E.W. Scripps Co. buys Katz diginets

[osu1991]

Scripps Buys Katz Diginets For $302 Million | TVNewsCheck.com

The E.W. Scripps Co. today acquired the Katz broadcast multicast networks, which distribute programming for targeted audiences over the air, in a deal worth $302 million. The four national networks — Bounce, Grit, Escape and Laff — each reach more than 80% of all U.S. households.

 

[harshness]

This is the broadcast TV station arm of the E.W. Scripps Company and must not to be confused with Scripps Networks Interactive that Discovery is in the process of acquiring.

I'm not sure when TV stations decided it was time to return to owning networks but I'm not in favor.

 

[Mgsports]

CCI is the first Cable system in KC area to add Grit it did it last week along with !aff but not Escape yet and Goggle Fiber doesn't count.

 

[Trip]

I'm not sure when TV stations decided it was time to return to owning networks but I'm not in favor.

Well, CBS, NBC, FOX, and ABC have always been co-owned with stations. Capital Cities, a station owner, bought out ABC in the 1980's. Tribune used to own a piece of the WB. UPN was formed by a joint venture of United Chris-Craft and Paramount, both station owners. ION owns most of its affiliates. Univision, Unimas, Telemundo, and Liberman (Estrella) all have commonly-owned stations.

Retro TV was originally designed to give the Equity stations something to air that was within their control. Me-TV and H&I are fully owned by Weigel, a station owner. Movies! is a joint venture of Weigel and Fox, while Decades is a joint venture of Weigel and CBS. Tribune owns Antenna TV and This TV. NBC owns COZI, used to own WeatherPlus, and used to be a partner in Universal Sports. ABC News Now and Live Well, before they went out of business, were owned by ABC. And, of course, Sinclair owns its array of networks (Comet, TBD, Charge!, ASN).

So the answer is, for as long as they've existed. In fact, networks not having an associated station group (MundoFox, BUZZR, and Justice comes to mind) are the exception, not the rule.

- Trip

 

[Stephen Henson]

Well, CBS, NBC, FOX, and ABC have always been co-owned with stations. Capital Cities, a station owner, bought out ABC in the 1980's. Tribune used to own a piece of the WB. UPN was formed by a joint venture of United Chris-Craft and Paramount, both station owners. ION owns most of its affiliates. Univision, Unimas, Telemundo, and Liberman (Estrella) all have commonly-owned stations.

Retro TV was originally designed to give the Equity stations something to air that was within their control. Me-TV and H&I are fully owned by Weigel, a station owner. Movies! is a joint venture of Weigel and Fox, while Decades is a joint venture of Weigel and CBS. Tribune owns Antenna TV and Me-TV. NBC owns COZI, used to own WeatherPlus, and used to be a partner in Universal Sports. ABC News Now and Live Well, before they went out of business, were owned by ABC. And, of course, Sinclair owns its array of networks (Comet, TBD, Charge!, ASN).

So the answer is, for as long as they've existed. In fact, networks not having an associated station group (MundoFox, BUZZR, and Justice comes to mind) are the exception, not the rule.

- Trip

Movies is is co-owned by Fox and MGM and MeTV is not owned by Tribune

 

[Trip]

Movies is is co-owned by Fox and MGM

Fox Stations, Weigel Launching Movies! | TVNewsCheck.com

Corrected the other part; meant to say This TV and typed Me-TV. Not sure how I did that.

- Trip

 

[harshness]

Well, CBS, NBC, FOX, and ABC have always been co-owned with stations. Capital Cities, a station owner, bought out ABC in the 1980's. Tribune used to own a piece of the WB. UPN was formed by a joint venture of United Chris-Craft and Paramount, both station owners. ION owns most of its affiliates. Univision, Unimas, Telemundo, and Liberman (Estrella) all have commonly-owned stations.

Are you possibly confusing O&O with station groups owning networks? I was speaking of station groups buying up networks outright rather than joint ventures.

And, of course, Sinclair owns its array of networks (Comet, TBD, Charge!, ASN).

Sinclair has been in acquisition mode for a while now. They spent two billion on networks and another large chunk of change on Dielectric (then the largest manufacturer of broadcast towers) a few years ago. They're also near or at the top of the pile of recent carriage disputes.

 

[Mgsports]

Ion could buy Sinclair's Fox Stations and Tribune stations that Sinclair wants to buy. Also Luken Stations have deals low power stations.

 

[osu1991]

Ion could buy Sinclair's Fox Stations and Tribune stations that Sinclair wants to buy. Also Luken Stations have deals low power stations.

Ion isn't buying anything. Fox is considering moving their affiliation agreements at the end of their contract and moving it to some Ion owned stations as part of a joint operating agreement.

 

[Trip]

Are you possibly confusing O&O with station groups owning networks? I was speaking of station groups buying up networks outright rather than joint ventures.

What's the difference? The end result is the same. And in any case, there were such things in the past as well. I mentioned Capital Cities buying ABC in the mid-80's, but Westinghouse bought CBS in the mid-90's. Both were station ownership groups that bought the networks.

Sinclair has been in acquisition mode for a while now. They spent [... a] large chunk of change on Dielectric (then the largest manufacturer of broadcast towers) a few years ago.

That's broadcast antennas, not towers.

Sinclair bought Dielectric for pocket change. I'm sure that had people known that SPX would sell for as little as $5 million, somebody would have paid up besides Sinclair and there might have even been a bidding war.

- Trip

 

[harshness]

That's broadcast antennas, not towers.

My bad. Broadcast TV isn't my day job.

 

[Mgsports]

Oh and also the ones Sinclair is buying from Tribune.

 

[harshness]

What's the difference? The end result is the same.

I disagree. A network owning a handful of affiliates is different than a large conglomerate of stations owing a network. The latter puts the conglomerate in the drivers seat when it comes to negotiating with carriers and it happens with a much larger number of stations.

I mentioned Capital Cities buying ABC in the mid-80's, but Westinghouse bought CBS in the mid-90's. Both were station ownership groups that bought the networks.

And that wasn't happening so much until Sinclair went on the prowl in 2012.

 

[RedPenguin]

Too bad Scripps can't have Nexstar Stations that carry Katz subchannels seek cable carriage.

I sill can't watch Escape and Laff due to my location OTA and to this day they still are not carried on my local cable or any local cable in the area that I know of.