Broadcast network realignments and switches

[Hudsons81]

Another shakeup, this time in Chicago:

http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/cw-network-jumping-stations-in-chicago-wgn-to-go-independent/170881
https://wgntv.com/2016/05/23/wgn-tvchicago-to-become-independent-station-featuring-local-news-live-sports-high-quality-syndicated-programming/

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

Media General merges with Nexstar. This is a list of stations being divested to new owners:

Former Media General stations going to Gray Television:

KWQC (NBC) 6 - Davenport, Iowa
WBAY (ABC) 2 - Green Bay, Wisconsin
KWBQ/KRWB (The CW) 19/21 - Santa Fe/Roswell, New Mexico


Former Nexstar stations going to Heartland Media:

WFFT (FOX) 55 - Fort Wayne, Indiana


Former Nexstar stations going to Graham Media Group:

WCWJ (The CW) 17 - Jacksonville, Florida
WSLS (NBC) 10 - Roanoke, Virginia


Former Nexstar stations going to Bayou City Broadcasting Lafayette:

KADN (FOX) 15 - Lafayette, Louisiana
KLAF-LD (NBC) 46/15.2 - Lafayette, Louisiana


Former Nexstar stations going to Marquee Broadcasting:

KREG (CBS) 5 - Glenwood Springs, Colorado (Will no longer operate as a satellite of KREX)

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

On Sunday, August 13, 1995, WREX-TV 13 of Rockford, Illinois switches from ABC to NBC following a buyout by Quincy Newspapers.

Watch the video of their final 10:00 PM newscast as ABC here (with commercials):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni9m02TCdOw

At the same time, WTVO-TV 17 of Rockford, Illinois would switch to ABC from NBC.

[giantsfan2016]

From what I've read NBC will be integrating English language programming on WNEU Channel 60 Manchester NH/Boston MA starting September 12th. The station currently airing the Spanish network Telemundo is expected to become the new NBC station in Boston starting in January 2017.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

As a result of the Nexstar/Media General merger,  Nexstar gets to keeps lots of stations.  The exception to this rule however, is in markets where Nexstar and Media General stations overlap:


Green Bay, Wisconsin result:

WBAY-TV (ABC) 2 is sold to Gray Television
WFRV-TV (CBS) 5 is kept by Nexstar


Quad Cities, Iowa/Illinois result:

KWQC-TV (NBC) 6 is sold to Gray Television
WHBF-TV (CBS) 4 is kept by Nexstar


Albert Lea, Minnesota result:

KIMT (CBS) 3 is sold to Heartland Media
(ownership cap)


Lafayette, Indiana result:

WLFI-TV (CBS) 18 is sold to Heartland Media
(ownership cap)



Terre Haute, Indiana result:

WTHI-TV (CBS/FOX/MyNetworkTV) 10 is sold to Heartland Media
WTWO (NBC) 2 is kept by Nexstar
WAWV-TV (ABC) 38's joint sales and shared services agreement with Mission Broadcasting is also kept


Roanoke, Virginia result:

WSLS-TV (NBC) 10 is sold to Graham Media Group
WFXR (FOX) 27 is kept by Nexstar
WWCW (CW) 21 is also kept by Nexstar


Jacksonville, Florida result:

WCWJ (CW) 17 is sold to Graham Media Group

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

In 1996, an ABC station in Jacksonville, Florida owned by Media General, WJKS-TV 17, aired its final newscast. A few months later, that station became WJWB-TV 17, an affiliate of The WB network. During their years as the WB they were one of the top-rated WB affiliates in the country. Today, that station is now a CW affiliate, WCWJ "CW 17". The station was purchased from Media General by Nexstar Broadcasting.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

Affiliation switch in Madison, Wisconsin, 2016:

WBUW "CW 57" becomes an independent station "Channel 57"

WMTV 15-2, a WeatherNation affiliate owned by Gray Television, becomes CW affiliate "Madison's CW".

The switch comes at a time when Gray Television is adding more CW affiliates.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

Chicago's WGN-TV 9 is no longer a CW affiliate. WGN-TV 9 is now independent for a second time in their history.

WPWR-TV 50, Chicago's MyNetworkTV owned-and-operated station gains the CW as a secondary affiliate.

[giantsfan2016]

The new NBC Boston launches on January 1, 2017. WHDH will go to a news-heavy independent forma.

http://www.newenglandone.com/news/local/boston/nbc-boston-launches-countdown-channel-new-website.html

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

In 1996, an ABC station in Jacksonville, Florida owned by Media General, WJKS-TV 17, aired its final newscast. A few months later, that station became WJWB-TV 17, an affiliate of The WB network. During their years as the WB they were one of the top-rated WB affiliates in the country. Today, that station is now a CW affiliate, WCWJ "CW 17". The station was purchased from Media General by Nexstar Broadcasting.

Videos pertaining to Jacksonville, Florida's WJKS-TV/WJWB/WCWJ 17:

WJKS-TV 17's final newscast as ABC before the switch to The WB:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la8dJaNaeDY

WJKS Face Off public affairs program about the loss of ABC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxmyzmRAII0&t=820s

Here's a video about the history of WCWJ-TV 17 Jacksonville, Florida - "Jacksonville's Channel 17: Celebrating 50 Years":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBaRlQ-h_bM

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

XETV-TDT (channel 6) of Tijuana, Baja California Norte, Mexico/San Diego, California, USA loses the CW affiliation in March 2017 and will no longer air newscasts. The station aired their first newscasts in 1999 as a FOX affiliate. XETV-TDT will possibly become an affiliate of the GalaTV network, replacing XHBJ-TDT. The CW affiliate will move to San Diego CBS affiliate KFMB channel 8 on channel 8.4.

XHRIO-TDT 2 of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico/McAllen, Texas, USA, a former MundoFox/MundoMax affiliate moved from channel 2 to channel 15 and became a CW affiliate (XHRIO-TDT CW 15).

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

The Baltimore, Maryland broadcast network realignment of 1995:

Former ABC affiliate WJZ-TV 13 becomes a CBS O&O.
Former NBC affiliate WMAR-TV 2 becomes ABC.
Former CBS affiliate WBAL-TV 11 becomes NBC.