LocusPoint Networks

LocusPoint Networks LLC was an owner of television stations in the United States. The company is 99% owned by The Blackstone Group. After selling off most of their in 2017 and 2018 in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) spectrum auction and to other broadcasters, they owned one remaining station, WLEP-LD in Erie, Pennsylvania, whose license they turned in to the FCC effective February 12, 2019.

LocusPoint Networks LLC
TypePrivate
IndustryBroadcast television
Founded2012
Defunct2019
HeadquartersPleasanton, California,
Key people
Ravi Patharlanka, President
OwnerBlackstone Group (99%)
Websitelocuspointnetworks.com

One of the company's acquisitions, WMGM-TV, was rumored to have been purchased only to be sold in a spectrum auction in 2015.[1] When the FCC auction finally occurred LocusPoint failed to successfully win a bid to sell the station's spectrum to the FCC. On June 26, 2017, LocusPoint Networks agreed to sell WMGM-TV to Univision Communications, through its Univision Local Media subsidiary, for $6 million.[2] The deal will make WMGM-TV a sister station to WUVP-DT and WFPA-CD.

On April 12, 2017, LocusPoint Networks, hired by the San Mateo Community College District to sell KCSM-TV in the spectrum auction, claimed fiscal mismanagement by school officials and administrators to fulfill their basic duties to facilitate the sale properly. The station was to be sold in the auction due to the college's $1 million annual losses. In turn, the District has counter-sued LocusPoint and its partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, for failure to enter KCSM-TV into the FCC auction.[3]

On April 13, 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that LocusPoint's WLPH-CD and WQVC-CD were successful bidders in the spectrum auction. WLPH-CD, which had already been silent since LocusPoint acquired it in 2014, would be surrendering its license in exchange for $3,994,492 and WQVC-CD would be surrendering its license in exchange for $11,196,327.[4] LocusPoint surrendered the licenses for both stations to the FCC for cancellation on August 8, 2017.

Former stations

City of license / Market Station Channel
TV (RF)
Years owned Current ownership status
San Francisco, California KCNZ-CD 28 (28) 2012–2017 Sold to CNZ Communications on August 14, 2017.
Miami, Florida WLPH-CD 44 2014–2017 defunct, went off the air August 8, 2017.
Orlando, Florida WRCF-CD 29 (35) 2013–2017 Sold to Univision Communications on August 14, 2017.
Plano, Illinois WLPD-CD 30 (35) 2013–2018 Sold to Trinity Broadcasting Network in 2018
Towson, Maryland WMJF-CD 39 2013–2018 Sold to HME Equity Fund II on April 8, 2018, no longer operated by Towson University.
Detroit, Michigan WHPS-CD 33 (33) 2014–2018 Sold to HME Equity Fund II in 2018
WDWO-CD 18 (18) 2013–2018 Sold to TCT in 2018[5]
Wildwood, New Jersey (Atlantic City) WMGM-TV 40 (36) 2014–2017 Sold to Univision Communications on November 14, 2017
Edison, New Jersey WDVB-CD 23 (23) 2013–2018 Sold to Trinity Broadcasting Network in 2018
Buffalo, New York WBNF-CD 15 (15) 1 Sold to HME Equity Fund II on February 19, 2016.
Greensburg, Pennsylvania WQVC-CD 28 (46) 2015–2017 defunct, went off the air August 8, 2017.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin WMKE-CD 7 (21) 2014–2018 Sold to CNZ Communications in 2017
Erie, Pennsylvania WLEP-LD 9 (43) 2015–2019 defunct; license cancelled February 12, 2019.

References

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