Hearst to Buy Florida Station WBBH From Waterman Broadcasting

By Kevin Eck 

Hearst has agreed to acquire WBBH in Fort Myers, Fla., from Waterman Broadcasting Corporation.

The announcement was made by Steven R. Swartz, president and CEO of Hearst, and Jordan Wertlieb, president of Hearst Television Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Under the transaction, Hearst will also assume Waterman Broadcasting’s programming relationship with Montclair Communications, Inc., owner of ABC affiliate WZVN.

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“This transaction provides an excellent strategic fit for our company and underscores our commitment to local television broadcasting and to leadership in our television markets across the country,” Swartz said.

“Bernie and Edith Waterman have been outstanding stewards of WBBH-TV and the programming relationship with WZVN-TV. They have served the viewers of Fort Myers and Naples with distinction since 1979. Of course, both stations provided important lifesaving coverage during Hurricane Ian and have been providing information and updates as the area recovers and rebuilds. We are proud to have been selected to continue the legacy of such distinguished broadcasters,” Wertlieb said.

“The decision to sell WBBH is challenging and emotional,” said Edith B. Waterman, president of Waterman Broadcasting. “We have had the great privilege of proudly serving southwest Florida for more than four decades. Broadcasting has filled our lives with wonderful relationships and deep ties to our communities. I am so grateful to all the talented and dedicated employees who made our innovative stations pillars of their communities and great places to work and grow over the last 67 years.”

“Hearst Television has long admired the manner in which Waterman Broadcasting, together with Montclair Communications, under the leadership of Lara Kunkler, have demonstrated a consistent commitment to excellence in both news and community service; these are the twin pillars of success in local television and are core tenets of Hearst,” said Michael J. Hayes, Hearst Television’s chief operating officer. “We look forward to upholding that tradition in the rapidly growing Southwest Florida region.”

Fort Myers-Naples is the 55th largest television market in the United States. Hearst also owns WESH and WKCF in Orlando, WPBF in West Palm Beach and WMOR in Tampa-St. Petersburg. Hearst Television reaches nearly one out of every five households in the U.S.

WBBH went on the air in December 1968 as the market’s NBC affiliate. Waterman Broadcasting Corporation was founded by Bernard Waterman in 1956 when he purchased WAAB-AM in Worcester, Mass.

The anticipated closing date for the transaction is third-quarter 2023, pending completion of all regulatory approvals.

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