EXCLUSIVE! Fox Looks to Trade Orlando O&O
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Sources tell FTVLive EXCLUSIVELY that Fox Television is looking to trade their O&O in Orlando for the Fox station in the Big Easy.
Tipsters tell FTVLive that Fox wants to trade WOFL in Orlando to get WVUE in New Orleans. Fox wants to own the Fox station in the market where the NFL New Orleans Saints are.
When Fox traded their O&O in Boston for the KTVU in San Francisco it was for the same reason. The network wants to own the Fox stations in the markets that have NFC football teams. That Boston for San Francisco swap was totally football related.
WVUE is run by Raycom but it is owned by Louisiana Media Company (which is controlled by Tom Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints). So, for Fox to make such a deal, they have to cut the deal with the owner of the Saints. Word is that Fox is talking to Raycom to try and figure out a way to make the deal happen.
Orlando is the 19th market, while New Orleans sits outside the top 50 at number 51. Surely owning a station in a top 20 market is worth more, but when the owner of the station also owns the NFL team, you can see why this trade is nowhere near a slam dunk.
Fox is hoping that Raycom can help grease the wheels to make this deal go through.
Word is that Fox may also be looking acquired KCPQ in Seattle. They still could trade KRIV in Houston. While the Houston Texans are an NFL team, they play in the AFC and Fox is in interested in NFC cities, since Fox has the NFC broadcasting contract to carry the NFC games.
Stay tuned....
