The swap of Media General Inc.'s WTVR-TV Richmond, Va., for Raycom Media Inc.'s WSAV-TV Savannah, Ga., is free to proceed despite a duopoly problem. (FCC ruling)(Brief Article)

Broadcasting & Cable, July, 1997

The swap of Media General Inc.'s WTVR-TV Richmond, Va., for Raycom Media Inc.'s WSAV-TV Savannah, Ga., is free to proceed despite a duopoly problem, the FCC said last Wednesday. But the waiver depends on current FCC proceedings in which the duopoly rule is being reconsidered, the order added.

The problem was that WSAV-TV overlaps somewhat with Media General's current WCBD-TV Charleston, S.C. But the overlap is small, the FCC noted, involving no more than 12.8% of the distinctly separate markets' population. The FCC also permanently OK'd the continued operation Of WHLT(TV) Hattiesburg, Miss., as a satellite of WJTV(TV) Jackson, Miss. These stations were also part of the companies' January deal, which was valued at about $80 million.