17apSRtop25.qxd 4/19/01 5:19 PM Page 59 COVERSTORY Sly Fox buys big, The Top 25 gets back on top Television Groups But biggest station-group would-be Spanish-language network, Azteca America. Rank Network (rank last year) gainers reflect the rapid Meanwhile, Entravision rival Telemundo growth of Spanish-speaking has made just one deal in the past year, cre- audiences across the U.S. ating a duopoly in Los Angeles. But the 1 Fox (2) company moved up several notches on the 2 Viacom (1) By Elizabeth A. Rathbun Top 25 list as Univision swallowed USA. ending the lifting of the FCC’s owner- In the biggest deal of the past year, News 3 Paxson (3) ship cap, the major changes on Corp./Fox Television made plans to take 4 Tribune (4) PBROADCASTING & CABLE’s compila- over Chris-Craft Industries/United Tele- tion of the nation’s Top 25 TV Groups reflect vision, No. 7 on last year’s list. That deal 5 NBC (5) the rapid growth of the Spanish-speaking finally seems to be headed for federal population in the U.S. approval. 6 ABC (6) The list also reflects Industry consolidation But the divestiture 7 Univision (13) the power of the Top 25 doesn’t alter that News Percent of commercial TV stations 8 Gannett (8) groups as whole: They controlled by the top 25 TV groups Corp. returns to the control 44.5% of com- top after buying Chris- 9 Hearst-Argyle (9) mercial TV stations in Craft. This year, News the U.S., up about 7% Corp. narrowly beat 10 Sinclair (11) from last year. out Viacom reaching The biggest movers 40.7% of U.S. TV 11 Belo (12) on this year’s Top 25 list households. Viacom’s 12 Telemundo (15) (based on FCC’s count- reach is 40.1%. ing rules) are all Viacom remains a 13 Young (14) Spanish-language- vehement challenger to 14 Cox (16) based groups. Univision the FCC’s cap on how Communications made many TV households a 15 E.W. Scripps (18) the leap to No. 7 after placing No. 13 on last broadcaster can reach. The hope of Viacom year’s list (published April 10, 2000), while and other groups is that the 35% limit will 16 Meredith (17) rival Telemundo Group rose to No. 12 from disappear. They were bolstered on April 6 17 Raycom (20) No 15. Pappas Telecasting, bolstered by when a federal appeals court ruled that plans to create the nation’s third Spanish- Viacom does not have to sell some of its TV 18 Pappas (23) language network that includes owned sta- stations by May 4. The FCC had ordered 19 Post-Newsweek (21) tions, jumped to No. 18. And Entravision the divestitures as part of Viacom’s May Communications entered at No. 20. 2000 acquisition of CBS. 20 Entravision (new) Univision took a major step with its But if and when the 35% cap is abol- December 2000 acquisition of the 13 TV ished, Viacom and Fox both will likely be 21 Shop At Home (19) stations owned by USA Broadcasting. trounced at the numbers game by NBC, 22 Media General (22) Univision apparently has plans to get even now at No. 5 among the Top 25 TV bigger as it continues to buy more and groups. NBC holds an option to take over 23 Emmis (new) more of Entravision. Paxson Communications next year. 24 Granite (new) Pappas also has been on a spending Paxson currently is the nation’s third- spree, to deliver owned stations for its largest TV group. ■ 25 LIN (24) Broadcasting & Cable/4-23-01 59 17apSRtop25.qxd 4/19/01 5:19 PM Page 60 COVERSTORY Key: B=being bought *=operated under LMA TBA= operated under time brokerage agreement S=satellite station NR=not a Nielsen-rated market How to read the Top 25: (shown on list as “HHs/FCC”). The FCC’s HHs”). The DMAs and HH numbers are per method discounts HH coverage by UHF sta- Nielsen Media Research as of Jan. 1. Stations This exclusive list ranks the nation’s largest tions—ch. 14 and above—by 50%. The rank - owned, operated or otherwise affiliated in TV groups based on percentage of U.S. house- ing also displays total HH coverage without the same DMA are not counted toward a hold (HH) coverage as calculated by the FCC the “UHF discount” (shown on list as “U.S. group’s total. 1. Fox TV Stations FOX KMOL-TVB San Antonio (NBC; ch. 4) 37 .679 .679 WBRC-TV Birmingham/Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Fox; ch. 6)39 .66 .66 (subsidiary of News Corp. Ltd.; includes WHBQ-TV Memphis, Tenn. (Fox; ch. 13) 40 .628 .628 pending Chris-Craft Industries WGHP-TV Greensboro, N.C. (Fox; ch. 8) 47 .587 .587 Inc./United TV Inc. acquisition KTBC-TV Austin, Texas (Fox; ch. 7) 58 .481 .481 31 stations/48.481% of Other media interests: (Fox only) Fox Television Network; Fox Television U.S./40.741%/FCC Entertainment Group (Fox Entertainment, Fox Television Studios, 20th 1999 S. Bundy Dr., Los Angeles, Calif. 90025 Century Fox Television, Twentieth Television); cable channels Fox News Phone: (310) 584-2000; Channel, Health Network, FX, 34% of Outdoor Life, 33% of Golf Channel; Fax: (310) 584-2087 Fox/Liberty (sports) Networks (including Fox Sports Net); 49.5% of Fox Thomas Herwitz, president, Fox station operations Web site: fox.com Family Worldwide (Fox Family Channel, Fox Kids Network). Online interests K. Rupert Murdoch, chairman, News Corp. include Fox.com. News Corp. is a partner in In Flight Network (airline Mitchell Stern, chairman, Fox TV Stations audio, video and information service) Thomas Herwitz, president, station operations Station Market (affiliate; ch.) DMA U.S. HHs HHs/FCC WNYW(TV) New York (Fox; ch. 5) 1 6.787 6.787 2. Viacom VIA WWOR-TVB New York (UPN; ch. 9) (includes former CBS and UPN station KTTV(TV) Los Angeles (Fox; ch. 11) 2 5.24 5.24 groups) KCOP(TV)B Los Angeles (UPN; ch. 13) 38 stations/48.713% of WFLD(TV) Chicago (Fox; ch. 32) 3 3.175 1.5875 U.S./40.094%/FCC WTXF(TV) Philadelphia (Fox; ch. 29) 4 2.646 1.323 6121 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90028 KBHK-TVB San Francisco (UPN; ch. 44) 5 2.38 1.19 Phone: (323) 460-3000; WFXT(TV) Boston (Fox; ch. 25) 6 2.194 1.097 Fax: (323) 460-3133 KDFW-TV Dallas/Fort Worth (Fox; ch. 4) 7 2.025 2.025 Web site: cbs.com KDFI-TV Dallas/Fort Worth (Ind.; Ch. 27) Sumner M. Redstone, chairman Fred Reynolds, president, WTTG(TV) Washington (Fox; ch. 5) 8 2.004 2.004 CBS TV Stations Division Mel Karmazin, president/COO WJBK-TV Detroit (Fox; ch. 2) 9 1.834 1.834 Leslie Moonves, president, CBS Television WAGA-TV Atlanta (Fox; ch. 5) 10 1.817 1.817 Fred Reynolds, president, CBS TV Stations Division KRIV-TV Houston (Fox; ch. 26) 11 1.71 .855 Station Market (affiliate; ch.) DMA U.S. HHs HHs/FCC KMSP -TVB Minneapolis/St. Paul (UPN; ch. 9) 13 1.478 1.478 WCBS-TV New York (CBS; ch. 2) 1 6.787 6.787 WTVT(TV) Tampa/St. Pete., Fla. (Fox; ch. 13) 14 1.476 1.476 KCBS-TV Los Angeles (CBS; ch. 2) 2 5.24 5.24 WJW-TV Cleveland (Fox; ch. 8) 15 1.456 1.456 WBBM-TV Chicago (CBS; ch. 2) 3 3.175 3.175 KSAZ-TV Phoenix (Fox; ch. 10) 17 1.411 1.411 KYW-TV Philadelphia (CBS; ch. 3) 4 2.646 2.646 KUTP(TV)B Phoenix (UPN; ch. 45) WPSG(TV) Philadelphia (UPN; ch. 57) KDVR(TV) Denver (Fox; ch. 31) 18 1.284 .642 KPIX-TV San Francisco (CBS; ch. 5) 5 2.38 2.38 WRBW(TV)B Orlando, Fla. (UPN; ch. 65) 21 1.102 .551 WBZ-TV Boston (CBS; ch. 4) 6 2.194 2.194 KTVI(TV) St. Louis (Fox; ch. 2) 22 1.097 1.097 WSBK-TV Boston (UPN; ch. 38) KPTV(TV)B Portland, Ore. (UPN; ch. 12) 23 .996 .996 KTXA(TV) Dallas/Fort Worth (UPN; ch. 21) 7 2.025 1.0125 WUTB(TV )B Baltimore (UPN; ch. 24) 24 .989 .4945 WDCA(TV) Washington (UPN; ch. 20) 8 2.004 1.002 WDAF-TV Kansas City, Mo. (Fox; ch. 4) 30 .818 .818 WWJ-TV Detroit (CBS; ch. 62) 9 1.834 .917 WITI-TV Milwaukee (Fox; ch. 6) 33 .81 .81 WKBD(TV) Detroit (UPN; ch. 50) KSTU(TV) Salt Lake City (Fox; ch. 13) 36 .717 .717 WUPA (TV) Atlanta (UPN; ch. 69) 10 1.817 .9085 60 Broadcasting & Cable/4-23-01 17apSRtop25.qxd 4/19/01 5:19 PM Page 62 COVERSTORY Key: B=being bought *=operated under LMA TBA= operated under time brokerage agreement S=satellite station NR=not a Nielsen-rated market KTXH(TV) Houston (UPN; ch. 20) 11 1.71 .855 Lowell W. “Bud” Paxson, chairman/owner KSTW(TV) Seattle (UPN; ch. 11) 12 1.572 1.572 Dean Goodman, president, TV group WCCO-TV Minneapolis/St. Paul (CBS; ch. 4) 13 1.478 1.478 Station Market (all Pax TV affiliates unless noted; ch.) DMA U.S. HHs HHs/FCC KCCO-TV S Alexandria/Minn./St. Paul (CBS; ch. 7) WPXN-TV New York (ch. 31) 1 6.787 3.3935 KCCW-TVS Walker/Minneapolis/St. Paul (CBS; ch. 12) KPXN(TV) Los Angeles (ch. 30) 2 5.24 2.62 WTOG(TV) Tampa/St.