PURE SPECULATION: OTA shakeup in Central Illinois!

[mvcg66b3r]

From an earlier post:

Well well well… It looks like Sinclair is ready to make a transition to make WICS/WICD look more like one news station, instead of two. And that requires also shutting down one of the stations’ duopoly’s news departments. And WICD, will get that ax.

We are being told, according to VermillionCountyFirst.com and also according to FTVLive, that Sinclair has pink slipped a number of on-air and off-air staffers at WICD 15, the ABC station out of Champaign, IL that is a semi-satellite to WICS 20 in Springfield, IL. And because of that semi-satellite status, WICD will dump 95% of its locally produced newscasts and move them to WICS 20, starting next month in April. In other words, all newscasts seen on WICS 20 will also be seen on WICD 15.

Just letting you know that I said 95% and that I didn’t count the other 5%. Why? Its because WICD 15 will be trading in the 95% for the 5% to start up a brand new one-hour 9:00 p.m. weeknight newscast on WRSP 55’s semi-satellite station WCCU 27. This new one-hour newscast will also start in April and will be produced out of WICD 15. WICS 20 will continue to produce the Springfield version of the news at 9:00 for WRSP 55 as well as the weekend editions at 9:00 on WRSP 55/WCCU 27 in both areas.

According to VermillionCountyFirst.com and FTVLive, some employees have been given 30-day termination notices and will only keep a few employees while the rest could either be retained by WICS 20 in Springfield or could be let go altogether. A news release says that the “reallocation of resources will require fewer staff members in Champaign and more news staffers in Springfield.”

https://changingnewscasts.wordpress...-of-local-produced-news-only-900-pm-be-saved/

The following is pure speculation on my part, and may or may not happen.

Do you think Sinclair would go even further? Sinclair could buy the non-license assets of WRSP/WCCU and moving their programming to WICD Champaign. WICD would then become the primary FOX affiliate while WICS would remain the primary ABC affiliate, and would simulcast each other on .2 subchannels. WRSP/WCCU’s real owner (Gocom) would get the Grit subchannel that is displaced by WICS/WICD. WBUI’s real owner (also Gocom) would take that station dark and probably put its spectrum in the incentive auction; its CW programming would be bought by WAND and moved to 17.2 (in HD!).

Here's how it would pan out (changes in bold):

WCIA: 3.1 CBS (1080i HD), 3.2 MNT (1080i HD)
WICD: 15.1 FOX (720p HD), 15.2 ABC (720p HD), 15.3 Comet TV (480i SD)
WAND: 17.1 NBC (1080i HD), 17.2 CW (1080i HD), 17.3 Cozi (480i SD)
WICS: 20.1 ABC (720p HD), 20.2 FOX (720p HD), 20.3 Comet TV (480i SD)
WBUI: 23.1 ????
WCCU: 27.1 Grit (480i SD), 27.2 MeTV (480i SD)
WCIX: 49.1 MNT (1080i HD), 49.2 CBS (1080i HD)
WRSP: 55.1 MeTV (480i SD), 55.2 Grit (480i SD)

In Peoria, with Sinclair having purchased WHOI, it would move WYZZ’s FOX programming to 19.2, with CW+ going to 43.1. MeTV would come to Peoria on 25.1 (through a groupwide deal with WEEK’s new owner Quincy Newspapers).

WHOI: 19.1 ABC (720p HD), 19.2 FOX (720p HD), 19.3 Comet TV (480i SD)
WEEK: 25.1 NBC (1080i HD), 25.2 MeTV (480i SD)
WMBD: 31.1 CBS (1080i HD), 31.2 Bounce (480i SD)
WYZZ: 43.1 CW+ (720p HD), 43.3 GetTV (480i SD)
WAOE: 59.1 MNT (720p HD), 59.1 Antenna TV (480i SD)

On the noncom side, WILL-TV would merge with Network Knowledge, forming a PBS superstation stretching from Danville to Quincy. WTVP Peoria could also get in the mix.