Updated at 4:45pm Eastern
As RBR+TVBR first reported on February 1, Gray Television is swapping four television stations in Wyoming and Nebraska to Brian and Patricia Lane’s Marquee Broadcasting in exchange for a future Salt Lake City TV property.
What’s now known is that one of the Nebraska stations won’t survive the deal. Sort of: While Marquee is acquiring KNEP, Gray has moved ahead with a pre-sale change.
The non-cash transaction, which awaits FCC regulatory approval, sees Gray hand KCWY-13 in Casper, Wyo., affiliated with NBC and The CW+; KGWN-5 in Cheyenne, Wyo., a CBS/NBC/CW+ affiliate using KSTF-10 in Scottsbluff, Neb., as a semi-satellite to Marquee; and KNEP-TV in Sidney, Neb., marketed as an NBC affiliate serving western Nebraska.
In return, Marquee will hand to Gray its Construction Permit for a new, unbuilt television station in Salt Lake City, which today carries the KCBU-TV calls.
While RBR+TVBR confirmed that the deal includes KNEP-4, branded as “NBC Nebraska Scottsbluff” until December when it became “KWGN Scottsbluff,” the operation will not continue as such under Marquee. In fact, a change has already transpired — and Marquee is making it clear this move was done by Gray Television.
The Nebraska Rural Radio Association, which first reported on the closure of “NBC Nebraska” in Scottsbluff, incorrectly reported how Gray notified the staff members about the changes. Marquee COO Gene Steinberg even contacted the radio station that published the inaccurate story to revise its report.
As such, Gray is working with KNEP’s reporters, sales and production directors, and 23-year sports reporter John Clanton are impacted. The Star Herald reports that GM Jim Beck is among those whose roles are changing.
“Given the many challenges facing news media, particularly in small communities, it is no longer possible to continue to underwrite the investments necessary to keep that news bureau open,” Beck said via e-mail to the newspaper.
A Gray spokesperson told RBR+TVBR late Wednesday that three sales and CSD employees remain employed by Gray in Scottsbluff. Gray, not Marquee, is also working to find new positions for the four news employees in Scottsbluff.
KNEP became a Gray Television station in February 2016, and acquired it from Schurz-affiliated Rushmore Media. The station’s original owner is Helen Duhamel, and was KDUH-TV.
Today, “Wyoming News Now” is being seen on KNEP. This will continue, Beck confirmed.
