Raycom acquires 3 ABC stations from Calkins Media

[Mr Tony]

Today Raycom is buying 3 stations from Calkins Media (who is exiting the TV business)

WAAY 31 Huntsville, AL
WWSB 40 Sarasota, FL
WTXL 27 Tallahassee FL

All are ABC affiliates. WAAY is actually being sold to America Spirit (as Raycom owns the NBC affiliate there) but will run it as part of a shared service agreement

WAAY is
-1 ABC
-2 WXNation
-3 QVC

WWSB is just ABC (there are 2 ABC's in the Tampa market. This one covers the southern part of the market)

WTXL is
-1 ABC
-2 Bounce
-3 Weather Now
-4 QVC

 

[Mr Tony]

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/93837/calkins-selling-3-tvs-exiting-broadcasting

Calkins Media is exiting the broadcast TV business, having agreed to sell its three small-market ABC affiliates to Raycom Media and its duopoly partner, according to a memo to station staffers from Calkins CEO Mark Contreras obtained by TVNewsCheck.


Under the agreement, Raycom will buy Calkins Florida stations, WWSB Sarasota and WTXL Tallahassee. American Spirit Media will buy WAAY Huntsville, Ala., which will presumably be operated in tandem with Raycom's NBC affiliate in Huntsville, WAFF.
The memo did not mention a sale price. FCC filings that would include the price have not yet been made.


"We came to this decision reluctantly and after a long period of deliberation," Contreras says in the memo. "It has become clear to us that size and scale will matter more in the long term for local broadcasters."


"In Raycom, we have found a steward that shares our commitment to community and that has a strong entrepreneurial culture. Most importantly to us, we believe there will be expanded opportunities for employees working within a larger group of committed broadcasters."