News 9 ownership group bought KSBI-52

[Tydude]

rustysurette: News 9 owner Griffin Communications signs deal to purchase KSBI-TV in OKC.

News 9 will have 3 stations in OKC News 9, News now 53 and now KSBI

[venture]

News 9 will have 3 stations in OKC News 9, News now 53 and now KSBI

You mean Griffin Communications will have three stations, now News 9...actually KWTV since i'm sure "News 9" is just a dba and not their entity's legal name.

We'll see what KSBI evolves into. I remember when former KWTV met Brady Brus took it over and just flopped. I'm not expecting much more than what it is right now. Which is a channel the vast majority of people never watch, let alone have heard of.

[zookeeper]

~

I'm surprised and truly interested in what they plan on doing with KSBI.

In these days with the rise of the digital subchannel, (or diginets), Griffin must have something interesting up their sleeves. KWTV is only using one digital subchannel at 9.2 for news, Cox partnership programming, and network programming to air during severe storms when they go full-weather on 9.1. For KWTV to pick up a whole new station without using their digital subchannel slots, I have to think they have big plans.

For reference, the other major stations and their respective digital channels are below...

KFOR:
4.1 - Main KFOR NBC programming
4.2 - Antenna TV (all classic television)

KOCO:
5.1 - Main KOCO ABC programming
5.2 - ME-TV (The #1 diginet in America. Classic TV 24/7)

KWTV:
9.1: Main KWTV CBS programming
9.2: News 9 Now

OETA:
13.1 - Main OETA PBS programming
13.2 - OETA OKLA
13.3 - OETA Create
13.4 - OETA Kids

KOCB:
34.1 - Main KOCB CW programming
34.2 - getTV (Classic movies)

KSBI:
52.1 - Main KSBI programming
52.2 - This-TV (movies and some older TV series)

KOPX:
62.1 - Main ION programming
62.2 - QUBO
62.3 - ION Life
62.4 - ION Shop
62.5 - QVC (Shopping)
62.6 - HSN (Home Shopping Network)

KTBO:
14.1 - Main Trinity Network Programming
14.2 - The Church Channel
14.3 - JUCE TV (young adult music videos)
14.4 - Enlace USA (Hispanic Christian)
14.5 - Smile of a Child (Children's christian programming)

KOKH:
25.1 - Main KOKH Fox programming
25.2 - ZUUS Country (Country music videos)

[Tydude]

I think with news 9 owning KSBI i believe they are going to expand the newscast and have a newscast from 7-9 AM maybe a 1 hour noon Newscast??? Or possibly a 30 minute 9:00 PM newscast.

[SoonerDave]

When Brus owned or was part-owner in KSBI they had an ENTIRELY different direction, and some really bizarre stuff went on between Brus and Gary England at that time. Seemed like Brus was trying to construct some sort of unusual weather "subnetwork" of small stations throughout the state, and that was all summarily dismantled when Brus left/was forced out/whatever you want to call it.

[zookeeper]

I think with news 9 owning KSBI i believe they are going to expand the newscast and have a newscast from 7-9 AM maybe a 1 hour noon Newscast??? Or possibly a 30 minute 9:00 PM newscast.

I don't think you buy an entire television station for that. Could be news related, but if so, I would guess on a much larger scale. Anybody remember Newswatch 43? That goes back about 34 years.

[Tydude]

With this deal if news 9 has to interupt regular programming due to news or weather they are allowed to move its program to KSBI

[zookeeper]

With this deal if news 9 has to interupt regular programming due to news or weather they are allowed to move its program to KSBI

They can - and do - already move it to 9.2 over-the-air which is channel 53 on Cox.

[Tydude]

Griffin Communications to Buy KSBI, Create Oklahoma City Duopoly - TVSpy

Griffin Communications has announced it has reached an agreement to buy MyNetworkTV station KSBI from Family Broadcasting, LLC.

“We are excited to add KSBI to our group of companies,” said Griffin Communications chairman and CEO David Griffin. “Our goal will be to integrate KSBI with our current operations while looking for ways to improve KSBI’s programming.”

Griffin owns the Oklahoma City and Tulsa CBS affiliates KWTV and KOTV, along with Tulsa CW affiliate KQCW. The station group said the newest addition will help Griffin expand to Central and Western Oklahoma by creating a duopoly with KWTV.

We reported last week, KSBI stopped production of two of its shows and reportedly laid off staff.

Griffin added, “One of the many things we are excited about is that our viewers will not miss regular CBS and syndicated programming when we are in severe weather or continuous news coverage on News 9, because we will be able to move this programming over to KSBI.”

[zookeeper]

Griffin Communications to Buy KSBI, Create Oklahoma City Duopoly - TVSpy

I wonder what happens to Vince Orza? Is he gone now, too?

[SoonerDave]

I've often wondered if some local station would take a stab at something resembling a 24-hour news presence, sort of the way KWTV does with NewsNow 53, but with the content more "updated" - a continuous news cycle of sorts.

[Tydude]

They already canceled Oklahoma Live and Wild Card and half of the staff got let go which was announced last week

[zookeeper]

They already canceled Oklahoma Live and Wild Card and half of the staff got let go which was announced last week

Yes, I saw that the other day. It was Vince Orza doing the firing. I wonder if they're keeping him? At least for the transition?

SoonerDave - I often wonder about that, too. I remember NewsWatch 43 and believe it or not, at times, it was on top of things the other stations missed. But watching Ronny Kaye as a news anchor...ugh...great guy, great disc jockey, but anchorman he was not.

[Tydude]

The key question is what are they going to do with the Yukon Studio are they going to move its headquarters to the News 9 studio or are they going to keep it there. But if they add a newscast they have to do it at News 9 studio or they move some of they people to work at KSBI Studio.

[venture]

The key question is what are they going to do with the Yukon Studio are they going to move its headquarters to the News 9 studio or are they going to keep it there. But if they add a newscast they have to do it at News 9 studio or they move some of they people to work at KSBI Studio.

I would imagine they'll consolidate everything at the KWTV offices eventually.

I think with news 9 owning KSBI i believe they are going to expand the newscast and have a newscast from 7-9 AM maybe a 1 hour noon Newscast??? Or possibly a 30 minute 9:00 PM newscast.

They might do something similar to what KFOR does with Channel 43. Keep in mine any additional news casts would be on KSBI and not KWTV since it would interfere with network and syndicated content. It may not be a bad idea to extend more news on to KSBI since Channel 53 is a COX only channel and doesn't do much for those of us that don't bother with COX for TV.

[zookeeper]

I would imagine they'll consolidate everything at the KWTV offices eventually.



They might do something similar to what KFOR does with Channel 43. Keep in mine any additional news casts would be on KSBI and not KWTV since it would interfere with network and syndicated content. It may not be a bad idea to extend more news on to KSBI since Channel 53 is a COX only channel and doesn't do much for those of us that don't bother with COX for TV.

Actually, it's not anymore. It's also on 9.2

[Tydude]

The sale likely to be approved by FCC by the end of the year.I won't be surprise if they start the new newscast at the beginning of the year

[TaoMaas]

They can - and do - already move it to 9.2 over-the-air which is channel 53 on Cox.

But doesn't that fail to reach the U-verse and Direct TV viewers? Ch 53 and 9.2 is an extremely small portion of the viewing audience.

[Jim Kyle]

Actually, it's not anymore. It's also on 9.2

But Uverse doesn't provide any of the digital subchannels at all...

They have plenty of unused channels, but don't choose to provide full local service. Thanks a lot, AT&T!!!

[MFracas84]

I am thinking this is one way for KWTV to get their subchannel or other programming on the Satellites and U-Verse. You cannot get 4.2, 5.2 or 9.2 on DirecTV or Dish Network. I really enjoy MeTV on 5.2. This will be interesting to see what they do with it. I looked both KSBI and KWTV up on the FCC web site and they are both on the digital tower at NE 122nd and Eastern. It is the one with the candelabra on the top. There are two towers that have one but this is the one furthest to the North.

[zookeeper]

But Uverse doesn't provide any of the digital subchannels at all...

They have plenty of unused channels, but don't choose to provide full local service. Thanks a lot, AT&T!!!

I really had no idea that U-verse didn't carry the subchannels. I know someone who watches Me-TV all the time and I knew they had U-verse, so I just assumed they carried these channels. But I talked to him this afternoon and his reaction was much like yours. He said he has to go to rabbit ears in order to pick up all those channels. He talked about an A/V-type switch or something, but I was very surprised to hear AT&T didn't carry these channels.

I just looked at the AT&T U-verse Forums and it seems a lot of people are asking the same question. Apparently, they have it in many of their markets, but not Oklahoma City. If you like classic TV - here's what you're missing. MeTV Network | Shows and Antenna TV (4.2) Shows | Antenna TV ... Between the two, I spend probably half of my TV time on these two channels.

[MFracas84]

Me too. I've had Dish Network for years but I spend more time on those two channels than any other.

[Tydude]

Right now we are going to get some bad severe weather if the sale is already final they could move CBS program to KSBI and have severe weather coverage right now which will be nice

[kwhey]

News 9 not is not keeping the Yukon studio. They trying to sell it. Master Control is still there but getting gutted next week.

[Tydude]

so it sounds like they are going to move it to the current News 9 studio.does anyone know when they start taking over KSBI?