Binghamton's WICZ-TV, Fox40 included in sale to Imagicomm, affiliate of INSP cable network
WICZ-TV, Binghamton’s Fox network affiliate, is expected to have new ownership later this year.
WICZ was among a dozen television stations included in a sale agreement last week between Cox Media Group and INSP, which has agreed to purchase the stations for an undisclosed sum. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the second half of 2022.
WSYT of Syracuse was also included in the transaction, along with markets in Arizona, Washington, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Oregon, Idaho, Mississippi, California and Louisiana. Imagicomm Communications, an affiliate of INSP, will acquire the 12 Cox Media Group stations when the transaction closes.
Binghamton’s Fox40 produces its own 6 p.m. newscast five days a week and a 10 p.m. newscast seven days a week.
“These are important local journalism and community service brands powered by incredible media professionals and journalists who work tirelessly to inform, entertain and elevate the communities they serve,” Dan York, Cox Media Group President and CEO, said in a statment. “We are pleased to advance the strategic evolution of our portfolio, are proud of our team members at these stations, and are confident they will continue to excel in their important work as part of the Imagicomm / INSP family.”
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The acquisitions mark INSP’s expansion into broadcast television. A general entertainment cable network, INSP is currently available to more than 62 million households through providers like DISH, DIRECTV, Comcast Xfinity, Charter Spectrum, SLING TV and Fubo TV.
The network’s origins date back to its founding in the late 1970s by televangelist Jim Bakker. The company was later sold and rebranded as the Inspiration Network. Now known as INSP, the network primarily features Westerns and some original series, such as “Into the Wild Frontier,” “Freedom on the Range,” and “Ultimate Cowboy Showdown.”
According to the company, its average monthly household ratings increased by more than 1,300% from 2010 through 2022, bucking viewership declines across many cable networks in the streaming age.
INSP said the acquisition of WICZ-TV and other stations is part of its corporate strategy to expand media ownership across multiple entertainment platforms.
“We are excited to be entering the broadcast television market with this strong collection of brands that are integral to informing and entertaining the communities they serve,” David Cerullo, INSP chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “We look forward to working with the stations’ talented staff and building upon their rich legacy of journalism and serving their communities, advertisers and audiences.”
Binghamton’s Channel 40 hit the airwaves Nov. 1, 1957 as WINR-TV. The station was acquired by Stainless Broadcasting in 1967 and its call letters were changed to WICZ-TV in a nod to the company's owner, Henry Guzewicz. The station was an NBC affiliate until 1996, when it jumped to Fox.
The station is headquartered in Vestal.
Chris Potter can be reached at cpotter@gannett.com or on Twitter @ChrisPotter413. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Cox Media Group sells WICZ-TV to INSP, Imagicomm Communications
