A Peak Deal For a Sinclair-Managed FOX Performer

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Travel some 90 minutes to the east of Pittsburgh, and you’ll find yourself in the Johnstown, Pa., media market.


Here, Sinclair Broadcast Group owns and operates NBC affiliate WJAC-6, which airs The CW+ national network feed on a digital multicast channel. Sinclair also operates two other stations in the market, via somewhat complex master service arrangements.

Now, one of those stations is shifting from its licensee to its Time Brokerage Agreement partner — an entity with a long history of letting Sinclair handle most of the operations.

On January 5, an asset purchase agreement was approved that will see the transfer of WWCP-8 in Johnstown, Pa., which also uses digital channel 8, from Peak Media of Pennsylvania to “Johnstown (WWCP-TV), Inc.,” a Maryland corporation.

The address shown for this licensee is 2000 W. 41st Street in Baltimore, Md.

That’s the home of Sinclair flagship WBFF-45, the FOX affiliate serving Charm City.

And, upon further investigation of who is control of “Johnstown (WWCP-TV), Inc.,” a FCC LMS filing made Friday (1/8) shows Michael Anderson — the person in charge of Cunningham Broadcasting Corp. — the lead officer helming this entity.

Michael Anderson
Michael Anderson

The deal will end a three-way operational accord by having Cunningham, which already operates WWCP, become the owner. It can then directly engage with Sinclair in a shared services agreement that is less complex than what is currently in place.

However, a three-way partnership for ABC affiliate WATM-23 in Johnstown, Pa., isn’t changing. That sees Cunningham operate WATM via an LMA with licensee Palm Television L.P., but through a master services accord with Sinclair.

Cunningham CFO and Treasurer Lisa Asher is also a party to “Johnstown (WWCP-TV), Licensee, Inc.,” as are Paul Wallace and Mark Knobloch.

The transaction is valued at $2.85 million.

Serving as the broker in this transaction is Elliot Evers of Houlihan Lokey, which is the successor to Media Venture Partners.

It makes perfect sense: Evers is the president of Peak Media.