1994–1996 United States broadcast television realignment explained

Between 1994 and 1996, a wide-ranging realignment of television network affiliations took place in the United States as the result of a multimillion-dollar deal between the Fox Broadcasting Company and New World Communications, announced on May 23, 1994. Unprecedented in the broadcast industry, the deal resulted in twelve stations owned by, or in the process of being purchased by New World, switching network affiliations to Fox over the course of a two-year period when existing contracts expired. These stations were long-standing affiliates of the traditional "Big Three" television networks, CBS, NBC, and ABC, in some of the country's largest markets, with the majority having been aligned with CBS individually for over 40 years.

The major impetus for the changes was to allow Fox to improve its local affiliate coverage after having successfully outbid CBS for broadcast rights to the National Football Conference (NFC), which the National Football League (NFL) awarded to the fledgling network in December 1993. The alliance started a domino effect of similar deals between the other networks and their affiliates, mainly to shore up existing affiliate bases and, in the case of CBS, to recoup lost affiliates; CBS signed a critical pact with Westinghouse Broadcasting that resulted in Westinghouse's parent company purchasing CBS outright. The switches took place throughout the United States between September 1994 and September 1996, with one additional switch taking place in February 1997, in markets ranging in size from Atlanta, Georgia, to Miles City, Montana. In the case of four markets, CBS and NBC exchanged owned-stations between each other, with one market seeing their CBS and NBC-owned stations swap both channel positions and transmitters. The complexities of these deals saw the "Big Three" affiliates in two markets, Baltimore and Denver, exchange networks with each other, but the Fox affiliate was unchanged. In total, these constitute some of the most sweeping and expansive changes in American television history.

As a result of this realignment, Fox ascended to the status of a major television network, comparable in influence to CBS, NBC, and ABC. Multiple New World-owned stations (which Fox purchased outright in 1996) struggled to adjust to their new affiliations, but many ultimately recovered with news-intensive schedules and were buoyed by Fox's success in prime time, particularly throughout the 2000s. CBS was most impacted among the "Big Three" networks, consigned to UHF stations with high channel numbers in markets like Milwaukee, Detroit and Cleveland, but started to recover in the late 1990s by claiming the American Football Conference (AFC) rights from NBC. Fox Sports, particularly the NFL on Fox, has won acclaim since its 1994 launch for innovations in game presentation, and the network's aggressive bidding in 1993 signaled long-term trends both in American television and professional sports.

Television affiliation switches prior to 1994

Affiliation switches led by changing fortunes at the major national networks—the traditional "Big Three" of ABC, CBS, and NBC—began in the late 1970s with the rise of ABC, which had traditionally been in third place, to number one in the national ratings. Even though ABC's national coverage alone was not a disadvantage, the quality of affiliates in larger markets was, and the network began a concerted campaign to pry loose stations associated with its competitors.[1] From January 1976 to the end of 1978 alone, ABC secured defections from 20 affiliates of the other "Big Three" networks, 11 from CBS and 9 from NBC. By 1983, NBC alone had lost 20 affiliates to ABC, defections that cost the network a full rating point on the NBC Nightly News and resulted in the loss of $9 million in advertising revenue from Nightly and $15 million in prime time. Among the defections from NBC were a string of major coups in sizable markets: WRTV in Indianapolis; KGTV in San Diego; WSOC-TV in Charlotte; KSTP-TV in the Twin Cities;[2] and WSB-TV in Atlanta.

However, as NBC became the number-one network in the mid-1980s, it gained the upper hand. One of the last defectors from NBC to ABC was KOTA-TV in Rapid City, South Dakota, which changed in 1984; the reversal in fortune was not what KOTA-TV officials had expected and instead brought them closer with their primary competitor.[3] The next year, NBC began a campaign to reverse some of the losses it had experienced.[4] Two former NBC affiliates returned to the network after short stints with ABC: WSAV-TV in Savannah, Georgia, returned after three years, as did KCEN-TV in Temple, Texas, after changing in 1984.[5] Between then and 1988, NBC upgraded its affiliations in a number of markets, including Omaha, Nebraska; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Jacksonville, Florida. NBC president Pierson Mapes told Electronic Media that NBC was looking for upgrades based on a number of factors: "Mostly it's because the local news product isn't what it should be, the owners don't want to invest in the station to improve its performance or it's a UHF outlet that we want to upgrade."[6] Many of the stations added to NBC were stronger than their replacements; the Knoxville station, WBIR-TV, was the dominant station there and commanded nearly half of the television audience for its early evening newscast.[7] ABC struck back in 1990 with the signing of WHAS-TV in Louisville, Kentucky, the market's number-one station and a CBS outlet for 40 years; this attracted interest on the part of as many as a dozen CBS affiliates in switching to ABC.[8]

In one of the largest single affiliation switches, six television stations in the Miami and West Palm Beach markets in South Florida changed affiliations on January 1, 1989, when CBS purchased Miami's Fox affiliate WCIX (channel 6) after NBC purchased Miami's CBS affiliate WTVJ (channel 4).[9]

Fox launches and pursues the NFL

The genesis of the Fox Broadcasting Company took place through two 1985 transactions made by News Corporation, headed by Australian publishing magnate Rupert Murdoch. After a failed takeover of Warner Communications, Murdoch purchased a 50 percent interest in 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation (TCF) on March 20, 1985, for $250 million.[10] [11] Murdoch and TCF minority investor Marvin Davis then announced a $2.5 billion purchase of Metromedia's program syndication unit and six television stations—including WNEW-TV in New York City, KTTV in Los Angeles and WTTG in Washington, D.C.—from John Kluge on May 6, 1985. Murdoch boasted that the Metromedia stations could exploit TCF's film and television library, prompting speculation these stations might form a new "fourth television network" alongside ABC, CBS, and NBC.[12] To win regulatory approval for the deal, Murdoch gave up his Australian citizenship and became a naturalized U.S. citizen on September 4, 1985.[13] Davis, who later revealed he declined to participate in the Metromedia purchase, sold his stake in TCF to Murdoch 20 days later.[14] [15] The Metromedia deal closed on March 6, 1986, forming Fox Television Stations Group.[16] After consummation, Fox, which only consisted of president Jamie Kellner and his secretary, began recruiting an executive team.[17]

In July 1986, syndicated newspaper columnist Gary Deeb reported on the possibility ABC might not renew their broadcast rights to Monday Night Football (MNF), then the league's top-rated program, unless NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle agreed to lower the television rights fee significantly. The previous contract was set in 1981 when the annual inflation was at a substantial 13 percent, a rate that fell to 3–4 percent by 1986, in turn, causing ABC Sports to lose $40 million.[18] ABC had been purchased earlier in 1986 by Capital Cities, owner of some of ABC's most influential affiliates, and was under pressure to cut costs in both their news and sports divisions.[19] By September 1986, CBS, rights-holder for the National Football Conference (NFC), and NBC, rights-holder for the American Football Conference (AFC), declined any interest in MNF, but Fox considered making a bid and even invited former MNF announcer Howard Cosell to be a part of it.[20]

Fox formally launched as a network on October 9, 1986, with the debut of The Late Show with Joan Rivers and was preparing to unveil its first night of prime time programming on April 5, 1987.[21] Against this backdrop, TCF chairman Barry Diller announced in January 1987 that Fox was ready to bid on MNF in an attempt to win legitimacy, telling the Miami Herald, "We would take ABC's (current) contract and sign it today."[22] Diller viewed an MNF bid as making a long-term investment, and was prepared for Fox to "lose money in the double-digit eight figures" with such a deal buoyed by Murdoch's financial resources. ABC decided to bid for a renewal based largely on Fox's interest in MNF,[23] with a fee reduction saving the network approximately $20 million per year and low-rated Sunday and Thursday games moved to ESPN.[24] While Fox bid $7 million per game compared to ABC's $6.5 million per game,[25] Rozelle was reportedly uninterested in the Fox offer as the network was still unestablished.[26] NFL officials also expressed a willingness to remain with ABC and were unsure if Fox would exist in three years, a fate shared by other past attempts at a "fourth network".[27]

Securing the NFC rights

In 1993, six years after Fox's failed MNF bid, the NFL opened up negotiations for all broadcast contracts, including the NFC and AFC rights. At the same time, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen asserted control over the NFL's broadcasting committee, usurping Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell, who had been a long-time ally of CBS. Murdoch privately called Jones and declared his intent to bid, saying, "Jerry, I think I was a stalking horse last time (in 1990). I'm not going to do that and be just a stalking horse." When negotiations began on December 7, Murdoch presented to the broadcasting committee a sizzle reel by Sky Sports president David Hill[28] proposing Fox could produce NFL games similarly to Sky's soccer coverage, with emphasis on more cameras and in-game natural sounds, and have the network market the league year-round. Jones later said, "I was just mesmerized by their imaginative thinking. They were changing the presentation of the game."

On December 17, 1993, Fox stunned the sports and television worlds by reaching a four-year, $1.58 billion contract with for NFC regular season and playoff games, effective with the 1994 season.[29] News of the Fox–NFC deal was first reported on during the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather.[30] As part of the deal, Fox was also awarded broadcast rights to Super Bowl XXXI in 1997.[31] The NFC package had been owned by CBS since 1956—fourteen years before the AFL–NFL merger and subsequent restructuring into the NFC and the AFC—and had been considered a "cornerstone" for CBS Sports. Fox's deal was regarded as a loss leader;[32] network CEO Chase Carey framed it as one that would not directly make money but instead establish momentum for Fox and elevate it to the "Big Three" networks.[33] Fox had pursued the NFC rights from the beginning as the conference had more teams located in the country's largest broadcast markets.

CBS lost close to $100 million on their prior NFC deal signed in 1990, a situation shared by the NFL's other broadcast partners due to aftereffects of the early 1990s recession. Underestimating the value of the NFC broadcast rights, CBS's chairman Laurence Tisch insisted on offering a bid equal to their 1990 contract, resulting in Fox exceeding CBS's bid by as much as $1.29 billion (or more than $100 million per year). NBC, which held the AFC broadcast rights since 1970, retained the rights after a last-minute bidding war with CBS, shutting out the network from pro football entirely.[34] Morale at CBS Sports was depicted as "somber and not optimistic", with veteran announcer Pat Summerall saying, "[I]t's a shock. It hurts. It's a big part of my life." Murdoch expressed a want to hire Summerall's broadcast partner John Madden, which happened the following month. Most of the NFL on CBS announcing team, including Summerall, Terry Bradshaw and James Brown, also left to join Fox Sports. Early financial projections for CBS owned-stations and affiliates were grim: network flagship WCBS-TV alone stood to lose $5 million a year without the NFL, with their general manager calling it "a straight drop to the bottom line". The general manager of affiliate KDFW in Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas, who at the time were in a position to lose the games of the Dallas Cowboys, called it "a big financial kick".

Fox upgrades in small markets

Entering 1994, Fox's 141-station affiliate base remained smaller than ABC, CBS or NBC, which each boasted more than 200 affiliates; this resulted in an approximate six-percent differential in terms of national reach. The network supplied Foxnet for cable systems in smaller markets that did not have a dedicated affiliate.[35] Some affiliates still had no local newscasts, with the prior recession resulting in Fox lessening the priority level on affiliates to establish them. One of these affiliates, WOIO in Cleveland, Ohio, initiated plans to launch a news service after seeing success with co-owned WXIX-TV in Cincinnati.[36] While WUAB already had an established 10 p.m. newscast in the Cleveland market, an unnamed executive told the Akron Beacon Journal in 1992, "they (WOIO) don't have to get ratings, they just have to exist."[37] Scripps-Howard Broadcasting started developing newscasts for two of their three Fox affiliates, KNXV-TV in Phoenix and KSHB-TV in Kansas City. KSHB's newscast launched in August 1993 with an irreverent tone and de-emphasis on sports and weather;[38] [39] likewise, KNXV was assembling their news department with an unconventional style in line with Fox's younger demographics.[40] WOIO, WXIX, KNXV and KSHB were all UHF stations, which accounted for 85 percent of Fox's affiliate roster.

Fox also lacked coverage in 47 markets where only three or fewer commercial TV stations operated. In these markets, it began discussing secondary affiliations with the local ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates. Though most of the CBS affiliates turned down Fox's overture, a number of small-market ABC affiliates agreed to Fox's terms, which included the carriage of at least six hours a week of Fox prime time programs. CBS and ABC responded by threatening to withhold 60 Minutes (in the case of CBS) and postseason baseball (in the case of ABC) from affiliates that added Fox programming. CBS president of affiliate relations Tony Malara said that if 60 Minutes did not air nationally at the same time, it would lose value to advertisers.[41] [42] CBS followed through with its threat; KXMB-TV in Bismarck, North Dakota, added Fox football and lost 60 Minutes for the duration of the football season.[43] WSBT-TV in South Bend, Indiana, also signed up for Fox football and lost 60 Minutes, with CBS offering the show to WHME-TV.[44] [45] Dual NBC/ABC affiliate KTEN in Ada–Ardmore, Oklahoma, joined Fox on a tertiary basis to accommodate Dallas Cowboys fans and boasted a "monopoly of football" with Fox, NBC and MNF; as part of the deal, KTEN also aired select Fox prime time shows beginning in July 1994.[46]

The network began making overtures to group operators like Freedom Newspapers, Stauffer Communications and Brisette Broadcasting about having their stations switch to Fox, mostly to upgrade in markets with UHF affiliates that reached fewer households than their VHF counterparts. Led by network distribution president Preston Padden, videotaped pitches asserted Fox affiliates could sell more local ads and generate more revenue.[47] Several affiliate defections were announced prior to May 1994. The first was ABC affiliate KARD in West Monroe, Louisiana, announced in January 1994 with an April changeover.[48] In April, Robinson Everett's CBS stations—KECY-TV in El Centro, California, and WJKA-TV in Wilmington, North Carolina—announced they would affiliate with Fox. Several factors motivated the Everett switch, including CBS's insistence that the stations restore previously unsuccessful news operations; a desire for more network compensation in Wilmington; and particularly CBS's refusal to make KECY-TV translator "KDBA" the CBS affiliate of record for Palm Springs, California, because it felt cable coverage of Los Angeles station KCBS-TV was adequate.[49] WJKA, which also supplanted Foxnet in the Myrtle Beach market, switched to Fox under the new WSFX-TV call sign on September 18, 1994.[50]

There had previously been two "Big Three" stations to join Fox: WSVN in Miami switched from NBC on January 1, 1989, and KLMG (now KFXK-TV) in Longview, Texas, switched from CBS on April 1, 1991.[51] WSVN's conversion to Fox came under unique circumstances, as it was part of the two-market, six-station South Florida realignment.[52] Unlike any other Fox affiliate or owned-station, WSVN adopted a news-intensive tabloid format[53] [54] which shattered conventional wisdom and proved a ratings and financial success.[55] WSVN news director Joel Cheatwood briefly worked with Fox on developing a network news service in 1990,[56] and by May 1994, Fox network president Lucie Salhany called the station "the future of television".[57] In Longview, CBS was available on cable from its affiliates in Dallas and Shreveport, Louisiana, which outrated KLMG locally, and there was no Fox affiliate available in the market.[58]

Fox had also occasionally changed its affiliate in a given market. Most notably, over the course of 1990, it moved to higher-rated independent stations in Birmingham, Alabama; Little Rock; and Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee.[59] Consolidation among independents also led to switches such as the Nashville move, in which new affiliate WZTV bought the Fox affiliation and the rights to much of the programming aired by WXMT;[60] the 1990 programming merger of WNYB-TV into WUTV in Buffalo, New York;[61] [62] the 1991 purchase of KOKH-TV in Oklahoma City by the owners of Fox affiliate KAUT-TV, who moved Fox to KOKH and donated KAUT to OETA;[63] and the 1992 purchase of the assets of bankrupt WXGZ-TV serving Green Bay, Wisconsin, by that city's WGBA-TV.[64]

The New World–Fox affiliation pact

Station! scope="col"
MarketChannelPrior affiliation
KDFW4 CBS
KSAZ-TV10 CBS
KTBC-TV7 CBS
KTVI2 ABC
WAGA-TV5 CBS
WBRC-TV6 ABC
WDAF-TV4 NBC
WGHP8 ABC
WITI6 CBS
WJBK-TV2 CBS
WJW-TV8 CBS
WTVT13 CBS
Originally constituted as an independent producer of low-budget feature films, and later as a television studio, New World Pictures was purchased by investor Ronald Perelman in 1989 while in the middle of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring. Under Perelman, New World purchased a majority stake in SCI Television on February 17, 1993, for $100 million and $63 million in newly issued debt.[65] SCI contained most of the assets of the former Storer Communications and was itself undergoing a complex debt restructuring;[66] as part of the deal, SCI and New World merged to form New World Communications.[67] In May 1994, two major purchases were announced by New World in the span of three days: four stations from Argyle Television Holdings for $717 million and four Great American Communications stations for $350 million and $10 million in share warrants.[68] [69] [70]

On May 23, 1994, Fox purchased a 20 percent stake in New World Communications in what was a $500 million investment.[71] This deal contained a groupwide multi-year affiliation agreement that would have the majority of stations owned by—or in the process of being acquired by—New World, switch network affiliations to Fox after existing contracts expired per-station.[72] [73] Calling the agreement "the largest network affiliation realignment in television history", Murdoch said it would "forever change the competitive landscape of network television".

Several stations were divested by New World in the process: NBC affiliates KNSD in San Diego, California, and WVTM-TV in Birmingham, Alabama, were sold to the network for $425 million on May 22, 1996.[74] WSBK-TV in Boston, operating as an independent, was excluded due to Fox's repurchase of WFXT[75] and was sold to Paramount Stations Group, affiliating with UPN.[76] WVTM-TV's sale was necessitated as WVTM (included as part of the Argyle Television deal) was in the same market as WBRC (which was part of the Great American deal). WBRC and WGHP were placed in a trust and operated by Great American successor Citicasters[77] until April 1995, when operating control for both stations were transferred to Fox Television Stations Group.[78] Fox purchased both WBRC and WGHP on July 22, 1995, in exchange for $130 million in promissory notes.[79] Two Fox-owned stations displaced by the New World deal were also sold: WATL in Atlanta and KDAF in Dallas–Fort Worth, went to Renaissance Communications for $100 million and joined The WB, with Renaissance concurrently selling KDVR in Denver to Fox for $70 million.[80] [81] [82]

In total, twelve New World-owned stations were affected by the Fox affiliation pact, eight of which were long-tenured CBS affiliates in some of the nation's largest cities.[83] WJBK-TV had been with CBS for 46 years,[84] KDFW for 45 years,[85] KTBC-TV and WAGA-TV for 43 years,[86] WJW-TV and KSAZ-TV for 40 years[87] [88] and WTVT for 39 years.[89] Additionally, WDAF-TV had been an NBC affiliate for 45 years.[90] The majority of these stations were also located in markets with established NFC teams,[91] which served as "a significant factor" for New World, along with Fox's programming lineup being largely limited to prime time, enabling the stations to sell more local advertising. News of the agreement caught CBS's Tony Malara off guard when notified over the phone; as Malara later explained, "I said (to New World CEO William C. Bevins), 'In what market?' ... He said, 'All of them.' I said, 'What the hell are you doing?'"[92] Management at the New World stations, including WJW-TV general manager Virgil Dominic, were notified of the pending deal five days in advance and sworn to secrecy. Dominic later said, "My mouth fell to my knees. There was five or six seconds of absolute silence after (New World stations president Bob Selwyn) told me. It really was a shock."[93]

The Scripps–ABC alliance

Station! scope="col"
MarketChannelPrior affiliation
WEWS-TV5 ABC
WXYZ-TV7 ABC
KNXV-TV15 Fox
WMAR-TV2 NBC
WFTS-TV28 Fox
Immediately following the Fox–New World announcement, CBS courted Scripps-Howard, owners of WEWS-TV in Cleveland and WXYZ-TV in Detroit, two long-standing ABC affiliates, along with three Fox affiliates impacted by Fox–New World: KNXV-TV, KSHB-TV and WFTS-TV in Tampa. As part of a possible deal leaked to Broadcasting & Cable, CBS would also affiliate with KNXV and WFTS and acquire a minority stake in Scripps's cable channel HGTV.[94] In discussions with ABC, Scripps insisted that KNXV-TV and WFTS-TV, along with NBC affiliate WMAR-TV in Baltimore, switch to ABC as a condition of any renewal with WEWS and WXYZ[95] [96] and threatened to switch both to CBS if KNXV in particular was not included. KNXV's inclusion came at the expense of KTVK, the market leader for local news and regarded as a model ABC affiliate[97] but was a standalone family-run station and not part of a larger group.[98] The network offered Scripps $25 million as an alternative to KNXV-TV, which was rejected in what ABC executive Bryce Rathbone described as Scripps "[having] a gun to their head". When KTVK general manager Bill Miller asked Capital Cities/ABC CEO Tom Murphy if there was anything the station could do, Murphy replied, "you should light some candles".

ABC acquiesced to Scripps's demands and announced on June 15, 1994, that KNXV, WFTS and WMAR would join the network, and WEWS and WXYZ would remain affiliates.[99] [100] Scripps's other former Fox affiliate, KSHB, replaced WDAF-TV as Kansas City's NBC affiliate; KSHB was tied to contract renewals for KJRH-TV in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and WPTV-TV in West Palm Beach.[101] The new ABC alliance prompted WFTS-TV to expedite work on establishing a news department,[102] with local newscasts launching the day of the switch from facilities formerly used by the Home Shopping Network in a temporary setup.[103] [104] Stripped of the ABC affiliation and failing to land CBS,[105] KTVK spent the next few months rebuilding itself into a news-intensive independent.[106] Scripps's Cincinnati station, WCPO-TV, also signed a 10-year deal with ABC in September 1995 unrelated to the earlier group deal,[107] and switched from CBS on June 3, 1996.[108]

The CBS–Westinghouse deal

Station! scope="col"
MarketChannelPrior affiliation
KDKA-TV2 CBS
KPIX-TV5 CBS
KYW-TV3 NBC
WBZ-TV4 NBC
WJZ-TV13 ABC
Scripps's insistence on WMAR-TV joining ABC came at the expense of WJZ-TV, which had been with ABC since 1948 and was the network's longest-tenured affiliate.[109] WJZ-TV owner Westinghouse Broadcasting (Group W) engaged in off-and-on discussions over the past six months with CBS, NBC and Fox over a possible group-wide affiliation deal, which accelerated when the Scripps-ABC agreement was announced.[110] Industry trade publications also suggested a possibility of Fox purchasing Group W. On July 14, 1994, Group W and CBS agreed to a group-wide 10-year contract, renewing CBS's existing ties with KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh and KPIX in San Francisco and adding WJZ-TV, WBZ-TV in Boston and KYW-TV in Philadelphia to the network, the latter two stations switching from NBC.[111] As part of the deal, Group W and CBS formed a joint venture to acquire other television stations and operate a syndication company.[112] WJZ-TV and WBZ-TV switched to CBS on January 1, 1995, with Baltimore and Boston's existing CBS affiliates, WBAL-TV and WHDH-TV, switching to NBC, the former in a three-way affiliation swap.[113] [114] NBC agreed to pay WHDH-TV owner Sunbeam Television a total of $100 million to $150 million over a ten-year span, coincidentally reuniting Sunbeam with the network that had bypassed their Miami station WSVN five years earlier.[115]

The Philadelphia market, however, posed an immediate logistical issue as KYW-TV would replace CBS-owned WCAU-TV; consequently, both NBC and Fox made offers for WCAU-TV, while CBS expressed interest in conducting an asset swap.[116] In September 1994, Fox agreed to purchase existing Philadelphia affiliate WTXF-TV.[117] With NBC remaining as the only bidder for WCAU-TV, talks began in earnest over an swap of stations between the two networks. An early outline leaked to Mediaweek had NBC offering KCNC-TV in Denver and KUTV in Salt Lake City to CBS, along with the channel 4 signal in Miami.[118] This was largely confirmed on November 21, 1994, with NBC selling KCNC and KUTV to the Group W–CBS joint venture, along with WTVJ's channel 4 license and transmitter site; CBS would sell to NBC both WCAU-TV and WCIX's channel 6 license and transmitter site.[119] [120] The transmitter and license swap in Miami would see WCIX "move" to channel 4, renamed WFOR-TV, and WTVJ "move" to channel 6.[121]

In Denver, another three-station affiliation swap took place: NBC-owned KCNC-TV became CBS-owned, outgoing CBS affiliate KMGH-TV joined ABC, and outgoing ABC affiliate KUSA linked with NBC.[122] KMGH was part of a group-wide deal between ABC and owner McGraw-Hill announced on October 21, 1994,[123] with McGraw-Hill's other CBS affiliate, KERO-TV in Bakersfield, California,[124] switching to ABC on March 1, 1996.[125] Prior to finalizing their trade with Renaissance for KDVR, Fox had been rumored to acquire Tribune's KWGN-TV via a station trade.[126] [127] In Salt Lake City, KSL-TV agreed to switch from CBS to NBC. Because of the complexity of the NBC-CBS asset swap, the FCC granted approval in August 1995 after weeks of delays, with the Philadelphia, Miami, Denver, and Salt Lake City market affiliation switches all taking place on September 10, 1995.[128] [129]

CBS scrambles for replacement affiliates

Station! scope="col"
MarketChannelPrior affiliation
KBVO-TVAustin, TX42 Fox
KPHO-TVPhoenix, AZ5 Independent
KTVTDallas–Fort Worth, TX11 Independent
WDJT-TVMilwaukee, WI58 Independent
WGNXAtlanta, GA46 Independent
WGPR-TVDetroit, MI62 Independent
WOIOCleveland, OH19 Fox
WTSPTampa, FL10 ABC
Relegated to the UHF dial in Cleveland, CBS signed former Fox affiliate WOIO,[130] which despite having no news department, committed to launching one by taking over WUAB through a local marketing agreement.[131] Tampa was equally straightforward, with outgoing ABC affiliate WTSP joining CBS. CBS signed up KBVO-TV to fill the void in Austin left by KTBC-TV; when that switch took place on July 1, 1995, KBVO was renamed KEYE-TV.[132] Dallas–Fort Worth was also resolved on July 1 via KTVT, a VHF independent owned by Gaylord Broadcasting. As a condition set forth by Gaylord, KSTW in Seattle–Tacoma, Washington, also joined CBS at the expense of long-standing affiliate KIRO-TV.[133] Both KTVT and KSTW were slated to join The WB, but after that network's launch was delayed, Gaylord sued to void the pending contracts. In turn, The WB sued Gaylord for breach of contract.[134] The Seattle switches took place on March 16, 1995, with KIRO-TV joining UPN but maintaining its local news schedule.[135] [136]

A multi-station deal with CBS and Meredith Corporation saw Phoenix independent KPHO-TV replace KSAZ-TV, and WNEM-TV in Bay City, Michigan, switch from NBC to CBS, as part of a renewal with KCTV in Kansas City. The Meredith deal resulted in another side deal: after rumors of NBC courting existing ABC affiliate WJRT-TV in Flint, Michigan, Capital Cities/ABC purchased it and WTVG in Toledo, Ohio, from SJL Broadcasting for $155 million on October 1994, converting the latter from NBC to ABC.[137] Capital Cities/ABC's purchase was made largely to prevent NBC from signing, or purchasing, WJRT as a replacement for WNEM.[138] [139] [140] As a result, former CBS affiliate WEYI-TV became Flint–Bay City's NBC affiliate.[141] In Detroit, however, outgoing Fox affiliate WKBD-TV and independents WXON-TV and WADL rejected affiliation or purchase offers by CBS,[142] effectively forcing the network to purchase WGPR-TV (channel 62) from the International Free and Accepted Modern Masons for $24 million.[143] WGPR-TV was the first Black-owned television station in the mainland United States[144] and, up until October 1992, employed an 11-person news department with daily newscasts focused on the city's Black population.[145] Despite this, an unnamed CBS executive told The New York Times reporter Bill Carter about WGPR-TV: "[T]his station has no news and no history in the market. It's amazing."[146]

Struggling to secure either WATL or WGNX as a replacement affiliate in Atlanta, CBS made a $22 million purchase offer for WVEU (channel 69) out of desperation in September 1994.[147] Even with the pending deal, CBS continued to lobby WATL and WGNX, and reached an affiliation with WGNX on November 16, 1994;[148] the purchase of WVEU and an immediate resale was also made official.[149] [150] The Milwaukee market proved to be the most problematic for CBS. Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of outgoing Fox affiliate WCGV-TV[151] and operator of WVTV, turned down all offers made by CBS,[152] the Wisconsin Voice of Christian Youth turned down a longshot purchase offer for their TV station,[153] and Weigel Broadcasting, owner of WDJT-TV (channel 58) ended talks due to CBS's continued pursuit of another station.[154] CBS's situation in Milwaukee was dire to the point the network agreed to supply their owned-stations in Chicago and Green Bay to cable providers in the event no replacement affiliate could be secured.[155] Five days before WITI's contract was to lapse, on December 6, 1994, Weigel and CBS reached an agreement to affiliate WDJT-TV in a 10-year deal.[156]

Savoy, Petracom and Blackstar link with Fox

Station! scope="col"
MarketChannelPrior affiliationOwner
KEVN-TV7 NBC Blackstar
KHON-TV2 NBC SF Broadcasting
WALA-TV10 NBC SF Broadcasting
WLUK-TV11 NBC SF Broadcasting
WTVW7 ABC Petracom
WVUE8 ABC SF Broadcasting

In March 1994, Fox and Savoy Pictures established a venture called SF Broadcasting to acquire and operate additional television stations. Fox held no voting stock in the company—which instead was held entirely by Savoy Pictures chairmen Victor Kaufman and Lewis Korman—but supplied 58 percent of the original $100 million in capital.[157] SF acquired four stations owned by Burnham Broadcasting in two separate deals: WLUK-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on July 29, 1994, for $38 million,[158] and WALA-TV in Mobile, Alabama, KHON-TV in Honolulu, Hawaii, and WVUE in New Orleans, Louisiana, one month later on August 25 for $229 million. The deal further upgraded Fox's affiliation base in two additional NFC markets.[159] NBC protested the sale of WLUK before the FCC, alleging SF was a shell created by News Corporation to circumvent FCC limits on the amount of capital that a foreign company can invest in an American television station.[160] This petition was soon followed with another protesting Fox's KDVR purchase and concurrent station sales in Dallas and Atlanta to Renaissance.[161] NBC withdrew these and all other petitions against Fox on February 17, 1995.[162] [163]

Fox also made two other equity investments in broadcasters that converted at least one station to Fox. In October 1994, it agreed to purchase an equity stake in Blackstar Communications, a Black-owned company owned by John Oxendine. Blackstar's three existing stations aired the Home Shopping Network;[164] the company intended to buy as many as 11 VHF stations in mid-sized to smaller markets for conversion. The company made its first station acquisition after the deal in July 1995, when it announced a $20 million deal to purchase the Nebraska Television Network (NTV), a group of ABC affiliates in central and western Nebraska that were already secondary affiliates of Fox, to convert them to Fox.[165] [166] However, the transaction was delayed, ultimately to the point of being called off, by an FCC petition over a matter unrelated to the possible switch. Blackstar then spent $14 million to purchase KEVN in Rapid City, South Dakota, in September 1995.[167] After the purchase, Blackstar announced it would switch KEVN to Fox,[168] which took place on July 15, 1996.[169]

In May 1995, Fox invested $15 million in exchange for 20 percent of Petracom, which was in the middle of buying four TV stations from Banam Broadcasting. Among the four stations were two small-market Fox affiliates and ABC affiliate WTVW in Evansville, Indiana, which converted to Fox as part of the deal; rumors of the deal occurring had prompted ABC to sign an affiliation agreement with existing CBS affiliate WEHT.[170] [171] The affiliation switch with those stations and WEVV-TV, which changed from Fox to CBS, took place on December 3, 1995.[172]

Fox also continued to pursue station purchases on their own. On August 18, 1994, the network purchased ABC affiliate WHBQ-TV in Memphis, Tennessee, from Communications Corporation of America (ComCorp).[173] ComCorp originally bought WHBQ-TV for an estimated $43 million in April, but when two investors backed out, Fox provided the needed financing; following consummation, Fox offered to buy it from ComCorp outright for $80 million, concurrent with their offers for WBRC and WGHP; former Fox affiliate WPTY-TV assumed the ABC affiliation on December 1, 1995.[174] More "Big Three" affiliate defections to Fox took place: Quincy Newspapers's WSJV in Elkhart–South Bend, Indiana, agreed to switch from ABC to Fox in April 1995,[175] with ABC pulling their programming off of Quincy's WREX in Rockford, Illinois, in retaliation.[176] The switch took place on October 18, with Weigel Broadcasting signing on W58BT (channel 58) as South Bend's new ABC affiliate, having constructed it from the ground up over a seven-week span.[177]

Even the smallest of media markets were affected: KYUS-TV in Miles City, Montana, then operating as a satellite of Billings ABC affiliate KSVI,[178] switched to Fox in 1995 after being purchased by The Marks Group, owner of dual NBC/CBS affiliate KXGN-TV in Glendive;[179] KXGN had previously taken Fox football in 1994 via a tertiary affiliation.[180]

Station group influence

Additional affiliation deals between the traditional "Big Three" networks and station group operators took place between 1994 and 1997:

Initiating the switches

The Cleveland market was the first in the Fox–New World agreement to initiate an affiliation swap on September 3, 1994, between CBS affiliate WJW-TV and Fox affiliate WOIO. As the New World stations had the right to decline carriage of Fox Kids, WBNX-TV in Akron, Ohio, an independent owned by televangelist Ernest Angley, agreed to pick up the children's programming block, finalizing a contract two days beforehand.[187] CBS expressed confidence with WOIO, with Anthony Malara saying, "[W]e got a terrific television station here ... If we have the same kind of experience in every one of our switch markets, it's going to be a lot easier." With the switch, WJW-TV hired multiple personnel and added a local morning show, giving it the largest news staff and news output of any Ohio television station, but notably eschewed directly marketing their incoming Fox affiliation. Days after the Fox–New World agreement was announced, WJW general manager Virgil Dominic told The Plain Dealer, "I guarantee you one thing. We are not going to be 'Fox 8.' There is no way in the world we are going to become 'Fox 8'. We are 'Cleveland's Own' and 'Newscenter 8,' and we intend to stay that way." Conversely, WOIO was tasked with reconciling its youthful, irreverent image with CBS's older-skewing lineup.[188]

The rest of the New World chain switched in a staggered manner. WDAF-TV and KSHB-TV traded affiliations on September 12, 1994,[189] the same day KSAZ-TV's CBS contract ran out and was picked up by KPHO-TV. Due to contractual obligations with KNXV-TV, KSAZ operated as an independent for a three-month interregnum until December 12,[190] when KNXV dropped Fox and picked up all ABC News programming, including World News Tonight and Nightline, while KTVK continued to run ABC's daytime and prime time lineups until January 9, 1995.[191] Tampa also switched on December 12, while Detroit,[192] Milwaukee and Atlanta[193] all had their affiliation switches the day before. Detroit's changes were the most dramatic largely because of WGPR-TV's prior obscurity: WGPR's ratings for its first night with CBS rose by 11,000 percent compared to its former programming, while CBS's ratings dropped by 25 percent.[194] Following the switch, WJBK-TV fielded 10,000 phone calls from viewers over a two-day span.

Changes in Dallas and Austin[195] occurred on July 1, 1995. St. Louis followed on August 7; Fox Kids in that market went to KNLC after WB affiliate KPLR-TV turned it down,[196] only to move to KTVI in September 1996 after multiple incidents involving KNLC's religious ownership that embarrassed Fox, including a campaign to encourage children to protest a planned execution, and complaints over its poor signal.[197] Greensboro–Winston-Salem, North Carolina, switched on September 3, 1995, with Fox affiliate WNRW and satellite WGGT picking up the ABC affiliation vacated by WGHP, with WNRW renamed WXLV-TV.[198] Three days before the Greensboro market switches, WLUK-TV and WGBA-TV exchanged NBC and Fox in Green Bay. WGBA's NBC pickup was seen as a "triumph" for the station, which had previously fought off bankruptcy twice, and with ownership planning local newscasts.[199] The three other SF Broadcasting stations switched to Fox on January 1, 1996. In Honolulu and Mobile, former Fox affiliates KHNL and WPMI-TV assumed the dropped NBC affiliations,[200] [201] but New Orleans saw a three-way swap where ABC affiliate WVUE joined Fox, WB affiliate WGNO take ABC, and Fox affiliate WNOL-TV link with the WB.[202]

Birmingham was the last New World market to switch on September 1, 1996, but initiated the most complicated realignment. Despite having completed their purchase of WBRC in July 1995, Fox honored the balance of WBRC's ABC contract, allowing ABC nearly 15 months to find a replacement. Allbritton acted to buy two CBS affiliates outside of the market: Tuscaloosa's WCFT-TV in November 1995 and Anniston's WJSU-TV in January 1996, the latter after a deal for Gadsden Fox affiliate WNAL-TV fell through.[203] Allbritton announced both stations would be converted to ABC for the Birmingham market, this would later become part of Allbritton's 10-year, group-wide contract with ABC.[204] WCFT and WJSU's operations were consolidated into one identity, "ABC 33/40",[205] purchasing W58CK (channel 58) as a low-power simulcast in Birmingham proper. WNAL-TV switched to CBS at the same time, but plans to establish a news department with multiple former WJSU staffers were abruptly suspended with no reason;[206] [207] two weeks after the switch, Paxson Communications purchased WNAL.[208] Outgoing Fox affiliates WTTO and semi-satellite WDBB became independents[209] before affiliating with The WB in February 1997 as part a larger group deal with owner Sinclair Broadcast Group.[210]

The Allbritton–ABC agreement would wind up affecting another market, as Allbritton was in the process of purchasing WBSG-TV in Brunswick, Georgia, the WB affiliate for Jacksonville, Florida. Allbritton announced that WBSG would become Jacksonville's ABC affiliate, usurping WJKS;[211] as WBSG's signal did not cover the entire market, an unbuilt station on channel 25 licensed to Orange Park was acquired.[212] WJKS contested the loss of their ABC contract until giving up in August 1996,[213] but it began aggressively preempting the majority of the network lineup starting in January 1997; this forced WBSG's switch to be moved up from April to February.[214] The Orange Park station—taking the WJXX call sign—took to the air as the new Jacksonville ABC affiliate on February 9, 1997, with WBSG acting as a semi-satellite.[215]

As the Birmingham switches were imminent, News Corporation offered to purchase the remainder of New World for $2.48 billion in stock; once the deal closed on January 22, 1997, Fox's 22 owned-stations (ten of which were from New World) surpassed CBS and Tribune Broadcasting as the largest television station owner in the United States with an estimated 40 percent total market reach.[216] [217] Silver King Communications (then the owned-station group for HSN) acquired Savoy Pictures and SF Broadcasting on November 28, 1995. Headed by former TCF chairman Barry Diller, Silver King's purchase set off industry speculation that Diller could potentially launch another broadcast network backed by the 31-station group.[218] The four Fox affiliates were ultimately sold to Emmis Communications on April 1, 1998.[219]

Affiliation switches directly attributed to the Fox–New World agreement and related transactions
MarketCall signChannelAffiliation
before switch		Affiliation
after switch		Date of switch
Atlanta, GAWAGA-TV5 CBSFox
WATL36 Fox
WGNX46 CBS
WNEG-TV32 Independent CBS [220]
Austin, TXKTBC7 CBS Fox
KBVO42 Fox CBS
Bakersfield, CAKERO-TV23 CBS ABC[221]
KBAK-TV29 ABC CBS
Baltimore, MDWMAR-TV2 NBCABC [222]
WBAL-TV11 CBS NBC
WJZ-TV13 ABC CBS
Binghamton, NYWICZ-TV40 NBC Fox [223]
Birmingham–Tuscaloosa–Anniston, ALWBRC-TV6 ABC Fox [224]
WDBB17 Fox Independent
WTTO21 Fox Independent
WCFT-TV33 CBS ABC
WJSU-TV40 CBS ABC
WNAL-TV44 Fox CBS
W58CK58 Independent ABC
Boston, MAWBZ-TV4 NBC CBS [225]
WHDH-TV7 CBS NBC
Charleston, SCWCBD-TV2 ABC NBC [226]
WCIV4 NBC ABC
Cincinnati, OHWCPO-TV9 CBS ABC [227]
WKRC-TV12 ABC CBS
Cleveland, OHWJW-TV8 CBS Fox
WOIO19 Fox CBS
Dallas–Fort Worth, TXKDFW-TV4 CBS Fox
KTVT11 Independent CBS
KDAF33 Fox The WB
KXTX-TV39 The WB Independent
Denver, COKCNC-TV4 NBC CBS
KMGH-TV7 CBS ABC
KUSA-TV9 ABC NBC
Detroit, MIWJBK-TV2 CBS Fox
WKBD-TV50 Fox
WGPR-TV62 Independent CBS
Evansville, INWTVW7 ABC Fox
WEHT25 CBS ABC
WEVV-TV44 Fox CBS
Fairbanks, AKKTVF11 CBS NBC
K13XD13 CBS [228]
Flint–Bay City–Saginaw, MIWNEM-TV5 NBC CBS / UPN
WEYI-TV25 CBS NBC
Green Bay–Appleton, WIWLUK-TV11 NBC Fox [229]
WGBA-TV26 Fox NBC
Greensboro–Winston-Salem, NCWGHP8 ABC Fox
WNRW45 Fox ABC / UPN
WGGT48 Fox ABC / UPN
Honolulu, HIKHON-TV2 NBC Fox
KHNL13 Fox NBC
Jacksonville, FLWJKS17 ABC The WB
WBSG21 The WB ABC
WJXX25 ABC
Kansas City, MOWDAF-TV4 NBC Fox
KSHB-TV41 Fox NBC
Macon, GAWGXA24 ABC Fox [230]
WPGA-TV58 Fox ABC
Marquette, MIWBKP5 ABC
WLUC-TV6 ABC / NBC / Fox NBC
Memphis, TNWHBQ-TV13 ABC Fox
WPTY-TV24 Fox ABC
Miami–Fort Lauderdale, FLWCIX6 colspan="2" rowspan="2"
WTVJ4
Miles City–Glendive, MTKYUS-TV3 ABC Fox
Milwaukee, WIWITI-TV6 CBS Fox
WCGV-TV24 Fox UPN
WDJT-TV58 Independent CBS
Mobile, ALWALA-TV10 NBC Fox [231]
WPMI15 Fox NBC
Monroe, LA–El Dorado, ARKARD14 ABC Fox
Myrtle Beach–Florence, SCWGSE43 The WB Fox [232]
New Orleans, LAWVUE-TV8 ABC Fox
WGNO26 The WB ABC
WNOL38 Fox The WB
Philadelphia, PAKYW-TV3 NBC CBS
WCAU-TV10 CBS NBC
Phoenix, AZKTVK3 ABC The WB
KPHO-TV5 Independent CBS
KSAZ-TV10 CBS Independent
Independent Fox
KNXV-TV15 Fox ABC
Pocatello–Idaho Falls, IDKPVI-TV6 ABCNBC [233]
KIFI-TV8 NBC ABC
Providence, RIWLNE-TV6 CBS ABC [234]
WPRI-TV12 ABC CBS
Raleigh–Durham, NCWNCN17 The WB NBC [235]
WRDC28 NBC UPN
Rapid City, SDKEVN-TV7 NBC Fox
KNBN-LP24 NBC
Reno, NVKRXI-TV11 Fox [236] <-- Sat -->
KAME-TV21 Fox UPN
Rockford, ILWREX13 ABC NBC [237]
WTVO17 NBC ABC
St. Louis, MOKTVI2 ABC Fox
KDNL-TV30 Fox ABC
Sacramento, CAKXTV10 CBS ABC [238]
KOVR13 ABC CBS
Salt Lake City, UTKUTV2 NBC CBS
KSL-TV5 CBS NBC
San Antonio, TXKABB29 Independent Fox [239]
KRRT35 Fox UPN
Seattle–Tacoma, WAKIRO-TV7 CBS UPN
KSTW11 Independent CBS
South Bend, INWSJV28 ABC Fox [240]
W58BT58 ABC
Tampa–St. Petersburg, FLWTSP10 ABC CBS
WTVT13 CBS Fox
WFTS-TV28 Fox ABC
Terre Haute, INWBAK-TV38 ABC Fox [241]
Toledo, OHWTVG13 NBC ABC [242]
WNWO-TV24 ABC NBC
Tupelo–Columbus–West Point, MSWLOV-TV27 ABC / Fox Fox [243]
Twin Falls, IDKKVI-TV35 ABC Fox [244]
Wilmington, NCWJKA-TV26 CBS Fox
Yuma, AZ–El Centro, CAKECY-TV9 CBS Fox [245]
KSWT13 ABC CBS

Ramifications

See main article: Repercussions of the 1994–1996 United States broadcast TV realignment.

Distress at CBS, then recovery

CBS's position entering the 1994–95 television season was particularly dire. The loss of the NFC and multiple tenured affiliates, combined with a long-held strategy of pursuing older, less-desirable audiences in prime time, resulted in the network crashing to last place among the "Big Three".[246] Upon moving to CBS from NBC in August 1993, David Letterman's Late Show enjoyed a lead over The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in the late-night ratings.[247] With CBS having to move from established affiliates to lesser-known UHF outlets, that lead began to shrink. "You can do a great show, but if it's on Channel 93 in West Tipton, Indiana, it's not going to be easy to find it," Letterman commented on the switches.[248] Finally, a Jay Leno interview with actor Hugh Grant in July 1995 following the actor's infamous arrest for lewd conduct resulted in Tonight taking the top spot and remaining there until Leno stepped down in 2009.[247] [249] Laurence Tisch began exploring a sale of CBS amid the turmoil, with Westinghouse announcing a $5.4 billion purchase of the network on August 1, 1995. Westinghouse CEO Michael H. Jordan credited a growing relationship with Tisch thanks to their joint venture that made the deal possible.[250] On October 2, 1996, network flagship WCBS-TV fired much of its on-air talent including longtime anchor Michele Marsh, a move meant to address the station's low ratings.[251]

CBS attempted to fill the void left by the NFL on Sunday afternoons in 1994 with made-for-TV movie reruns aimed at a female audience.[252] [253] By December 1994, the network announced a contract renewal with the NCAA, particularly for the Division I men's basketball tournament, a franchise CBS had held since 1982.[254] CBS Sports also presented a higher emphasis on NASCAR programming including the Winston Cup, Busch Series and Craftsman Truck series,[255] along with the PGA Tour and US Open. In late 1995, CBS was approached by the CFL about a television contract for the league's American teams.[256] Sean McManus was appointed as president of CBS Sports in November 1996, which was interpreted as the network intending to bid aggressively for the NFL for the next rights deal, as McManus had a reputation for being the "kingpin of big TV negotiations".[257] CBS successfully outbid NBC for the AFC contract on January 13, 1998, signing an eight-year contract worth $4 billion; NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol was told by General Electric officials not to do anything "reckless" and saw the package as third-tier behind the NFC and MNF.[258] The return of football was especially seen as a comeback vehicle for Jim Nantz, one of the few high-profile sports announcers that remained with CBS throughout.[259]

New World stations struggle to adapt

The New World Fox stations struggled to reconcile their new network programming, which targeted a younger audience, with their older-skewing newscasts. In Phoenix, KSAZ-TV's existing 5, 6, and 10 p.m. newscasts lost half their ratings in the first year of the switch. In dumping the popular syndicated shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune because they attracted older viewers, the station lost a valuable lead-in and lead-out around its newscasts. The two shows were then picked up by KTVK, which showed unexpected aggression in buying syndicated programs. KTVK also launched the market's first longform morning newscast, which emerged a winner as KSAZ-TV's effort struggled. It was not until 1997 that the station began to turn around its news ratings by dropping its sputtering 9 p.m. Arizona Prime in favor of Fox 10 News at 9, which featured an emphasis on breaking news and entertainment stories designed to be more compatible with Fox prime time shows.[260]

In Cleveland, WJW-TV's issues were fairly pronounced. WJW's switch came with three months notice and altered more than 20 hours of programming per day,[261] or 87 percent of the schedule.[262] Ratings declined in all time slots but especially fell by half for the late-evening news after moving from 11 p.m.—a time slot WJW had won in since 1981—to 10 p.m., but still topped WUAB's newscast.[263] [264] WJW's morning show also failed to retain the audience of its lead-in 6 a.m. news.[265] Virgil Dominic retired in May 1995 and was replaced by KNXV general manager Bob Rowe; under Rowe, the station rebranded to "Fox is Ei8ht" / "Ei8ht is News" in November 1995, a slogan derided among viewers for its continuous on-air repetition.[266] The morning newscasts were retooled into a three-hour program and had its audience double year-over-year during the first month, while WJW saw ratings increases in several dayparts.[267] Fox's purchase of New World resulted in WJW rebranding as "Fox 8" in August 1996.[268] By 1998, WJW was beating WUAB at 10 p.m. by a 2–1 margin[269] and in 2000 was ranked first sign-on to sign-off in multiple key demographics, besting WEWS.[270]

In Milwaukee, WITI had been the market's second-rated outlet generally in May 1994.[271] However, its ratings sank after the affiliation switch, with the 10 p.m. news, which was retained, dropping by roughly half.[272] Initially resisting changes to their CBS-era presentation, WITI rebranded as "Fox is Six" / "Six is News" in November 1995, parallel to WJW's "Ei8ht" rebranding, but kept its long-running "Friend You Can Count On" slogan.[273] By 1997, WITI was rebounding in local ratings, but it still fell short of their pre-switch levels[274] and remained in third place by 2000.[275] Atlanta's WAGA was the number two station leading into the affiliation switches.[276] Its new 10 p.m. newscast held most of the viewers of its prior 11 p.m. broadcast, which The Atlanta Journal-Constitution TV critic Phil Kloer attributed to the station's strength and news anchors.[277] The station remained in second place by 2000, though it was a distant second to longtime Atlanta ratings powerhouse WSB-TV, an unchanged ABC affiliate.[278]

WBRC in Birmingham weathered the switches well and by 2000 was the highest-rated Fox-owned station in morning, evening, and late news, as well as prime time. Uniquely, the station initially produced separate half-hour newscasts at 9 and 10 p.m. because it lacked the resources to produce 90 minutes of late news. However, its 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts placed a close second to the new WBMA.[279] WBMA also benefitted from the immediate acquisition of meteorologist James Spann, who sued to be released from his WBRC contract objecting to Fox programs on moral and religious grounds.[280] WBRC anchor Brenda Ladun also filed suit against the station seeking a contract release[281] and followed Spann to WBMA.[282] WGHP remained the number-two station in the North Carolina Piedmont in its early evening and morning newscasts, though its 10 p.m. news initially fared poorly in comparison to the 11 p.m. news it aired as an ABC affiliate.[283] By 2000, the WGHP 10 p.m. newscast had doubled its audience share from 9 percent in November 1995 to 17 percent, with a higher rating than the 11 p.m. newscasts on market leader WFMY-TV and WXII-TV.[284]

In Tampa, WTVT lost its first-place position among the market's local television newscasts to NBC affiliate WFLA-TV, the only station in the market not affected by the switches, whose newscasts had placed second.[285] It was the first time since 1989 that WFLA-TV had swept the ratings.[286] WFLA also became the market's number-one station in total viewing in every sweeps period until November 1998, when WTVT surpassed it.[287] WJBK in Detroit was a third-rated station before the switch, attracting just over half of the audience as primary competitors WDIV-TV and WXYZ-TV.[288] While its 10 p.m. news surpassed incumbent WKBD-TV, the 6 p.m. newscast was beaten by entertainment programming on that station.[289] WJBK returned to the 11 p.m. news race in May 1995 with Bonds Tonight, hosted by former WXYZ anchor Bill Bonds,[290] but was moved to 6:30 p.m. in September and canceled by mid-November due to low ratings. WJBK's overall poor ratings performance following the switch also saw its 4 p.m. news eliminated and multiple staffers laid off.[291] In Austin, KTBC's news ratings slumped significantly in the years after the Fox affiliation switch, while third-place KXAN-TV there began a climb to the top; KEYE-TV even outdrew KTBC in assorted dayparts.[292] [293]

KDFW was the third-rated news outlet in Dallas–Fort Worth prior to the switches.[294] It saw immediate year-over-year declines in the viewership for its 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts; KDFW, which retained its 10 p.m. news in addition to a 9 p.m. news hour, saw notable late news declines because the prior newscast was a poorer lead-in than CBS entertainment programming.[295] By 2000, KTVT had pulled into a dead heat with KDFW for third place.[296] WDAF-TV, a third-rated station in local news in its last years as an NBC affiliate, remained in third but saw significant declines in news viewing in the aftermath of its switch and doubling of weekday news output. Its 10 p.m. news went from attracting 23 percent of TV viewers at that hour to 13 percent, and the station's new morning news attracted just over half the audience share of The Today Show, which it replaced.[297] In prime time, however, WDAF largely outperformed the national average for Fox affiliates.[298] [299] WDAF maintained their NBC-era "Newschannel 4" branding until being renamed "Fox 4" in 1997 after Fox assumed ownership.[300] It was still in third place at the end of the decade.[301] KTVI also remained a third-rated news outlet in St. Louis.[302] It did not introduce a 9 p.m. newscast until August 1997[303] and remained third in its market by 2000.[304]

Though not owned by New World, WHBQ-TV in Memphis was in a similar position. Prior to the switch, it was only producing half-hour newscasts at 6 and 10 p.m.[305] Coinciding with the switch, its weekday news output quadrupled with the introduction of a two-hour morning newscast, Mornings on Fox, and the reinstatement of a noon newscast after nearly three years; the early evening news was moved to 5 p.m. and the late news to 9 p.m., both an hour in length.[306] [307] However, WHBQ-TV continued to rank third in Memphis behind WMC-TV and WREG-TV, the traditional first- and second-place news outlets in Memphis.[308]

A cultural conflict largely existed between the New World stations and Fox. Stations like KSAZ, WJW, WDAF and WITI continued news presentations similar to their "Big Three" affiliations, which analysts saw as unsustainable with younger-skewing Fox shows like Party of Five as lead-ins. Fox Entertainment president John Matoian told The Plain Dealer in July 1995 that the network was planning to expand beyond their original target 18–34 demographic, which was partly based on stations like WJW refusing to identify with the network.[309] By the time Fox purchased New World, the stations were seen as underperformers, largely attributed to station managers unwilling to embrace their new affiliations.[310] WITI news director Jill Geisler was known for stressing a "fair, concerned, balanced position" at the station, while Virgil Dominic was seen as "avuncular" in his stewardship of WJW. One financial analyst suggested incoming Fox management would drastically overhaul the stations and "obviously make 'em full-blown Fox monsters".[311] Fox chairman Chase Carey said, "Without question, the [New World] stations could be performing better than they are today."[312]

The local news production boom

The New World stations all committed to increased local news production when they switched to Fox. This was partly out of necessity, as Fox only programmed a two-hour prime time program block, but also because the stations stood to generate more revenue selling local advertising. While with CBS, WJW could only sell two minutes of local ads during the 10 p.m. hour, which increased to 16 minutes after their late news moved to that hour. Industry analysts cited WSVN's success with a news-intensive format: having more control over programming and advertising, WSVN generated more revenue than it ever had with NBC.[313] Precedent also existed: when a dispute over revenue compensation emerged between CBS and the affiliate body in 1992, WAGA and WJBK dropped CBS This Morning in favor of local morning shows.[314] [315] When CBS debuted the Late Show in 1993, WJW delayed it to midnight in favor of Murphy Brown reruns[316] and later the New World-produced Valley of the Dolls—shows during which they could sell additional local advertising—to the network's chagrin; CBS president of affiliate relations Tony Malara later said, "The fact of the matter is, it ain't exactly chopped liver we're offering."[317]

By June 1994, Fox was still in the planning stages for a network news service, but Rupert Murdoch dismissed the idea of a nightly evening newscast similar to the "Big Three" networks airing over Fox, saying, "I don't think people watch them very much. People prefer watching a newscast edited and customized for them in their communities."[318] The New World stations gained access to a news sharing service among Fox owned-stations and affiliates while also retaining existing CNN Newsource affiliations,[319] simulcasting CNN in the event of breaking news.[320] WDAF, WJBK, KTBC and KHON launched nightly half-hour newscasts with emphasis on national and international coverage, but produced locally.[321] [322] Most of the New World stations moved their late-evening newscasts by an hour and extended them to 60 minutes in length (due to Fox only programming for two hours), or in the cases of WDAF and WITI, created a 90-minute long newscast. WBRC initially had separate half-hour newscasts at 9 and 10. KTVI and KTBC were exceptions: KTVI moved their late-evening news from 10 to 9 p.m. in 1997, while KTBC did the same in 2002; for the latter, the newscasts replaced sitcom reruns in the 9 p.m. hour.[323] KHON maintained a late-evening newscast at 10 p.m. until September 2014, when a 9 p.m. newscast was launched.[324]

An unprecedented level of hiring took place among both the New World stations and the replacement "Big Three" affiliates to account for the overall increase in local news, with as many as 1,500 to 2,000 jobs being created during this period. In Cleveland, WJW boasted a news staff of over 120 people, while WOIO used WUAB's news department as the foundation for their own, moving both stations to new facilities at Reserve Square.[325] Kansas City saw KSHB add 54 people to create a workforce of 72, while WDAF doubled their news staff for a total of 110. WNCN hired 68 full-time staffers in 1995 as they prepared to take the NBC affiliation, WGNX increased their headcount to 50 after linking with CBS, and WHBQ bolstered their staffing from 28 to 55 under Fox ownership.[326] Technical advancements were also made with the increased manpower. WBMA boasted all-digital equipment when their news room launched, with Allbritton executive John Hillis saying, "We had the luxury of a clean sheet on paper."[327] Spurned by ABC, KTVK invested heavily into syndicated programming and newsroom staffing and broke ground on new studios to house their expanded operations.

Among unchanged Fox affiliates, Sacramento's KTXL began hiring staff and extended their late-evening news to an hour, and KOKH-TV in Oklahoma City began assembling a news staff for a 1996 launch.[328] KOKH's entry was a complete reversal from June 1994, when general manager Harlan Reams publicly expressed no desire to do local news, saying, "From a business standpoint, if you want to watch news, hey, watch 4, 5 and 9, watch CNN, read the newspaper. But I'm here to entertain."[329] "Big Three" affiliates in unchanged markets like KVBC in Las Vegas and KIVI-TV in Boise, Idaho, also saw their news output increased with additional staffing. Ball State University professor Bob Papper estimated in 1996 that several thousand more jobs could be created if other older Fox affiliates started local news, or expanded their output to match up with the New World stations.

Ratings headwinds for new news operations

Many of the new "Big Three" affiliates, which had been either former Fox affiliates or independents on the UHF dial with no news presence, found difficulty garnering ratings traction against their traditional VHF competitors. While most of these replacement affiliates have maintained local news production, with some even experiencing gradual ratings growth, some stations eventually cancelled or outsourced operations outright.

Among CBS's replacement affiliates, WGPR-TV (renamed WWJ-TV[330]) proved to be the network's biggest challenge.[331] A $1 million promotional blitz saw the network's star talent make fun of the station's embarrassingly high channel number,[332] [333] but ratings for network programming in Detroit fell 46 percent year-over-year following the switch.[334] CBS announced plans to establish a news department in Detroit in late 1995,[335] only to withdraw them entirely after several months.[336] Two attempts at local news in 2001 and 2009 failed[337] [338] before CBS News launched a hyperlocal streaming news service in January 2023 that WWJ-TV simulcasts.[339] Unlike WWJ-TV, WOIO, WGNX and WDJT-TV were all successful in debuting local news after linking with CBS, but still struggled against established competition. Until relaunching with a tabloid format in 2002, WOIO was beset by continued talent instability and dismal ratings.[340] This distinction was shared by WGNX despite a 1998 sale to Meredith,[341] a renaming to WGCL-TV in 2000,[342] multiple rebrands, and continual executive upheaval.[343] When succeeding owner Gray Television relaunched WGCL as WANF, for Atlanta News First, management conceded the station had no brand at all.[344] WDJT-TV's fortunes have been mixed: the station has thrived in prime time since picking up Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune as a lead-in,[345] but its news operation continues to trail the competition.[346]

Replacement ABC affiliates KDNL-TV and WXLV-TV experienced severe difficulty establishing a news presence and had their efforts shut down by owner Sinclair Broadcast Group. KDNL's newscasts, which debuted prior to the switch,[347] struggled to gain viewership amid repeated changes in management, on-air talent and news sets, with ABC network programming equally underperforming.[348] Barry Baker, chief executive of former owner River City Broadcasting, held an option to sell their St. Louis holdings and sold it to Emmis Communications in June 1999,[349] sparking a year-long lawsuit between Sinclair and Emmis.[350] The lawsuit forced KDNL onto an austerity budget cancelling the 5 p.m. news, while a failing transmitter repeatedly forced the station off-air. The 5 p.m. news was restored in October 2000 but failed to register any measurable audience, while the 10 p.m. news drew half the ratings as Friends reruns on KPLR,[351] resulting in the news department's disbanding on October 12, 2001. WXLV-TV, which frequently failed to make progress in area ratings against the more established WFMY-TV, WGHP and WXII-TV,[352] [353] had its morning and weekend newscasts cancelled in late 2000[354] and ultimately shuttered outright on January 11, 2002.[355] [356] Utilizing Sinclair's hybrid News Central format, an 11 p.m. newscast ran from 2004 to 2005, when it was again scrapped due to poor ratings.[357] In February 2012, Spectrum News 1 North Carolina (then known as News 14 Carolina) began producing daily newscasts for WXLV as part of a retransmission consent dispute settlement between Time Warner Cable and Sinclair.[358] Spectrum News newscasts continued to air on WXLV until 2019. Then in January 2021, the station resumed airing local newscasts produced by Fox-affiliated San Antonio sister station KABB.[359] [360]

This was not limited to new CBS, NBC, or ABC affiliates in New World markets. KHNL in Honolulu began airing newscasts on April 12, 1995, more than eight months before switching to NBC.[361] The station's newscasts, however, failed to find ratings success in spite of NBC's strength in entertainment programming in the late 1990s, as well as the hiring of several notable personalities in the market.[362] [363] WPTY-TV's news department was hastily assembled to make the deadline for their Fox-ABC switch,[364] with multiple technical gaffes and on-air talent misidentifying area landmarks plaguing their debut. The weeknight anchor lineup changed within two weeks,[365] and the news director was fired after a year.[366] Low ratings continued to plague the station[367] through a 2013 relaunch as WATN-TV under Nexstar ownership; the station was later sold to Tegna Inc. in 2019.[368] [369] New NBC affiliate WGBA-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin, did not begin producing newscasts until July 1, 1996; it had doubled its payroll and expanded its studios in order to accommodate its news operation.[370] Its newscasts lagged the other three local stations in the ratings, and turnover of on-air talent was high.[371] WNWO-TV had a single daily newscast at 6 p.m. when it switched to NBC in September 1995;[372] the following year, Malrite Communications purchased the station and began investing in the news department,[373] [374] but it failed to reap any windfall from NBC's highly-rated prime time lineup.[375] WNWO continued to experience ownership changes, poor ratings and staff turnover before newscast production was outsourced to WSBT-TV in 2017,[376] and eliminated altogether in 2023.[377]

WEVV-TV in Evansville, Indiana, which switched from Fox to CBS, shut down their news department in July 2001 amid poor ratings;[378] after the station was sold to Bayou City Broadcasting, WEVV (which reclaimed the Fox affiliation on a digital subchannel in 2011) relaunched local newscasts. In South Bend, Indiana, replacement ABC affiliate WBND-LP did not offer local news until 2008, albeit produced by WDJT,[379] and established a staffed newsroom in April 2011.[380] Because of its competitive and technical weakness, Weigel tried to sell WBND-LP, WCWW-LP and WMYS-LP to WSBT-TV owner Schurz Communications in 2008, but the deal was abandoned in August 2009.[381]

Effects in Mexico and Canada

Fox's acquisition of football rights brought the number of Fox affiliates broadcasting from Mexico from one to three. It also resulted in changes in Canadian cable regulations.

In San Diego, UPN affiliate KUSI-TV tried unsuccessfully to take the Fox affiliation away from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico-licensed XETV, citing FCC regulations preventing any foreign station from airing live programming from the United States to U.S. audiences without an FCC-approved permit. Fox was eventually granted the permit allowing XETV to carry the games.[382] [383] XETV lost its affiliation to CW affiliate KSWB-TV in 2008 through a deal with Tribune Broadcasting; in turn, XETV assumed the CW affiliation. The permit to carry live programming also benefited two stations set up by Televisa with Fox programming: XHFOX-TV in Matamoros/Reynosa (serving the Harlingen–Brownsville–McAllen market) and XHFTX-TV in Nuevo Laredo (serving the Laredo market). However, these stations continued to have to "bicycle" tapes of programming across the border.[384] These stations dropped their Fox affiliations on February 28, 2002, due to increased reverse compensation fees with Fox and high costs of local news production. Both stations became affiliates of Televisa's Canal de las Estrellas.[385]

While the NFL signed Canadian rights agreements for both the NFC and AFC packages on television in Canada with the CanWest Global System and Western International Communications,[386] the switches led to increased interest by Canadian cable companies in adding a U.S. Fox station to their lineups. However, since 1978, the availability of U.S. network affiliates on Canadian cable had been governed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)'s "3 plus 1" rule, allowing the carriage of three American network affiliates plus a PBS station,[387] with frequent exemptions for border towns where additional stations were receivable over-the-air. In June 1994, the CRTC stated it was unwilling to modify the rule;[388] the next month, a group of 48 Canadian cable systems, many belonging to major operators, petitioned the CRTC to allow them to add Fox programming.[389] Canadian broadcasters lobbied against any change, fearing that the addition of Fox would "Americanize the system further" and occupy channel capacity needed to provide new Canadian services. External pressure led the CRTC to reverse course by September, allowing Canadian cable providers to pick up a Fox affiliate without having to drop a "Big Three" affiliate.[390]

The ascendance of Fox Sports

See also: Fox Sports (United States), NFL on Fox and Fox NFL Sunday.

Fox Sports has been cited as one of the fastest start-ups in modern television history, and the most successful. Aided by a number of off- and on-air personnel that defected from CBS Sports, David Hill—who was transferred as Sky Sports president to like duties for Fox—assembled the division in less than eight months.[391] John Madden jokingly mused upon joining Fox Sports that the "s" should be removed from the name, "... because the only sport ... we had at Fox was football, NFL football".[392] Adopting the slogan of "same game, new attitude", the NFL on Fox's centerpiece program was an hour-long pregame show, Fox NFL Sunday, incorporating comedy and entertainment with co-host Terry Bradshaw quickly becoming a breakout star. NFL Sundays success demonstrated viewers held an appetite for football that extended beyond the game itself. Along with a theme song composed by Scott Schreer that has since become symbolic of the entire network,[393] technical innovations included the "Fox Box" displaying the clock and score continuously (Hill perfected a similar on-screen bug for Sky's soccer coverage) and the use of parabolic microphones for in-game sound. NFL on Fox also provided a launching pad for other established announcers including Kenny Albert, Kevin Harlan and Joe Buck.

The affiliation switches helped elevate Fox to major network status, on par with its older, established competitors. The growth of Fox Sports was as quick as its founding: on September 9, 1994, Fox secured rights to the National Hockey League from 1995 to 1999, again outbidding CBS.[394] Major League Baseball followed on November 7, 1995, initially via a shared arrangement with NBC.[395] Fox Sports extended into regional sports networks beginning in 1996 through a joint venture with TCI's Liberty Media, creating Fox Sports Net from the former Prime Sports and SportsChannel networks.[396] [397] NASCAR coverage was added in 2000, including the Daytona 500, plus the Winston Cup and Busch Series.[398] Along with the NFL, NASCAR on Fox and the MLB on Fox remain cornerstones of Fox Sports into the present day.[399] [400]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: ABC Woos Other Webs' Affiliates: Rating Surge Becomes Lure. Variety. Larry. Michie. 1, 67. . August 25, 1976.
  2. News: WRTV Indianapolis latest to heed ABC's siren song. 20–21. . December 4, 1978. Broadcasting. April 30, 2023. January 31, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230131023938/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1978/1978-12-04-BC.pdf. live.
  3. News: Switch in network affiliations has put KOTA and KEVN near parity. April 26, 1985. 28. Rapid City Journal. Newspapers.com. April 30, 2023.
  4. News: Diane. Mermigas. Affiliate raids: NBC targets markets for station swaps. August 5, 1985. 1, 32. Electronic Media.
  5. News: Switch: Lost NBC affiliate returns to the fold. Diane. Mermigas. Electronic Media. September 30, 1985. 3.
  6. News: Electronic Media. 3, 65. Affiliate switch to NBC seen as first of several. Diane. Mermigas. March 17, 1986.
  7. News: 1, 48. Top Knoxville station dumps CBS in favor of NBC. Electronic Media. Adam. Buckman. June 27, 1988.
  8. News: 3, 52. Texas CBS affil may defect to ABC. Rich. Brown. Vicki. Sabatini. The Hollywood Reporter. . ProQuest. July 27, 1990.
  9. News: Sonsky . Steve . January 1, 1989 . 3 million TV viewers affected . 1A, 25A . The Miami Herald . Miami, Florida . live . April 3, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210412212200/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74463186/3-million-tv-viewers-affected/ . April 12, 2021 . Newspapers.com.
  10. News: Schrage . Michael . March 21, 1985 . Murdoch Agrees to Buy A 50 Percent Share of 20th Century Fox Film . The Washington Post . December 13, 2022.
  11. News: Storch . Charles . March 21, 1985 . MURDOCH BUYING HALF OF 20TH CENTURY-FOX . Chicago Tribune . December 13, 2022 . December 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221213024952/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-03-21-8501160118-story.html . live .
  12. News: May 7, 1985 . MURDOCH TO BUY & TV STATIONS; COST $2 BILLION . The New York Times . December 14, 2022 . December 14, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221214071830/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/07/business/murdoch-to-buy-tv-stations-cost-2-billion.html . live .
  13. News: September 4, 1985 . Murdoch Becomes U.S. Citizen, Can Buy TV Network . Los Angeles Times . December 14, 2022 . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040453/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-04-mn-23112-story.html . live .
  14. News: September 24, 1985 . MURDOCH WILL BUY OUT DAVIS'S HOLDINGS IN FOX . The New York Times . December 14, 2022 . December 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221216124507/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/24/business/murdoch-will-buy-out-davis-s-holdings-in-fox.html . live .
  15. News: September 24, 1985 . Davis Sells Murdoch His 20th Century Fox Stake for $325 Million . The Los Angeles Times . December 14, 2022 . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040455/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-09-24-fi-18712-story.html . live .
  16. March 10, 1986 . In Brief . Broadcasting . . 110 . 10 . 112 . April 27, 2023 . World Radio History . March 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210308034627/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1986/BC-1986-03-10.pdf . live .
  17. March 24, 1986 . Closed Circuit: Four to get ready . . Broadcasting . 110 . 12 . 7 . April 27, 2023 . World Radio History . January 31, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131023814/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1986/BC-1986-03-24.pdf . live .
  18. News: Deeb . Gary . July 12, 1986 . 'Monday Night Football' may be dumped because of large expense . 4:Leisure . The Post-Crescent . News America Syndicate . Appleton, Wisconsin . April 26, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040456/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-post-crescent-monday-night-football/123605048/ . live .
  19. News: Rothenberg . Fred . July 14, 1986 . Networks Tighten Belts Again: CBS-TV cuts costs, eliminates 700 jobs . 22:VI . Los Angeles Times . Associated Press . Los Angeles, California . April 26, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040456/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-networks-tighten-b/123603573/ . live .
  20. News: Stewart . Larry . September 5, 1986 . The Decline and Fall of Monday Night Football . 10:III . Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California . April 26, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040456/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-the-decline-and-fa/123603030/ . live .
  21. News: Kubasik . Ben . January 15, 1987 . Fox Network Wants the NFL . 13:II . Newsday . New York, New York . April 26, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040459/https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-fox-network-wants-the-nfl/123604676/ . live .
  22. News: Sonsky . Steve . January 18, 1987 . Fox's Ambitious Plans a Big Deal . 11K . Miami Herald . Miami, Florida . April 26, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230427033944/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-foxs-ambitions-plans-a/123603826/ . live .
  23. News: Rosenberg . Howard . April 4, 1987 . 2 New Fox Series—Plainly No Vanilla . 1, 12:VI . Los Angeles Times . April 26, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230427041455/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-2-new-fox-seriesp/123605991/ . live .
  24. News: Deed . Gary . March 16, 1987 . TV and football negotiators are tackling a new contract . D4 . The San Bernardino County Sun . News America Syndicate . San Bernardino, California . April 26, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040456/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-bernardino-county-sun-tv-and-foo/123607410/ . live .
  25. News: Pisetzner . Joel . March 15, 1987 . A limited attack on the Big 3 . A27 . The Record . Hackensack, New Jersey . April 26, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040457/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-a-limited-attack-on-the-big-3/123607564/ . live .
  26. News: Carter . Bill . February 13, 1987 . Networks still have inside track on NFL TV coverage . 13D . The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Maryland . April 26, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040457/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-networks-still-have-in/123606550/ . live .
  27. News: Raissman . Bob . March 17, 1987 . Blackout for non-cable NFL fans . 68 . Daily News . New York, New York . April 26, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230427041454/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-blackout-for-non-cable-nfl-fa/123607008/ . live .
  28. News: Wilson . Mark . January 18, 2019 . The secret history of Cleatus, Fox Sports's bizarre football robot . Fast Company . April 16, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230416125015/https://www.fastcompany.com/90293253/the-secret-history-of-cleatus-foxs-enduringly-weird-football-robot . live .
  29. News: December 18, 1993 . Fox nabs NFC rights from CBS . 29A . The Herald Statesman . Associated Press . Yonkers, New York . April 26, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230426212333/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-statesman-fox-nabs-nfc-rights/123569306/ . live .
  30. News: Raissman . Bob . December 18, 1993 . Fox scores with NFL pact: Its $300M-a-year deal may end CBS' grid days . 3 . Daily News . April 26, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040457/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123572123/fox-scores-with-nfl-pact-its/ . live .
  31. News: December 19, 1993 . After losing NFC rights, CBS scrambling for AFC . D3 . Akron Beacon Journal . Akron, Ohio . live . October 25, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221025031853/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111956606/after-losing-nfc-rights-cbs-scrambling/ . October 25, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  32. News: Topol . Manny . December 18, 1993 . Move Over, Homer: Fox outbids CBS for NFC . 95 . Newsday . April 26, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040458/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123571676/move-over-homer-fox-outbids-cbs-for/ . live .
  33. Web site: Curtis . Bryan . December 13, 2018 . The Great NFL Heist: How Fox Paid for and Changed Football Forever . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20181213165558/https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2018/12/13/18137938/nfl-fox-deal-rupert-murdoch-1993-john-madden-terry-bradshaw-howie-long-jimmy-johnson-cbs-nbc . December 13, 2018 . December 13, 2018 . The Ringer.
  34. News: December 21, 1993 . NBC Gets Final N.F.L. Contract While CBS Gets Its Sundays Off . A1 . The New York Times . June 22, 2012 . July 12, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150712210040/http://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/21/sports/nbc-gets-final-nfl-contract-while-cbs-gets-its-sundays-off.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm . live .
  35. Flint . Joe . January 10, 1994 . Fox uses NFL to woo network affiliates . . Broadcasting & Cable . 124 . 2 . 18 . April 26, 2023 . World Radio History . December 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221206083442/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1994/BC-1994-01-10.pdf . live .
  36. News: Feran . Tom . March 4, 1994 . News at 10 looks like coming thing . 4E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . live . subscription . October 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110034118/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F807C82C6F02EDC&f=basic . January 10, 2023 . NewsBank.
  37. News: Dyer . Bob . February 16, 1992 . News wars might get new player: Shaker Square's WOIO hopes to add newscast to its lineup . D1, D4 . Akron Beacon Journal . Akron, Ohio . live . October 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221020053830/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111215804/news-wars-might-get-new-player-shaker/ . October 20, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  38. News: Garron . Barry . July 31, 1993 . '41 News' seeks new approach: KSHB hopes fresh ideas, faces catch on . E-1, E-2 . The Kansas City Star . live . February 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230202005217/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117709610/41-news-seeks-new-approach-kshb/ . February 2, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  39. News: Garron . Barry . August 11, 1993 . 'Fresh' newscast needs more seasoning . F-1, F-5 . The Kansas City Star . live . February 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230202005216/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117709650/fresh-newscast-needs-more-seasoning/ . February 2, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  40. News: Chadwell . Teena . September 17, 1993 . Fox station plans newscast . 2 . Phoenix Business Journal . . ProQuest.
  41. News: Fox football luring new affils—almost. Variety. Joe. Flint. April 18, 1994. . 25–26.
  42. News: CBS, Fox Scrimmage Over Affiliates. 24. Variety. Chicago Sun-Times. April 9, 1994.
  43. News: CBS jerks '60 Minutes' in football dispute. September 13, 1994. 1A. Chris. Steinbach. The Bismarck Tribune. Newspapers.com. April 26, 2023. April 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040458/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88726090/cbs-jerks-60-minutes-in-football/. live.
  44. News: Redding . Alesia I. . April 7, 1994 . WSBT: CBS aims to set example by taking away '60 Minutes' . C1 . South Bend Tribune . South Bend, Indiana . subscription . May 1, 2023 . NewsBank.
  45. News: Tull . Becky . August 6, 1994 . '60 Minutes' taken off WSBT . A4 . The South Bend Tribune . South Bend, Indiana . subscription . May 1, 2023.
  46. News: Dollar . Brent . May 25, 1994 . Area station joins jump to Fox . 1 . The Paris News . Paris, Texas . May 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  47. West . Don . October 17, 1994 . Preston Padden: Strategizing to move Fox from underdog to head of the pack . . Broadcasting & Cable . 124 . 42 . 18–19, 22, 24, 26 . May 7, 2023 . World Radio History.
  48. News: Madden leaves CBS for football on Fox. C16. The Wall Street Journal. . January 24, 1994.
  49. Fox's latest four add up to 96%. Broadcasting & Cable. April 18, 1994. 16. . Steve. McClellan. September 2, 2021. September 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210926031713/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1994/BC-1994-04-18.pdf#page=18. live.
  50. News: Eddings . Toby . September 13, 1994 . Eye On The Media: If you were mad Sunday ... . 4B . Sun-News . Myrtle Beach, South Carolina . May 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  51. News: KLMG-TV makes Foxy plans April 1. January 25, 1991. 1-D. Van. Craddock. Longview News-Journal. Newspapers.com. April 26, 2023. April 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040457/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47717572/klmg-tv-makes-foxy-plans-april-1/. live.
  52. News: Kelley . Bill . December 28, 1988 . Shifting TV channels confuse many viewers . 8A . South Florida Sun-Sentinel . Fort Lauderdale, Florida . live . April 3, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220217034453/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74535146/shifting-tv-channels-confuse-many/ . February 17, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  53. News: Sonsky . Steve . September 2, 1988 . Channel 7 plans news, news, news . 1B, 4B . The Miami Herald . Miami, Florida . live . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220217034452/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74517197/channel-7-plans-news-news-news/ . February 17, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  54. News: Jicha . Tom . December 7, 1988 . WSVN keeps word to be news-heavy as an independent . 5C . The Miami News . Miami, Florida . live . April 2, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220217034506/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74480227/wsvn-keeps-word-to-be-news-heavy-as-an/ . February 17, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  55. News: Jicha . Tom . January 1, 1990 . TV switch was 1989's cliffhanger: Last year's shuffle defied predictions . 1A, 12A . South Florida Sun Sentinel . Fort Lauderdale, Florida . live . April 10, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230410191546/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122589689/tv-switch-was-1989s-cliffhanger-last/ . April 10, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  56. News: Coto . Juan Carlos . April 8, 1991 . URGENT! This just in! ... Joel Cheatwood is back in charge of the Channel 7 News. . 1C, 4C . The Miami Herald . Miami, Florida . live . April 10, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230410191538/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/122628175/urgent-this-just-in-joel/ . April 10, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  57. News: Marin . Rick . June 23, 1994 . If it bleeds, it leads: Miami station's news is notorious . 1E, 3E . Star Tribune . Newsweek . Minneapolis, Minnesota . live . April 10, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230410191543/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94630741/if-it-bleeds-it-leads-miami-stations/ . April 10, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  58. News: The Ratings Game: Competing for Vital Advertising Revenue, TV Stations Battle To Attract East Texas. September 30, 1990. 4:3. Tony. Floyd. The Tyler Courier-Times–Telegraph. Tyler, Texas. Newspapers.com. November 25, 2023.
  59. News: 1, 134. Stations find new life after Fox affiliation. Alan. Salomon. Electronic Media. January 7, 1991.
  60. News: Ch. 17 owner buys chunk of Ch. 30. February 6, 1990. 1D. Richard. Schweid. The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. Newspapers.com. December 29, 2022. December 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221229194303/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115206106/ch-17-owner-buys-chunk-of-ch-30/. live.
  61. News: Group buying WUTV will air Sabres games; Religious network eyes team's Channel 49 slot. August 29, 1989. B1. Alan. Pergament. The Buffalo News. Newspapers.com. March 3, 2023. March 3, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230303083120/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110838574/group-buying-wutv-will-air-sabres/. live.
  62. News: Shuffling of Channels 29, 49 to result in shift of programs. June 27, 1990. B-10. Alan. Pergament. The Buffalo News. Buffalo, New York. Newspapers.com. March 3, 2023. January 10, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230110041234/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/115882358/shuffling-of-channels-29-49-to-result/. live.
  63. News: Morrow . Darrell . August 13, 1991 . KOKH, KAUT to Change Operations on Thursday . The Journal Record . .
  64. News: WXGZ loses fight: Station will go off air Feb. 14. February 6, 1992. 9. Steve. Wideman. The Oshkosh Northwestern. Newspapers.com. May 12, 2023.
  65. News: Fabrikant . Geraldine . February 18, 1993 . THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Perelman Agrees to Acquire Control of SCI Television . The New York Times . December 23, 2015 . December 27, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151227142310/http://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/18/business/the-media-business-perelman-agrees-to-acquire-control-of-sci-television.html . live .
  66. News: February 17, 1993 . Entertainment: Tampa TV Station Sold . Los Angeles Times . December 23, 2015 . March 6, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160306224729/http://articles.latimes.com/1993-02-17/business/fi-131_1_cbs-stations . live .
  67. November 29, 1993 . SCI Television and New World Entertainment . Mediaweek . 3 . 48 . 8 . .
  68. Foisie . Geoffrey . May 3, 1993 . Times Mirror sells stations, part 1 . . Broadcasting & Cable . 123 . 18 . 49 . April 29, 2023 . World Radio History . December 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221206202428/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1993/BC-1993-05-03.pdf . live .
  69. News: May 6, 1994 . Company News; Great American Selling Four Television Stations . The New York Times . December 23, 2015 . March 5, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305150221/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/06/business/company-news-great-american-selling-four-television-stations.html . live .
  70. Foisie . Geoffrey . May 30, 1994 . Argyle socks away profit . . Broadcasting & Cable . 124 . 22 . 8 . April 29, 2023 . World Radio History . July 25, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200725013818/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1994/BC-1994-05-30.pdf . live .
  71. News: Dawidziak . Mark . May 24, 1994 . Channel 8 to drop CBS for Fox: 40-year affiliation ends in autumn as Fox owner pays $500 million to station's parent. WJW to regain NFL games, lose Letterman. Channels 19, 43 to fight for CBS . A1, A8 . Akron Beacon Journal . Akron, Ohio . April 29, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429190117/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-channel-8-to-dr/123747776/ . live .
  72. News: Carter . Bill . May 24, 1994 . Fox Will Sign Up 12 New Stations; Takes 8 from CBS . The New York Times . live . October 22, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170625021414/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/24/us/fox-will-sign-up-12-new-stations-takes-8-from-cbs.html?pagewanted=4 . June 25, 2017.
  73. . Foisie . Geoffrey . May 30, 1994 . Fox and the New World order . Broadcasting & Cable . 124 . 22 . 6, 8 . April 25, 2013 . World Radio History . July 25, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200725013818/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1994/BC-1994-05-30.pdf . live .
  74. News: May 23, 1996 . Company News; New World Communications to Sell 2 Stations . 4 . The New York Times . Dow Jones.
  75. News: July 12, 1995 . Fox Gets Celtics Station . The New York Times . September 24, 2015 . September 26, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150926062618/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/12/business/fox-gets-celtics-station.html . live .
  76. News: December 1, 1994 . Viacom agrees to purchase WSBK in Boston . Bangor Daily News . Bangor, Maine . Associated Press . September 24, 2015 . September 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150925140211/http://archive.bangordailynews.com/1994/12/01/viacom-agrees-to-purchase-wsbk-in-boston/ . live .
  77. Foisie . Geoffrey . Zier . Julie A. . August 22, 1994 . Fox et al. to buy three stations; affiliation shuffle continues . . April 29, 2023 . 7 . World Radio History . Broadcasting & Cable . 124 . 34 . January 31, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131025518/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1994/BC-1994-08-22.pdf . live .
  78. McAvoy . Kim . April 10, 1995 . Washington Watch . . Broadcasting & Cable . 125 . 15 . 78 . April 25, 2013 . World Radio History . September 1, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200901044454/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1995/BC-1995-04-10.pdf . live .
  79. July 24, 1995 . In Brief: Fox Television Stations last week closed its deal to acquire WBRC-TV Birmingham . . Broadcasting & Cable . 125 . 30 . 84–85 . April 29, 2023 . World Radio History . January 31, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131031023/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1995/BC-1995-07-24.pdf . live .
  80. Zier . Julie A. . November 21, 1994 . Fox, Renaissance trade markets . . Broadcasting & Cable . live . July 19, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160222103213/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-15893350.html . February 22, 2016 . World Radio History.
  81. News: November 16, 1994 . Parent Firm Of WTIC-TV To Buy, Sell . . live . March 4, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304040426/http://articles.courant.com/1994-11-16/business/9411160013_1_fox-affiliated-kdvr-renaissance . March 4, 2016.
  82. News: Cole Smith . Steven . June 28, 1995 . Don't feel sorry for Channel 33 . E1 . Fort Worth Star-Telegram . live . July 20, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210721062956/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81875492/dont-feel-sorry-for-channel-33/ . July 21, 2021 . Newspapers.com.
  83. News: Meisler . Andy . August 29, 1994 . Murdoch's Raid Brings a Shuffling of TV Stations in Phoenix . 2 . The New York Times . live . October 21, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130613154035/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/29/business/murdoch-s-raid-brings-a-shuffling-of-tv-stations-in-phoenix.html?pagewanted=1 . June 13, 2013.
  84. News: Duffy . Mike . Gunther . Marc . May 24, 1994 . Channel 2 dumps CBS, joins with Fox . 1A, 2A . Detroit Free Press . Detroit, Michigan . live . January 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123190302/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31849514/channel-2-dumps-cbs-joins-with-fox/ . January 23, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  85. News: Cole Smith . Steven . July 2, 1995 . TV changes expected to cause a tide of confusion . F1, F2, F3 . Fort Worth Star-Telegram . live . July 20, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210721062955/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81875655/tv-changes-expected-to-cause-a-tide-of/ . July 21, 2021 . Newspapers.com.
  86. News: Kloer . Phil . May 24, 1994 . TV shake-up in Atlanta; Keep your remote control handy this fall . A1, A4 . The Atlanta Constitution . live . August 9, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220807060608/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31849522/tv-shake-up-in-atlanta-keep-your/ . August 7, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  87. News: Feran . Tom . September 2, 1994 . Touch that dial! TV turnabout begins tomorrow on Channels 8, 19, 43 . 1A . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . live . subscription . October 21, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110034117/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F3413A60C43494E&f=basic . January 10, 2023 . NewsBank.
  88. News: Walker . Dave . September 10, 1994 . TV switch: Channel 5 to carry CBS today . A1, A20 . Arizona Republic . Phoenix, Arizona . live . November 26, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211126045400/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28879847/tv-switch-channel-5-to-carry-cbs-today/ . November 26, 2021 . Newspapers.com.
  89. News: Huntley . Helen . Stevenson . Jennifer L. . May 24, 1994 . WTVT-Ch. 13 is switching channels to Fox . 1A, 6A . St. Petersburg Times . St. Petersburg, Florida . live . December 27, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205074410/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31849571/wtvt-ch-13-is-switching-channels-to-fox/ . February 5, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  90. News: McTavish . Brian . May 24, 1994 . WDAF to leave NBC, join Fox . A-1, A-8 . The Kansas City Star . Kansas City, Missouri . live . February 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230202004736/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61708935/wdaf-to-leave-nbc-join-fox/ . February 2, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  91. News: Walker . Dave . May 24, 1994 . Channel 10 would leave CBS to go with Fox . A1, A11 . Arizona Republic . Phoenix, Arizona . live . December 17, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211217030852/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28879924/republic-front-page-coverage-of-new/ . December 17, 2021 . Newspapers.com.
  92. News: Feran . Tom . September 23, 1994 . CBS enjoying ties with WOIO . 7E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . live . subscription . October 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110034119/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F807D9E77570B8C&f=basic . January 10, 2023 . NewsBank.
  93. News: Feran . Tom . May 29, 1994 . Seismic change . 1C . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . subscription . April 29, 2023 . NewsBank . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429190117/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F807CFD67DE8DD1&f=basic . live .
  94. McClellan . Steve . June 6, 1994 . Counterstrike: CBS targets Scripps . . live . Broadcasting & Cable . 124 . 23 . 6, 8 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211108151238/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1994/BC-1994-06-06.pdf . November 8, 2021 . October 5, 2022 . World Radio History.
  95. News: Zurawik . David . David Zurawik . January 1, 1995 . Changing Channels; Get ready, get set, get confused, in TV's big switch in Baltimore . 1L, 3L . The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Maryland . April 28, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040959/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-changing-channels-get/123696603/ . live .
  96. Web site: Miller . William . October 29, 1995 . Declaration of William Miller . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210630063726/https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filing/151886 . June 30, 2021 . March 16, 2021 . Comments of Southern Broadcast Corporation of Sarasota . Federal Communications Commission.
  97. News: Walker . Dave . June 16, 1994 . ABC drops Ch. 3 after 40 years . A1, A15 . Arizona Republic . Phoenix, Arizona . live . December 25, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211226034726/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33050851/abc-drops-ch-3-after-40-years/ . December 26, 2021 . Newspapers.com.
  98. News: Muller . Bill . June 30, 1994 . Family-owned Ch. 3 outmuscled for prize . A1, A7 . The Arizona Republic . live . March 16, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210630063726/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33050928/eye-say-channel-5-called-up-to-majors/ . June 30, 2021 . Newspapers.com.
  99. News: Stevenson . Jennifer L. . June 16, 1994 . ABC switching channels in bay area . 1A, 17A . St. Petersburg Times . live . January 30, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205074413/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/68960825/abc-switching-channels-in-bay-area/ . February 5, 2022.
  100. News: June 17, 1994 . COMPANY NEWS; TV Stations Shift to ABC . The New York Times . October 21, 2012 . November 11, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121111215200/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/17/business/company-news-tv-stations-shift-to-abc.html . live .
  101. McClellan . Steve . August 1, 1994 . Keeping up with the affiliates . . Broadcasting & Cable . 124 . 31 . 11 . May 4, 2023 . World Radio History . January 31, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131030057/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1994/BC-1994-08-01.pdf . live .
  102. News: Belcher . Walt . June 17, 1994 . TV stations focus on change . 1, 10 . Tampa Tribune . live . January 30, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205074415/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/68961076/tv-stations-focus-on-change/ . February 5, 2022.
  103. News: Yant . Monica . December 9, 1994 . This just in: Ch. 28 will have news . 1B, 11B . St. Petersburg Times . live . January 30, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205074415/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/68964406/this-just-in-ch-28-will-have-news/ . February 5, 2022.
  104. News: Belcher . Walt . December 13, 1994 . Big switch helps spark the big hype . 5 BayLife . Tampa Tribune . live . January 31, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205074411/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/68962603/big-switch-helps-spark-the-big-hype/ . February 5, 2022.
  105. News: Mattern . Hal . June 30, 1994 . Eye say! Channel 5 called up to majors: Homeless CBS picks longtime independent . A1, A7 . The Arizona Republic . live . March 16, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210630063710/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/33050928/eye-say-channel-5-called-up-to-majors/ . June 30, 2021 . Newspapers.com.
  106. News: Walker . Dave . January 9, 1996 . Channel 3 maintains stronghold despite loss of network affiliation . C5 . The Arizona Republic . live . November 14, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210630063716/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34044173/channel-3-maintains-stronghold-despite/ . June 30, 2021 . Newspapers.com.
  107. Jessell . Harry A. . September 11, 1995 . ABC, Fox change partners again . . 125 . 16 . Broadcasting & Cable . 37 . live . December 2, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200629153747/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1995/BC-1995-09-11.pdf . June 29, 2020 . World Radio History.
  108. News: Harper . Paul . June 7, 1996 . Trading Places: Diary of WCPO Network Switch . 1B, 8B . The Cincinnati Post . Cincinnati, Ohio . May 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com . May 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501164146/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-post-trading-places-diar/123863332/ . live .
  109. News: Zurawik . David . David Zurawik . June 17, 1994 . ABC-TV to switch from WJZ to WMAR . 1A, 9A . The Baltimore Sun . live . March 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230328170026/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121812096/abc-tv-to-switch-from-wjz-to-wmar/ . March 28, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  110. News: July 11, 1994 . THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Group W's Negotiations . D8 . The New York Times . Reuters . New York, New York . April 28, 2023 . May 2, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180502120327/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/11/business/the-media-business-group-w-s-negotiations.html . live .
  111. News: Carter . Bill . July 15, 1994 . CBS to Add Three Affiliates in Deal With Westinghouse . The New York Times . live . July 12, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141023121452/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/15/business/the-media-business-cbs-to-add-three-affiliates-in-deal-with-westinghouse.html . October 23, 2014.
  112. News: Zurawik . David . David Zurawik . July 15, 1994 . WJZ to join CBS in 3-station deal . 1, 7A . The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Maryland . April 29, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040958/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-wjz-to-join-cbs-in-3-s/123688156/ . live .
  113. News: Zurawik . David . David Zurawik . August 5, 1994 . Delaying switches until Jan. annoys WMAR, WBAL . 1D, 5D . The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Maryland . April 29, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040959/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-delaying-switches-unti/123688486/ . live .
  114. News: Biddle . Frederic M. . August 3, 1994 . Boston's TV shuffle will put NBC on Ch. 7 . 1, 8 . The Boston Globe . Boston, Massachusetts . April 29, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040959/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-bostons-tv-shuffle-wil/123688708/ . live .
  115. News: Biddle . Frederic M. . August 4, 1994 . NBC pays top dollar to stay on VHF dial . 62 . The Boston Globe . Boston, Massachusetts . April 29, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040959/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-nbc-pays-top-dollar-to/123697811/ . live .
  116. Zier . Julie A. . July 18, 1994 . CBS, Group W form historic alliance: affiliations, joint station buying, program deals in prospect . 14 . Broadcasting & Cable . . live . March 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230307183829/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1994/BC-1994-07-18.pdf . March 7, 2023.
  117. Zier . Julie A. . September 5, 1994 . . Fox buys WTXF Philly for $200 million plus: seller, Viacom-Paramount, rumored to be negotiating for Combined's WGBS-TV and WBFS-TV . 12 . Broadcasting & Cable . live . March 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131031021/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1994/BC-1994-09-05.pdf . January 31, 2023.
  118. News: Miles . Laureen . September 5, 1994 . WTXF-Phila. fetches $200 million . 5 . Mediaweek . .
  119. News: Jicha . Tom . November 22, 1994 . CBS, NBC Changing Channels . South Florida Sun-Sentinel . https://web.archive.org/web/20110703093638/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1994-11-22/news/9411210600_1_wcix-nbc-programs-stations . July 3, 2011.
  120. News: Boedeker . Hal . November 22, 1994 . NBC: We're sticking with WTVJ . 1C, 3C . The Miami Herald . Miami, Florida . live . March 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230328170032/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121813819/nbc-were-sticking-with-wtvj/ . March 28, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  121. News: December 14, 1994 . Channel 6 will drop CIX for FOR . 1C . The Miami Herald . live . March 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230328170026/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121813880/channel-6-will-drop-cix-for-for/ . March 28, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  122. News: Mankowski . Cal . November 22, 1994 . CBS, NBC trade some TV stations . B10 . The Buffalo News . Buffalo, New York . April 28, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429041001/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-cbs-nbc-trade-some-tv/123687752/ . live .
  123. News: Saunders . Dusty . October 22, 1994 . TV Stations Play Spin the Dial: Channel 7 Quits CBS, Joins ABC, Kicking Off Network Realignment . 5A . Rocky Mountain News . Denver, Colorado . subscription . April 29, 2023 . NewsBank . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429041002/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0EB4DF0BABA1E319&f=basic . live .
  124. News: October 24, 1994 . Denver's Channel 7 goes from CBS to ABC . 11A . The Daily Sentinel . Associated Press . Grand Junction, Colorado . April 28, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429041001/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel-denvers-channel-7-go/123698311/ . live .
  125. News: Newell . Maria . March 1, 1996 . Translator switch won't change much . B1–B2 . Daily Press . Victorville, California . April 29, 2023 . Newspapers.com . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429041001/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-translator-switch-wont-chan/123695519/ . live .
  126. News: Saunders . Dusty . October 22, 1994 . Fox Broadcasting could join Denver TV wheeling, dealing . 35A . Rocky Mountain News.
  127. News: November 7, 1994 . At press time: KWGN-TV eyes Fox tie . 1 . Electronic Media .
  128. News: Whitefield . Mimi . May 22, 1995 . Date for channel switch pushed back . Business Monday 7 . The Miami Herald . live . March 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230328170028/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121814759/date-for-channel-switch-pushed-back/ . March 28, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  129. News: Dougherty . Robin . August 18, 1995 . TV switcheroo II set for Sept. 10 . 1A, 17A . The Miami Herald . live . March 28, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230328170024/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121815112/tv-switcheroo-ii-set-for-sept-10/ . March 28, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  130. News: Feran . Tom . June 30, 1994 . Channel 19 likely to be CBS choice . 1A . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . live . subscription . October 5, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221006020656/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F807D27A9E464EE&f=basic . October 6, 2022 . NewsBank.
  131. News: Feran . Tom . August 20, 1994 . WOIO fires 8 at TV-43 in takeover . 1E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . live . subscription . October 5, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221006020657/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F807D774E46BD4F&f=basic . October 6, 2022 . NewsBank.
  132. News: Holloway . Diane . May 31, 1995 . In CBS switch, KBVO will be KEYE . B1, B5 . Austin American-Statesman . May 6, 2021 . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429041003/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77199766/in-cbs-switch-kbvo-will-be-keye/ . live .
  133. McClellan . Steve . Zier . Julie . September 19, 1994 . Gaylord gets CBS affiliates in Seattle and Dallas . . 124 . 14 . Broadcasting & Cable . 38 . April 29, 2023 . World Radio History . March 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210308043913/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1994/BC-1994-09-19.pdf . live .
  134. News: August 27, 1994 . KSTW In Middle In Network Battles . The Seattle Times . Knight-Ridder News Service . Seattle, Washington . April 28, 2013 . November 4, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131104091611/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19940827&slug=1927399 . live .
  135. News: Taylor . Chuck . January 15, 1995 . The Expanding Network Universe – CBS' Move From KIRO To KSTW Is Just Part of the Channel-Changing That's Shaking Up Seattle's TV . The Seattle Times . Seattle, Washington . live . October 23, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131023060135/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19950115&slug=2099981 . October 23, 2013.
  136. News: Taylor . Chuck . March 12, 1995 . The CBS Switch – Questions, Answers On Tomorrow's Big Move . The Seattle Times . Seattle, Washington . live . October 23, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141030223942/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19950312&slug=2109708 . October 30, 2014.
  137. News: August 30, 1995 . Capital Cities-ABC Completes Buy of Two TV Stations . Associated Press News . April 10, 2015 . January 1, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190101145345/https://apnews.com/0f7931c0a0cab27df0160c2abdd6f6dd . live .
  138. News: Pullen . Doug . September 2, 1994 . Channel 5 Adds Weathercaster; Channel 25 Focuses On Health . C16, C25 . Flint Journal . Flint, Michigan . April 29, 2023 . GenealogyBank . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429041005/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/channel-5-adds-weathercaster-channel-25-focuses-health/jdtphadztqeswjboraoghcothftdaugf_wma-gateway019_1682709195140 . live .
  139. Zier . Julie A. . October 10, 1994 . ABC, CBS make market moves . . Broadcasting & Cable . 124 . 11 . 96 . April 28, 2023 . World Radio History . January 31, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131025338/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1994/BC-1994-10-10.pdf#page=96 . live .
  140. News: October 16, 1994 . Notes: Scramble for affiliates . 2 . The Journal Times Spectrum Sunday . Racine, Wisconsin . April 29, 2023 . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429041004/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-times-notes-scramble-for-af/123694007/ . live .
  141. News: Pullen . Doug . January 17, 1996 . The Big Switch, One Year Later: TV viewers maintain news loyalty but change channels for programs . B1 . The Flint Journal . Flint, Michigan.
  142. News: Roush . Matt . September 26, 1994 . WGPR sale means CBS spending jag: Network may spend millions on expansion, hiring . 3 . Crain's Detroit Business.
  143. News: Duffy . Mike . September 23, 1994 . CBS purchase may juice up TV landscape: Channel 62 likely to hire big names . 1A, 8A . Detroit Free Press . Detroit, Michigan . live . January 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220128163040/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93097575/cbs-purchase-may-juice-up-tv-landscape/ . January 28, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  144. News: Kiska . Tim . January 29, 2016 . Black broadcast pioneer WGPR honored in history exhibit . en-US . Detroit Free Press . live . January 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123194049/https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/television/2016/01/29/black-broadcast-pioneer-wgpr-honored-history-exhibit/79518026/ . January 23, 2022.
  145. News: Kiska . Tim . October 12, 1992 . Union-busting charged in WGPR firings . 5B . The Detroit News.
  146. News: Carter . Bill . September 20, 1994 . Most chaotic season ever has begun for network TV . 12E . The Plain Dealer . The New York Times.
  147. News: Kloer . Phil . September 24, 1994 . Clearing up the local TV picture: Price was right: But will viewers follow CBS to Channel 69? . B1 . The Atlanta Constitution . live . August 7, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220807060608/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107110760/clearing-up-the-local-tv-picture-price/ . August 7, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  148. News: Kloer . Phil . November 16, 1994 . Channel surfing: CBS to flip from 69 to 46 . A1 . The Atlanta Constitution . live . August 7, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220807060618/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107111175/channel-surfing-cbs-to-flip-from-69-to/ . August 7, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  149. News: Kloer . Phil . November 17, 1994 . The networks go channel surfing . F1 . The Atlanta Constitution . live . August 7, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220807060623/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107014650/the-networks-go-channel-surfing/ . August 7, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  150. McClellan . Steve . November 21, 1994 . CBS signs WGNX Atlanta . . 124 . 8 . Broadcasting & Cable . 47 . April 29, 2023 . World Radio History . January 31, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131032219/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1994/BC-1994-11-21.pdf . live .
  151. News: Kirchen . Rich . October 1, 1994 . In CBS' search for a mate, Channel 24 still plays hard to get . Milwaukee Business Journal . .
  152. News: Dudek . Duane . October 11, 1994 . Channels 18, 24 next to snub CBS . News 5 . Milwaukee Sentinel.
  153. News: Flint . Joe . October 3, 1994 . Nay for Eye on affil buy . 168 . . .
  154. News: Dudek . Duane . October 1, 1994 . Channel 58 says CBS is too late: Owners no longer wooing network . News 4 . Milwaukee Sentinel.
  155. News: Battaglio . Stephen . December 2, 1994 . CBS ensures Milwaukee feed . 3, 50 . The Hollywood Reporter . .
  156. News: Kirchen . Rich . December 10, 1994 . Down-to-the-wire deal kept Milwaukee on CBS' map . 2 . Milwaukee Business Journal . .
  157. News: March 18, 1994 . THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Savoy and Fox TV Venture . 15 . The New York Times . February 4, 2017 . March 8, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160308074822/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/18/business/the-media-business-savoy-and-fox-tv-venture.html . live .
  158. News: July 29, 1994 . Company Town Annex . Los Angeles Times . May 9, 2014 . May 12, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140512222802/http://articles.latimes.com/1994-07-29/business/fi-21366_1_fox-television-stations . live .
  159. News: Andy Meisler . August 27, 1994 . COMPANY NEWS; Fox Adds 3 Network-Affiliated Stations . The New York Times . October 22, 2012 . June 3, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210603135107/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/27/business/company-news-fox-adds-3-network-affiliated-stations.html . live .
  160. News: September 27, 1994 . NBC ASKS FCC TO PUT BRAKES ON FOX'S EXPANSION PLANS . The Deseret News . Salt Lake City, Utah . The New York Times . May 9, 2014 . May 12, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140512221600/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/378144/NBC-ASKS-FCC-TO-PUT-BRAKES-ON-FOXS-EXPANSION-PLANS.html?pg=all . live .
  161. Web site: Flint . Joe . January 15, 1995 . NBC Asks FCC To Nix Fox Bid For KDVR . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093637/http://variety.com/1995/tv/features/nbc-asks-fcc-to-nix-fox-bid-for-kdvr-99125296/ . March 4, 2016 . March 4, 2016 . Variety.
  162. February 20, 1995 . NBC drops opposition to Fox . . 7 . Broadcasting & Cable . live . July 20, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210308033455/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1995/BC-1995-02-20.pdf . March 8, 2021.
  163. News: Carter . Bill . April 28, 1995 . THE MEDIA BUSINESS; F.C.C. Approves Purchase of TV Station by Fox Unit . The New York Times . October 22, 2012 . May 12, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140512225901/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/28/business/the-media-business-fcc-approves-purchase-of-tv-station-by-fox-unit.html . live .
  164. News: Fox, Blackstar in affil venture. The Hollywood Reporter. October 7, 1994. 1, 32. Brooks. Boliek. .
  165. Broadcasting & Cable. July 17, 1995. 68. . Elizabeth A.. Rathbun. Blackstar makes first buy. April 29, 2023. January 31, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230131032358/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1995/BC-1995-07-17.pdf. live.
  166. News: Variety. Dennis. Wharton. 68. Blackstar deal tests FCC. July 17, 1995. .
  167. News: KEVN TV sold to D.C. firm. September 14, 1995. A1, A2. Bill. Harlan. Rapid City Journal. Newspapers.com. April 29, 2023. April 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230429160323/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123722956/kevn-tv-sold-to-dc-firm/. live.
  168. News: KEVN ready for switch to Fox: More local programming promised after July 17 switch. March 22, 1996. A1, A2. Denise. Ross. Rapid City Journal. Newspapers.com. April 29, 2023. April 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230429160323/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123723003/kevn-ready-for-switch-to-fox-more/. live.
  169. News: KNBN, KEVN ready for the Fox shuffle. July 12, 1996. B1. Dan. Daly. Rapid City Journal. Newspapers.com. April 29, 2023. April 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230429160328/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47830434/knbn-kevn-ready-for-the-fox-shuffle/. live.
  170. Julie A.. Zier. 77. Fox buys interest in group owner. . Broadcasting & Cable. May 22, 1995. April 29, 2023. January 31, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230131024437/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1995/BC-1995-05-22.pdf. live.
  171. News: Affiliate shuffle is beginning: Sale of WTVW-Ch. 7 awaits FCC approval. May 19, 1995. 12. Sandra. Knipe. Evansville Press. Newspapers.com. April 29, 2023. April 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230429160323/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123721458/affiliate-shuffle-is-beginning-sale-of/. live.
  172. News: Letter-swapping of local stations due this weekend. December 1, 1995. 33. Chuck. Fields. Evansville Press. Newspapers.com. April 29, 2023. April 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230429160329/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123723111/letter-swapping-of-local-stations-due/. live.
  173. News: Meisler . Andy . August 19, 1994 . THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Fox to Buy Memphis ABC Outlet . The New York Times . live . June 22, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131220210713/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/19/business/the-media-business-fox-to-buy-memphis-abc-outlet.html . December 20, 2013.
  174. News: WHBQ-WPTY switch set to confuse Memphis TV. November 30, 1995. A14. Tom. Walter. The Commercial Appeal. Newspapers.com. April 29, 2023. March 25, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230325221610/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121622956/whbq-wpty-switch-set-to-confuse-memphis/. live.
  175. News: April 21, 1995 . ABC out, Fox in at WSJV . 7F . The News-Sentinel . Associated Press . Fort Wayne, Indiana . subscription . April 29, 2023 . NewsBank . May 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501045232/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/user/login?destination=document-view%3Fp%3DNewsBank%26sort%3D_rank_%253AD%26fld-nav-0%3DYMD_date%26val-nav-0%3D1995%2520-%25201995%26fld-base-0%3Dalltext%26maxresults%3D20%26val-base-0%3DWSJV%26docref%3Dnews/0EB6CCF4AC9A0534 . live .
  176. Web site: Flint . Joe . May 29, 1995 . Affils in Fine Feather at NBC Meet in Hawaii . April 29, 2023 . Variety . April 15, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230415050513/https://variety.com/1995/tv/features/affils-in-fine-feather-at-nbc-meet-in-hawaii-99127220/ . live .
  177. News: October 19, 1995 . Rocky Start for New South Bend ABC Affiliate . 7A . Times-Union . Associated Press . Warsaw, Indiana . October 25, 2012 . September 25, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150925224144/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Rq8_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=01YMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2484,3691678&dq=wsjv+abc&hl=en . live .
  178. News: Smith . Doug . August 1993 . TV News . 6 . VHF-UHF Digest . live . September 20, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160227025029/http://www.wtfda.org/vud90s/1993/08-93vud.pdf . February 27, 2016.
  179. News: March 19, 1995 . Glendive may get Fox channel . 8B . The Billings Gazette . May 4, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  180. News: Elder . Robert K. . September 30, 2003 . One-man media market . 2-1, 2-2 . Chicago Tribune . Chicago, Illinois . live . May 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220520074242/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87649030/one-man-media-market/ . May 20, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  181. News: Langford . Bob . November 9, 1994 . NBC, WRDC to split . 1E, 4E . The News and Observer . Raleigh, North Carolina . February 21, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  182. November 7, 1994 . . In Brief: NBC will switch affiliates in 32nd-ranked market Raleigh-Durham, N.C., on Oct. 1, 1995 . Broadcasting & Cable . 124 . 45 . 84 . May 7, 2023 . World Radio History.
  183. News: Marshall . Kyle . August 4, 1995 . WNCN to be part of NBC . 9C, 10C . The News & Observer . Raleigh, North Carolina . live . February 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200608062512/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51789995/wncn-to-be-part-of-nbc/ . June 8, 2020 . Newspapers.com.
  184. Jessell . Harry A. . August 29, 1994 . Changing partners in Sacramento . . live . Broadcasting & Cable . 124 . 35 . 6 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131023942/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1994/BC-1994-08-29.pdf . January 31, 2023 . April 30, 2023 . World Radio History.
  185. News: Vierria . Dan . August 27, 1994 . Reset those VCRs—Channel 10, 13 switch networks . A1, A22 . The Sacramento Bee . Sacramento, California . live . August 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220813075008/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/91159296/reset-those-vcrschannel-10-13/ . August 13, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  186. News: Lorando . Mark . November 6, 1994 . ABC switch to WGNO is in the works . F1 . The Times-Picayune . New Orleans, Louisiana.
  187. News: Feran . Tom . September 2, 1994 . Channel 55 to air Fox children's shows . 6E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . live . subscription . October 21, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110034118/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F3413A60A260572&f=basic . January 10, 2023 . NewsBank.
  188. News: Feran . Tom . July 11, 1994 . TV shakeout no simple swap . 7E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . live . subscription . October 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230110034117/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F807D356B27E8B3&f=basic . January 10, 2023 . NewsBank.
  189. News: Garron . Barry . August 11, 1994 . TV network shift set for Sept. 12 . C-1, C-3 . The Kansas City Star . live . February 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230202004730/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117708498/tv-network-shift-set-for-sept-12/ . February 2, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  190. News: Walker . Dave . December 11, 1994 . Fox leaping to Ch. 10 in latest network flip . A1, A32, A33 . Arizona Republic . Phoenix, Arizona . live . December 17, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211217030848/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/90695807/fox-leaping-to-ch-10-in-latest-network/ . December 17, 2021 . Newspapers.com.
  191. News: Walker . Dave . December 2, 1994 . Channel 15 receives good news: Jennings, Koppel moving in early . E17 . Arizona Republic . Phoenix, Arizona . live . December 25, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210630063736/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/80525574/channel-15-receives-good-news/ . June 30, 2021 . Newspapers.com.
  192. News: November 18, 1994 . CBS, WGPR poised for Dec. 11 switch . 3A . The Times Herald . Associated Press . Port Huron, Michigan . live . January 26, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220126002751/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93464330/cbs-wgpr-poised-for-dec-11-switch/ . January 26, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  193. News: December 9, 1994 . Exchanging channels: Network switch mixes things up . P24 . The Atlanta Constitution . live . August 9, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220809081239/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107250239/exchanging-channels-network-switch/ . August 9, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  194. News: Gunther . Marc . December 13, 1994 . CBS losses were big, but not unexpected . 5D . Detroit Free Press . Detroit, Michigan . live . January 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123190306/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82635328/cbs-losses-were-big-but-not-unexpected/ . January 23, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  195. News: June 16, 1995 . Fox and CBS Pull the Switcheroo: Musical Affiliates . The Austin Chronicle . Austin, Texas . live . February 6, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110809041420/http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/1995-06-16/533652/ . August 9, 2011.
  196. News: Pennington . Gail . August 4, 1995 . Power Base: Rice To Televise Children's Shows For Inspiration . 1A, 14A . St. Louis Post-Dispatch . April 3, 2021 . Newspapers.com . May 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501045232/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74999993/power-base-rice-to-televise-childrens/ . live .
  197. News: Pennington . Gail . August 8, 1996 . Fox Kids Programming Moves To Channel 2 . 6G . St. Louis Post-Dispatch . April 3, 2021 . Newspapers.com . May 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501045224/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/75000167/fox-kids-programming-moves-to-channel-2/ . live .
  198. News: Pressley . Leigh . July 20, 1995 . Station may change its call letters . D3 . Greensboro News & Record . live . June 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429041003/https://greensboro.com/station-may-change-its-call-letters/article_881b2629-8f9a-53f6-9bf9-1dce3c3a1cd3.html . April 29, 2023.
  199. News: Gerds . Warren . August 27, 1995 . The Channel Changes: What do they mean to you? . D1 . Green Bay Press-Gazette . Green Bay, Wisconsin . April 30, 2023 . Newspapers.com . August 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220811114517/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14581047/green-bay-press-gazette/ . live .
  200. News: Moon . Troy . January 1, 1996 . Here's the news: Network switch means more news . B1 . Pensacola News Journal . Pensacola, Florida . April 30, 2023 . Newspapers.com . May 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501045221/https://www.newspapers.com/article/pensacola-news-journal-heres-the-news/123800854/ . live .
  201. News: Ryan . Tim . December 28, 1995 . It'll be Happy News Year on Hawaii TV stations: An explosion of news programming will hit here on Jan. 1 . A1, A10 . Honolulu Star-Bulletin . Honolulu, Hawaii . May 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  202. News: Lorando . Mark . October 11, 1995 . Stations uncork plans for switch: Happy New Year: Network affiliations will change on Jan. 1 . E-1 . The Times-Picayune.
  203. Rathbun . Elizabeth . January 8, 1996 . Allbritton takes another route to Birmingham . . live . Broadcasting & Cable . 126 . 2 . 51 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131025159/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1996/BC-1996-01-08.pdf . January 31, 2023 . April 30, 2023 . World Radio History.
  204. April 22, 1996 . . In Brief: Allbritton Communications Co. and ABC have signed a 10-year affiliation agreement . April 30, 2023 . 84 . World Radio History . Broadcasting & Cable . 126 . 18 . January 31, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131030351/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1996/BC-1996-04-22.pdf . live .
  205. News: Parr . Helen . August 25, 1996 . Stay tuned: Will big-time move end small-town news? . 1D, 3D . The Anniston Star . Anniston, Alabama . April 30, 2023 . Newspapers.com . May 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501045238/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-stay-tuned-will-big-t/99838196/ . live .
  206. News: Coe . Richard . August 14, 1996 . No news is bad news: WNAL fires former WJSU hirees; news plans on hold . 9A, 11A . The Anniston Star . Anniston, Alabama . April 30, 2023 . Newspapers.com . May 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501045222/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-no-news-is-bad-news-w/123814465/ . live .
  207. News: Burger . Frederick . September 29, 1996 . WJSU news team settling into new lives . 1E . The Anniston Star . Anniston, Alabama . April 30, 2023 . Newspapers.com . May 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501045242/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-wjsu-news-team-settlin/123811912/ . live .
  208. Rathbun . Elizabeth A. . September 16, 1996 . Paxson picks up CBS affiliate . . Broadcasting & Cable . 126 . 39 . 44 . April 30, 2023 . World Radio History . January 31, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131030313/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1996/BC-1996-09-16.pdf . live .
  209. News: Burger . Frederick . August 16, 1996 . TV officials assure area news won't suffer . 11A, 14A . The Anniston Star . Anniston, Alabama . April 30, 2023 . Newspapers.com . May 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501045349/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-tv-officials-assure-ar/123814743/ . live .
  210. McClellan . Steve . July 21, 1997 . WB woos and wins Sinclair . 127 . 6, 8 . Broadcasting & Cable . 30 . . April 30, 2023 . World Radio History . January 11, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210111095533/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1997/BC-1997-07-21.pdf . live .
  211. News: Patton . Charlie . February 17, 1996 . ABC leaving TV 17 for Georgia station . A-1 . The Florida Times-Union.
  212. Web site: June 27, 1997 . Response to Public Notice . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220906080041/https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs . September 6, 2022 . May 20, 2011 . Electronic Comment Filing System . . PDF.
  213. News: Phelps . Bob . August 7, 1996 . TV-17 gives up in ABC fight . B-1 . The Florida Times-Union.
  214. News: Patton . Charlie . January 24, 1997 . ABC programs return in 3 weeks . A-1 . The Florida Times-Union.
  215. News: Patton . Charlie . February 9, 1997 . ABC programs to air on new station tonight . A-1 . The Florida Times-Union.
  216. News: Lowry . Brian . July 18, 1996 . New World Vision: Murdoch's News Corp. to Buy Broadcast Group . Los Angeles Times . live . June 22, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110914122323/http://articles.latimes.com/1996-07-18/business/fi-25271_1_rupert-murdoch-s-news-corp . September 14, 2011.
  217. News: July 18, 1996 . THE MEDIA BUSINESS;Murdoch's News Corp. Buying New World . The New York Times . Reuters . live . October 9, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150526164702/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/18/business/the-media-business-murdoch-s-news-corp-buying-new-world.html . May 26, 2015.
  218. News: Britt . Russ . November 28, 1995 . Starting off on the ground floor: Diller buying Home Shopping Network, Savoy Pictures . B1 . Daily News . Los Angeles, California . May 1, 2023 . May 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501045236/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0EF66EF4953A7197&f=basic . live .
  219. News: April 1, 1998 . COMPANY NEWS; EMMIS BROADCASTING TO BUY TV STATIONS FOR $397 MILLION . The New York Times . June 29, 2015 . January 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160110155036/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/01/business/company-news-emmis-broadcasting-to-buy-tv-stations-for-397-million.html . live .
  220. News: Davidson . Paul . September 16, 1995 . WSPA parent to run Georgia TV stations . 8B . The Greenville News . Greenville, South Carolina . May 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  221. News: Newell . Maria . March 1, 1996 . Translator switch won't change much . B1–B2 . Daily Press . Victorville, California . live . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429041001/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-press-translator-switch-wont-chan/123695519/ . April 29, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  222. News: Zurawik . David . David Zurawik . August 5, 1994 . Delaying switches until Jan. annoys WMAR, WBAL . 1D, 5D . The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Maryland . live . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040959/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-delaying-switches-unti/123688486/ . April 29, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  223. News: Flint . Joe . November 26, 1995 . Fox Lures WICZ From Peacock Nest . . December 20, 2015 . December 22, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151222093148/http://variety.com/1995/tv/features/fox-lures-wicz-from-peacock-nest-99123838/ . live .
  224. News: Burger . Frederick . August 16, 1996 . TV officials assure area news won't suffer . 11A, 14A . The Anniston Star . Anniston, Alabama . live . April 30, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501045349/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-tv-officials-assure-ar/123814743/ . May 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  225. News: Biddle . Frederic M. . August 3, 1994 . Boston's TV shuffle will put NBC on Ch. 7 . 1, 8 . The Boston Globe . Boston, Massachusetts . live . April 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230429040959/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-bostons-tv-shuffle-wil/123688708/ . April 29, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  226. News: Wooten . Frank . August 19, 1996 . Don't touch that dial ... it's automatic : LET'S MAKE A DEAL: Although WCIV and WCBD are switching network affiliates, syndicated programs won't be affected . A1 . The Post and Courier.
  227. News: Harper . Paul . June 7, 1996 . Trading Places: Diary of WCPO Network Switch . 1B, 8B . The Cincinnati Post . Cincinnati, Ohio . live . May 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501164146/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-post-trading-places-diar/123863332/ . May 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  228. News: August 11, 1996. A-1, A-8. Patricia. Jones. CBS gets local home. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. NewspaperArchive.
  229. News: Gerds . Warren . August 27, 1995 . The Channel Changes: What do they mean to you? . D1 . Green Bay Press-Gazette . Green Bay, Wisconsin . live . April 30, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220811114517/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14581047/green-bay-press-gazette/ . August 11, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  230. News: Billips . Mike . November 2, 1995 . Channel 58, ABC strike deal: Switch of two local stations set for New Year's . 1B . The Macon Telegraph . Macon, Georgia . August 6, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  231. News: Moon . Troy . January 1, 1996 . Here's the news: Network switch means more news . B1 . Pensacola News Journal . Pensacola, Florida . live . April 30, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501045221/https://www.newspapers.com/article/pensacola-news-journal-heres-the-news/123800854/ . May 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  232. News: Hunter . Jeannine F. . Eddings . Toby . October 31, 1996 . WGSE-TV switching to Fox on Nov. 10 . 1D, 2D . The Sun-News . live . April 7, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220407055437/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/99246055/wgse-tv-switching-to-fox-on-nov-10/ . April 7, 2022.
  233. News: Crump . Steve . October 13, 1995 . Switching channels: Stay tuned to the changes on the TV dial . C1–C2 . The Times-News . Twin Falls, Idaho . May 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  234. News: Krieger . Elliot . September 9, 1995 . Channels switch networks tonight . A-01 . Providence Journal-Bulletin.
  235. News: Langford . Bob . August 18, 1995 . Here's news: WNCN going to NBC early . 1D, 3D . The News & Observer . Raleigh, North Carolina . live . February 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200608062511/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51790135/heres-news-wncn-going-to-nbc-early/ . June 8, 2020 . Newspapers.com.
  236. News: Melton . Wayne . December 2, 1995 . KRXI-TV takes to the air Sunday . 1A, 7A . Reno Gazette-Journal . May 2, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  237. Web site: Flint . Joe . May 29, 1995 . Affils in Fine Feather at NBC Meet in Hawaii . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230415050513/https://variety.com/1995/tv/features/affils-in-fine-feather-at-nbc-meet-in-hawaii-99127220/ . April 15, 2023 . April 29, 2023 . Variety.
  238. News: Vierria . Dan . March 6, 1995 . Tune into change, confusion as TV network swap starts . A1, A10 . The Sacramento Bee . Sacramento, California . live . August 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220813075008/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107498887/tune-into-change-confusion-as-tv/ . August 13, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  239. News: Jakle . Jeanne . January 5, 1995 . Fox flips to KABB-TV Jan. 16 . San Antonio Express-News.
  240. News: October 19, 1995 . Rocky Start for New South Bend ABC Affiliate . 7A . Times-Union . Associated Press . Warsaw, Indiana . live . October 25, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150925224144/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Rq8_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=01YMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2484,3691678&dq=wsjv+abc&hl=en . September 25, 2015.
  241. News: August 9, 1994 . Terre Haute TV station will switch to Fox . D2 . The Indianapolis Star . Indianapolis, Indiana . May 2, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  242. News: Mills . Bart . October 22, 1995 . Toledo stations swap affiliations . B1 . The Lima News . Lima, Ohio . May 2, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  243. News: Culpepper . Joe . September 23, 1995 . Greenville's WXVT geared up to air DSU-North Alabama . 6C . Clarion-Ledger . Jackson, Mississippi . May 1, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  244. News: Turner . Denise . January 19, 1996 . KKVI switches to Fox Monday; Nampa station to carry ABC . C1, C2 . Times-News . April 10, 2020 . Newspapers.com.
  245. January 2, 1995 . . In Brief: New Fox affiliates KECY-TV Yuma-El Centro, Ariz., and KARD-TV Monroe, La., drew strong November sweeps numbers. . Broadcasting & Cable . 125 . 1 . 72 . May 3, 2023 . World Radio History . January 5, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220105024420/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1995/BC-1995-01-02.pdf . live .
  246. News: Hofmeister . Sallie . Hall . Jane . August 2, 1995 . CBS Agrees to Buyout Bid by Westinghouse; Entertainment: $5.4-billion merger would create biggest TV, radio empire. But the deal faces obstacles. . Los Angeles Times . live . June 22, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141217204725/http://articles.latimes.com/1995-08-02/news/mn-30646_1_tv-station . December 17, 2014.
  247. Web site: 3 February 2014 . Jay Leno's 6 greatest moments . 1 May 2024 . New York Post.
  248. News: Carter . Bill . May 15, 1995 . Letterman in London, Seeking Boost at Home . The New York Times . live . August 21, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170822063316/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/15/arts/letterman-in-london-seeking-boost-at-home.html . August 22, 2017.
  249. News: Hirschberg . Lynn . May 20, 2009 . Heeeeere's... Conan: Can Conan O'Brien's Brand of Humor Work on 'The Tonight Show'? . The New York Times Magazine . May 1, 2023 . April 5, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170405041502/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24Conan-t.html . live .
  250. News: November 25, 1995 . Westinghouse Completes CBS Acquisition . The New York Times . Dow Jones . live . September 26, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150526145354/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/25/business/westinghouse-completes-cbs-acquisition.html . May 26, 2015.
  251. News: Sandomir . Richard . October 3, 1996 . At WCBS-TV, a Big Round Of News Staff Dismissals . The New York Times . February 15, 2022 . February 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220216043550/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/03/business/at-wcbs-tv-a-big-round-of-news-staff-dismissals.html . live .
  252. News: Rich . Alan . September 27, 1994 . Cbs Sunday Afternoon Showcase Treacherous Beauties . Variety . August 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220808140227/https://variety.com/1994/tv/reviews/cbs-sunday-afternoon-showcase-treacherous-beauties-1200438365/ . live .
  253. News: Glimpse . Jennifer . October 23, 1994 . Focus : Hallmark Yards: CBS AIMS TO SCORE AGAINST FOX FOOTBALL WITH MORE FILMS TARGETED AT WOMEN . Los Angeles Times .
  254. News: Sandomir . Richard . December 7, 1994 . March Madness Stays on CBS's Calendar . B14 . The New York Times . May 2, 2023 . December 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221206070430/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/07/sports/march-madness-stays-on-cbs-s-calendar.html . live .
  255. Web site: November 21, 1994 . NASCAR Craftsman Supertruck Series cruises onto 4 networks . June 23, 2015 . Sports Business Daily . June 24, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150624090043/http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/1994/11/21/Sports-Media/NASCAR-CRAFTSMAN-SUPERTRUCK-SERIES-CRUISES-ONTO-4-NETWORKS.aspx . live .
  256. News: Miller . Ed . November 7, 1995 . Birmingham Joins List of Homeless Baltimore Stallions Weighing Options, Too, After Browns Drop Bombshell . C4 . The Virginian-Pilot . Norfolk, Virginia.
  257. News: Nelson . John . November 6, 1996 . CBS Sports president fired: David Kenin will be replaced by IMG negotiator Sean McManus. . 16D . Dayton Daily News . Associated Press . Dayton, Ohio . May 2, 2023 . May 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230503194946/https://www.newspapers.com/article/dayton-daily-news-cbs-sports-president-f/123934689/ . live .
  258. News: Shapiro . Leonard . January 14, 1998 . NBC'S Ebersol unruffled as peacock heads to sideline . The Washington Post .
  259. News: Kent . Milton . September 4, 1998 . CBS mood positively 'electric' after reconnecting with NFL; Intercepting AFC games caps network's comeback from rights turnover in '94 . 12E . The Baltimore Sun . Baltimore, Maryland . May 2, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  260. News: 13–14. Sorting a 'train wreck' of affil, channel switches. Mediaweek. . July 14, 1997. Brodesser. Claude.
  261. News: Feran . Tom . September 20, 1995 . New TV-8 chief sees 'untapped opportunities' . 7E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . subscription . May 2, 2023 . NewsBank . May 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230503194948/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F8085A61D781583&f=basic . live .
  262. News: Feran . Tom . January 16, 1995 . Fox-CBS switch still best, exec says . 7E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . subscription . May 2, 2023 . NewsBank . May 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230503194949/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F8083F244B897CB&f=basic . live .
  263. News: Feran . Tom . November 3, 1994 . TV-8 ratings decline with network switch . 5E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . subscription . May 7, 2023 . NewsBank.
  264. News: Lafayette . Jon . October 30, 1995 . Cleveland's WJW starting huge news promotion push . 6, 33 . Electronic Media . May 2, 2023.
  265. News: Feran . Tom . November 5, 1994 . WJW alters morning show to stress news . 8E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . live . subscription . May 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230503194950/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F807DDC53B5749D&f=basic . May 3, 2023 . NewsBank.
  266. News: Feran . Tom . February 15, 1996 . TV-8 Chief is all News, News, News . 5E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . subscription . May 2, 2023 . NewsBank . May 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230503194950/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F808C75A8CFE711&f=basic . live .
  267. News: Feran . Tom . December 5, 1995 . CBS is only loser in local ratings . 9E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . live . subscription . May 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230503194949/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F80879CF8B7E09E&f=basic . May 3, 2023 . NewsBank.
  268. News: Feran . Tom . August 15, 1996 . Changes beginning at 'Fox 8' . 6E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . subscription . May 2, 2023 . NewsBank . May 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230503194950/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F808D23590EA62F&f=basic . live .
  269. News: Brown . Roger . March 25, 1998 . WUAB doing little to help its nightly news . 2G . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . live . subscription . October 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221006172035/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F80CFB41DE1F271&f=basic . October 6, 2022 . NewsBank.
  270. News: Feran . Tom . June 19, 2000 . WJW, WEWS have viewers advertisers want most . 4E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . subscription . May 7, 2023 . NewsBank.
  271. News: Dudek . Duane . May 27, 1994 . WISN tops in 10 p.m. newscasts . 9A . Milwaukee Sentinel.
  272. News: Dudek . Duane . January 17, 1995 . News ratings loss at Channel 6 called short term . Feature 3 . Milwaukee Sentinel.
  273. News: Cuspin . Tim . November 15, 1995 . Orphan reports worth watching . 3:Cue . Milwaukee Journal Sentinel . Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
  274. News: Mullins . Robert . June 6, 1997 . Rueppel: 'scary' news not in Fox plans for WITI . 14 . 26 . Milwaukee Business Journal . 36 . .
  275. News: Davis Hudson . Eileen . January 22, 2001 . Milwaukee . 20–26 . Mediaweek . .
  276. News: Kloer . Phil . December 1, 1994 . Channel 2 news anchored at No. 1 . D10 . The Atlanta Constitution . May 6, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  277. News: Bark . Ed . June 25, 1995 . Riding out the television turbulence . 14M . The Dallas Morning News.
  278. News: Davis Hudson . Eileen . October 2, 2000 . Atlanta . 20–24 . Mediaweek . .
  279. News: . Eileen. Davis Hudson. Birmingham, Ala.. Mediaweek. July 10, 2000. 16–24.
  280. News: Joynt . Steve . July 12, 1996 . Spann gets hot; TV future cloudy . B1–B2 . Birmingham Post-Herald . Birmingham, Alabama . May 6, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  281. News: Alec . Harvey . August 3, 1996 . Brenda Ladun sues Channel 6, claiming discrimination, harassment . 6A–7A . Birmingham Post-Herald . Birmingham, Alabama . May 6, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  282. News: Joynt . Steve . December 28, 1996 . Year of visions, sights: The top 10 events had us cheering or groaning . C1, C3 . Birmingham Post-Herald . Birmingham, Alabama . May 6, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  283. News: Newscast off to slow start in ratings. December 16, 1995. B1, B2. News & Record. Newspapers.com. May 6, 2023.
  284. News: Greensboro, N.C.. May 29, 2000. Eileen. Davis Hudson. Mediaweek. 28–32. .
  285. News: February sweeps help Channel 8, NBC clean up. March 4, 1995. BayLife 6. Walt. Belcher. The Tampa Tribune. Newspapers.com. May 6, 2023.
  286. News: Channel 8 sweeps in news wars. March 19, 1995. 2B. Monica. Yant. St. Petersburg Times. Newspapers.com. May 6, 2023.
  287. News: November sweeps Channel 13 to No. 1 spot in the bay area. December 1, 1998. 2B. Eric. Deggan. St. Petersburg Times. Newspapers.com. May 6, 2023.
  288. News: WDIV-TV virtually ties WXYZ in news ratings. October 28, 1994. 5F. Marc. Gunther. Detroit Free Press. Newspapers.com. May 6, 2023.
  289. News: Carrie. Beylus. Detroit. . Mediaweek. October 16, 2000. 26–34.
  290. News: Johnson . L.A. . May 28, 1995 . Battling the news-at-11 habit: Bonds struggles to find a niche . 1G, 4G . Detroit Free Press . Detroit, Michigan . May 6, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  291. News: Duffy . Mike . Smyntek . John . November 17, 1995 . Bonds loses his show: Channel 2 cuts back on news in schedule shakeup . B1 . Detroit Free Press . Detroit, Michigan . May 6, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  292. News: Holloway . Diane . June 11, 1998 . KXAN overtakes KVUE in local evening newscasts . E10 . Austin American-Statesman . live . May 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230503195003/https://www.newspapers.com/article/austin-american-statesman-kxan-overtakes/123947664/ . May 3, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  293. News: Holloway . Diane . March 24, 1999 . KVUE edges KXAN in Nielsen news ratings . E8 . Austin American-Statesman . live . May 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230503194951/https://www.newspapers.com/article/austin-american-statesman-kvue-edges-kxa/123947590/ . May 3, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  294. News: Channel 8 wins 'sweeps', but dominance weakens. March 4, 1995. 17A. Steven. Cole Smith. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Newspapers.com. May 6, 2023.
  295. News: Swaps & sweeps: Or, how local TV stations fared in the ratings after the affiliation switch. August 4, 1995. 7A. Steven. Cole Smith. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Newspapers.com. May 6, 2023.
  296. News: KXAS challenges WFAA for No.1 TV news station title: Channel 8 sees ratings for its newscasts shrink. March 3, 2000. 1A, 18A. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Newspapers.com. May 6, 2023.
  297. News: Ratings have surprise 'winner': 'Big switch' leaves KSMO in best shape. October 29, 1994. E-1, E-2. Barry. Garron. The Kansas City Star. Newspapers.com. May 6, 2023.
  298. News: Garron . Barry . March 4, 1995 . NBC wins February sweeps, but not in KC . E3 . The Kansas City Star . Kansas City, Missouri . May 2, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  299. News: Barnhart . Aaron . March 1, 1997 . NBC's national sweeps win streak fails to pick up its local affiliate . E8 . The Kansas City Star . Kansas City, Missouri . May 2, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  300. News: Barnhart . Aaron . January 23, 1997 . WDAF to become 'Fox 4' in wake of network takeover . E6 . The Kansas City Star . Kansas City, Missouri . May 3, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  301. News: Kansas City. . Eileen. Davis Hudson. Mediaweek. 18–24. February 7, 2000.
  302. News: Channel 2 Trims Staff, Shuffles Weekend Lineup. February 4, 1994. 9D. Babette. Morgan. Jerry. Berger. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Newspapers.com. May 6, 2023.
  303. News: Radio Picture Clearing Up For Rams. July 9, 1997. 8D. Dan. Caesar. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Newspapers.com. May 6, 2023.
  304. News: Channel 5 news increases its lead in latest ratings. December 7, 2000. 57. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Newspapers.com. May 6, 2023.
  305. News: Walter . Tom . September 30, 1995 . Stations' switch to 'make' news . C1, C2 . The Commercial Appeal . live . March 25, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230325221608/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121620668/stations-switch-to-make-news/ . March 25, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  306. News: News debuts for stations offered rocky contrasts. December 4, 1995. C2. Tom. Walter. The Commercial Appeal. Newspapers.com. May 9, 2023.
  307. News: Channel 24 has nowhere to go but up in news lists. April 13, 1996. C4. The Commercial Appeal. Newspapers.com. May 9, 2023.
  308. News: WREG gains but trails WMC late newscast. March 8, 2005. M5. Tom. Walter. The Commercial Appeal. Newspapers.com. May 9, 2023.
  309. News: Feran . Tom . July 14, 1995 . 'Growing up' Fox wants to expand audience . 1E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . subscription . May 2, 2023 . NewsBank.
  310. News: Lafayette . Jon . January 20, 1997 . Change looms for Fox's New World. . 32–33 . Electronic Media.
  311. News: Kirchen . Rich . August 17, 1996 . Fox at the door: WITI awaits Murdoch era. . 13 . 17+ . Milwaukee Business Journal . 46 . .
  312. Rathbun . Elizabeth A. . Littleton . Cynthia . July 7, 1996 . . Murdoch claims New World: News Corp's $3 billion play creates largest station group, surpasses Westinghouse/CBS . Broadcasting & Cable . 126 . 31 . 6–7 . May 2, 2023 . World Radio History . January 31, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230131032603/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1996/BC-1996-07-22.pdf . live .
  313. News: Feran . Tom . May 24, 1994 . Profits aren't only pluses . 9A . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . subscription . May 4, 2023 . NewsBank.
  314. News: Carter . Bill . September 14, 1992 . THE MEDIA BUSINESS; CBS's Ruptured Ties To Affiliates . The New York Times . live . July 18, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160819224809/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/14/business/the-media-business-cbs-s-ruptured-ties-to-affiliates.html . August 19, 2016.
  315. News: Duffy . Mike . October 14, 1992 . 'Missile Crisis' chronicles a chilling Cold War tale . 6D . Detroit Free Press . Detroit, Michigan . live . January 25, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220125030907/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93399708/missile-crisis-chronicles-a-chilling/ . January 25, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  316. News: Dyer . Bob . September 12, 1993 . Plenty of new syndicated shows joining old favorites this season . 47–48 . Akron Beacon Journal Channels . Akron, Ohio . live . October 25, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221025031846/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102829534/plenty-of-new-syndicated-shows-joining/ . October 25, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  317. News: Feran . Tom . July 8, 1994 . CBS plans to join Channel 19 by Aug. 29 . 1A . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . live . subscription . October 5, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221006020656/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F807D316A1C8DD3&f=basic . October 6, 2022 . NewsBank.
  318. News: Feran . Tom . July 14, 1994 . Fox's boss expects more shake-ups . 8E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . subscription . May 4, 2023 . NewsBank.
  319. News: Feran . Tom . May 24, 1994 . Channel 8 jumps from CBS to Fox: Surprise deal realigns 12 stations across U.S. . 1A . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . subscription . May 4, 2023 . NewsBank.
  320. News: Feran . Tom . November 10, 1994 . TV little help shifting swill from election . 6E . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . subscription . May 4, 2023 . NewsBank.
  321. News: Barnhart . Aaron . January 4, 1997 . Channel 4 kills 'national' newscast, shuffles programs . E5 . The Kansas City Star . Kansas City, Missouri . May 4, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  322. News: Duffy . Mike . August 20, 1994 . WJBK plans pre-Fox changes . 2A . Detroit Free Press . Detroit, Michigan . May 4, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  323. News: Dinges . Gary . June 28, 2014 . Fox 7 to debut 10 p.m. newscast . B7–B8 . Austin American-Statesman . Austin, Texas . May 4, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  324. News: Engle . Erika . July 30, 2014 . Dashefsky returns to KHON to anchor 9 p.m. newscast . B6 . Honolulu Star-Advertiser . Honolulu, Hawaii . May 4, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  325. News: Feran . Tom . February 5, 1995 . '19 News' debuts: Station promises 'most exciting' broadcast in city . 1J . The Plain Dealer . Cleveland, Ohio . live . subscription . October 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221006172033/https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/0F341526129202DD&f=basic . October 6, 2022 . NewsBank.
  326. Papper . Bob . Spring 1996 . Hiring explosion at television stations. . Nieman Reports . 50 . 1 . 13+ . .
  327. Dickson . Glen . September 2, 1996 . Allbritton goes all-digital in Alabama . Broadcasting & Cable . 126 . 37 . 60 . May 9, 2023 . World Radio History.
  328. News: October 15, 1995 . KOKH-TV Planning 9 p.m. Newscast . 5 . The Oklahoman TV News . Oklahoma City, Oklahoma . May 10, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  329. News: Stafford . Jim . June 5, 1994 . Fox Won't Join Anchor Wars; No News Good News at KOKH . 1C–2C . The Oklahoman . Oklahoma City, Oklahoma . May 10, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  330. News: Parry . Dale . July 25, 1995 . CBS gets OK at Channel 62 . 4E . Detroit Free Press . Detroit, Michigan . live . January 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123204740/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93097731/cbs-gets-ok-at-channel-62/ . January 23, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  331. News: Flint . Joe . September 25, 1995 . Black Rock socked by affils' ills . 1, 109 . . .
  332. News: Gabriel. Larry. December 1, 1994. CBS unveils ad campaign for its switch to 62. 1E, 4E. Detroit Free Press. January 25, 2022. Newspapers.com. January 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220125203322/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93442440/cbs-unveils-ad-campaign-for-its-switch/. live.
  333. News: Lafayette . Jon . December 5, 1994 . 5 markets prepare for affiliate swaps . 13 . 2, 69 . . 49 . January 25, 2022.
  334. News: August 17, 1995 . CBS says its toughest job is reviving Channel 62 . 1E, 4E . The Detroit News . Detroit, Michigan . live . January 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220128050401/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93294916/cbs-says-its-toughest-job-is-reviving/ . January 28, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  335. News: Lafayette . Jon . October 30, 1995 . Detroit station building news division, carving new identity . 6, 37 . Electronic Media .
  336. News: January 17, 1996 . The poop on Shatner and BIG 62 news . 6F . Detroit Free Press . Detroit, Michigan . live . January 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123210947/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93097812/the-poop-on-shatner-and-big-62-news/ . January 23, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  337. News: Smyntek . John . February 15, 2001 . Detroit CBS station to launch newscast . 6E . Detroit Free Press . Detroit, Michigan . live . January 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220123223349/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/93301274/detroit-cbs-station-to-launch-newscast/ . January 23, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  338. News: Bachman . Katy . March 30, 2009 . CBS TV's Detroit O&O Adds Local Newscast . Mediaweek . dead . March 30, 2009 . https://archive.today/20130128111653/http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/local-broadcast/e3i98c46e6d8374a9506b63621f3be284c8 . January 28, 2013.
  339. News: Hinds . Julie . January 23, 2023 . CBS News Detroit to debut 2 local weeknight newscasts, with plans for more . en-US . Detroit Free Press . live . January 23, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230123165325/https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/television/2023/01/23/detroits-cbs-affiliate-wwj-tv-news-broadcasts/69830403007/ . January 23, 2023.
  340. Web site: Francis . Thomas . March 1, 2001 . Satan or Savior? . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221025163335/https://www.clevescene.com/news/satan-or-savior-1476345 . October 25, 2022 . October 25, 2022 . Cleveland Scene . en . Cleveland, Ohio.
  341. News: August 24, 1998 . Meredith to buy WGNX in station exchange . Atlanta Business Chronicle . . live . September 22, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220809081300/https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/1998/08/24/daily2.html . August 9, 2022.
  342. News: Kloer . Phil . June 10, 2000 . CBS affiliate to switch call letters on July 4 . F4 . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . live . August 9, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220809081301/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107250739/cbs-affiliate-to-switch-call-letters-on/ . August 9, 2022 . Newspapers.com.
  343. News: Ho . Rodney . November 22, 2021 . Latest CBS46 departures: anchor/reporter Ashley Thompson and news director Matt King . . live . August 9, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220614053813/https://www.ajc.com/life/radiotvtalk-blog/latest-cbs46-departures-anchorreporter-ashley-thompson-and-news-director-matt-king/ZGBHWCMDZVHF5L56EARQSDN4P4/ . June 14, 2022.
  344. News: Greeley . Paul . October 3, 2022 . Gray Launches 'Atlanta News First' Brand, Changes Call Letters . TVNewsCheck . live . October 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221003201422/https://marketshare.tvnewscheck.com/2022/10/03/gray-launches-atlanta-news-first-brand-changes-call-letters/ . October 3, 2022.
  345. News: Kirchen . Rich . September 25, 2005 . Fortunes shifting in local TV . . live . March 22, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402210152/http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2005/09/26/newscolumn1.html?page=all . April 2, 2015.
  346. News: Kirchen . Rich . April 27, 2001 . Channel 58 wishes for more welcome homes . Milwaukee Business Journal . .
  347. News: Pennington . Gail . August 1, 1995 . For Some Viewers, 2 Doesn't Go Into 30 . 6D . St. Louis Post-Dispatch . live . May 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230503194950/https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-louis-post-dispatch-for-some-viewers/75000078/ . May 3, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  348. News: Pennington . Gail . September 30, 2001 . Dominant foes KO'd newscasts on KDNL . C1, C6 . St. Louis Post-Dispatch . St. Louis, Missouri . May 4, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  349. News: Pennington . Gail . June 26, 1999 . Emmis buys KDNL-TV, 6 radio outlets . 24OT . St. Louis Post-Dispatch . St. Louis, Missouri . May 4, 2023.
  350. News: Pennington . Gail . September 29, 2001 . Channel 30 will drop its local news broadcasts . 14 . St. Louis Post-Dispatch . St. Louis, Missouri . May 4, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  351. News: Pennington . Gail . October 12, 2001 . After tonight's shows, it's lights out for Channel 30 news; 47 lose their jobs . B1, B4 . St. Louis Post-Dispatch . St. Louis, Missouri . May 4, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  352. News: Pressley . Leigh . December 16, 1995 . Newscast off to slow start in ratings . B1 . Greensboro News & Record.
  353. News: Clodfelter . Tim . November 18, 2000 . WXLV ends some news shows, lays off 10 people . B3 . Winston-Salem Journal.
  354. News: Rowe . Jeri . November 16, 2000 . WXLV lays off 10 employees, axes two newscasts: The Triad's ABC affiliate gets smaller to attract a bigger news audience . B1 . Greensboro News & Record.
  355. News: Kritzer . Jamie . January 3, 2002 . WXLV to pull plug on newscast: The ABC affiliate has consistently had the smallest audience among the area's four network affiliates during the past six years . A1 . Greensboro News & Record.
  356. News: Biesecker . Michael . January 3, 2002 . ABC 45 will end its news shows: Official says station was unable to make broadcasts profitable . B1 . Winston-Salem Journal.
  357. News: Clodfelter . Tim . July 29, 2005 . WXLV and WUPN will end newscasts: News programs lagged far behind in ratings - 22 people to lose jobs . B2 . Winston-Salem Journal.
  358. News: Marszalek . Diana . February 21, 2012 . WXLV, TWC Share (and Share) News Alike . TVNewsCheck . live . June 22, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130609081431/http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/57597/wxlv-twc-share-and-share-news-alike . June 9, 2013.
  359. Web site: Avila-Garcia. Candice. December 30, 2023. Fox San Antonio anchor Camilla Rambaldi announces departure. May 2, 2024. MySA. en-US.
  360. Web site: Malone. Michael. January 3, 2024. KABB San Antonio Anchor Camilla Rambaldi To Step Down. May 2, 2024. Broadcasting & Cable. en-US.
  361. News: KHNL's new newscast is ready to roll. April 12, 1995. C1, C7. The Honolulu Advertiser. Newspapers.com. May 13, 2023.
  362. News: KHNL struggles in the ratings war. December 1, 1997. C1, C2. Dan. Nakaso. The Honolulu Advertiser. Newspapers.com. May 14, 2023.
  363. News: News 8 found plenty of talent at local stations. April 3, 1995. B-3. Tim. Ryan. Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Newspapers.com. May 14, 2023.
  364. News: Walter . Tom . October 25, 1995 . WPTY-TV picks talent mix to launch news broadcasts . A10 . The Commercial Appeal . May 7, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  365. News: Walter . Tom . December 14, 1995 . It's musical chairs at WPTY while trying to 'find right mix' . D7 . The Commercial Appeal . May 7, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  366. News: Walter . Tom . May 16, 1998 . Alan fired as news director at WPTY-TV . C2 . The Commercial Appeal . May 7, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  367. News: Lollar . Michael . December 1, 2007 . WREG news back on top at 10 p.m. . M5 . The Commercial Appeal . May 7, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  368. News: May 30, 2013 . Nexstar Readies Major Memphis Overhaul . TVNewsCheck . live . May 30, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131211121423/http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/67898/nexstar-readies-major-memphis-overhaul/page/1 . December 11, 2013.
  369. News: Nexstar to Sell Stations to Tegna, Scripps for $1.32 Billion. Nabila. Ahmed. Anousha. Sakoui. Bloomberg News. Bloomberg, L.P.. March 20, 2019. May 2, 2024. April 13, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190413200225/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-20/nexstar-to-sell-19-stations-to-tegna-scripps-for-1-32-billion. live.
  370. News: WGBA has news for you: Revenue, NBC link spur shot at newscasts. June 30, 1996. E-1. Tom. Murphy. Green Bay Press-Gazette. Newspapers.com. May 12, 2023.
  371. News: WGBA cuts anchor Mark Leland as it prepares for a change. November 28, 2002. B-1. Eric. Klister. The Post-Crescent. Newspapers.com. May 12, 2023.
  372. News: Turco . Sharon . October 26, 1995 . Toledo TV all shook up: Channels 13, 11 [sic] move on TV dial ]. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240403082316/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/toledo-tv-all-shook-channels-13-11-sic-move-tv-dial/mprwjjktkdogysdckpciktetqewosyvt_ip-10-166-46-75_1711424531983 . April 3, 2024 . April 3, 2024 . Morning Journal . B1.
  373. News: Borrelli . Christopher . October 16, 1997 . Today's the day Ch. 24 enters the news race . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240403082356/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/todays-day-ch-24-enters-news-race/pyvmvfmgidhdqesfzucoypepbwqctamq_ip-10-166-46-73_1711417425541 . April 3, 2024 . April 3, 2024 . The Blade . Peach 5.
  374. News: Borrelli . Chris . October 20, 1997 . Counting down to a successful launch on Toledo's Channel 24 . The Blade . Peach 5.
  375. News: Baird . Kirk . February 28, 2010 . Reshaping Toledo's Channel 24: Despite battling low ratings, the station is determined to succeed . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240403082411/https://www.genealogybank.com/newspaper-clippings/reshaping-toledos-channel-24-despite-battling-low-ratings-station-determined-succeed/knxgcuxpulwcgnowftsybrymwlbgapne_ip-10-166-46-142_1711427950781 . April 3, 2024 . April 3, 2024 . The Blade . E1, E2.
  376. Web site: Baird . Kirk . November 29, 2016 . WNWO Channel 24 to outsource local news, lay off employees . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161130155823/http://www.toledoblade.com/TV-Radio/2016/11/29/WNWO-Channel-24-to-oursource-local-news-layoff-employees.html . November 30, 2016 . November 29, 2016 . The Blade.
  377. News: Channel 24, WNWO-TV to end newscasts in May . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230428191439/https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/tv-radio/2023/04/27/channel-24-wnwo-tv-ends-newscasts-may/stories/20230427116 . April 28, 2023 . April 29, 2023 . The Blade . en.
  378. Web site: Boxell . Bob . November 7, 2011 . The Big Switch . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924004242/http://www.evansvilleliving.com/articles/the-big-switch . September 24, 2015 . September 24, 2015 . Evansville Living.
  379. News: Blasko . Erin . December 11, 2010 . WBND-TV banking on area . B1, B2 . The South Bend Tribune . live . January 22, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230122031139/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/116971489/wbnd-tv-banking-on-area/ . January 22, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  380. Web site: November 30, 2010 . Weigel Makes Bold News Move In South Bend . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714212737/http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/47353/weigel-makes-bold-news-move-in-south-bend . July 14, 2014 . December 26, 2015 . TVNewsCheck.
  381. News: Malone . Michael . Eggerton . John . August 24, 2009 . WSBT South Bend Deal Fizzles Absent FCC Action . Broadcasting & Cable . August 25, 2009 . August 30, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090830125915/http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/328731-WSBT_South_Bend_Deal_Fizzles_Absent_FCC_Action.php . live .
  382. News: Shiver . Jube . August 17, 1994 . Fox's live NFL telecasts may violate FCC trade rules . Los Angeles Times . https://archive.today/20130411160953/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/6360755.html?dids=6360755:6360755&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+17,+1994&author=Shiver,+Jube+Jr&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Fox's+live+NFL+telecasts+may+violate+FCC+trade+rules&pqatl=google . dead . April 11, 2013 . February 6, 2013 .
  383. News: Mexican Fox affiliate wins FCC's OK. States News Service. The Monitor. Newspapers.com. Lisa. Richwine. 1A, 12A. October 29, 1994.
  384. News: Laredo Morning Times. Rick. Pauza. LTC holds off complaint on television signal quality . January 1, 1997.
  385. Web site: Martinez . Susan . December 22, 2001 . Valley station will end Fox affiliation . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20171221035211/http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/valley-station-will-end-fox-affiliation/article_9c8abd68-ebac-5e8c-92e4-9ae9f3ff302c.html . December 21, 2017 . September 19, 2019 . The Brownsville Herald.
  386. News: . CanWest nabs exclusive TV rights to NFL. Etan. Vlessing. 7. The Hollywood Reporter. July 15, 1994. ProQuest.
  387. News: August 2, 1978. 45. Variety. Limit U.S. Channels for Canada Cablers. . ProQuest.
  388. News: Wishing on a deathstar (Inset: "A FOX in the CRTC's henhouse"). Michael. Jenkinson. Alberta Report / Newsmagazine. 31–32. June 6, 1994. .
  389. News: 1, 16. Canadians go on Fox hunt. Etan. Vlessing. The Hollywood Reporter. July 20, 1994. . ProQuest.
  390. News: Canadian cablecos to do the FOX trot. Alberta Report / Newsmagazine. 43. September 12, 1994. .
  391. News: Reedy . Joe . December 27, 2018 . How Fox's 25 seasons of covering the NFL changed the game . en-US . Associated Press . December 27, 2018 . April 17, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230417095812/https://apnews.com/9816ca0d0b3546ac92353c655d40cab8 . live .
  392. Madden's Game . 30 for 30 Podcasts . ESPN . Wheaton . Wil . September 19, 2020.
  393. Web site: Koblin . John . January 31, 2014 . Batman On Steroids: How The NFL On Fox Theme Song Was Born . March 24, 2015 . Deadspin.
  394. News: Sandomir . Richard . Richard Sandomir . September 10, 1994 . Fox Outbids CBS for N.H.L. Games . The New York Times . March 20, 2008 . July 26, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180726234334/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/10/sports/hockey-fox-outbids-cbs-for-nhl-games.html?sq=National+Hockey+League+Fox&scp=4&st=nyt . live .
  395. News: Stewart . Larry . November 6, 1995 . Fox Gets Baseball; NBC Is Part of Deal . The Los Angeles Times . C1, C12 . May 12, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  396. Web site: Flint . Joe . December 11, 1995 . Cabler FX considers sporting new image . February 12, 2023 . Variety . en-US.
  397. News: Hirsley . Michael . June 24, 1997 . Murdoch's move puts Fox in place to mount challenge . 4:4 . Chicago Tribune . May 12, 2023 . Newspapers.com.
  398. News: Penelope . Patsuris . October 7, 2003 . NASCAR Pulls Into Prime Time . .
  399. NASCAR and FOX Sports Media Group Reach Expansive Multi-Year, Multi-Platform Rights Agreement . October 15, 2012 . Fox Sports Media Group . November 20, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121021041337/http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/binary/2012/10/15/FOX_NASCAR_Rights_Deal1350308921237.pdf . October 21, 2012 . dead .
  400. FOX Secures MLB Rights Through 2021 . October 2, 2012 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20121113183517/http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/binary/2012/10/02/FOX_MLB_Agreement1349194799783.pdf . November 13, 2012 . dead.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "1994–1996 United States broadcast television realignment".

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