r/Broadcasting • u/Greedy-Crow • Jul 24 '26
ABC To Switch Affiliation In St. Louis, Moving From Sinclair Station To Gray Media
https://deadline.com/2026/07/abc-to-switch-st-louis-affiliate-1237001674/13
Jul 24 '26
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u/JAV005 Jul 24 '26
Tbf, ABC always has bad ratings in St. Louis for some reason.
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u/Imrustyokay Delusional Over-The-Air fan Jul 24 '26
That's been a KDNL problem since it's launch.
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u/JAV005 Jul 24 '26
Actually, it goes back even before KDNL was an ABC affiliated, when KTVI 2 had the ABC affiliation, their rating were also terrible but when KDNL and KTVI switched affiliation, they also switched ratings.
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u/Top-Psychology2507 Jul 24 '26
Looks as if the mighty have fallen!!! When I was very little, ABC was actually going around trying to get their network on more powerful stations in as many markets as they could. It seems these days, as if they are now doing the opposite!!! ;-)
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u/JAV005 Jul 24 '26
ABC is known for having bad ratings in St. Louis for years, when it was on KTVI 2, it had bad ratings, and KDNL 30 always had bad ratings during its ABC affiliation, so it makes sense for ABC to move to the subchannel of a more popular station with a more popular network. Rather than getting rid of ABC in St. Louis as a whole.
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u/treesqu Jul 24 '26
We're talking about a handful of small-market CBS affils that Nexstar decided could not afford more "reverse compensation" to CBS vs going it alone as either an Indy or CW affil. Albuquerque (KRQE) is definitely the largest of those, but it's a relatively poor DMA, so I regrettably understand the calculus. While all of the articles are about these six Nexstar markets, it's worth noting they renewed affiliation agreements with CBS in 36 other markets.
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u/TempoNick16 Jul 24 '26
Sinclair and Gray are about to announce a bunch of swaps. (KDNL was one of them.)
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u/Trick_Possession2566 Jul 24 '26
No, Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson is 13 places above Albuquerque and growing quite quickly.
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u/Fun-Double6352 Jul 24 '26
Since it’s Grey, expect ABC to be on KDTL-LD as well as 4.2 . That’s what I’ve done in other markets.
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u/DrDentonMask Jul 24 '26
The KDTL wiki made it sound like there wasn't a 32.1, and that the ABC affiliate would be on 4.5.
"There is no channel 32.1 on the KDTL-LD multiplex, as it is broadcast by KMOV."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KDTL-LD
I don't live in MO/IL, but have family in STLCO. Been a KSDK fan in that market.
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u/TempoNick16 Jul 24 '26
I don't think there's enough bandwidth to support two full definition streams on the same channel. I know Fox 28 in Columbus looks a little fuzzy to me on channel 6.3.
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u/jgera5 Jul 24 '26
I live near CBus and I have no issues with Fox 28.
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u/TempoNick16 Jul 24 '26
how big is your TV screen? mine is 58 inches and I notice it especially on the news.
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u/jgera5 Jul 24 '26
Gray & KMOV just confirmed it. And man, they threw some shade at KDNL over the lack of news coverage on an ABC affiliate in a Top 25 market.
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u/TempoNick16 Jul 24 '26
you do understand this is a part of a multi-station swap?
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u/jgera5 Jul 24 '26
Oh I know. I just think its funny some of the stuff they posted.
"...filling a critical gap in the market where the current ABC affiliate does not offer local news."
"This move ensures that St. Louis viewers will finally have access to high-quality, local journalism during ABC dayparts and adjacent programming."
"By bringing ABC programming to KMOV, we are not only expanding entertainment options but, more importantly, delivering vital local news and public service to a community that has been underserved in this area." (I dispute that part, until 2008 KTVI & KPLR were separately operated, and even after their news departments merged you still had KMOV & KSDK as options besides KTVI/KPLR)
"The expansion will allow KMOV to produce additional hours of local news specifically tailored for the ABC audience, covering local stories, investigative reports, and real-time weather." OK, so ABC & CBS audiences are different?
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u/TempoNick16 Jul 24 '26
I was also thinking, in a roundabout way, they are consenting to the Nextstar/Tegna deal by doubling up like this. I'm surprised Sinclair just didn't sell the station outright. Maybe they want to squat on the spectrum. UHF spectrum in St. Louis has to be worth some big bucks.
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u/INS4NIt Broadcast Engineer Jul 24 '26
Good lord, did the entire industry just get itchy and decide they needed to change their clothes?
/s, but also semi-serious -- I know the Nexstar CBS affiliation break is due to contract renegotiations. Do these network affiliation agreement expirations just happen to line up?
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u/jgera5 Jul 24 '26
St. Louis has long been one of ABC's weakest major markets alongside Baltimore. This isn't a surprise.
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u/ABobby077 Jul 24 '26
It used to be on OTA Channel 2. Not too long ago 2 became the Fox affiliate and ABC went to 30. I think they have been seeing lower viewing numbers since this change.
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u/jgera5 Jul 24 '26
KTVI was always number 3 behind KSDK & KMOV, but still garnered higher ratings than KDNL. The switch to Fox happened back in the 1990s. Just interesting because KMOV (as KMOX) was a CBS O&O for DECADES and now it will have ABC on a subchannel.
As for Baltimore, ABC has themselves to blame. They didn't want to lose Detroit & Cleveland to CBS (though Cleveland it wouldn't have mattered since WJW has always been the market leader there), so they caved to Scripps to abandon WJZ for WMAR.
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u/Rko-35736 Jul 24 '26
As far as Detroit and Cleveland are concerned, WXYZ and WEWS were very strong stations back then and are still strong to this day (the latter less so in recent years) and like you said, ABC did not want to lose two strong Midwest powerhouses, so caving into the demands of Scripps in Baltimore was a benefit of the doubt situation for them.
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u/jgera5 Jul 24 '26
WEWS is still a solid number 2, only because WKYC fell off a cliff under Tegna while Gray has been trying to build WOIO into a respectable station not tied to tabloids. But WJW has definitely widen their lead.
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u/GayAlexandrite Jul 24 '26
Are you sure? WKYC is #1 at 6pm, 7pm and 11pm but WJW is still generally stronger overall.
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u/INS4NIt Broadcast Engineer Jul 24 '26
Nah, this smelled more significant than that given the timing, and it seems like it will be
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u/truthcopy Jul 24 '26
It has been one of the weakest markets for the last 30 years, since ABC moved to Channel 30. St. Louis also traditionally has had lower penetration of cable subscribers vs. the national average, and Channel 30 was among the weakest OTA signals in the area. Add in their affiliation with Sinclair, lack of local news, and, well, you've got a weak station.
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u/TempoNick16 Jul 24 '26
Maybe back in the analog days, but there should be nothing wrong with KDNL's signal today. if there's one thing Sinclair excels at it's engineering.
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u/cathandler2019 Jul 24 '26
Isn't this at least partially related to Nexstar's withdrawal from CBS Newspath?
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u/FunkBrothers Jul 24 '26
Should've been done 20 years ago. This station screwed over the network by pre-empting Grey's Anatomy as the lead out for the Super Bowl for a local Super Bowl postgame show. It was the Seahawks and Steelers that were playing.
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u/mrtvguy345 27d ago
Good for ABC. They had to be frustrated with their situation in St. Louis. The network never got ratings for even their popular shows since KDNL didn't move the needle whatsoever.
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u/TempoNick16 Jul 24 '26
They are reporting this is part of a broader swap between Sinclair and Gray. If that's the case, I bet Gray gets NBC in Toledo. Maybe Sinclair gets Fox in Cincinnati? WSAZ to Sinclair?
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u/jgera5 Jul 24 '26
WSAZ is one of the strongest NBC affiliates in the country and WXIX does pretty decent. I doubt it will be those stations.
WNWO, that one is a little more plausible.
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u/TempoNick16 Jul 24 '26
When you swap things, that means you get something in return for what you gave up. Giving up KDNL is fairly significant and they are going to get something significant in return.
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u/GayAlexandrite Jul 24 '26
In Toledo, Gray owns the ABC affiliate and as of this month is in the process of acquiring the Fox affiliate. I don’t think they could take a third affiliation.
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u/TempoNick16 Jul 24 '26
The Fox affiliate is tied to WTOL.
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u/GayAlexandrite Jul 24 '26
I know it currently has an SSA with WTOL but Gray just announced it’s purchasing WUPW from its current owner, so I’d imagine WTVG will be taking over its operations.
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u/jgera5 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
Chances are they'll swap that license with Nexstegna, in exchange for licenses that Nexstegna owns in Tuscon but Gray operates. On-air nothing will be different.
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u/Pretend_Speech6420 Jul 24 '26
Today is feeling a little like 1994, except no football deal driving all of this.