Gray Television, owner of WOIO and WUAB, will air five Cleveland Cavaliers games on WUAB during the second half of the NBA season, marking the first time local telecasts of the team will be available on over-the-air television since 2017-18. This comes as part of a deal approved in bankruptcy court, allowing organizations to sell games to other broadcast partners. With the Cavs playing well and holding the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, the increased exposure through over-the-air and cable/satellite systems will boost interest in the team. The sports television market is evolving, with potential involvement from big tech like Amazon and traditional media players in the future.
This article discusses Gray Media Group's approach to artificial intelligence in journalism, highlighting their journalists' role in reporting, writing, editing, and producing news content that informs the communities they serve.
Gray Television is testing a new version of its Roku app for its local ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC stations. The new and improved WBAY app, version 2.0, will make catching the latest live newscasts, 24/7 First Alert Weather, and streaming all breaking news easier than ever. The app has been moved to the bottom of the Roku homescreen, but users can easily move it to the top for easy access. The new version will be available on Roku to 100 various other Gray Media stations, as well as eventually launching on FireTV and AppleTV.
Phoenix Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein issued a statement expressing the team's commitment to finding a "fair resolution" after a bankruptcy judge blocked their move from Bally Sports Arizona to Gray Television and Kiswe. The Suns and Mercury will now be televised by Arizona's Family KTVK, KPHO, and KPHE. Diamond Sports Group, which owns Bally Sports Arizona, alleges breach of contract and claims it has first right of refusal to match any deal offered to the Suns and Mercury while under contract. The Suns project nearly 2.8 million viewers through their new deal.
A bankruptcy judge in Texas has halted a potential deal between the Phoenix Suns basketball team, Gray Television, and streaming service Kiswe, after Diamond Sports Group, the owner of cable channel Bally’s Sports Arizona, claimed that the team violated U.S. bankruptcy laws with the agreement. The judge granted Diamond’s request to halt the Suns deal, for now, with Arizona’s Family and Kiswe, but ruled that Gray Television and Kiswe did not violate bankruptcy laws.
A judge in the Texas Southern Bankruptcy Court has ruled that the new media deal announced by the Phoenix Suns and Mercury with Gray Television and Kiswe is void, as Diamond Sports, the operator of Bally Sports Arizona, remains in bankruptcy. The judge said the Suns and Mercury failed to respond to Diamond Sports’ letters stating interest in matching a new deal. Diamond Sports sued the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, plus the two media partners on May 3 after the teams announced a move to Gray and Kiswe, the latter of which is a streaming service.
A judge has halted the Phoenix Suns' deal to air regular season games on local broadcast TV and a direct-to-consumer streaming service and exit its agreement with a regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports. The Suns reached a deal with Gray Television to air all their regular-season games, beginning next year, on local broadcast networks available across Arizona. Diamond Sports, which filed for bankruptcy protection in March, argued that the Suns violated a section of the bankruptcy code and must comply with the terms of their current agreement. The judge ruled in favor of Diamond Sports and ordered the Suns and Diamond to come to a consensual agreement.
The Phoenix Suns and Mercury have signed a new media rights deal with Gray Television, Inc. that will see their home games broadcast to nearly 2.8 million households in Arizona for free on television and streamed online on a new service called Kiswe, starting in 2023-24. The teams' contract with Bally Sports Arizona expired this season, and Diamond Sports Group, which owns the TV rights to 16 teams, filed for bankruptcy last month. The move is in line with the NBA's direction of returning to over-the-air broadcasts and direct-to-consumer options to reach younger audiences. Diamond Sports has alleged that the Suns breached their contract and violated bankruptcy law, and the matter is expected to drag out in court.
Diamond Sports Group accuses Phoenix Suns of breach of contract and violation of bankruptcy law for leaving Bally Sports Arizona for Gray Television and Kiswe. Suns deny the claims and say they are moving forward with the deal. The new partnership will allow for all non-national exclusive games to be broadcasted on KTVK and KPHE, with nearly 2.8 million households in Arizona projected to be reached. Kiswe will provide a DTC streaming option for fans to access games through a Suns or Mercury branded app.
The Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury have signed a deal with Gray Television to air their regular seasons on local broadcast networks throughout Arizona, marking a pivotal moment that will see a professional sports team exit the regional sports business and bring regular season games back to fans through their local TV stations. The teams also signed a deal with Kiswe to start their own direct-to-consumer streaming service. The move comes as regional sports networks have been under pressure as customers cut their pay-TV subscriptions and opt for streaming.
Lesley Swick Van Ness, a former news anchor for WGEM-TV in Illinois and executive for its corporate parent, Gray Television, died unexpectedly at the age of 42 while on vacation in Naples, Florida with her family. Van Ness became ill and was hospitalized, but no cause of death was released. She was remembered by colleagues as a commanding presence and a force to be reckoned with. Van Ness' funeral will take place at St. John's Anglican Parish in Quincy, Illinois on Monday.
Lesley Swick Van Ness, a former news anchor for WGEM, passed away suddenly while on vacation with her family at the age of 42. Van Ness started as a reporter in 2003 and became a corporate recruiter for Quincy Media in 2016. She was described as a phenomenal journalist and an exceptional mother and wife who worked to create opportunities for future journalists across the United States via fellowship programs and paid internships.
Lesley Swick Van Ness, a former news anchor for WGEM, passed away suddenly while on vacation with her family in Naples, Florida at the age of 42. Van Ness started as a reporter in 2003 and worked her way up to become a weekday evening anchor before leaving in 2016 to become a corporate recruiter for Quincy Media. She was described as a phenomenal journalist and an exceptional mother and wife who worked to create opportunities for future journalists across the United States via fellowship programs and paid internships.
