With satellite and cable TV distribution, Lilly Broadcasting has capitalized on its ability to bring viewers across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands customized channels featuring programming from The CW, CBS and ABC.
Now, Lilly is growing with the acquisition of two properties — a full-power TV station and a LPTV facility — on St. Thomas. It is also purchasing a LPTV property in Puerto Rico.
An agreement dated April 15 and submitted for FCC regulatory approval one week later shows Lilly Broadcasting Ventures LLC as the proposed buyer of COZI TV-affiliated WVXF-17 in Charlotte Amalie, the main city on the island of St. Thomas, in the northern U.S. Virgin Islands.
Lilly is also agreeing to purchase WVGN-LD 19 in Charlotte Amalie — the NBC affiliate for the USVI.
The seller is California-based Caribbean Broadcasting Network and associated entity LKK Group Corporation, led by President Keith Bass.
Signing off on the deal for Lilly is Kevin Lilly (pictured, top left).
Concurrently, Lilly through its Condado Broadcasting LLC entity is agreeing to purchase Caribbean Broadcasting Network’s WSJP-LD 18, licensed to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. It is a home to “FOX Puerto Rico” whereas WVXF-17.2 is the FOX USVI broadcast home.
With David Burns of Lerman Senter PLLC serving as Lilly’s legal counsel and Tim Nelson of Brooks Pierce representing LKK Group, twin filings were submitted at the Commission. The first sees Lilly acquiring WVXF and WVGN for $300,000. A $53,371 escrow deposit has been made to Bass’s group.
The WSJP deal, interestingly, comes at the higher price of $2.5 million, likely reflecting its coverage area and potential audience. A $446,429 escrow deposit has been made.
How important is this transaction to Lilly, and to viewers seeking mainland U.S. content in English? With WVGN and WSJP, it locks in the NBC and FOX programming for the USVI and Puerto Rico and adds it to WCVI-23 in Christiansted, St. Croix, a full-power facility with CBS on DT2 and ABC on DT1.
At present, FOX Puerto Rico can be seen on PSIP Channel 14.1 and on both Liberty and Claro TV systems, as well as on Dish and DirecTV. NBC USVI is available over-the-air on PSIP Channel 19.1 and on Dish Network as well as local cable TV services provider Viya Cable.
Lilly has actively served viewers of the mainland’s “Big Four” networks since 2008 and also offers “TheCWIN” as a unique offering found on MVPDs in the USVI and in Puerto Rico. There’s also “One Caribbean Television,” a regional offering with news and entertainment programming found in multiple island nations.
