WPTV and WSM to become ABC affiliation in the 80s

Chapter 221: Denver stations swapped affiliations

    • DucNguyen0131

    September 1, 1985

    The ABC affiliate KUSA-TV in Denver and the CBS affiliate KMGH-TV, also in Denver, swapped network affiliations. KUSA-TV would became a CBS affiliate, and KMGH-TV would became an ABC affiliate.

    A Bakersfield switch was proposed the next year, thanks to McGraw-Hill giving better relations with ABC when KMGH was disaffiliated from the network.

    The next CBS/ABC affiliation swap, happened on Fresno, on September 8, 1985.

    KUSA-TV marked Gannett's first CBS affiliate, the next network affiliation switch appear in Louisville next month.
     
    • Chapter 222: Fresno stations swapped affiliation

    • DucNguyen0131

    September 8, 1985

    Less than a week after KUSA-TV and KMGH-TV swapped network affiliations, CBS affiliate KFSN-TV and ABC affiliate KJEO swapped network affiliations, with KFSN going to ABC and KJEO going to CBS.

    This was part of Hearst's pending acquisition of Capital Cities Communications, which is subject for FCC approval.

    While in addition to the Philadelphia/NY waiver, Hearst gave them permanent waivers for the New York/Connecticut and Detroit TV & radio stations.

    Louisville is the next to switch, with WLKY and WHAS to swap network affiliations (IOTL the switch didn't take place until five years later)
     
    • Chapter 223: Fort Wayne and Louisville stations swapped affiliation

    • DucNguyen0131

    September 9, 1985

    The NBC affiliate WKJG-TV in Fort Wayne and WPTA-TV, the ABC affiliate in Fort Wayne swapped network affiliations. This made Gannett five NBC affiliates and two CBS affiliates. This benefited from 1980 when Gannett's WXIA took a chance at NBC, followed in 1982 by KOCO.

    Louisville also swapped network affiliations on the same day. WHAS-TV and WLKY-TV also swapped network affiliations with WHAS-TV becoming the ABC affiliate and WLKY-TV becoming the CBS affiliate.

    This made NBC the number one television network in all viewers and agencies.

    This made a stronger and bigger signal NBC and ABC had ever turned to, benefited from having the number three networks. NBC has just been the number one network during the 1984-85 season, thanks to The Cosby Show.
     
    • Chapter 224: FCC approval for Media General deal

    • DucNguyen0131

    September 13, 1985

    The FCC has filed that Media General's acquisition of the Manship stations WBRZ-TV and KRGV are for FCC approval. WBRZ-TV and KRGV previously belongs to the Manship family, and were ABC affiliates until it was dealt off to NBC in 1985.

    Media General, right now owns three stations in Tampa, Jacksonville and Charleston.

    Media General's holdings were based in Richmond, and consisted of newspapers and broadcasting.

    KVEO and WVLA were previously NBC affiliates until 1985, when it became affiliates of the ABC television network.
     
    • Chapter 225: Fisher/Allbritton deal finalized

    • DucNguyen0131

    September 16, 1985

    The merger between Fisher Communications and Allbritton Communications was officially finalized. It was officially traded under the name "Fisher/Allbritton Broadcasting" and owns 7 ABC-affiliated television stations.

    It is revealed that Hearst would purchase Capital Cities was its main motivation to purchase two of the largest ABC affiliates in Philadelphia and Houston.

    It is revealed that McGraw-Hill would convert KERO-TV to an ABC affiliate in 1986, as it was considering to merge with another publisher Knight Ridder, to create 8 television stations in total.

    KERO-TV had two prior affiliations as affiliates of NBC and CBS, before landing with ABC. KBAK was currently in talks with CBS. (The Bakersfield switch didn't happen until about 1996).
     
    • Chapter 226: Taft to sell independent stations

    • DucNguyen0131

    September 20, 1985

    Taft Television & Radio Company announces a plan to sell two independents WTAF-TV in Philadelphia, and WDCA in Washington, D.C., with WTAF-TV going to Fox Television Stations (IOTL WTAF/WTXF didn't became a Fox O&O until 1994), and WDCA going to Viacom Broadcasting.

    Fox has proposed a waiver to keep the New York and Philadelphia stations, citing CBS' ownership of both the New York and Philadelphia stations.

    The New York and Philadelphia stations are able to reach New Jersey.

    Fox was in the process of buying the Metromedia independents in order to became owned-and-operated stations.
     
    • Chapter 227: Channel 9 to become educational station

    • DucNguyen0131

    September 26, 1985

    KWGH-TV, the Tribune-owned Los Angeles station will be sold off to KCET, in order to became an educational PBS member affiliate station on the day once the Tribune's deal on KTLA was closed.

    The KCET calls move to channel 9, while the channel 28 calls would be KCEQ.

    Like WNET and WNED before that, KCET on channel 9 was a commercial license, providing non-commercial programming.

    Tribune was in the process of buying KTLA from KKR, which made Los Angeles the sole Tribune station, reducing it down to three independents.
     
    • Chapter 228: FCC seeks approval for KCET/channel 9 and KTLA/Tribune

    • DucNguyen0131

    September 30, 1985

    The Federal Communications Commission had approved the $510 million deal of KTLA by Tribune Broadcasting, and also had approved the sale of KWGH from Tribune Broadcasting Company to Community Television of Southern California, which was renamed to KCET, for $715 million.

    This means that channel 9 was converted from a commercial operation to a non-commercial operation, but still had a commercial licensee.

    Among the non-commercial stations with commercial licensees were WNET in New York and WNED in Buffalo.

    This means that the new KCET on channel 9 would be as non-commercial, as Tribune moved the KWGH management and staff to channel 5.
     
    • Chapter 229: Taft to buy two more UHFs

    • DucNguyen0131

    October 4, 1985

    Taft Television & Radio Company announced an offer to buy Central Texas Broadcasting Company, owners of KXXV, and Cypress Communications, owners of Alexandria's ABC affiliate KLAX-TV.

    This was done as a compensation for the loss of the two independent television stations.

    Taft's flagship station is WKRC-TV in Cincinnati.

    Taft had a group deal with ABC in 1961, and had an expanding relationship with the network in the 1980s, when the network was number one.
     
    • Chapter 230: Boston stations swapped frequencies

    • DucNguyen0131

    October 11, 1985

    WGBH-TV, channel 2 in Boston, WCVB-TV, channel 5 in Boston, and WNAC-TV, channel 7 in Boston announced that they would swap their frequencies, since channel 2 is better suited more for a commercial TV station than a non-commercial TV station.

    WGBH-TV would now be on channel 5, WCVB would now be on channel 7 as WCSB (the callsign was acquired from a Cleveland station, which was changed to WCAK) and WNAC-TV would now be on channel 2.

    Most of CBS' O&Os resist on channel 2, while the original five ABC O&Os in the 1940s were on channel 7.

    This marks a return of channel 7 to ABC, which was affiliated with WNAC-TV from 1961 until 1972.
     
    • Chapter 231: WLVI expands newscast

    • DucNguyen0131

    October 14, 1985

    WLVI, an independent station (will be Fox affiliate in 1986) owned by the TVX Broadcast Group, is expanding the newscast to one hour, known as The News at Ten (IOTL it didn't expand to one hour in 1987).

    WLVI management told to TVX that WRLH should produce newscasts modeled on WLVI's news format.

    WLVI has plans to expand to a morning newscast to compete against Good Morning America on newly-named ABC affiliate WCSB, CBS Morning News on CBS affiliate WNAC and Today on WBZ-TV.

    Also on the same day, once Tribune closes in on the purchase of KTLA, channel 9 began doing a non-commercial special Countdown to KCET.
     
    • Chapter 232: Nashville station got Action News branding

    • DucNguyen0131

    October 20, 1985

    Hearst announced that they would brought the "Action News" name and branding to WSM-TV in Nashville, rebranding it to "Action 4 News". The format of Action News is based off that of WBAL-TV, WTAE-TV and WISN-TV, fellow ABC affiliates to carry the concept.

    WSM station management said the new slogan put an emphasis to the branding said it is "everywhere".

    WSM-TV was used to be NBC affiliate until 1980, when it swapped affiliations with WNGE.

    WDTN also has plans to brand the newscasts as "Action News 2" effective the November of 1985.
     
    • Chapter 233: TVX to be major player

    • DucNguyen0131

    October 24, 1985

    The TVX Broadcast Group, which consists of WTVZ in Norfolk, WRLH in Richmond, WNRW in Greensboro, WLVI in Boston, WATL in Atlanta, WLFL in Raleigh, WLMT in Memphis, WCAY-TV in Nashville, WPDS in Indianapolis, KPDX-TV in Portland, KTXL-TV in Sacramento, KDVR in Denver, WFTS in Tampa, WRGT in Dayton, WXXA in Albany, and two upcoming stations KRRT in San Antonio and WNYO in Buffalo became a major independent player.

    TVX was in the process of purchasing WNOL-TV in New Orleans, and the construction permit for the Little Rock station KMJD-TV.

    It was expected to compete with Fox's upcoming acquisition of the Metromedia television stations.

    TVX executives said that WNRW is planning on to launch a newscast to follow the format of WLVI's newscasts.
     
    • Chapter 234: WPEC sold to joint venture

    • DucNguyen0131

    October 28, 1985

    WPEC-TV, the NBC affiliate that covered the Treasure Coast is getting a new owner. A joint venture between NBC, a unit of Westinghouse-RCA (72%) and General Electric Broadcasting (28%) is acquiring Photo Electronics Corporation, the local owners of WPEC.

    NBC held the controlling interest in the station, while GE took the remaining minority interest in the station.

    WPEC-TV operates on channel 12 in West Palm Beach, and it was NBC affiliate since 1980, prior to that was ABC affiliate.

    The joint venture/partnership was made before General Electric announced the $7.6 billion purchase of Westinghouse-RCA on December 12, 1985.
     
    • Chapter 235: Orlando stations swap networks and ownerships

    • DucNguyen0131

    November 3, 1985

    WESH-TV was sold off to Outlet Communications, reverting back to a NBC affiliate for the first time since 1982. WCPX was then sold off to H&C Communications, becoming a CBS affiliate, reversing the swap that took place in 1982.

    For the first time, Jon Fox of Hothaus Design redesigned WESH-TV's set to hit more attitude. The set was reused by WSFN in 1988 (IOTL this set was used by WTVJ in 1988).

    WCPX quickly adopted "Palmer News Package" as the news theme.

    The Sacramento swap would be next, KOVR-TV was sold to Scripps-Howard Broadcasting.
     
    • Chapter 236: ABC to sign group deal with Nationwide

    • DucNguyen0131

    November 8, 1985

    ABC and Nationwide Communications announced a groupwide affiliation deal to renew its existing stations WRIC-TV and WATE-TV, while converting CBS affiliate WBAY-TV in Green Bay to an ABC affiliate.

    It is also announced that Viacom announced a $975 million offer to purchase Minneapolis independent KITN, beating out Nationwide.

    It is expected that WFRV-TV and WJMN would convert it into a CBS affiliate (IOTL this switch did not happen until 1992 during the CBS acquisition of the Midwest stations).

    The most prolific group deal out of ABC is Taft Television & Radio Company, who owns several television stations, and Gulf Broadcasting, who owns ABC-affiliated TV stations such as WTSP in Tampa and KTSP in Phoenix.
     
    • Chapter 237: WSHB to have new set

    • DucNguyen0131

    November 10, 1985

    WSHB, the ABC affiliate that covered the Treasure Coast, that was owned by Scripps-Howard Broadcasting is unveiling a brand new set that matches up with the set that was used by WEWS. The "Action News" branding was also retained.

    Frank Gari created a brand new package "The Great News Package" that was used by this station (IOTL this was debuted on WXIA-TV in Atlanta in 1986).

    As it was one of the last remaining VHF channel allocations in the US, WTVX, the CBS affiliate that served the Treasure Coast agreed to move from channel 34 to channel 9 in order to boost up its signal, leaving the channel 34 signal to be allocated for an independent station.

    The FCC channel 34 licensee was then transferred to an educational station, while the FCC is adding the channel 9 licensee to WTVX's owners in the West Palm Beach area.
     
    • Chapter 238: FCC approves Tribune deal

    • DucNguyen0131

    November 15, 1985

    The Federal Communications Commission is approving Tribune's offer to purchase WZTV in Nashville, and become the city's leading independent station.

    WZTV's competitor, WCAY-TV is owned by the TVX Broadcast Group.

    Multimedia also owns several TV properties like WOTV and WOOD-AM-FM-TV.

    It is considered that Gillett Communications would purchase Sarkes Tarzian, Inc., owners of WMAZ-TV in Macon and KTVN in Reno, both of them were CBS affiliates.
     
    • Chapter 239: WMC is unveiling a new set

    • DucNguyen0131

    November 17, 1985

    WMC-TV, the Memphis ABC affiliate is giving a brand new set, while retaining the "Action News 5" branding. The station has also adopted Gari's "The Great News Package" as the new theme for WMC-TV's newscasts.

    WMC-TV was Scripps-Howard's second television station, the first was fellow Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS-TV.

    The third affiliate built by Scripps-Howard was CBS affiliate WCPO-TV. KJRH-TV was in talks to be Tulsa's CBS affiliate next month, while NBC would sign with KOTV.

    Scripps-Howard would now have three ABC affiliates and two CBS television affiliates.
     
    • Chapter 240: WNYO announces launch date

    • DucNguyen0131

    November 22, 1985

    It is revealed to the TVX Broadcast Group that WNYO, an independent station in Buffalo would launch on January 6, 1986 (IOTL's Space Shuttle Challenger disaster has been butterflied away).

    WNYO would later become a Fox affiliate when the network signed on October 1986.

    It is expected that TVX would finish the construction permit for WNYO so it would allow to move cartoons like Transformers and G.I. Joe to WNYO.

    TVX is currently in the process of acquiring WNOL-TV in New Orleans. TVX's largest station was WLVI-TV in Cambridge/Boston.
     
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