Editing WPIX (section)

==== Sinclair acquisition attempt and subsequent transactions ====
{{Further|Attempted acquisition of Tribune Media by Sinclair Broadcast Group}}
[[Sinclair Broadcast Group]] announced plans to acquire Tribune Media for $3.9&nbsp;billion on May 8, 2017, plus the assumption of $2.7&nbsp;billion in Tribune debt.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sinclair Broadcast Group to buy Tribune Media for $3.9 billion plus debt|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-tribune-sinclair-20170508-story.html|first=Stephen|last=Battaglio|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=May 8, 2017|access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sinclair Broadcast Group Sets $3.9 Billion Deal to Acquire Tribune Media|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/sinclair-tribune-merger-station-group-1202416416/|first=Cynthia |last=Littleton|periodical=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 8, 2017|access-date=June 6, 2017}}</ref> To meet regulatory approval, WPIX was one of several stations identified by Sinclair for divestitures to a third party;<ref>{{cite web |title=AMENDMENT TO JUNE COMPREHENSIVE EXHIBIT |url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101779327&qnum=5140&copynum=1&exhcnum=3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222004745/https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101779327&qnum=5140&copynum=1&exhcnum=3 |archive-date=February 22, 2018 |website=fcc.gov |access-date=September 25, 2020}}</ref> Sinclair [[shell corporation|partner licensee]] [[Cunningham Broadcasting]] was later revealed as the buyer for WPIX-TV with a below market-value $15&nbsp;million purchase price.<ref name="ct-saletocunningham">{{cite news|title=Sinclair would still control WGN-TV despite proposed sale to Maryland auto dealer|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-sinclair-sale-wgn-tv-tribune-20180226-story.html|first=Robert |last=Channick|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|publisher=[[Tronc]]|date=March 1, 2018|access-date=March 2, 2018}}</ref> Several weeks after that divestment was announced, Sinclair withdrew the resale with intentions to retain WPIX outright.<ref name="v-wpixnosaletocunningham">{{cite news|title=Sinclair Revises Station Divestiture Plan Following Pushback From Regulators|url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/sinclair-tribune-media-station-sales-merger-1202785468/|first=Cynthia|last=Littleton|periodical=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=April 24, 2018|access-date=April 24, 2018}}</ref> The attempted sale of WPIX—along with Tribune stations in [[KDAF|Dallas]] and [[KIAH|Houston]]—to Cunningham,<ref>{{cite web|title=Sinclair Withdraws Cunningham Station Sales|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/sinclair-withdraws-cunningham-station-sales|first=John |last=Eggerton|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=NewBay Media|date=July 18, 2018|access-date=July 19, 2018}}</ref> and in particular a planned sale of WGN-TV to an [[LLC]] controlled by a friend of Sinclair executive chairman [[David D. Smith]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Sinclair Broadcast Group changes Tribune deal after FCC raises legal concerns|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-tribune-sinclair-20180718-story.html|first=Stephen|last=Battaglio|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=July 18, 2018|access-date=July 19, 2018}}</ref><ref name="John Eggerton">{{cite web|title=Sinclair Is Divesting WGN, WPIX, But...|url=https://www.multichannel.com/news/sinclair-divesting-wgn-wpix-418287|first=John|last=Eggerton|periodical=[[Multichannel News]]|publisher=NewBay Media|date=February 21, 2018|access-date=July 19, 2018}}</ref> resulted in FCC chairman [[Ajit Pai]] publicly rejecting the merger.<ref>{{cite news|title=FCC chair rejects Sinclair-Tribune merger|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/397194-fcc-chairman-rejects-sinclair-tribune-merger/|first=Harper |last=Neidig|newspaper=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]|publisher=Capitol Hill Publishing Corp.|date=July 16, 2018|access-date=July 19, 2018}}</ref> Despite Sinclair abandoning the divestments,<ref name="chictrib-wgntvsaletosinclair">{{cite news|title=Sinclair now wants to buy WGN-TV in its bid to win FCC approval for stalled Tribune Media merger|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-sinclair-buy-wgn-tribune-fcc-20180718-story.html|first=Robert |last=Channick|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|publisher=Tribune Publishing|date=July 18, 2018|access-date=July 19, 2018}}</ref> the FCC voted to send the merger up for an evidentiary review.<ref>{{cite web|title=FCC orders hearing even as Sinclair changes plans to sell TV stations to address concerns about Tribune deal|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-sinclair-tribune-revised-divestitures-20180718-story.html|first=Lorraine|last=Mirabella|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|publisher=Tronc|date=July 18, 2018|access-date=July 19, 2018}}</ref> Tribune Media moved to terminate the merger outright on August 9, 2018, and filed a [[breach of contract]] lawsuit in the process.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tribune Ends Deal with Sinclair, Files Breach of Contract Suit|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/tribune-ends-deal-with-sinclair-files-breach-of-contract-suit|first=Jon |last=Lafayette|periodical=Broadcasting & Cable|publisher=NewBay Media|date=August 9, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Tribune Terminates $3.9 Billion Sinclair Merger, Sues Broadcast Rival|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/tribune-media-terminates-merger-agreement-with-sinclair-broadcast-group-1533810907|first=Joe|last=Flint|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|publisher=[[News Corp (2013–present)|News Corp.]]|date=August 9, 2018|access-date=August 9, 2018}}</ref>

Following the Sinclair deal's collapse, [[Nexstar Media Group]] agreed to acquire Tribune Media's assets on December 3, 2018, for $6.4&nbsp;billion in cash and debt.<ref name="nxsttrco3">{{cite news|title=Nexstar-Tribune Media deal makes new co. worth $6 billion|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-news-tribune-media-nexstar-billion-20181203-story.html|first=Theresa|last=Braine|newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=New York|publisher=[[Tribune Publishing]]|date=December 3, 2018|access-date=December 3, 2018}}</ref> WPIX-TV was then sold by Nexstar to the [[E. W. Scripps Company]] for $75&nbsp;million as part of a series of divestitures totaling $1.32&nbsp;billion; both transactions were completed on September 19, 2019.<ref>[https://scripps.com/press-releases/scripps-closes-acquisition-of-eight-tv-stations-from-nexstar-tribune-merger-divestitures/ "Scripps Closes Acquisition of Eight TV Stations from Nexstar-Tribune Merger Divestitures"], [[E. W. Scripps Company]], September 19, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.</ref> Under the terms of the deal, Nexstar was granted an option by Scripps to repurchase WPIX between March 31, 2020, and December 31, 2021.<ref name="nxstspinoffs">{{cite web|title=Nexstar Selling 19 TVs In 15 Markets For .32B|url=https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/232391/nexstar-selling-19-tvs-in-15-markets-for-1-32b/|author=Mark K. Miller|website=TVNewsCheck|publisher=NewsCheck Media|date=March 20, 2019|access-date=March 20, 2019|archive-date=March 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320194359/https://tvnewscheck.com/article/top-news/232391/nexstar-selling-19-tvs-in-15-markets-for-1-32b/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Nexstar to Sell Stations to Tegna, Scripps for $1.32 Billion|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-20/nexstar-to-sell-19-stations-to-tegna-scripps-for-1-32-billion|first1=Nabila|last1=Ahmed|first2=Anousha|last2=Sakoui|website=Bloomberg News|publisher=[[Bloomberg, L.P.]]|date=March 20, 2019}}</ref> Nexstar partner licensee [[Mission Broadcasting]] exercised said option to buy WPIX on July 13, 2020—Nexstar had previously transferred to Mission said repurchase option—for $75&nbsp;million plus accrued interest.<ref name="wpixtomission" /> This coincided with Scripps's eventual merger with [[Ion Media]], owner of [[WPXN-TV]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hayes |first1=Dade |title=E.W. Scripps Buys ION Media For $2.65B, With Berkshire Hathaway Investment |url=https://deadline.com/2020/09/e-w-scripps-buys-ion-media-for-2-65b-with-berkshire-hathaway-investment-1234583423/ |website=Deadline |date=September 24, 2020 |access-date=September 25, 2020}}</ref> The sale to Mission was approved by the FCC on December 1<ref>[http://licensing.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/1819389.pdf "Notice of Consent to Assignment"], ''CDBS Public Access'', [[Federal Communications Commission]], December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.</ref> and completed on December 30.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://scripps.com/press-releases/scripps-completes-sale-of-wpix/|title=Scripps completes sale of WPIX|first=Kari|last=Wethington|date=December 30, 2020|access-date=December 30, 2020}}</ref>

On May 20, 2021, Nexstar announced that they renewed affiliations for The CW in 37 media markets, which includes WPIX.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=May 20, 2021 |title=The CW Renews Agreement With Top Affiliate Nexstar Media Group |url=https://deadline.com/2021/05/the-cw-affiliate-agreement-nexstar-media-group-renewed-1234760798/ |access-date=January 16, 2023 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}</ref>

On March 21, 2024, the FCC ruled Mission's ownership of WPIX to be an illegal circumvention of its ownership limits, due to Nexstar treating the station like its own, and ordered Nexstar to either sell it to an independent third party or sell off some of its other stations to buy WPIX outright. The decision came as [[local marketing agreement]]s and similar licensing deals came under increased scrutiny by the FCC. Nexstar stated its intent to dispute the ruling, claiming that it had always complied with FCC regulations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayes |first=Dade |date=March 21, 2024 |title=Nexstar Fined $1.2M By FCC & Could Lose Control Of CW Flagship WPIX-TV In New York; Company Vows To Fight Ruling "Vigorously" |url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/nexstar-fined-by-fcc-cw-wpix-tv-new-york-stations-1235865335/ |access-date=March 22, 2024 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |language=en-US}}</ref>