On April 29, FCC Media Bureau Video Division Chief David J. Brown gave the green light to an exchange of broadcast television stations between Scripps and Gray, dismissing objections from cable TV industry advocacy groups over the deal.
That transaction has now closed.
As such, The E.W. Scripps Co. and Gray Media have completed an asset swap first announced in July 2026.
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.
While Gray Media did not comment on the closing, announced May 15, Scripps President/CEO Adam Symson said, “Greater depth in these markets creates the economic durability to sustain our public service commitment: high quality local news, emergency alerts, weather coverage and local sports that keep people informed, engaged and connected to their communities. We see scale and localism as complementary, and strategic transactions like this help ensure our stations remain strong, trusted voices for the communities that depend on us.”
Scripps added that the asset swap involves an even exchange of comparable assets with no cash consideration exchanged between the companies.
