Editing LIN Media (section)

=== 2014: Media General merger ===
On March 21, 2014, LIN announced that it would sell itself to [[Media General]], in a transaction described as a "merger". The deal, worth an estimated $1.6&nbsp;billion, would create an entity of 71 stations (adjusted for side deals and divestitures) that would reach approximately 24% of U.S. television households. In order to comply with FCC ownership rules as well as planned changes to rules regarding same-market television stations which would prohibit future [[local marketing agreement|joint sales agreements]], Media General and LIN divested and swapped stations that both companies own in [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]], Green Bay, Mobile, [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]] and Savannah.<ref>"[https://variety.com/2014/tv/news/tv-station-mega-merger-media-general-lin-set-1-6-billion-deal-1201141567/ TV Station Mega Merger: Media General, LIN Set $1.6 Billion Deal]" ''Variety'', March 21, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2014</ref><ref>[https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-lin-media-general-merge-20140321,0,5277028.story Media General acquiring LIN Media for $1.6 billion], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', March 21, 2014.</ref><ref>[http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/74959/media-genlin-to-sellswap-in-five-markets Media Gen/LIN To Sell/Swap In Five Markets], ''TVNewsCheck'', March 21, 2014.</ref> The companies swapped WTGS, [[WJAR]], WLUK-TV and WCWF to [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]] in exchange for [[KXRM-TV]], [[KXTU-LD]], and [[WTTA]]. [[Hearst Television]] acquired [[WJCL (TV)|WJCL]] and [[WVTM-TV]], and [[Meredith Corporation]] acquired WALA-TV (Meredith later merged with [[Gray Television]]).<ref name=tvnc-linmgsales>{{cite web|title=Media General, LIN Sell Stations in 5 Markets|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/78615/media-general-lin-sell-stations-in-5-markets|website=TVNewsCheck|date=August 20, 2014 |access-date=December 16, 2014}}</ref>

The deal was approved by shareholders on October 6, 2014,<ref name=bc-linmgshapprove>{{cite web|title=Media General, LIN Shareholders Vote Yes on Merger|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/media-general-lin-shareholders-vote-yes-merger/134598|website=Broadcasting & Cable|date=October 6, 2014 |access-date=December 16, 2014}}</ref> and by the FCC on December 12, 2014.<ref name=bc-fccokmglin>{{cite web|title=FCC Okays Media General/LIN Merger|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/local-tv/fcc-okays-media-generallin-merger/136356|website=Broadcasting & Cable|date=December 12, 2014 |access-date=December 16, 2014}}</ref> The merger was completed on December 19.<ref>[http://www.mediageneral.com/press/2014/dec19_14_merger.html Media General Completes Merger With LIN Media] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219194453/http://www.mediageneral.com/press/2014/dec19_14_merger.html |date=December 19, 2014 }}, Press Release, [[Media General]]. Retrieved December 19, 2014</ref> Although the combined company adopted the Media General name, the company was taken over by the principal staff of LIN, including CEO Vincent Sadusky, who replaced Media General's CEO George Mahoney post-merger. In total, 45 Media General staff members were laid off as part of the merger.<ref name=tvnc-neworder>{{cite news|title=Setting The New Order at New Media General|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/77598/setting-the-new-order-at-new-media-general|access-date=August 4, 2014|work=TVNewsCheck|date=July 9, 2014}}</ref>

On January 11, 2017, the FCC approved the sale of Media General to [[Nexstar Media Group|Nexstar Broadcasting Group]];<ref name="deadline-nexstarapproved">{{cite web|title=FCC Approves Nexstar's $4.6B Acquisition of Media General|date=January 11, 2017 |url=https://deadline.com/2017/01/fcc-approves-nexstar-4-6b-acquisition-media-general-1201883297/|publisher=Deadline|access-date=January 11, 2017}}</ref> the sale was completed on January 17.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nexstar.tv/nexstar-broadcasting-group-completes-acquisition-of-media-general-creating-nexstar-media-group-the-nations-second-largest-television-broadcaster/|title=Nexstar Broadcasting Group Completes Acquisition of Media General Creating Nexstar Media Group, The Nation's Second Largest Television Broadcaster|date=January 17, 2017|website=[[Nexstar Media Group|Nexstar Media Group, Inc.]]|access-date=November 25, 2018}}</ref>