Two local news television stations are coming under new ownership as a part of a larger media acquisition.
Rincon Broadcasting has finalized its acquisition of five regional television stations across the Midwest from Sinclair.
The stations include WVTV (CW, MyNetworkTV) in Milwaukee, Wis.; WICD (ABC) and WICS (ABC) in Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, Ill.; KHQA (CBS, ABC) in Quincy, Ill., Hannibal, Mo., and Keokuk, Iowa; and KTVO (ABC, CBS) in Ottumwa, Iowa, and Kirksville, Mo.
The $29.4 million acquisition was approved by the FCC, who granted the transfer of licenses, according to a press release.
In granting the waiver, the FCC stated that the public interest benefits of the transaction outweighed potential harms. The commission cited preservation of local news services in the affected markets and found that the deal would not pose competitive harm.
The license transfer faced opposition from public interest group Frequency Forward, which petitioned the FCC to deny the application. The group cited Sinclair’s prior use of operational partnerships to bypass ownership limits.
All stations will continue to provide operational and administrative services to GOCOM Media television stations under Rincon’s ownership.
Rincon Broadcasting Group is a privately held media company that acquires and operates mid-market television stations. The company is led by Todd Parkin. Parkin is a former advertising sales representative for the Bally Sports-branded regional networks, which Sinclair once owned. Parkin also served as the Managing Director of Media and Vice President of Growth at Atlanta-based Think Consulting as recently as January 2025. He was the Vice President of Ad Sales and Strategy for the Bally Sports regional sports networks from February 2020 to April 2022, according to a Muddy River News report.
The sale will not affect any current broadcast schedule operations.