Scripps Acquires Lexington ABC Affiliate WTVQ for $15.8M
E.W. Scripps has closed its purchase of WTVQ from Morris Network, expanding its local TV footprint in Kentucky.
E.W. Scripps has finalized its acquisition of WTVQ, the ABC-affiliated television station serving Lexington, Kentucky, paying $15.8 million to seller Morris Network, Inc. The deal, which had been announced previously, marks another incremental step in Scripps' ongoing strategy of consolidating local broadcast holdings across mid-size American markets.
Lexington represents a meaningful media market in the mid-South, and an ABC affiliation carries reliable access to network programming — sports, news, and prime-time content — that can anchor a station's advertising revenue. For Scripps, adding WTVQ deepens its regional presence in a state where local television remains a primary news source for a significant share of the population.
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The $15.8 million price tag is relatively modest by broadcast industry standards, reflecting both the scale of the Lexington market and broader pressures facing local television as cord-cutting accelerates and digital competitors erode traditional ad spending. Still, local broadcasters with strong network affiliations continue to generate stable cash flows, particularly around political advertising cycles and live sports — assets that streaming platforms cannot easily replicate.
For Morris Network, the divestiture continues a pattern seen across legacy regional broadcast groups, many of which are rationalizing their portfolios amid rising operational costs and tighter financing conditions. Scripps, by contrast, has positioned itself as a consolidator willing to absorb smaller-market stations that fit its operational model and distribution goals.
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