Meredith announced they put TV Stations for sale

[Dantheflash2018]

Meredith Explores Sale of Local Television Stations

Meredith Corp. is considering selling its television stations, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that would focus the media conglomerate on its magazine division.

www.bloomberg.com

 

[primestar31]

Crap, that means Byron Allen will probably buy them, and ruin them.

 

[ShawnHill1]

I wouldn't surprise me if ViacomCBS and Fox make a play for some of these stations...

Fox has been strengthening their O&O base in recent years, with two of those biggest acquisitions being San Francisco/Oakland (KTVU/KICU) and Seattle/Tacoma (KCPQ/KMYQ); when Nexstar was finalizing their merger with Tribune, and before that with the failed Tribune-Sinclair agreement, Fox had options to acquire stations that had to be divested, with KTXL Sacramento and KSWB San Diego being among them. Meanwhile, if Fox were to acquire KPTV/KPDX Portland and KVVU Las Vegas, it would give them every major Pacific time zone DMA (plus Phoenix) but the two other cities I just mentioned.

As far as CBS...Atlanta would be one market to pay close attention to, especially since they run a standalone CW station in Atlanta (plus standalone CW operations in Tampa and Seattle). I think Phoenix is another one to pay attention to as well--they shouldn't have a problem acquiring KTVK/KPHO straight-up; KTVK/KPHO is some similar to the CBS duopoly here in Los Angeles (KCBS/KCAL), with the traditional CBS outlet coupled with a more news-intensive independent station with entertainment programs sprinkled in, although you have more news hours on KTVK than on KCAL.

 

[Daniel Belgrave]

Fox O&O hopefully to buy Portland OR, Las Vegas, NV and Greenville, South Carolina Stations, also Fox will buy WPCH-TV (Peachtree TV) in Atlanta, GA and make new sister station WAGA -TV (FOX 5).

 

[FTA4PA]

A map with a list of their stations is here:

Dotdash Meredith - America's Largest Digital & Print Publisher

Dotdash Meredith is America's largest digital and print publisher, with brands including PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, Allrecipes, Investopedia, Verywell, and more! Learn about career opportunities, our leadership team, and how we can help you reach audiences across our network of trusted brands.

www.meredith.com

 

[Mochuf]

With ATSC 3.0 on the horizon, they want to sell their ota properties and concentrate on publishing magazines? Sounds like a half-assed decision to me.

 

[comfortably_numb]

With ATSC 3.0 on the horizon, they want to sell their ota properties and concentrate on publishing magazines? Sounds like a half-assed decision to me.

I agree- magazines (and print media in general) seem kinda passe in 2021.

 

[Ypsiguy]

I bet Scripps takes a good look at buying them. Good opportunity to spread their reach for the Katz subchannels.

 

[SamCdbs]

With ATSC 3.0 on the horizon, they want to sell their ota properties and concentrate on publishing magazines? Sounds like a half-assed decision to me.

Indeed. The way to look at this, however, is that Meredith is in DEEP debt. With most economists expecting much higher interest rates, perhaps even a return to the hyperinflation of the 70s, borrowing costs will soar. And the market consolidation in TV is hot right now.

The company can shed the debt by selling the collateral, more or less, and settle down as a tiny niche magazine company (look at the stuff they publish, Wikipedia has a list, its mostly empty time waste stuff for women, like "Rachel Ray Recipes" "Country Living" and "American Quilter".) While serious magazines are probably going the way of serious newspapers, this type of time waste crap will probably always be around.

 

[mwdxer1]

We watch the Meredith stations via translators on the Oregon Coast. I hope who ever buys them, keeps the translators up and going. Oregon is loaded with translators.

 

[navychop]

Analog ones? Will take money to convert to digital

 

[ShawnHill1]

I bet Scripps takes a good look at buying them. Good opportunity to spread their reach for the Katz subchannels.

Not as a whole...Scripps and Meredith would have conflicts in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Nashville, and Kansas City, and that's not even counting the Ion stations owned by Scripps/Inyo in those same markets. I believe it's more likely that the Meredith station group will sold-off by piecemeal.

 

[Ypsiguy]

Not as a whole...Scripps and Meredith would have conflicts in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Nashville, and Kansas City, and that's not even counting the Ion stations owned by Scripps/Inyo in those same markets. I believe it's more likely that the Meredith station group will sold-off by piecemeal.

I can see them buying WNEM in Michigan. It already carries ION on a subchannel.

 

[Trip]

Scripps probably can't buy them, because ION probably put them right up against the ownership limit.

- Trip

 

[Trip]

Quite frankly, the best fit for Meredith's stations would be Cox or Gray (I don't recall how close to the national cap Gray is). For Cox, would only have to spin off one of WSB or WGCL in Atlanta, I think, and could try to sell WGCL to CBS to partner with WUPA. Everything else would fit neatly. For Gray, it'd be WNEM or WJRT.

And, of course, there's Byron Allen's group.

Most other owners would have significant issues with either the national cap or having too many stations in a single market in several places.

- Trip

 

[primestar31]

Quite frankly, the best fit for Meredith's stations would be Cox or Gray (I don't recall how close to the national cap Gray is). For Cox, would only have to spin off one of WSB or WGCL in Atlanta, I think, and could try to sell WGCL to CBS to partner with WUPA. Everything else would fit neatly. For Gray, it'd be WNEM or WJRT.

And, of course, there's Byron Allen's group.

Most other owners would have significant issues with either the national cap or having too many stations in a single market in several places.

- Trip

Gray just bought all the Quincy stations, so it's unlikely they'll buy Meredith's also. They already own WJRT-12 in our DMA.

I'm betting it's likely going to be Byron Allen that'll buy them.

 

[Dantheflash2018]

Hopefully Standard General's Soo Kim will buy Phoenix, Kansas City, St. Louis and Western Mass Station.

 

[Daniel Belgrave]

I Think Mission Broadcasting will buy WGCL -TV in Atlanta, GA.

 

[ShawnHill1]

Gray just bought all the Quincy stations, so it's unlikely they'll buy Meredith's also. They already own WJRT-12 in our DMA.

I'm betting it's likely going to be Byron Allen that'll buy them.

You pretty much called it...Allen is buying up seven stations that would have to be offloaded in the Gray-Quincy acquisition. They include KVOA Tucson, WKOW Madison and its central Wisconsin satellite stations, WREX Rockford, IL, and KWWL Cedar Rapids, IA among others.

Byron Allen’s Allen Media Acquires 7 Gray TV Stations For $380M

ray Television said Thursday that it has sold seven television stations to Byron Allen's Allen Media Broadcasting for $380 million in cash.

deadline.com

Allen is in acquistion mode at this point, for sure...he could very well go after the Meredith group, but I still believe that ViacomCBS and Fox will play a role in what happens.

 

[Daniel Belgrave]

TEGNA will buy stations in Nashville and Allen Media Broadcasting will buy Hartford, CT.