A deal to sell for Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting to sell three low-power TV stations to WSBT owner Schurz Communications in South Bend has fallen through.
Weigel, who owns ABC affiliate WBND-TV, CW affiliate WCWW-TV and My Network TV affiliate WMYS-TV planned to sell the trio to Schurz, who in addition to the ratings-dominant CBS affiliate also owns the South Bend Tribune.
The deal was supposed to approved by the FCC after it was announced in August 2008, but was continuously delayed. Weigel officials were so adamant about the deal getting done, President Howard Shapiro reportedly showed up at the FCC one day last month with a sign that said "Please Decide".
If the deal had gone through, Schurz would have owned one full-powered station and three LPTVs.
With the deal off the table, the trio will focus on its fall syndicated lineup for 2009-2010 season, which includes new fare such as The Wendy Williams Show and the most recent incarnation of America's Funniest Home Videos.
The other two full-powered stations in the South Bend/Elkhart market are Gray Communications WNDU-TV, an NBC affiliate located on Notre Dame University; and Fox affiliate WSJV-TV, which was an ABC affiliate until 1995.
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