It was the subject of industry rumors that began on July 17 and heated up with a report in a TV industry gossip blog that a New Mexico move was on the way. Now, RBR+TVBR has learned that a group of CBS affiliates associated with Nexstar Media Group are losing the network, with two-year agreements in place with two companies it competes with across the impacted markets.
Four of the markets are owned by Hearst Television, and this will see CBS affiliations shift to digital multicast signals, away from Nexstar-owned stations, on Saturday, August 1.
- In Albuquerque, KRQE-13′s CBS affiliation will move to the digital subchannel of KOAT-7.
- In Jackson, Miss., WJTV-12 will lose its CBS network affiliation, with programming going to a digital multicast channel associated with WAPT-16.
- In Birmingham, CBS will shift from WIAT-42 to a digital subchannel of WVTM-13.
- In Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C., and Asheville, N.C., WSPA-7 will lose its CBS network affiliation as it will relocate to a digital multicast signal of WYFF-2.
In two Upper Midwest markets, the new stations are owned by Forum Communications, the heritage media company with print and digital assets. There, CBS will be heading to a DT2 channel associated with KBMY-17 in Bismarck, N.D., and KMCY-14 in Minot, N.D., and with KNBN-21 in Rapid City, S.D.
KNBN is a primary NBC affiliate branded as “NewsCenter 1” and was acquired by Forum in October 2024 for $5.9 million in a transaction brokered by Kalil & Co. Rapid City is Nielsen market No. 169, and the move of CBS affiliation to a digital multicast channel tied to KNBN means KCLO-TV, the Nexstar station losing the network, will rely on its O&O status as the home of The CW Network in this market.
KCLO has operated as a semi-satellite of KELO-TV in Sioux Falls, S.D., which is not impacted by the network affiliation change in Rapid City.
Meanwhile, Bismarck and Minot are within DMA No. 148, where Nexstar Media Group has CBS affiliation on KXMA-2.2 in Minot and on KXMB-12.1 in Bismarck. There are also two semi-satellite stations Nexstar owns in the DMA that will be shedding CBS affiliation — KXMC-13 in Dickinson and KXMD-11 in Williston, N.D.
“The transaction further expands Forum’s commitment to providing local news, weather, sports and information coverage to communities in the Dakotas,” the company said in a statement provided by Forum Communications VP of Broadcast Josh Rohrer. “This acquisition enhances Forum’s ability to serve the residents of North and South Dakota in conjunction with the current operations in Broadcast and News.”
Hearst Television representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
RBR+TVBR has reached out to Nexstar for a statement on the matter. The company is expected to operate the stations losing CBS affiliation as independent stations, fueled by local news and other programming.
It is believed the affiliation swaps are the result of reverse compensation discussions between CBS and Nexstar that ultimately led the Paramount Skydance-owned network to seek new homes for CBS programming in the five DMAs.
Sources close to the matter also indicate that the CBS network transition is the result of conversations that began just a few weeks ago.
