Gannett Completes Acquisition of WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, Fla.
ARLINGTON, Va. — Gannett Co., Inc. has concluded the transaction with Allbritton Jacksonville, Inc. to acquire WJXX-TV, the ABC affiliate in Jacksonville, Fla. Gannett also will continue to own WTLV-TV, the NBC affiliate in Jacksonville.
The announcement was made today by Cecil L. Walker, president and CEO of Gannett Broadcasting.
Ken Tonning, president and general manager of WTLV, also has been named president and general manager of WJXX.
“This strategic expansion will allow Ken and his management team to utilize the resources of WJXX and WTLV to build a stronger ‘First Coast News’ operation as we invest and grow with the Jacksonville community,” Walker said.
With this acquisition, Gannett will own 22 television stations reaching 17.4 percent of the U.S. television market.
Gannett Television’s other stations are: WUSA (CBS-Washington, DC); WXIA (NBC-Atlanta); WTSP (CBS-Tampa); KARE (NBC-Minneapolis); WKYC (NBC- Cleveland); KPNX (NBC-Phoenix), KNAZ (NBC-Flagstaff), KMOH (NBC-Kingman); KUSA (NBC-Denver); KXTV (ABC-Sacramento); KSDK (NBC-St. Louis); WZZM (ABC-Grand Rapids); WGRZ (NBC-Buffalo); WFMY (CBS-Greensboro); KTHV (CBS-Little Rock); WBIR (NBC-Knoxville); WCSH (NBC-Portland); WLTX (CBS-Columbia); WMAZ (CBS-Macon); and WLBZ (NBC-Bangor).
In addition to its television operations, Gannett publishes 74 daily newspapers in the USA, including USA TODAY, the nation’s largest-selling daily newspaper. The company also publishes USA WEEKEND, a newspaper magazine. Since mid-1999, Gannett has owned Newsquest plc, one of the largest regional newspaper publishers in England with a portfolio of 180 titles.