Kentucky’s WBKI-TV Sold

DAVENPORT, IOWA: Fusion Communications Inc. has agreed to buy WBKI-TV, the CW affiliate in Louisville, Ky., according to Business First. The station was sold by Cascade Broadcasting Group of Spokane, Wash. Fusion created Louisville TV Group, a limited liability company, to make the purchase. Pending regulatory approval, the sale is expected to close by late summer. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Fusion Communications operates a HD video production and post facility with master control and satellite uplink capability in Davenport. It also owns Independent News Network, which produces the nightly newscast for WNDA-CA in Jeffersonville, Ind., and KLJB-TV, the Fox affiliate in Davenport, among others. Fusion picked up INN in January after the previous ownership filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Silver Beacon Media, a digital display and private broadcast network specialist, is another Fusion property. Fusion management has indicated the company intends to buy more TV stations.

Jeff Lyle, owner of Fusion, was interviewed at NAB 2009 by Limor Schafman at the JVC booth for the company’s live Webcast from the show. He talks about how Fusion maintains HD and SD studios because not all stations are capable of taking an HD feed through the control room. Most of Fusion’s clients were adding local HD capability “until the beginning of this year, until their capital ex projects came to a screeching halt,” he said. The recorded interview is available online here. -- Deborah D. McAdams