Who Might Buy Those Nexstar Stations?
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Yesterday, FTVLive told you that Nexstar is looking to sell off at least 13 stations, due to overlap in the Tribune deal.
The company will likely sell more than just the 13 markets we listed, so, who might be interested in buying some of the Nexstar scraps?
Meredith Corporation could have its opportunity to have a station in its home market of Des Moines. Potential spoilers... Scripps, TEGNA, or Hubbard.
Indianapolis could be interesting. Fox could have an opportunity to gain O&O presence. WISH lost its nearly 60-year union with CBS when WTTV hitched up with CBS on December 31, 2014, and WISH gaining CW affiliation on January 1, 2015, along with expanded news presence, and WXIN keeping its Fox affiliation. Chances of another affiliation shuffle would remain to be seen.
DC-Hagerstown could be interesting too. It's been 2 years since NBC pulled affiliate from WDVM (formerly WHAG). WDCW had failed newscast attempt by WTVR that ended earlier this year.
Portland, Oregon wouldn't present overlaps. KOIN and KRCW could spell the end of KGW-produced newscasts for KRCW, and KOIN assume production of KRCW newscasts.
Other conflicts. Harrisburg-Lancaster and Scranton-Wilkes Barre markets, as well as Connecticut, Richmond, Norfolk, Memphis, Grand Rapids, Huntsville, Fayetteville-Fort Smith, Quad Cities, and Salt Lake City. Potential buyers for stations that have to be spun-off, as well as non-conflict markets to get below 39% cap could include Scripps, Meredith, Gray, Hearst, TEGNA, Graham, Hubbard, and few other smaller owners that could be looking to expand, like Morgan-Murphy, Lockwood, Heartland, and Marquee. Cox appears to be unlikely. Fox still eyeing O&O presences in a few markets, including possibly reacquiring former O&O's.
