WSMV Sale More Likely
- Posted April 2nd, 2021 at 3:54pm
Per this Bloomberg article, Meredith Corp., owner of WSMV, is still mulling over the option of selling all of their TV stations. Also in the article, they say that their TV stations only make up 27% of their revenue. They are thinking of selling off their stations and focusing more on their magazine division. I do have to say that all of this, like before, is only at the talking stage at the moment. When something changes, I will post it asap. Like always, until more news breaks, that's all for now.
18 Comments
sensiblecinema7217
- Posted on April 3rd, 2021 at 4:50pm
Good riddance! I never forgave them for firing Demetria Kalodimos.
leavenfish
- Posted on April 3rd, 2021 at 9:26pm
LOL! I lost my job in the magazine distribution industry after 23 years... TV stations continue...Magazines die left and right. Anyone who would chose the latter over the former is a fool. But, just as well...not much on NBC worth watching.
Random Guy
- Posted on April 6th, 2021 at 12:33am
Good maybe they'll finally get in on ATSC 3.0 as they are the only major( not counting PBS ) not on ATSC 3.0 in Nashville
xmguy
- Posted on April 6th, 2021 at 8:27am
I hope so. That would be nice. I bet WSMV, and WNPT would lighthouse.
Random Guy
- Posted on April 6th, 2021 at 10:09am
I think WSMV would host the ATS 1.0 signals and WNPT would host the ATSC 3.0 signals since WNPT is lower power. Of course they would be room on WNAB for WSMV is you got rid of TBD
xmguy
- Posted on April 6th, 2021 at 3:21pm
I just hope I don't lose WSMV 1000kW signal to WNPT RF channel/power if/when ATSC 3.0 lighthouse begins.
NashDigie
- Posted on April 6th, 2021 at 5:41pm
I don't know if you are using "1000kw" as saying that WSMV has a strong signal or if you think they are actually running at 1000kw. Just so you know, WSMV is actually broadcasting at 42.4kw. Maximum power for a HI-VHF channel (7-13) is 160kw. Which by the way is where WRCB 3 (rf 13) Chattanooga is going to with their channel. I wouldn't mind seeing how far out a HI-VHF channel would go broadcasting at 1000kw. That would be a big broadcasting range.
xmguy
- Posted on April 7th, 2021 at 12:42am - Edited
I got most other UHF Nashville stations mixed up with WSMV/WNPT. You're right. Sorry. I would hope if they lighthouse later on they would choose WSMV's transmitter over WNPT. I can only get WNPT during the night/early morning (skip). I forgot the VHF limit. It would be nice though :)
Random Guy
- Posted on April 7th, 2021 at 2:03am
Yeah I hate stations that don't use their max capabilities when they can. This is why it's hard for me to use OTA. Don't claim I'm in your viewing area then make it impossible for me to get your signal then. WSMV would be very easy to get in even here at 160 kW heck even 80 kW would be an improvement. WZTV( Fox 17 ) is almost impossible to get in because they've always used a directional antenna and despite changing frequencies according to rabbitears they are still using the same highly directional antenna. Why? If there was an inference concerned before there shouldn't be now. On the opposite side of me there is a Fox station in "Jackson" TN but not only did they decide not to put there antenna near all the other ones that are actually in Jackson. They are choosing to broadcast at 192 kW when they could go up to 1000 kW that's difference of 7 dB which in my area could make all the difference. They also could put their antenna higher. I mean if they station owners want to cheap out on power levels to save a few bucks on electricity they should have chosen to move to hi-VHF
xmguy
- Posted on April 7th, 2021 at 6:48pm - Edited
I can get WUXP (3.0), WZTV, WSMV, WKRN, WNAB (3.0). I cannot get WTVF (UHF 36 or VHF 5), (EXCEPTION, WTVF 3.0 on WUXP 21). I cannot get WNPT either. These I CAN get is only because of the antennas I bought, I have 2 outdoor. 1 JUST for WKRN. The second reason is I'm at 1000 feet above sea level. So I have that advantage. I also clear cut every tree in the direction of Nashville that was in my path, on my property. Nashville needs to get their antenna farm going. I know they have alot near I-24, that's ok. But I need 2 antennas for my area, that is just a bit more NW, or W. I can't imagine how Nashville proper gets these stations with transmitters all over the place.
Random Guy
- Posted on April 8th, 2021 at 12:50am
I'm about 70 miles to the west of Nashville but according to the FCC part of the Nashville DMA. My best station back when I was into messing with antennas was WKRN. So maybe there should be an antenna farm is that location but the most antennas are located where WTVF is so I suspect any farm would be there I don't get why Nashville antenna are spread out. WTVF back when it was on 25 could not come in as good as WRKN even though it was also supposedly broadcasting at 1000 kw. Ironically back when WTVF's low-VHF translator on RF 5 was broadcasting at 13 kW is was the easiest station to get in if you had low-VHF antenna but had to pare back to 3 kW because of interference with WMC out of Memphis also on RF 5. WMC has a pending petition to move to RF 30 so maybe if that is granted WTVF can up the power level of it's translator. As I said WZTV oblong direction antenna makes it's1000 kW signal be the equivalent of 60 kW. I've never been able to get in WNAB or WUXP very reliable either. ATSC 3.0 might have changed that but I'm not spending hundreds on equipment to find out Places like LA or SF and other have them all in one location. I have this issue in the other direction too. Another new issue is that WKRN in on RF 27 and for some reason WLJT( PBS ) out of "Jackson" which was on RF 47 then was assigned RF 14 for the repack instead requested and got RF 27 even though it's antenna and WKRN's are only 102 miles apart. It doesn't take a genius to figure out there is going to be interference. So now any chances of having 2 UHF antennas pointing towards Nashville and Jackson no longer and option.
Brentwood OTA
- Posted on April 8th, 2021 at 10:30am
42.4kw goes a long way in explaining why it's still so difficult to pick up WSMV here among the Brentwood Hills. I would hope any new owner would increase the power.
NashDigie
- Posted on April 8th, 2021 at 1:11pm - Edited
Actually, they (WTVF RF VHF 5) were broadcasting at 22kw, and they still are at 22kw. You see RF 5 is considered a translator station aka low-powered station. A low-powered lo-VHF station can only broadcast as high as 3kw, but they considered the people in outlying areas like Eastern Middle TN. They didn't want anybody to lose VHF 5. So, they applied for a legal STA (Special Temporary Authority) to continue broadcasting at 22kw. Here is a link (via Rabbitears.info) to their broadcasting range on VHF 5 at 22kw: https://www.rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=1fcb0102c04a46edbba6cf6212b6c0ea&site=1&map=Y. There is usually circles (Coverage Contours) showing how far the signal goes out, but since this is an old link, they are gone from this map, but you can still see if you're in the green, yellow, or red areas.
xmguy
- Posted on April 9th, 2021 at 12:32am
I could get their old VHF 5 signal sometimes. But RF 25 was very stable. Their new channel of 36 I can only get during "skip". Sometimes I can re-aim my Televes from WKRN to WTVF. But It's seldom I can get anything from them beyond bits of their 3.0 signal. WTVF and WSMV used to be the most reliable. Now it's only WSMV, and WZTV/WUXP.
Random Guy
- Posted on April 10th, 2021 at 8:20pm - Edited
According to rabbitears they are broadcasting at 3 kW DRT-LIC: Granted Channel 5 Longley-Rice coverage map available. NASHVILLE, TN BLCDT-20120910AAA (aad4c3d822da491e8446cf6212b6c0ea) - App 1367' 3 kW ND ( ) (1.25 kW + 3.8 dB gain = 3 kW ERP) Also like most Nashville station it shows I'm not even in red as his site doesn't bother to show Hard outdoor antenna which make things frustrating
NashDigie
- Posted on April 10th, 2021 at 8:42pm
Yes, you are correct about them being licensed to operate at 3kw. That is the highest they are allowed to go on a licensed translator, but they also applied for a legal STA which you can go to it by this address - https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/draftCopy.html?displayType=html&appKey=25076ff3703684f201704530228b142b&id=25076ff3703684f201704530228b142b&goBack=N At the bottom of that page, there is a link to the explanation of what the legal STA is for. You can go to that PDF file by this address - https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/25076ff3703684f201704539c6681474
itgrouch
- Posted on April 6th, 2021 at 5:01pm - Edited
With the unanimous 9-0 decision by the Supreme Court on April 1st, ruling that the FCC can relax the rules regarding how many stations a corporate entity can own in a market, this is reason Meredith is testing the waters to sell off their TV holdings. In our market, this would allow Sinclair or Nexstar to petition the FCC to purchase WSMV, even with owning stations in our market. Of course, some other entity could petition the FCC to purchase them as well. The value of TV stations are not as lucrative as they were in the past versus the cost of operating a TV station. Here's an article on the SCOTUS ruling: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/01/us/supreme-court-media-ownership.html
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