Sinclair and Cox Extend Retrans

Sinclair Broadcast Group and Cox Communications agreed to a four-year extension to their retransmission consent agreement earlier this week. No financial terms were disclosed.

The agreement covers nine Sinclair stations in six markets representing about 1.25 million subscribers. The markets include:

• KVMY/KVCW, Las Vegas
• KOKH/KOCB, Oklahoma City
• WEAR/WFGX, Pensacola, Fla. and Mobile, Ala.
• WTVZ, Norfolk, Va.
• WRLH, Richmond, Va.
• WGGB, Springfield, Mass.

Bear Stearns noted that Sinclair was expected to report $59 million in retransmission consent payments in 2007. The deal with Cox is expected to increase that revenue to around $62 million this year, and bump 2008 retrans revenue up to more than $70 million, from the previous estimate of $64 million.

Sinclair is based in Cockeysville, Md.; Cox in Atlanta.