ABC switched affiliate TV stations in three key markets Thursday in the first major aftershock from Fox's recent raid on CBS affiliates.
ABC will dump its current affiliates and switch to Scripps Howard Broadcasting stations in Baltimore, Phoenix and Tampa. In each case, the current ABC affiliate has higher ratings than the Scripps station that will become the ABC affiliate under the network's unprecedented 10-year agreement with Scripps.
In effect, ABC agreed to take on weaker stations in those three markets in order to preserve and extend its affiliation agreements with Scripps TV stations in two bigger markets: Detroit and Cleveland.
Detroit is the nation's No. 9 TV market; Cleveland is No. 12; Tampa, No. 15; Phoenix, No. 20; Baltimore, No. 22.
CBS had been wooing Scripps-owned WXYZ in Detroit and WEWS in Cleveland, both ABC affiliates.
That's because Fox in May made a grab for CBS affiliates in eight markets: Dallas, Detroit, Atlanta, Cleveland, Tampa, Phoenix, Milwaukee and Austin, Texas.
Fox also has deals pending for ABC affiliates in St. Louis, High Point, N.C., and Birmingham, Ala., and an NBC affiliate in Kansas City, Mo.
The Fox move touched off the biggest affiliate scramble in TV history.
"I think the tumultuous (moves) are done, but we still have to do some deals, and (Fox Chairman) Rupert Murdoch is still out there looking to do deals," Tony C. Malara, CBS affiliate chief, said Thursday.
Initially, TV viewers in several markets are likely to be confused by the switching.
In a few cases, networks are switching from VHF stations (channels 2 through 13) to weaker UHF stations (channels above 13 on the dial). In those markets, viewers without cable or antennas may have trouble getting clear reception for some network shows.
ABC will switch from WJZ in Baltimore to WMAR; WTSP in Tampa to WFTS; KTVK in Phoenix to KNXV.
ABC executives did not return phone calls.
Scripps Howard Broadcasting shares rose 3 to $ 100 Thursday. Capital Cities/ABC shares jumped 3 3/4 to $ 723 3/4; CBS fell 3 to $ 262.
