Sinclair Pursuing a Deal with E.W. Scripps

[Tvguy]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/busin ... 236428709/

[MichMash]

The Wall Street Journal reports that Sinclair currently holds an 8% stake in Scripps but is trying to take a controlling interest.

Interesting passage in the Hollywood Reporter piece, where Sinclair wrote in its SEC filing that it believes the local TV station business needs to continue consolidating in order to survive the competition from tech companies and the big media companies, many of which own their network partners.

“Recent industry consolidation and intensifying competition reinforce the Reporting Person’s (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,” the filing continued.

That flies in the face of the commonplace position that there needs to be less consolidation, not more, to ensure the diversity of opinions and keep media from being controlled by just a few monolithic monopolies.

[Mike]

To ensure the diversity of opinions and keep media from being controlled by just a few monolithic monopolies.

Is it any wonder that Sinclair would be taking the exact opposite positioning?

[Mike]

Also, quoting this from the Detroit thread with something to add, but really this one should be in here anyway:

As someone who has to watch Sinclair’s NBC25, FOX66 and CW46 stations in the Saginaw / Flint market, I hope to God this doesn’t happen.

Why?

They cut the news operation here to nearly bare bones here after they’d put some major money into the news operation. They gave up in less than 2 years and started cutting staff. They cut the local weekend news product about 18-24 months ago for their National News Desk newscasts, which is further right than Fox News. They have very few reporters and a couple of them look like they just graduated high school.

I swear the only reason that they have a local news product here is because the networks require it as part of their contract.

Scripps would be wise to run away quickly from this offer…

Two words: Dave Bondy.

[Realist]

Also, quoting this from the Detroit thread with something to add, but really this one should be in here anyway:

As someone who has to watch Sinclair’s NBC25, FOX66 and CW46 stations in the Saginaw / Flint market, I hope to God this doesn’t happen.

Why?

They cut the news operation here to nearly bare bones here after they’d put some major money into the news operation. They gave up in less than 2 years and started cutting staff. They cut the local weekend news product about 18-24 months ago for their National News Desk newscasts, which is further right than Fox News. They have very few reporters and a couple of them look like they just graduated high school.

I swear the only reason that they have a local news product here is because the networks require it as part of their contract.

Scripps would be wise to run away quickly from this offer…

Two words: Dave Bondy.

No I’m not Dave Bondy. He’s on the complete opposite end of the political spectrum than me

[Mike]

Also, quoting this from the Detroit thread with something to add, but really this one should be in here anyway:

As someone who has to watch Sinclair’s NBC25, FOX66 and CW46 stations in the Saginaw / Flint market, I hope to God this doesn’t happen.

Why?

They cut the news operation here to nearly bare bones here after they’d put some major money into the news operation. They gave up in less than 2 years and started cutting staff. They cut the local weekend news product about 18-24 months ago for their National News Desk newscasts, which is further right than Fox News. They have very few reporters and a couple of them look like they just graduated high school.

I swear the only reason that they have a local news product here is because the networks require it as part of their contract.

Scripps would be wise to run away quickly from this offer…

Two words: Dave Bondy.

No I’m not Dave Bondy. He’s on the complete opposite end of the political spectrum than me

I'm aware of that, Bill. And that's not what I meant - you're talking about them cutting 25 to bare bones AFTER putting major money into news. Well - say what you will about him, but that's exactly what led to Dave bolting for what he's doing now. (The so-called, quote-on-quote, "independent journalist" part, anyways...)

[Realist]

Also, quoting this from the Detroit thread with something to add, but really this one should be in here anyway:

As someone who has to watch Sinclair’s NBC25, FOX66 and CW46 stations in the Saginaw / Flint market, I hope to God this doesn’t happen.

Why?

They cut the news operation here to nearly bare bones here after they’d put some major money into the news operation. They gave up in less than 2 years and started cutting staff. They cut the local weekend news product about 18-24 months ago for their National News Desk newscasts, which is further right than Fox News. They have very few reporters and a couple of them look like they just graduated high school.

I swear the only reason that they have a local news product here is because the networks require it as part of their contract.

Scripps would be wise to run away quickly from this offer…

Two words: Dave Bondy.

No I’m not Dave Bondy. He’s on the complete opposite end of the political spectrum than me

I'm aware of that, Bill. And that's not what I meant - you're talking about them cutting 25 to bare bones AFTER putting major money into news. Well - say what you will about him, but that's exactly what led to Dave bolting for what he's doing now. (The so-called, quote-on-quote, "independent journalist" part, anyways...)

I’m not Bill Harris either…