAL RADIO board ?? Did you get this confused with NATIONAL TV ??
That said, I would think Nashville would also be in play as they MG already owns WKRN 2 (ABC). I don't think the Feds will let them keep WKRN & Meredith owned WSMV 4 (NBC) as well (But as we all know, exceptions HAVE been made in other places before)
And what makes you think MG will have to sell KMOV 4 or WGCL 46 ?? There's no conflicts I'm aware of in St. Louis & Atlanta (That said, I seriously doubt the Feds will grandfather the exception they made to Meredith to MG when they (Meredith) bought KTVK 3 in Phoneix from Gannett after the Belo merger. SOMETHING will have to be done with either KTVK 3 or KPHO 5)
JMO.....
Cheers & Happy Holidays
This is about CBS possibly selling its radio stations in some markets.
CBS Radio in Hartford/New Britain/Middletown is tricky. They own the following:
WTIC-AM 1080 Hartford (News/Talk) "WTIC-News/Talk 1080" (also on WTIC-FM HD2)
WTIC-FM 96.5 Hartford (Hot A/C) "96.5-TIC"
WZMX-FM 93.7 Hartford (Hip Hop) "Hot 93.7"
WRCH-FM 100.5 New Britain/Hartford "Lite 100.5"
As far as I know, WRCH is the top rated station in the market.
WTIC-AM 1080 Hartford (News/Talk) "WTIC-News/Talk 1080" (also on WTIC-FM HD2)
WTIC-FM 96.5 Hartford (Hot A/C) "96.5-TIC"
WZMX-FM 93.7 Hartford (Hip Hop) "Hot 93.7"
WRCH-FM 100.5 New Britain/Hartford "Lite 100.5"
As far as I know, WRCH is the top rated station in the market.
There's no conflict in Phoenix, either. The conflict in the Belo/Gannett/Sander/Meredith deal was KASW Ch. 61, and it was spun off to Nexstar last year.
And besides, the subject is CBS radio, not TV. CBS Phoenix has KOOL 94.5, KZON 101.5, and KMLE 107.9. If CBS gets out of Phoenix, no station should have to be spun off unless one of the other major players here (Bonneville, iHateRadio, Hubbard) buys them. They don't own a TV station here.
That's the catch. No one with money is looking into buying major markets now. And for tax reasons, CBS prefers trading properties with companies in markets where they own TV stations. That limits the number of possible partners. Those who have made deals with CBS have each suffered financial problems as a result of the transaction. So I suspect this idea for selling Phoenix, Seattle, St. Louis, and Hartford will remain on the back burner.
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