Byron Allen Media sells WREX and 9 other stations to WIFR parent company, Gray Media

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Byron Allen Media plans to sell 10 local TV stations, including WREX in Rockford, to Gray Media, which owns CBS affiliate WIFR.

According to Variety, the deal is expected to close later this year, subject to regulatory approval.

In a press release, Gray said it hopes to “strengthen the company’s presence in the seven other markets by creating new duopolies that would allow Gray to preserve and deepen public service to their communities with expanded local news, local weather, and local sports programming.”

The stations included in the deal are:

• Huntsville, AL WAAY (ABC)
• Paducah-Cape Girardeau-Harrisburg WSIL (ABC)
• Evansville, IN WEVV (CBS/FOX)
• Ft. Wayne, IN WFFT (FOX)
• Montgomery, AL WCOV (FOX)
• Lafayette, LA KADN (FOX/NBC)
• Columbus-Tupelo, MS WTVA (ABC/NBC)
• Rockford, IL WREX (NBC)
• Terre Haute, IN WTHI (CBS/FOX)
• West Lafayette, IN WLFI (CBS)

The $171 million deal strengthens Grays station portfolio to 113 markets with about 180 local stations.

Byron Allen started Allen Media Group 30 years ago with his talk show, and subsequently purchased The Weather Channel, several digital outlets, and local news channels.

Allen Media underwent cuts over the last year. In January, the company announced a plan to lay off local meteorologists and hub weather coverage from regional centers. It later partially reversed that decision.

In February, it refinanced a $100 million line of credit and began hubbing its stations’ weather coverage out of regional centers.

In the Rockford market, Nexstar Broadcasting owns WTVO-TV (ABC), while offering management services to FOX 39 (WQRF), which Mission Broadcasting owns.