Media conglomerate Gray set to acquire 10 TV stations from Allen Media Group at a cost of $171 million
In a significant move, Gray Media has announced the acquisition of ten television stations from Byron Allen's Allen Media Group (AMG) for $171 million. This deal marks Gray's entry into three new markets – Columbus-Tupelo, Miss., Terre Haute, Ind., and West Lafayette, Ind.
The deal includes the acquisition of local television stations WCOV (DMA 121, Montgomery, Ala., Fox), WTVVA (DMA 134, Columbus-Tupelo, Miss., ABC/NBC), WEVV (DMA 109, Evansville, Ind., CBS/Fox), WREX (DMA 137, Rockford, Ill., NBC), WWFT (DMA 110, Fort Wayne, Ind., Fox), WKADN (DMA 124, Lafayette, La., Fox/NBC), WSIL (DMA 90, Paducah-Cape Girardeau-Harrisburg, Mo., ABC), WTHI (DMA 159, Terre Haute, Ind., CBS/FOX), and WLFI (DMA 189, West Lafayette, Ind., CBS).
This acquisition is expected to strengthen Gray's presence in seven other markets by creating new duopolies, allowing them to preserve and deepen public service to their communities with expanded local news, local weather, and local sports programming.
However, it's important to note that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has not yet made a final decision to lift broadcast station ownership caps following this acquisition. Instead, the FCC has reopened the review process on the national television ownership cap, inviting public comments and considering whether to modify or eliminate the 39% national audience reach cap established by Congress in 2004.
The 39% cap limits the percentage of U.S. TV households that a single company’s television stations can collectively reach. This rule aims to prevent excessive media consolidation. The FCC's process under current chair Brendan Carr includes soliciting comments from broadcasters supportive of lifting or relaxing the cap, arguing competitive pressures from streaming and tech firms require consolidation.
However, there is strong opposition from public interest groups, labor unions, and multichannel video providers who argue that lifting the cap would violate federal law, increase programming costs, reduce localism, and harm consumers. Legal challenges focus on whether the FCC has the authority to change the cap without Congressional action. The 2004 law explicitly limits FCC’s power to modify the cap, and recent court rulings further constrain agency authority.
Despite the ongoing debate and strong opposition, the Gray Media acquisition of AMG’s stations is part of ongoing consolidation activity but has not triggered or resulted in immediate FCC rule changes on ownership caps as of August 2025. Broadcasters like Sinclair have indicated they are preparing to expand acquisitions if the FCC relaxes ownership caps, but as of now, no regulatory change has been enacted.
In summary, the FCC is in a rulemaking and review phase, with active debate and strong opposition, but no final lifting or removal of broadcast station ownership caps has been announced or implemented as of August 2025. The Gray Media acquisition of AMG's television stations indicates growing confidence among broadcasters that the FCC will lift current broadcast station ownership caps, but the final decision remains to be seen.
- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently reviewing the national television ownership cap, soliciting public comments, and considering modifying or eliminating the 39% national audience reach cap.
- The FCC's process includes considering arguments from broadcasters like Sinclair, who believe competitive pressures from streaming and tech firms necessitate consolidation, but faces strong opposition from public interest groups, labor unions, and multichannel video providers.
- The Gray Media acquisition of seven television stations from Allen Media Group (AMG) signifies ongoing consolidation activity in the media industry, but has not yet triggered immediate FCC rule changes on ownership caps as of August 2025.
- If the FCC relaxes the ownership caps, broadcasters like Sinclair have indicated they are prepared to expand their acquisitions, but no regulatory change has been enacted yet.
- Despite the ongoing debate and opposition, the FCC is in a rulemaking phase, and the final decision on lifting or removing the broadcast station ownership caps remains uncertain as of August 2025.
