After losing its affiliation in Indianapolis, the station group reups in Birmingham, Ala.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Providence, R.I.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Terre Haute, Ind.; Mason City, Iowa; Portland, Ore.; Youngstown, Ohio; and Lafayette, Ind.
LIN And CBS Renew Affiliations In 10 Markets
LIN Media today announced comprehensive, long-term renewals of its CBS affiliations in 10 markets.
The affiliates signing on for more of NCIS and The Big Bang Theory: WIAT Birmingham, Ala.; WIVB Buffalo, N.Y.; KRQE, KBIM and KREZ Albuquerque, N.M.; WPRI Providence, R.I.; WANE Fort Wayne, Ind.; WTHI Terre Haute, Ind.; KIMT Mason City, Iowa; KOIN Portland, Ore.; WKBN Youngstown, Ohio; and WLFI Lafayette, Ind.
“We are pleased to have reached long-term agreements with CBS,” said Vincent L. Sadusky, president-CEO of LIN Media. “Our stations are important assets to our local communities and these new agreements ensure that LIN Media and CBS will continue to serve local viewers with high-quality network programming.”
Terms were not disclosed disclosed as they never are in retrans deals. But they are probably not what LIN had once hoped for. Earlier this month, in the middle of negotiations, CBS yanked its affliation from WISH Indianapolis, effective Jan. 1, ending a 58-year partnership. In doing so, CBS made clear it wasn’t getting the retrans value it had been seeking from LIN. CBS’s new affiliate in DMA 26 will be Tribune’s WTTV.
Wells Fargo Senior Analyst Marci Ryvicker said of the LIN-CBS affiliation deal: “With this announcement, we think a pretty significant overhang on LIN’s (and Media General’s) stock should be removed. Recall that the lion’s share of LIN’s CBS affiliation agreements are expiring on Jan. 1, 2015, and most of Media General’s expire on various dates throughout 2015. We would venture to guess that Media General will have an announcement out shortly as well. Similar to Gray, LIN now has ”closure” and can begin MVPD negotiations for retransmission consent with a lot more visibility.”
Comments (5)
Don Thompson says:
August 28, 2014 at 9:42 am
How great can this be for LIN”s stock when we know Air Marshal Moonves fleeced LIN to avoid another WISH debacle. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Media General insist on cutting the price for LIN a second time in a week. …………………. Please follow me on Twitter @TedatACA
Manuel Morales says:
August 28, 2014 at 10:39 am
Ted- why is Les “fleecing” anyone? Les’ company provides a very valuable product. This product costs money to produce. CBS has a right to make financial demands of affiliates and if the affiliates refuse them both parties can go their separate way, Sound familiar? It sounds a lot like a retransmisison consent negotiation between a local TV station and an ACA member. As you know, once retransmission consent is elected by a TV station the MVPD is not obligation to carry the affiliate. I suggest that ACA members who don’t like paying TV stations for their product simply refuse the demands and operate Big 4 less systems. Sounds like the logical solution.
Wagner Pereira says:
August 28, 2014 at 2:48 pm
Dish, DirecTV and others wish that Ted and his ACA members take your very logical advice.
Wagner Pereira says:
August 28, 2014 at 2:48 pm
almost forgot………………….. Please follow me on Twitter @NotTedatACA
Joe Adalian says:
August 28, 2014 at 11:21 pm
Seriously. Does the ACA pay Ted? They pay him to spend all his time making mindless, diatribes, that only make local broadcast’s point! The powers that be should be copied on his posts. It will surely unmask him!!