B_Rock's Blog

A story that I have been keeping an eye out on.

From today's Greensboro News & Record:

NEW YORK (AP) -- News Corp. said last week it will sell eight of its owned-and-operated FOX network affiliated television stations to private-equity investment firm Oak Hill Capital Partners for about $1.1 billion in cash.

The deal includes WGHP (Fox 8) in the Triad.

The media conglomerate said in a statement published on its Web site Saturday that Fox Television Stations will still have 27 owned-and-operated stations after selling the following ones: WJW in Cleveland, KDVR in Denver, KTVI in St. Louis, WDAF in Kansas City, Mo., WITI in Milwaukee, KSTU in Salt Lake City, WBRC in Birmingham, Ala., and WGHP.

News Corp. said the sale is expected to close in the third quarter of 2008.

The company said it had total assets as of Sept. 30 of about $64 billion and annual sales of $30 billion.

I was at the YMCA this morning getting my orientation for the new equipment. As the girl was talking to me, I saw black smoke through the window that looked like it was coming from the ball fields. "Odd" I thought. As I was leaving, I headed back toward the house. As I drove past the ball fields, I noticed the smoke was much heavier and it was on Mebane street, not the ball fields. The apartment complex right behind the mini market was on fire. (Willow Creek Apartments). I made a right onto Mebane going towards it, and just as I was pulling up, the first police officer got on scene with about 6 more behind him, so I kept going and got out of the way. There was a LONG amount of time from when I saw the first smoke to the time when the first officer got there. I'll be watching the noon news, so we'll see what happened, but it was pretty major. There were even fire trucks & ambulances coming down Chapel Hill rd coming from Graham. There were numerous fire trucks and other unmarked cars that were literally running like 70 miles an hour to get there.

I hope & pray that everyone got out of there.

NEW YORK, NY, June 13, 2007 – News Corporation announced today that it plans to sell nine of its FOX network affiliated television stations. News Corporation has retained Allen & Company to advise it on potential transactions.

The stations include:

- WJW in Cleveland, OH
- KDVR in Denver, CO
- KTVI in St. Louis, MO
- WDAF in Kansas City, KS
- WITI in Milwaukee, WI
- KSTU in Salt Lake City, UT
- WBRC in Birmingham, AL
- WHBQ in Memphis, TN
- WGHP in Greensboro, NC

What will this mean for Fox 8? It hasn't been too long sine they took over the airwaves as a Fox channel on "El Ocho".