The Chicago-based broadcaster is paying spectrum aggregator OTA Broadcasting $23.2 million for KFFV and KVOS, both Seattle, and KTLN and low-power KAXT, both San Francisco.
Expanding Weigel Buys Into S.F., Seattle
Weigel Broadcasting continues to expand, agreeing to acquire four stations in California and Washington state from spectrum speculator OTA Broadcasting for $23.2 million, according to an FCC filing.
The stations: KFFV and KVOS, both Seattle, and KTLN and low-power KAXT, both San Francisco.
Earlier this year, Chicago-based Weigel purchased KAZA Los Angeles for $9 million, KNLC St. Louis for $3.75 million and KCSG Salt Lake City for $1.1 million
Weigel’s flagship is independent WCIU Chicago, which has companion low-powers in the market. In addition, it owns CBS affiliate WDJT and two LPTVs in Milwaukee, a low-power ABC-CW duopoly in South Bend, Ind., and an independent LPTV in Rockford, Ill.
Weigel sold its fourth Milwaukee outlet, independent WMLW, in the FCC incentive auction, but will keep the station alive on a subchannel of low-power WBME there.
KVOS is the Seattle outlet for three Weigel diginets: MeTV, Heroes & Icons and Movies. The last is a joint venture with 21st Century Fox.
BRAND CONNECTIONS
KFFV, also Seattle, airs Evine Live, a shopping channel, on its main channel, and a number of diginets on its subchannels, including NBC’s Cozi TV and Azteca, according to Wikipedia.
KTLN San Francisco is a Christian station.
OTA, backed by computer billionaire Michael Dell, failed to sell the stations in the FCC incentive auction as it planned, but still made out. It bought KVOS from Newport Television for $2.9 million and KFFV out of bankruptcy for $5 million.
OTA acquired KTLM for $8 million.
Comments (3)
Kevin Wright says:
October 25, 2017 at 8:29 pm
KVOS/12 is NOT in Seattle. Never has been (though OTA moved the technical operations down there with their Azteca America multicaster). It is licensed to Bellingham with a transmitter on Orcas Island, about 80 miles and almost two hours’ drive north of Seattle up I-5 – that is, until their Ellis Street studios were closed down.
Kristina Veltri says:
October 25, 2017 at 10:26 pm
The moment they closed up shop on Vancouver ads and became “MeTV Seattle” it became in all intents and purposes a Seattle station, except their over-the-air signal doesn’t get down there.
Jackie Wright says:
October 26, 2017 at 2:31 pm
I was fortunate enough to work for KVOS when owned by Wometco. I enjoyed my 2 years at the station and really liked the people I worked with both in Bellingham and Vancouver, BC. Bellingham was also a great place to live. Love the transmitter site on Orcas Island too.