Unless you’re from the Land of Lincoln, you likely haven’t ever heard of such Illinois communities as Argenta, Auburn, Hoopeston, Mowequa, Paris, Taylorville or Westville.
Thanks to small-market MVPD Sparklight and the owner of the FOX and The CW affiliates serving these towns, they’re now in the national spotlight.
Why? It’s just another retransmission consent impasse involving a licensee that has given sales and services needs to Sinclair Broadcast Group but needs to hash out a new agreement all on its own.
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On Dec. 31, the company formerly known as NewWave Communications, ACA Connects member Sparklight, by law removed FOX affiliate WRSP-55 in Decatur-Springfield, Ill. and semi-satellite partner WCCU-27 in Urbana, Ill.; and The CW Network affiliate WBUI-23 in Decatur — from its lineup in the Illinois towns where it offers TV services.
The small communities are within the geographic zone of the Decatur, Ill., DMA, although Hoopeston is close to Lafayette, Ind., and Paris is close to Terre Haute, Ind. Thank in-state programming desires, and the Central Time Zone, for bringing the GoCOM stations to viewers in Hoopeston and Paris, respectively.
The trio of broadcast TV stations are owned by GoCOM Media, and as Sparklight Division VP Gary McDonald sees it, “For the past several weeks we have been in negotiations with GoCom Media over programming fees and we have made every effort to reach a fair deal in order to keep rates reasonable for our customers. However, GoCom is demanding a rate increase of nearly 100% to carry their channels and they have refused our counter proposal to pay a rate that is consistent with what these networks are receiving in other markets.”
Big percentage increases of small dollar amounts, however, create a bigger story than what may be transpiring in Illinois, however. Sparklight did not disclose the financial gap between what GoCOM wants and what Sparklight is willing to pay.
What is known is that GoCOM refused Sparklight’s request for a contract extension while negotiations continued. That’s a sign that GoCOM is going with a “take it or leave it” approach to its new deal.
But, just what is GoCOM and who is the person responsible for a new retrans agreement?
Look no further than veteran broadcasting executive Ric Gorman, who has been known in North Carolina for more than two decades as a successful television industry leader.
In May 1999, the GoCOM of today was largely created as Gorman sold his operation to Wendell Reilly for $185 million but was retained as CEO.
The GoCOM name was kept, with operations headquartered in Charlotte. Stations included WRSP.
In June 2007, WBUI purchased by GoCOM from ACME Communications; the deal closed in October 2007, creating a duopoly that met the FCC’s “failed station” rule.
Then, on Dec. 31, 2012, Sinclair entered the picture, striking a JSA and Shared Services Agreement with GoCOM for the duo, with Dabl on WBUI-23.2 and MeTV on WRSP-55.2.
As of 2pm Eastern on January 4, Neither WBUI’s website or WRSP’s “FOX Illinois” website had not offered any viewer notice or comment on the matter.
Interestingly, WRSP is using a phased-out Sinclair website template.
