Sinclair Broadcasting will buy the Freedom Communications TV station group for $385 million. The deal includes WWMT (Channel 3) in Kalamazoo and WLAJ (Channel 53) in Lansing. Sinclair will operate the stations under an LMA until the purchase is approved by regulators.
Sinclair Broadcast Group has agreed to buy the Freedom Communications station group for $385 million. The group includes eight stations.
The deal is subject to regulatory approval, and is expected to close late in the first quarter or early in 2012.
Until that time, Sinclair will operate the stations under a local marketing agreement.
“The combination of the Freedom stations with the Four Points stations would give us two full power stations in the West Palm Beach market, which is Freedom’s largest market,” said David Smith, Sinclair president and CEO. “It is our intent to continue evaluating television station transactions which are accretive and where we can use our expertise and presence to improve profitability and competitive position.”
Young Broadcasting’s WLNS in Lansing hired Kevin Gehl as a weekend sports anchor. Gehl was a reporter for a high school sports show on KOFY in San Francisco.