Rincon Broadcasting completes acquisition of five Midwest television stations

Rincon Broadcasting Group has finalized its acquisition of five regional television stations across the Midwest from Sinclair.

The stations include WVTV (CW, MyNetworkTV) in Milwaukee, Wis.; WICD (ABC) and WICS (ABC) in Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, Ill.; KHQA (CBS, ABC) in Quincy, Ill., Hannibal, Mo., and Keokuk, Iowa; and KTVO (ABC, CBS) in Ottumwa, Iowa, and Kirksville, Mo.

The $29.4 million acquisition was approved by the FCC, who granted the transfer of licenses.

In granting the waiver, the FCC stated that the public interest benefits of the transaction outweighed potential harms. The commission cited preservation of local news services in the affected markets and found that the deal would not pose competitive harm.

The license transfer faced opposition from public interest group Frequency Forward, which petitioned the FCC to deny the application. The group cited Sinclair’s prior use of operational partnerships to bypass ownership limits. 

All stations will continue to provide operational and administrative services to GOCOM Media television stations under Rincon’s ownership.

Rincon Broadcasting Group is a privately held media company that acquires and operates mid-market television stations. The company is led by Todd Parkin, a former station owner with experience in local television, studio operations, and live sports production and distribution.

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