Another day, another SSA

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This time the DMA is El Paso, where the local NBC affiliate is going to see to much of the back room operation of the local CBS outlet. The managing company will be Comcorp of El Paso, licensee of NBC KTSM-TV, providing services for TTBG’s CBS KDBC-TV.


TTBG, part of New World TV Group, acquired KDBC last spring in a $260M group deal with bankrupt Pappas Telecasting. Comcorp is part of Communications Corporation of America. A third firm, Titan Broadcast Management, LLC, will manage KDBC on TTBG’s behalf.

Comcorp will provide “advertising, sales, promotion, administrative services and some locally produced news and information programming.”  TTBG/Titan will continue to handle “programming, personnel, and finances.”

Comcorp El Paso Chief Executive Officer Steve Pruett stated, “Combining some of the back-office and news resources of these stations will make them both stronger and allow them to become even better community citizens. We believe this arrangement will provide many benefits to viewers of both KDBC and KTSM.”

“This arrangement will advance Titan’s goal of increasing the breadth and depth of local news and information on KDBC. The operating efficiencies from this arrangement will benefit both TTBG and Comcorp El Paso and will help to ensure a stable future for KDBC under TTBG’s stewardship. We look forward to working with Comcorp to ensure that KDBC continues to grow and succeed in serving the El Paso and Las Cruces communities.”

An SSA was just announced in the Augusta GA DMA and another older one in Honolulu is being challenged at the FCC.

RBR-TVBR observation: Again, these arrangements are nothing new. These television local market agreements mirror similar arrangements that were common in radio prior to relaxed local ownership caps first in 1992 and then again in 1996. Hard times have made them more and more attractive. In short, an SSA is a balm for a financially troubled local operation. Will the FCC throw a fly in the ointment?