WTVA, the Tupelo, Miss. NBC and ABC affiliate which has been owned by the Spain family for 57 years, has been sold to Heartland Media.
“We are excited about the opportunity to continue the excellent television service that have been provided for the past 57 years by the Spain family,” Bob Prather, president and CEO of Heartland said in a statement.
Heartland owns WKTV, the NBC affiliate in Utica, NY, and ABC affiliates KEZI in Eugene, KDRV in Medford and KDKF in Klamath Falls, Ore.
Prather is the former president and CEO of Gray Television, Inc. According to the release, “Under Prather’s leadership, Gray undertook an aggressive growth strategy in building a 41 station group, with the largest station in Knoxville, Tennessee (market 51).”
Until the transaction is approved by the FCC, WTVA, Inc. will continue to run the station.