Ion Buys 3 Stations In Mo., S.C. And Idaho
The purchases of WRBU St. Louis; WZRB Columbia, S.C.; and KTRV Boise, Idaho, expand the group’s portfolio to 63 stations in 58 markets, including all of the top 20 and 24 of the top 25. Terms weren’t disclosed.
Movies! Network, a classic movie multicast network, has signed agreements with new affiliates in Charlotte, N.C.; Salt Lake City; Boise, Idaho; Wausau, Wis.; and Victoria, Texas. These five new markets […]
Block Communications’ former Fox affiliate is cutting staff this week. “A network affiliate requires a different business model than does an independent station,” said Bill Lamb, vice president of Block Communications.
KTRV Boise, Idaho, will return to its roots as a full-on independent station after Fox announced last month it was giving its affiliation in DMA No. 113 to Journal’s KNIN. The station, owned by Block Communications, will add 1.5 hours of news a day and a half-dozen bodies to the newsroom, and will go with syndicated comedies and dramas in primetime.
Block Communications will not be picking up The CW for KTRV Boise, Idaho, after losing Fox to former CW affiliate KNIN.. Instead, the new CW affiliate is Fisher Communications’ KBOI (CBS), which will put The CW on a subchannel and a low-power station.
Exclusives
While the network says recent affiliation changes aren’t ultimatums and that it needs a revenue stream from its stations, others see Fox’s increasingly tough stance as one of “either come to the table and negotiate or we’re going to slit your throats.”
