Having reached an impasse with Nexstar Broadcasting on affiliate renewal, Fox has lined up Koplar Communications' KRBK to replace Nexstar's KSFX in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Granite Broadcasting's WISE to replace Nexstar's WFFT in Springfield, Mo.
DMAS 74 & 107
Fox Moves Affils In Springfield, Ft. Wayne
Unable to come to terms with Nexstar Broadcasting on affiliation renewals in Springfield, Mo. (DMA 74), and Fort Wayne, Ind. DMA 107), Fox has found new affiliates in the two markets.
The Fox affiliation losses are the second and third for Nexstar, which has been resisting Fox’s demands for stiff new programming fees. In May, it gave up the affiliation for WTVW Evansville, Ind., rather than pay the fees.
In Springfield, Fox has lined up Koplar Communications’ KRBK to replace Nexstar’s KSFX. KRBK, currently an MNT affiliate, will also broadcast Fox starting Sept. 1 and promote itself as Fox 49. MNT is Fox’s secondary network.
And in Fort Wayne, Fox is going with Granite Broadcasting’s WISE in place of Nexstar’s WFFT starting Aug. 1.
WISE now broadcasts NBC on its main channel and MNT on a subchannel. According to WISE GM Jerry Giesler, the plan is to put Fox on the same subchannel as MNT. Fox will air from 8-10 p.m. MNT’s two-hour block will be moved to 10:30 p.m. following the half-hour news. Granite also operates WPTA in the market under a shared services agreement. WPTA airs ABC is its main channel and CW on a subchannel.
Giesler said the challenge now is to let viewers know that Fox is moving to a new home. Among other things, WISE will air promos and set up a hot line that viewers can call for information, he said. “I’m feeling very good about it.”
BRAND CONNECTIONS
Said Ted Koplar, president-CEO of Koplar Communications, in a prepared statement: “We are thrilled that KRBK will be the home of Fox’s incredible lineup of sports and entertainment.”
Comments (8)
Janet Frankston Lorin says:
June 20, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Fox should be kissing Perry Sook’s arse. Without his efforts, there would have been no retransmission to begin with. They have no soul.
pat archambault says:
June 20, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Springfield OTA viewers now lose FOX in HD, right?
Monica Alba says:
June 20, 2011 at 4:18 pm
This sounds like a bad precedent for broadcasters. If we undermine each other on these network deals, we’ll soon find them pitting us against each other on ridiculous terms (like 100% retrans agreements). Then again, how long before networks say “we don’t need you”. I think the stations that might eventually be much better off are the independents with strong local involvment. We can’t win playing on “national internet terms”, but THEY can’t win playing in our LOCAL field!
Brian Walshe says:
June 20, 2011 at 4:33 pm
When will we see some anti-trust action in regard to one operator having actual or de-facto control of so many voices in a market? It appears that the FCC gives lip-service to the concept of promoting a plethora of voices within individual markets… but allows control of the voices by only a few owners.
I vote for a return to 7-7-7.
Annette Garcia says:
June 20, 2011 at 5:04 pm
OOps…got the call letters turned around in the headline….
Teri Green says:
June 20, 2011 at 6:28 pm
With the FCC trying to free up spectrum this makes everyone happy. If the station that loses FOX goes dark, that’s more spectrum to play with. This will only happen in small markets. FOX isn’t going to lose a top 25 market. If they lose 100% of the audience in markets like Springfield, Ft Wayne, Evansville or Boise, it won’t even make a dent in the total audience nationwide. If they lost FOX in San Fran or another top ten it’d hurt
Al Ming says:
June 20, 2011 at 7:39 pm
FOX is eating its young. For Perry, looks like no good deed goes unpunished.
Jason Adams says:
June 20, 2011 at 11:03 pm
I wonder how Fox with deal with KTVU/Cox in the San Francisco market. Could history from ten years ago repeat itself with Fox buying KRON and turning it into a Fox O&O?