Skip to main content

The Top Four Rule is nigh



It looks like big media companies will now be allowed to own two stations in the same market.   Could CBS finally buy KIRO and also own KSTW as well? 7-11?  Another duopoly?    Just one idea for Seattle.

Tegna, Fox and Sinclair might be boxed out, but who knows.    

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) long-standing "Top-Four Prohibition," a rule that prevented a single company from owning two of the top four highest-rated television stations in the same local market. The court deemed the FCC's justification for keeping the rule "arbitrary and capricious" and unsupported by evidence reflecting today's competitive media landscape. While proponents hail the decision as a necessary modernization, the practical outcome for local newsrooms is stark. The ruling effectively allows a single corporation to own, for example, both the NBC and CBS affiliates in a given city. Industry analysts anticipate that acquiring companies will move swiftly to combine the operations of newly paired stations to achieve significant cost savings.

From

Ftvlive.com

Comments

  1. Mike BarerJuly 25, 2025 at 9:13 AM

    I remember when the Cowles family owned KHQ-TV, KHQ AM and Fm, The Spokesman Review, and The Spokane Chronicle in Spokane. That was quite a hold on the media.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IDC9July 25, 2025 at 1:31 PM

      That was far too much of a hold on the media in Spokane for the Cowles family to have had. No single entity should ever be allowed to have that much control over the media in a single market, no matter how well they run their outlets.

      Delete
    2. T.K.July 28, 2025 at 9:31 PM

      The Baker family in Tacoma owned The News Tribune, AM 1400, 97.3 FM, Channel 11, the cable TV system, and a mobile paging service.

      Delete
  2. IDC9July 25, 2025 at 1:36 PM

    Is KSTW one of Seattle's top four rated stations? I'm pretty sure KIRO is being a major network affiliate, but KSTW is an independent with next to no local or significant national programming these days. If not, then it could have been scooped up to be part of a duopoly a long time ago.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJuly 25, 2025 at 2:02 PM

    KSTW probably is not in the top four, but KIRO being a CBS affil and KSTW being CBS owned certainly would make for an interesting marriage where the network gets all the revenue from both stations and could also add programming to both.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. IDC9July 25, 2025 at 6:03 PM

      The CBS owned stations group that KSTW is part of is no stranger to such arrangements. They have them in most of their markets. The main station is typically your standard CBS station with a mix of local news, network programming, and syndicated programming, while the secondary station usually offers up more local news and a much heavier load of syndicated programming.

      Delete
  4. AnonymousJuly 26, 2025 at 2:10 PM

    Twice the stations, half the employees. That’s the math of this move.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousAugust 3, 2025 at 10:08 PM

    Anyone here remember when KSTW’s news department ended? Remember Don Porter as the main anchor and Rod Simmons doing sports.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rebecca Stevenson has left KOMO

 "I am no longer at Komo 4." Thanks.  Longtime Weather Anchor Rebecca Stevenson confirms that she left the station just before Christmas.  Her last Facebook posts are 12/17.  She has the Seattle station Quintafecta, having worked at the old NWCN, KING, KIRO, KCPQ and KOMO.  Looks like her decision.  Wants a new chapter.   She was doing mainly weekend evenings for KOMO.  Perhaps Stella Sun will move there.   She has been sharing weekend mornings with Theron Zahn.    
19 comments
Read more

Where is Frankie?

Many have missed KIRO 7's weekend PM weather anchor, Frankie Katafias, so I reached out to some of my sources to find an answer.    She is apparently taking a few months of leave, but not known specifically what the reason may be.  Although there is uncertainty, it could be a personal or family matter.   I am told she is expected back at some point in the new year.  She is a great asset to what has become a troubled station.  Meanwhile former KOIN Portland chief met holds down the fort.
11 comments
Read more

Seattle TV Weekender Ends Her Run

  So long to KOMO's longtime weekend morning anchor Lee Stoll who did her final show Saturday.  She previously worked at KIRO7 and KREM2 in Spokane and did a little fill-in for me at the old NWCN.  She's a Northwestern U grad.   Weekend weather sidekick Theron Zahn will likely step right into anchor slot.  Newcomer Stella Sun may also be in the mix.  Zahn bid Lee a final goodbye this morning.  She is not revealing what is next, saying "That's for later." Also, next month Komo News Operations boss Dennis Hanson and longtime Production Tech Rena Mullen are retiring. There's a big Studio C station bash for them and retiring ND Phil Bruce on December 5th.
1 comment
Read more