TV Deals

On Sunday evening, Jews across the world celebrated the miracle of Hanukkah. In North Texas and in Chicago, a different sort of miracle had been finalized, and leaked to news organization Reuters. Nexstar Media Group has just accomplished something Sinclair Broadcast Group was unable to do. 

In April, Janet and Jeff Winemiller made news by making a trade with Marquee Broadcasting that saw their Lowcountry 34 Media become the licensee of a low-power TV property in Delaware's state capital. “We are happy to add WEVD to our other LPTV stations in Myrtle Beach, and in LaGrange and Savannah, Georgia,” Jeff Winemiller said at the time. He's just sold it.

One month ago, a licensee headed by Matthew Davidge and Julie Huang agreed to purchase a trio of yet-to-be-constructed low-power TV stations serving small communities in Illinois, New Mexico and North Dakota, respectively. They've now struck a series of bigger deals with the entity that in May agreed to spin those three unbuilt LPTVs — HC2 Broadcasting.

The town of Port Jervis, N.Y., lies at the heart of the "other" Tri-State Area within the vast New York City DMA — New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It is situated along the bucolic Delaware River, and its proximity to fast-growing Sussex County, N.J., is likely why a low-powered TV station licensed to this municipality has just sold for nearly $2 million.

He's been involved in numerous deals tied to low-power television stations in recent months. Now, Jeff Winemiller is securing an unbuilt property serving a city in the Palmetto State.

A 10-year old family-owned, woman-led, group of television and radio stations that owns the NBC and CBS affiliates serving Bowling Green, Ky., has submitted paperwork with the FCC seeking its approval to acquire a low-power TV property in the market. That station is presently home to MyNetwork TV and five digital multicast channels, including Estrella TV.

Sinclair Broadcast Group is buying a Newport Television station in the San Antonio DMA, but it already has two stations there. That’s where acquisition...

Just in time for Halloween, a "zombie" has surfaced in Washington. And, the Commission is comfortable enough with this creature living on an island off the coast of Los Angeles that it's treating it unlike Godzilla. That's because the FCC has given its approval to the first-ever transaction involving a channel-sharing agreement, a so-called "zombie" station resulting from the Commission's incentive auction, before the channel-sharing has even commenced.

A low-power VHF TV operation in a small Deep South town has just been sold. It's the lone deal up for discussion in a soft day at the FCC in RBR+TVBR's TRANSACTIONS TODAY for Wednesday, Feb. 14.

RBR+TVBR on Monday reported on the acquisition of an affiliate of The CW that carries MeTV and MyNetworkTV programming on its digital subchannels by a company with a formidable presence in New England. This deal would, if approved by the FCC, create a duopoly in Maine's biggest market. Terms including the price and escrow payment have now been disclosed.

A low-power Iowa TV station operated by Bahakel Communications via a Shared Services Agreement with a company that assumed would be its new owner is heading back to the company that intended to sell it due to "problems" it suffered. Instead, a Georgia LPTV is being assigned.

Gray Television is picking up a quintet of television translators presently tied to a full-power station presently offering This TV programming. It is tied to an intellectual property play that gives Gray the local FOX affiliate -- pairing it with its ABC and NBC affiliates serving the Sioux Falls, S.D. market.

While Cox maintains a dominant position in the Dayton-Springfield market of Ohio, Nexstar Media Group has a formidable presence, too. It owns the local NBC affiliate.  Soon, it will also own a second station in this market.

Until now, Regina Davis and her Buma Group has served as the licensee of a low-power digital TV station serving Texarkana, the market straddling Texas and Arkansas. Now, the property is being sold. And, it marks yet another LPTV deal for the company that last year merged with Meredith Corp. and acquired Quincy Media.