NBCU Paying $75 Million For ZGS Stations

NBCU is paying $75 million for the 13 mostly low-power Telemundo affiliates it is acquiring from ZGS Communications, according to an FCC filing seeking approval of the deal.

NBCU announced the deal on Monday without giving the price.

The stations: full power KTDO El Paso, Texas (DMA 93), WZDC-CD Washington (DMA 6); WRDM-CA Hartford, Conn. (DMA 32); WMVJ-CA Orlando, Fla. (DMA 18); WRMD-CD Tampa, Fla. (DMA 13); WWDT-CD Ft. Myers, Fla. (DMA 56); WRIW-CA Providence, R.I. (DMA 52); and WZGS Raleigh, N.C. (DMA 25), as well as low-power stations serving Springfield, Mass., and Richmond, Va.

According to the filing, the stations in Providence, Washington, Hartford and Raleigh are so-called zombies, having sold their spectrum in the FCC incentive auction for an aggregate $140.7 million earlier this year.

However, the four stations have channel sharing agreements with other stations in the market, which will allow them to continue service, the filing says.