University Buying WMFE For $3.3 Million
The Orlando public broadcaster says it plans to sell the ch. 24 facility to the University of Central Florida.The deal must be approved by UCF’s Board of Trustees, which will vote on the sale Monday. WMFE announced in April 2011 that it planned to sell the station to a religious broadcaster for $3 million, but the FCC didn’t act on the sale.
WMFE: There’s No Deal To Sell To Batchelor
Orlando businessman Dick Batchelor’s quest to buy the Orlando noncommercial station evidently has ended. José Fajardo, president-CEO of WMFE, said in an email Thursday evening: “There is no deal between WMFE and Independent Public Media.”
Independent Public Media Wants WMFE
Independent Public Media has made a bid for WMFE Orlando, Fla., the former PBS member station that has been on the market for more than a year.
Orlando public broadcaster WMFE announced nearly a year ago that it planned to sell its TV station for $3 million. That deal will not happen, WMFE President Jose Fajardo said this morning.
FCC Still Seeking Info on Planned WMFE Sale
Nine months after the Orlando, Fla., PBS station announced its sale, the FCC has still not approved its transfer to Community Educators of Orlando, the local entity representing religious broadcaster Daystar. When the community got wind of the fact that the buyer of WMFE was not going to be another PBS affiliate, many protested. According to documents filed on the FCC’s website, the agency received 538 comments, letters and petitions on the sale to Daystar — the vast majority opposed to the sale.
Exclusives
PBS last week gave its blessing to WUCF Orlando, which will start July 1 and replace WMFE as Central Florida’s primary public television channel.
The University of Central Florida is moving to keep PBS in Orlando — if the UCF Board of Trustees approves a partnership with Brevard Community College this week. WMFE-Channel 24 will stop offering PBS June 30. Public broadcaster WMFE has decided to sell the TV station to concentrate on radio.
Community Communications Inc., operator of WMFE Orlando Fla., is tired of struggling with the financial math to keep the station afloat and proposed to sell it to noncommercial religious broadcaster Daystar Television Network. The FCC has elected to open a docket on the matter and has published the deadline for petitions to deny.
Daystar Television Network, an evangelical Christian broadcaster based in Dallas, plans to buy public television station WMFE Orlando, Fla., for about $5 million.
