Gannett Completes the Acquisition of WATL-TV Channel 36 in Atlanta
McLEAN, VA – Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) announced today that it has completed the acquisition of WATL-TV, Channel 36, from Tribune Company. Gannett also will continue to own and operate WXIA-TV, the NBC affiliate in Atlanta.
The deal was closed after the successful completion of a regulatory review.
“Atlanta is a first-rate television market, and we are pleased to be able to expand our operations there,” said Roger Ogden, president and CEO of Gannett Broadcast. “There is much added value for our viewers in this arrangement, and we are confident they will be excited by the end result.”
Ownership of the two stations in Atlanta creates Gannett’s third duopoly. The first is in Jacksonville, FL, where Gannett owns and operates WTLV-TV, the NBC affiliate, and WJXX-TV, the ABC affiliate. The other is in Denver, where Gannett owns K*USA-TV, the NBC affiliate, and KTVD-TV, which becomes a MyNetworkTV affiliate in September.
WATL-TV also will become a MyNetworkTV affiliate in September.
In addition to the stations in Atlanta, Denver and Jacksonville, Gannett Co., Inc. operates: W*USA, Washington, DC; KARE, Minneapolis; WTSP, Tampa-St. Petersburg; WKYC, Cleveland; KPNX, Phoenix, KNAZ, Flagstaff; KXTV, Sacramento; KSDK, St. Louis; WZZM, Grand Rapids, MI; WFMY, Greensboro, NC; WGRZ, Buffalo, NY; KTHV, Little Rock; WBIR, Knoxville, TN; WCSH, Portland, ME; WLTX, Columbia, SC; WMAZ, Macon, GA; and WLBZ, Bangor, ME.
Gannett also publishes 90 daily newspapers in the USA, including USA TODAY, the nation’s largest-selling daily newspaper. The company also owns nearly 1,000 non-daily publications in the USA and USA WEEKEND, a weekly newspaper magazine. Gannett subsidiary Newsquest is the United Kingdom’s second largest regional newspaper company. Newsquest publishes more than 300 titles, including 17 daily newspapers, and a network of prize-winning Web sites. Gannett is an Internet leader with sites sponsored by its TV stations and newspapers including USATODAY.com, one of the most popular news sites on the Web.
Inquiries:
Tara Connell
Vice President of Corporate Communications
(703) 854-6049
tjconnel@gannett.com