WASHINGTON, D.C. — The newly highly-exposed successor to Barbara Kreisman has punted objections from two MVPD advocacy groups, paving the way for The E.W. Scripps Co. and Gray Media to complete an asset swap first announced in July 2026.
In a decision made by FCC Media Bureau Video Division Chief David J. Brown, the Commission on his delegated authority gave the green light to an exchange of broadcast television stations between Scripps and Gray.
It’s noteworthy, as waivers creating a pair of Top-Four combinations weren’t a problem at all for Brown and his team under Chairman Brendan Carr, taking the cue of the Eighth Circuit Federal Appeals Court that in 2025 struck down the long-standing FCC “Top Four” rule.
The transaction sees Gray Media obtain FOX affiliate WSYM-TV in Lansing, Mich., and KATC-TV in Lafayette, La., an ABC affiliate. WSYM will therefore become a sibling to NBC affiliate WILX-TV in Lansing, while the acquisition of KATC “will complement Gray’s strong presence in the Southeast,” adding the last remaining market in Louisiana where Gray did not have an ownership presence.
In exchange, Scripps is acquiring Gray Media’s CBS affiliated KKTV-TV in Colorado Springs; NBC affiliate KKCO-TV and ABC affiliated low-power station KJCT-LP in Grand Junction, Colo; and CBS affiliate KMVT-TV plus low power FOX affiliate KSVT-LD in Twin Falls, Idaho. KKTV will become a sibling of NBC affiliate KOAA-TV; the Twin Falls stations would become cousins of low-power TV station KSAW-LD, an ABC affiliate.
On July 30, 2025, the FCC disclosed that it had established a pleading cycle offering public input on the proposed swap. The American Television Alliance (ATVA) and NCTA – The Internet & Television Association filed comments arguing that, despite certifying compliance with the Local Television Ownership Rule, Gray and Scripps nonetheless have the burden of making a case-specific showing that the public interest benefits of owning two stations in the market outweigh the harms.
The ATVA and NCTA further contended that the two TV station licensees “have not yet made a showing that this transaction is in the public interest, nor have they addressed [potential] harms that would result from the transaction,” specifically as it relates to retransmission consent fees.
Brown’s response? “We find these arguments to be without merit,” and denied the informal objections.
The swap creates a duopoly in Colorado Springs, with Scripps’s KOAA-TV adding KKTV-TV as a sibling. In Lansing, Mich., Gray’s WILX-TV will add WSYM-TV as a co-owned station.
