La Crosse CBS Affiliate Owner Buys Low-Power TV Stations

The owner of CBS affiliate WKBT/8 (La Crosse) is buying several low-power TV stations in the La Crosse-Eau Claire market.

The deal calls for QueenB Television, a subsidiary of Morgan Murphy Media, to buy KQEG-CD/23.1 (La Crescent-La Crosse), WEZY-LP (Tomah), and WBOO-LP (Elk Mound-Eau Claire) from Magnum Media for $1.1 million plus a $200,000 advertising credit for Magnum on WKBT. Magnum also owns six radio stations in La Crosse and Tomah, as well as radio stations elsewhere in Wisconsin

KQEG-CD (The CD stands for Class A Digital) carries lifestyle/movie network AMG TV with several local programs. WEZY-LP and WBOO-LP are currently off the air due to the discontinuation of channels 38 and up but have construction permits to return to the air on lower channels.

Documents filed with the FCC do not indicate WKBT’s plans for the stations.

WKBT has long lacked a strong signal Eau Claire, the second-largest city in its market. WKBT’s VHF digital signal transmits from 50 miles south of Eau Claire.

Meanwhile, Gray TV NBC affiliate WEAU/13.1 (Eau Claire) recently launched a translator in La Crosse and bought construction permits for two additional low-power TV stations in Eau Claire. The market’s ABC and FOX affiliates have full-power transmitters in both cities.