Gray TV is buying construction permits for low-power TV stations in Eau Claire and Wausau, cities where it is seeking to divest full-power stations due to overlap with its existing stations.
W14ER-D (Eau Claire), W33DH-D (Eau Claire), and W31EV-D (Wausau) are included in a national deal between Gray and DTV America/HC2 Broadcasting. Gray is buying ten unbuilt LPTV stations from DTV/HC2 for $475,000.
The construction permits are due to expire July 13, but the asset purchase agreement filed with the FCC says the parties will seek extensions.
Gray already owns NBC affiliate WEAU/13 (Eau Claire), CBS affiliate WSAW/7 (Wausau), and FOX affiliate WZAW-LD/33.1 (Wausau) and is in the process of seeking a buyer to divest the current ABC affiliates in those cities as it buys Quincy Media. Low-power stations are not subject to ownership rules.
The filing does not hint at Gray’s plans for the LPTV stations. In markets such as Wausau and Rapid City, Gray has moved network affiliations to low-power stations to operate alongside full-power stations. There is no indication whether that will happen in these cases; Gray does not own any LPTV stations in Madison or Waterloo, where it is also seeking to divest Quincy stations.
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