THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 11, 1995 TAG: 9501110395
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAVE MAYFIELD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. said Tuesday that it completed its previously announced purchase of all non-license assets of WTVZ-TV of Norfolk, the Fox Broadcasting affiliate in Hampton Roads.
The purchase, for $48 million, does not include WTVZ's federal license. But Baltimore-based Sinclair said that since its original announcement in December it negotiated an additional ``grant'' to acquire the license at a later date from the license holder, Max Television Co.
The license transfer must first be approved by the Federal Communications Commission, which generally takes several months to review such applications. In the meantime, Sinclair will operate the station.
WTVZ, Channel 33, is one of two local stations in the midst of ownership changes. Late last month, Narragansett Television Inc. of Providence, R.I., said it was evaluating offers to purchase WTKR-TV, Channel 3, the CBS affiliate in Hampton Roads. A buyer for that station is expected to be announced in February.
Sinclair Broadcast Group has been rumored to be interested in acquiring WTKR also. David Smith, the company's president, declined to comment on that possibility.
``We don't normally converse with the press, particularly with the written press, for a variety of reasons,'' he said in a brief phone interview Tuesday, declining to elaborate. by CNB