A flurry of FCC filings reveal maneuvers in Jackson MS that will place American Spirit Media in the odd position of having a JSA with one company and an SSA with another.
For starters, using licensee name WDBD License Subsidiary LLC, Thomas B. Henson’s ASM will be acquiring Fox/Me-TV WDBD-TV Jackson and WXMS-LP Natchez MS from Marc Jaromin’s Jackson Broadcasting LLC for $12M cash.
Meanwhile, ASM is also listed as the buyer on a contract for the acquisition of MNTV WUFX-TV Vicksburg. In that deal, the seller is Vicksburg Broadcasting LLC, headed by trustee Lee Shubert. The deal is for $500K.
However, for the princely sum of $1.00, ASM is signing the station over to non-commercial educational institution Tougaloo College, listed as an historically African-American four year liberal arts institution.
Finally, ASM is acquiring WBMS-CA Jackson MS from Shubert’s licensee. That deal is also for $500K.
Now the fun begins – ASM will enter into a shared services agreement with Raycom, licensee of NBC WLBT-TV in the market. At the same time, it will enter into a JSA with Tougaloo to keep its hand in the aforementioned pending acquisition of WUFX.
American Spirit owns five other stations: WUPV Richmond (Ashland VA), WXTX Columbus GA, KYOU Ottumwa IA, WSFX Wilmington NC and WUPW Toledo OH.
