A new multi-year affiliation agreement is in place that will prevent a “great affiliate switch” from taking shape in some 47 local TV markets across the U.S.
It’s thanks to a pact signed by the company that will soon complete its merger with Meredith Local Media.
ViacomCBS and Gray Television are keeping their CBS network affiliations in place.
And, as part of the agreement, Gray’s CBS affiliates will continue to be locally available to
subscribers on Paramount+ and “widely distributed” across vMVPD platforms.
Gray is one of the largest operators of CBS affiliates, covering approximately 11% of the U.S. audience and serving nearly 13 million households.
Key affiliates include WOIO-19 in Cleveland and WTOC-11 in Savannah, Ga., which has long dominated Georgia’s Coastal Empire.
With the acquisition of Meredith Local Media, eight more CBS affiliates will be added to the stable, including KMOV-4 in St. Louis and KPHO-5 in Phoenix.
“We are happy to have renewed these important license agreements with Gray Television to continue to inform and entertain audiences across the country with CBS’ leading programming,” said Ray Hopkins, President of U.S. Networks Distribution at ViacomCBS. “This deal underscores our longstanding commitment to building successful affiliate partnerships that create shared and enduring value.”
Gray Television Co-CEO Pat LaPlatney added, “ViacomCBS is an important partner, and we are pleased to have reached an agreement that builds upon our longstanding relationship. We look forward to better serving our audiences by combining our valuable local content with CBS’ premium programming across entertainment, news and sports in the years to come.”
The agreement includes renewals for these Gray-owned CBS affiliates:
- KALB in Alexandria, La.
- KFDA in Amarillo, Tex.
- KYES-LD in Anchorage, Alaska
- WRDW in Augusta, Ga.
- WABI in Bangor, Me.
- WAFB in Baton Rouge
- WLOX in Biloxi, Ms.
- WBNG in Binghamton, N.Y.
- WCAX in Burlington, Vt.-Plattsburgh, N.Y., which is seen across Quebec
- WCSC in Charleston, S.C.
- WBTV in Charlotte, N.C.
- KGWN in Cheyenne, Wyo.
- WDTV in Clarksburg, W.Va.
- WOIO-19 in Cleveland
- KKTV in Colorado Springs, Colo.
- WTVY in Dothan, Ala.
- KBJR in Duluth, Minn.
- KXDF-CD in Fairbanks, Alaska
- KXJB-LD in Fargo, N.D.
- “ESVF-CD” in Harrisonburg, Va.
- KGMB in Honolulu, Hawaii
- KYEX-LD in Juneau, Alaska
- WVLT in Knoxville, Tenn.
- KYLX-LD in Laredo, Tex.
- WKYT & WYMT in Lexington and Hazard, Ky.
- KOLN in Lincoln, Neb.
- KEYC in Mankato, Minn.
- KNOE in Monroe, La.
- KNPL-LD in North Platte, Neb.
- KOSA in Odessa, Tex.
- KFVS in Paducah, Ky.-Cape Girardeau, Mo.
- WECP-LD in Panama City, Fla.
- WIYE-LD in Parkersburg, W.Va.
- WAGM in Presque Isle, Me.
- WDBJ in Roanoke, Va.
- WIFR-LD in Rockford, Ill.
- WTOC in Savannah, Ga.
- KXII in Sherman-Ada, Tex.
- KSLA in Shreveport, La.
- WCTV in Tallahassee, Fla.
- WIBW in Topeka, Kan.
- KOLD in Tucson, Ariz.
- KMVT in Twin Falls, Idaho
- KWTX & KBTX in Waco and Bryan, Tex.
- WWNY in Watertown, N.Y., which can be seen in Cornwall and Ottawa, Ontario
- WSAW in Wausau, Wisc.
- KWCH in Wichita, Kan.
