KODE signs long-term agreement to remain ABC affiliate

Nexstar Broadcasting, owner of KSNF and operator of Mission Broadcasting's KODE in Joplin, issued the following news release today:

Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc. /quotes/zigman/88285/quotes/nls/nxst NXST +2.37% announced today that it has entered into a long-term agreement with the ABC Television Network for nine of its owned or operated stations. As part of the agreement, Nexstar also announced that WFXW-TV in Terre Haute, Indiana will become that market's ABC affiliate, launching as WAWV-TV on September 1, 2011. WFXW-TV's FOX network affiliation expired in June 2010 and the station continued operating as a FOX affiliate under the previous contractual terms.


Commenting on the agreement, Nexstar Broadcasting Group President and CEO, Perry A. Sook said, "We are delighted to extend, on a long-term basis, our affiliation agreements with ABC. ABC has a solid line up of primetime programming including viewer favorites such as Modern Family, Dancing with the Stars, and Grey's Anatomy; critically-acclaimed news and information series including 20/20 and Nightline; anticipated new series coming this Fall including Pan Am and Charlie's Angels; and high profile sports programming like Saturday Night Football. With our stations also producing high quality, original, local news and other exclusive local programming, we are delivering great entertainment and information to viewers and an excellent platform for marketing solutions for local and national advertisers. We are equally delighted to re-christen WFXW as WAWV-TV which stands for 'ABC for the Wabash Valley.' WAWV's ABC affiliation enables Nexstar to continue to serve the Terre Haute community and the Wabash Valley with compelling network programming as well as local news, lifestyle, sports and weather programming. Our affiliation with ABC will also dramatically increase the amount of HD programming that our local viewers will have access to on a daily basis."

John Rouse, senior vice president, Affiliate Relations for the ABC Television Network said, "We are very pleased to extend our affiliation with Nexstar in nine key markets, and to once again have an ABC affiliated station in Terre Haute. Nexstar has a proven track record for providing local viewers with outstanding programming and community service. Their strong local news presence in Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley will help strengthen ABC's footprint in the market."

The Nexstar owned ABC affiliated stations include KMID in Odessa-Midland, Texas; KSVI in Billings, Montana; WDHN in Dothan, Alabama; WJET in Erie, Pennsylvania; and KQTV in St. Joseph, Missouri. In addition to WFXW, the stations to which Nexstar provides services to include KAMC in Lubbock, Texas; WTVO in Rockford, Illinois; WUTR in Utica, New York; and KODE in Joplin, Missouri. The previous affiliation agreement for seven of the stations ended in December 2010 and the stations continued operating as ABC affiliates through short-term extensions while two of the stations' affiliation agreements expire in December 2012.