OTA Broadcasting
OTA Broadcasting, LLC was a broadcasting company founded in 2011 by Michael Dell. The company is based in Fairfax, Virginia.
| Type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcast and Digital |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Defunct | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Fairfax, Virginia |
Key people | Michael Dell, founder |
| Products | Television |
| Parent | MSD Capital |
History
OTA Broadcasting was founded in 2011 by Michael Dell's MSD Capital. It had been rumored that Dell formed OTA Broadcasting to buy stations that could be sold in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) spectrum auction.[1]
The company's first acquisition was announced in June 2011 when it was announced that it was acquiring KTLN-TV in San Rafael, California.[2] The purchase closed that October.
OTA reached an agreement to purchase WTBL-CD in Lenoir, NC, located in the Charlotte DMA, for $500,000.[3]
On October 4, 2013, Journal Broadcast Group announced that it had entered an agreement to sell KMIR-TV and KPSE-LD in Palm Springs, California to OTA.[4] The acquisition closed in January 2014. KMIR became OTA's first station affiliated with one of the "Big Three" networks.
On April 13, 2017, the FCC announced that OTA's WEMW-CD was a successful bidder in the spectrum auction, and would be surrendering its license in exchange for $12,394,400.[5] OTA surrendered WEMW-CD's license to the FCC for cancellation on July 21, 2017.
Post-spectrum auction
On July 21, 2017, OTA Broadcasting announced its sale of KMIR-TV and KPSE-LD to Entravision Communications for $21 million.[6] The sale completed November 1, 2017.[7]
On August 7, 2017, it was announced that Nexstar Media Group would acquire the non-spectrum operating assets of WLWC from OTA.[8]
Weigel Broadcasting, on October 25, 2017, announced it would acquire KAXT-CD, KTLN-TV, KFFV, and KVOS-TV for $23.2 million.[9]
NBCUniversal filed an application to purchase WYCN-CD on October 27, 2017.[10]
In November 2017, HC2 Holdings announced they were purchasing low-power television stations from OTA, including WKHU-CD Kittanning, PA, WMVH-CD in Charleroi, PA, WWKH-CD in Uniontown, PA, WWLM-CD in Washington, PA and WJMB-CD in Butler, PA for $275,000. In a separate deals, HC2 is buying KUGB-CD in Houston for $1.5 million and W21CK-D in Charlotte for $500,000.[11]
On December 5, 2017, Ion exercised an option to buy the WLWC license for $150,000; the deal was made possible by a change in FCC ownership rules that eliminated the requirement that there be at least eight owners of television stations in a market following the formation of a duopoly. Ion also entered into a shared services agreement, retroactive to October 1, to operate WLWC.
Former stations
| City of license / Market | Station | Channel TV (RF) |
Owned from | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Springs | KMIR-TV | 36 (46) | 2014–2017 | NBC affiliate owned by Entravision Communications |
| KPSE-LD | 29 (50) | 2014–2017 | MyNetworkTV affiliate owned by Entravision Communications | |
| San Rafael – San Francisco – San Jose | KTLN-TV | 68 (47) | 2011–2019 | Heroes & Icons owned-and-operated station (O&O), owned by Weigel Broadcasting |
| KAXT-CD | 1 (42) | 2016–2019 | Decades owned-and-operated station (O&O), owned by Weigel Broadcasting | |
| Nashua – Boston | WYCN-CD | 13 (36) | 2013–2018 | NBC owned-and-operated station (O&O), WBTS-CD |
| Lenoir – Charlotte | WTBL-CD | 49 (49) | 2015–2017 | defunct, License cancelled October 25, 2017 |
| New York City | WEBR-CD | 49 (17) | 2012–2017 | FNX affiliate, WNDT-CD, owned by WNET |
| Bridgeport – Wheeling | WVTX-CD | 28 (28) | 2013–2017 | defunct, License cancelled October 25, 2017 |
| Pittsburgh | WEPA-CD | 59 (16) | 2013–2017 | defunct, License cancelled October 25, 2017 |
| WEMW-CD | 59 (19) | 2013–2017 | defunct, License cancelled October 25, 2017 | |
| New Bedford – Providence | WLWC | 28 (17) | 2013–2018 | Ion Life owned-and-operated station (O&O) |
| Houston | KUGB-CD | 28 (28) | 2013–2017 | GEB America owned by HC2 Holdings |
| Bellingham – Seattle | KVOS-TV | 12 (35) | 2012–2018 | Heroes & Icons owned-and-operated station (O&O), owned by Weigel Broadcasting |
| KFFV | 44 (44) | 2011–2018 | MeTV owned-and-operated (O&O) station, owned by Weigel Broadcasting | |
| Weirton | WJPW-CD | 18 (18) | 2013–2017 | defunct, License cancelled October 25, 2017 |
References
- Resigner, Don (January 13, 2016). "Michael Dell Could Make Billions off TV Stations You Don't Watch". Fortune. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
- O'Connor, Clare (July 7, 2011). "Why Is Michael Dell Buying Up Bankrupt TV Stations?". Forbes. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
- Malone, Michael (May 13, 2015). "OTA Broadcasting Picks Up North Carolina Station for Half Million". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
- "KMIR6 and KPSE My13 Being Sold to New Owner". Palm Springs, CA: KMIR-TV. October 4, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
- "FCC Broadcast Television Spectrum Incentive Auction — Auction 1001 Winning Bids" (PDF).
- McAdams, Deborah D. (July 21, 2017). "OTA Sells KMIR, KPSE in Palm Springs for $21 Million". TVTechnology. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
- Staff, FCC Internet Services. "Application View ... Redirecting". licensing.fcc.gov.
- "Nexstar Media Group acquiring non-license assets of Providence CW affiliate". WPRI-TV. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
- "Expanding Weigel Buys Into S.F., Seattle". TVNewsCheck.com. October 25, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
- "Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
- "OTA Sheds TV Properties That Didn't Move In Incentive Auction - Radio & Television Business Report". www.rbr.com.