If Sinclair, owners of WKRC-TV, is successful in a merger with Scripps, the legacy media company which owns WCPO-TV, Cincinnati could see one less TV newsroom.
Sinclair, the nation’s third-largest TV station owner with 185 stations, announced Monday that it had been “engaged in constructive discussions with (Scripps) for several months regarding a potential combination of the two companies,” according to Sinclair’s filing with the federal Security and Exchange Commission. Sinclair said the transaction “could be completed within nine to 12 months.”
Sinclair, based in suburban Baltimore, also disclosed that it has bought 8.2% of Scripps’ Class A (non-voting) shares in the open market in Scripps. The Cincinnati-based media company was founded 147 years ago in 1878. Edward W. Scripps bought control of the Cincinnati Penny Post in 1883 and founded the Kentucky Post in 1890.
The Sinclair-Scripps news is the latest media merger announced since President Trump took office in January.
Nexstar, the nation’s biggest TV station owner, is seeking Federal Communications Commission approval of its $6.2 billion offer to buy Tegna, the No. 4 TV group formerly known as Gannett’s TV division. Gray Media, the nation’s No. 2 station group which owns WXIX-TV, agreed in August to acquire 10 TV stations from Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group.
Scripps, which operates 61 TV stations in 40 markets, is the nation’s ninth-largest TV group.
Sinclair noted that “recent industry consolidation and intensifying competition reinforce (Sinclair’s) view that further scale in the broadcast television industry is essential to address secular headwinds and compete effectively with larger-scale big-tech and big-media players, as well as major broadcast groups,” according to the filing.
If Channels 12 and 9 combined operations, the company likely would not keep two engineering staffs, sales teams, studios, human resource offices and other support staff. It’s very possible that there would no longer be two sets of news anchors, reporters, meteorologists, photographers, producers and assignment editors.
“I would assume they wouldn’t want that redundancy. That’s usually the way these things go. They usually want to consolidate to reduce expenses,” says Jon Lawhead, who retired in 2023 as WKRC-TV general manager after 11 years. Before that he was a Southwestern Ohio regional manager for Sinclair.
Sinclair operates one newsroom for its TV station combos in Ohio — Dayton’s WKEF-TV (ABC 22) and WRGT (Fox 45), and Columbus’ WSYX (ABC 6) and WTTE (Fox 28). The Fox affiliations allows local news shows to move to the Fox station 7-9 a.m. during Good Morning America, and for a 10 p.m. newscast against ABC’s prime-time programming.
A big difference in Cincinnati, however, is that ABC 9 and CBS 12 air local news at the same time throughout the day: 4:30-7 a.m; noon; 4-6:30 p.m.; and 11 p.m.
“Greater scale will also strengthen broadcasters' ability to sustain their vital public service role in producing local news,” Sinclair told the SEC. The company “believes combining with (Scripps) provides the ability to compete successfully for advertising share, critical programming, and distribution economics through enhanced local and national scale, coupled with disciplined execution of synergies.”
In the SEC filing, Sinclair says that its “financial and legal advisors are committed to constructive engagement with the Issuer (Scripps) toward reaching a definitive transaction agreement. The Wall Street Journal reported that Sinclair bought the Scripps’ stock “to add pressure on Scripps to strike a deal.”
Scripps reacted to the “opportunistic actions of Sinclair” Monday morning with this statement:
“Scripps’ board of directors and management are focused on driving value for all of the company’s shareholders through the continued execution of its strategic plan. The board and management are aligned on doing only what is in the best interest of all of the company’s shareholders as well as its employees and the many communities and audiences it serves across the United States.
“The company’s board has and will continue to evaluate any transactions and other alternatives that would enhance the value of the company and would be in the best interest of all company shareholders. Likewise, the board will take all steps appropriate to protect the company and the company’s shareholders from the opportunistic actions of Sinclair or anyone else.”
Scripps’ market value is about $277 million, according to published reports. Scripps also owns the ION broadcast network, and the Court TV, Bounce and Grit digital multicast networks. In 2021, the company established a Scripps Sports division which has acquired rights to the WNBA, NWSL and other women’s sports.
Scripps launched Ohio’s first TV station in 1947 with WEWS-TV in Cleveland, and put WCPO-TV on the air in July 1949, four months after Taft Broadcasting debuted WKRC-TV.
The company launched the HGTV cable channel in 1994, followed by the Food Network (1997), DIY (1998) and Great American Country (2004). Those were spun off in 2008 as Scripps Networks Interactive, and later were acquired by the Discovery Channel.
The Cincinnati and Kentucky Post newspapers ceased operations in 2007, when Scripps’ 30-year “joint operating agreement” ended with the Enquirer. Scripps sold its newspaper business in 2015, after 137 years. The company’s radio portfolio (34 stations) was sold in 2018.
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