On Feb. 13, 2018, Gray Television agreed to purchase three TV stations and two LPTVs in the Casper, Wyo., DMA from Mark III Media for exactly $15,716,667.
The deal never happened, as it effectively created a duopoly in Casper, and the Department of Justice had a big problem with it. While one of the broadcast TV stations is 150 miles west of Casper, it is a satellite of a Casper station and within the same DMA.
Today, Gray is still vigorously in opposition of this viewpoint. In fact, it commissioned BIA Advisory Services to state a benefit to arrangements such as the one DOJ said no to in Wyoming: In markets where local broadcast stations are allowed to combine forces, local news output actually increased, and “far more” than in markets where no consolidation took place.
