NEW YORK, NY — Pending regulatory approval, Southwest Florida’s NBC affiliate WBBH-TV is changing hands after decades of local ownership.
On April 5, 2023, New York City-based national broadcaster Hearst Television announced that it had agreed to acquire WBBH-TV from Waterman Broadcasting Corporation.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but the deal includes Hearst assuming Waterman’s programming relationship with Montclair Communications, Inc., owner of WZVN-TV, Southwest Florida’s ABC affiliate.
WBBH-TV went on the air in December 1968. WBBH and WZVN began a programming relationship in 1994.
The anticipated closing date for the transaction is third-quarter 2023, pending completion of all regulatory approvals.
