Lexington Herald-Leader from Lexington, Kentucky • 9

Lexington Herald-Leader Lexington Ky Wednesday October 6 1993 A9 From the Front Page Day was bittersweet for Gabbard FCC must approve sale ofstations HermoLewer Swf Report of the prohibition on owning two The transfer of ownership of television stations in the same broadcast stations must be ap- market proved by the Federal Communica- Lucey said waivers must be tions Commission which generally approved by die commission does not allow cross-ownership of which could take three to four radio and television stations in the months same market Taft Snowdon an FCC attor- Anne Lucey an FCC attorney ney in the radio division said in the television division said approval for the sale of radio ownership changes can be ap- stations also is usually granted in proved in 40 to 60 days if no one 40 to 60 days after the application protests the new applies- is submitted tion In both cases die FCC staff A potential glitch in the sale of evaluates the fitness to WKYT-TV in Lexington ami operate a broadcast station Staff WYMT-TV in Hazard is their members look at the buyer's finan-slightly overlapping markets The dal condition broadcasting record new owners can ask for a waiver and honesty and character STATIONS: Winning bids picked for Kentucky Central properties Assocmted Press Atlanta businessman Mack Robinson sits on and is the largest share holder of North Carolina the board of Gray Communications Systems Inc banking giant Wachovia Corp ROBINSON: One of richest men in South is member of Gray board percent in the business to Bull Run Corp an Atlanta holding company that Robinson controls (The rest of the common stock is held by numerous individuals None owns more than 10 percent) Robinson the largest shareholder of North Carolina banking giant Wachovia Corp is Bull chairman his net worth is estimated at $325 million Bull president Robert Prather Jr is a former mergers and acquisitions executive at Fuqua Industries of Atlanta whose holdings include the company that makes Snapper lawn and garden equipment are really said Prather one of directors very very happy" have a winning team like Gray wants to buy both stations as the first step in a plan to increase its holdings Williams said want the company to be a good solid regional communications company" he said hope this is an important building Gray bid came three months after Gray was put on the market In June the estate of founder James Gray decided to sell its 26 broadcast companies very he said yesterday Through the first 11 months of 1992 the television stations had revenue of $1214 milium and operating cash flow of $138 millkm The radio stations had revenue of $42 million and operating rash flow of $174 million Gray Communications is a relatively small media company but backed by big-money investors The company owns a newspaper Albany and television stations in Albany Panama City Fla and Monroe La Gray Communications is controlled by Bull Run Corp whose principals include Mack Robinson the largest shareholder of North Carolina banking giant Wachovia Corp Hacker declined to identify the members of the investor group backing him but state officials said it included WVLK staff members Hacker formed HMH Broadcasting in March with himself as the only director Lexington lawyer Fred Fugazzi Jr was listed as the agent in Kentucky The sale of the stations would further break apart the empire of the late Lexington financier Gar-vice Kincaid who put together a string of Southern radio stations under the mantle of Bluegrass Broadcasting Under Kincaid Kentucky Central bought WKYT-TV from Taft Broadcasting of Cincinnati in 1967 At the time the station operated out of a rustic collection of offices on New Circle Road The sales office was in a trailer said Hart Hagan who ran Bluegrass Broadcasting from the late 1960s until he retired at the end of 1989 About 1970 the station moved to its present facility on Winchester Road Hagan said In 1976 a year after Kincaid died WKYT became the top news station in Lexington a position it has not relinquished were willing and able to spend money to get the news on the Hagan said hate to see it broken Hacker at a glance Name: Ralph Hacker Age: 49 Hometown: Richmond Family: A daughter Heather Marie Hacker 17 Education: Eastern Kentucky University where he majored in speech and drama Careen Began at age 15 at WEKY in Richmond Came to Lexington in 1965 and worked for WBLG Moved to WVLK in 1966 and is now vice president and general manager By Susan White HeraldLeader State Writer Yesterday afternoon Betty Chambers stood behind her desk in the WKYT lobby ate half a doughnut and talked calmly about the future Like most of the station's 110 staff members she had hoped die station would be bought by Ralph Gabbard WKYTs general manager for the past 21 years and the only boss some of them have ever known But Gabbard worked hard yester- news philosophy Is the same as day to reassure his employees (110 in Lexington 50 in Hazard) about their fu- Salts Gabbakd WKYTs general manager tore and his efforts were paying off been prepared for Chambers said work For Gabbard the day was bittersweet He said file difference between his offer and the winning offer had been peanuts in the scope of He had even offered to pay mere than Gray winning bid But when state officials said no he began painting a new future for himself and his staff Gray Communications is an company he said with enthusiasm Its three other TV stations may be far smaller than WKYT but file company is preparing to buy more to build major communications company" Gray also thinks WYMT-TV the Hazard station Gabbard has nurtured through the years has a good deal of growth potential And Gabbard spoke of new job opportunities within the company for WKYTs current employees Made Robinson chid operator has asked him to help with the building process Gabbard said And while Gabbard signed a contract yet he says he feels about the offer "Their news philosophy is the same as mine Mr Robinson said and this is a direct quote I have is first class and I want these television stations to be first ROCKER RECUNER "NEW RECUNA-ROCKER RECUNER OR RECUNA-WAY WAIL CHAIR 104 AMO-9 12-0 From Page ONE el's bid worn wife said it the best feel like a kid knowing up for adoption but not knowing going to adopt you if they are going to like you or where you are Pattie said we find out we get to stay WKYT news director John Bo-bel said the reaction at the station was a collective sigh of relief time involved with a property in transition the level of anxiety feeds on Bobel said a matter of just not knowing Even as late as this afternoon there were statements that maybe we be Insurance Commissioner Don Stephens who has overseen Kentucky Central since the state seized it Feb 12 said selection of die winning bids is just the first step toward the sale (rf the stations State officials will negotiate definitive sales agreements with the two companies which Stephens said should take two or dune weeks At that point the financial consultants will evaluate the bids for the entire life insurance operation including the broadcast stations Officials then will decide whether to sell the television and radio stations with the life insurance company or to sell them separately to Gray Communications and HMH Broadcasting Stephens said If the bids are inadequate he said the state still could decide to keep Kentucky Central intact and rehabilitate the company under state control Stephens said the state will choose the method that brings in the most money He would not disclose the amounts of winning bids because that would give potential bidders for the entire company a benchmark to work from he said Kentucky Central's management estimated in January that the broadcasting properties were likely to sell for $462 million The bidding started in July and Stephens said he would have been happy to get $43 million for the By Tom Carter Herald Lensa State Whiter A pleasant but hardly outstanding production of Man of la Mancha opened last night at the Opera House as tlie first in this season's Broadway Series of touring shows This verckffl of the Tony-award winning best muskal of 19ti6 partially redeemed itself by playing well the poignant dosing scenes but otherwise seemed more xvu-pkd with the musk-aTs surfice charm than its dtpth and emotkrn Still to ctxnc in this series arc htrfff and Hess and Okkihonw Audiences have a right to expect much more in the way of a well-rounded production fnsn those two American classics than they arc getting in this show Man of la Mancha is a musical version Miguel tie 17th century novel of a dignified country gentleman who believes is in sion properties Gabbard said he was pleased Hacker was successful very happy for Ralph He deserved said Gabbard president of Kentucky Central Television Inc which owns WKYT-TV (Channel 27) in Lexington and WYMT-TV (Channel 57) in Hazard both worked hard for Kentucky Gray Communications Systems Inc of Albany Ga submitted the winning bid for file television From Page ONE affiliates in Lexington and Hazard Gray owns NBC affiliates in Albany Panama City Fla and' Monroe La and publishes The Albany Herald It had revenue last year of $275 million The company would make no big changes at WKYT or WYMT Robinson said WKYT is of the prime stations in the and WYMT is doing a super he said rock the boat when you WINNER: Bid returns Hacker to the spotlight From Page ONE WVLK-FM (929) be more he said just thrilled to death to be only locally owned radio Hacker would not disclose the amount of the bid or the names of his six partners all Kentuckians Hacker 49 said there will be no staff program or management changes at the station just going to do everything just the way we've done he said That might be a first for Hacker known for having his hands in a number of high-profile areas Among other things Hacker Recently resigned as vice chairman of fire Kentucky Lottery Corp board which came under fire for mismanagement Succeeded longtime UK sports announcer Cawood Ledford last fall as the voice of the UK not depth and Susan Nock as Dulcinca the object of Quixote's affection fares well throughout as a lusty brawkr but she find her singing stride until late in the show with her own But her rendering at Cervantes deathbed is exceptional Until the show begins to get vety serious very late much of tlie action is played kxisely and for laughs It's what makes segments like the second act's virtually the only element in the show that approaches dance and Knight of the Mirrors" seem part of a different pnxluction altogether Additional performances of Man of I a Mancha arc at 2 pm and 8 Pm tmhty at the Opera I base Tickets Hitt he available at the floor NOW HEAR THISI Control Kontucky Radio Cya Inc a nonprofit radio readng fcxvfco has rocoivors cwanablo tor listonoa who art) bUnd or vtsuaity Impaired For more HOrmatton about how you can got a reetto col 606-257' 2702 And vduntww to read nnwspapm and mogamos are noocfocL Ploaso cal Iho samo tok phono numbur Wildcats Decided in 1989 not to oppose incumbent US Sen Mitch McConnell in the Republican primary- Headed the Republicans for (Wallace) Wilkinson campaign in the 1987 gubernatorial race and was one of nominees to the board that oversees the lottery Although Hacker's longtime pal and fellow broadcasting executive Ralph Gabbard lost his bid to obtain the Kentucky Central televi LA-Z-B Showcase shoppe 52 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS CLASSICS' HIGH-LEG RECUNER has charm himself to be a knight dedicated to righting wrongs In this version an imprisoned Cervantes tells his story for the amusement and distraetkm of inmates who would otherwise put him and his squire in peril Most of the first act songs were done passably but were not engrossing Elizabeth Dresser as An-lsiia in "I'm Only Thinking of Him" is the first very fine voice heard and her part is small Site's followed dosely by Roy Bean as the silly padre who drops the silliness for strength in Each His Own IXikinea" Ronald Brown as Cervantes Quixote lias a shaky regal bearing that txvtxues more effective as tlie show gixs imi and his vowe is adequate for the repetitive anthem-style songs he has Urn (JuixiSe" LA-Z-REST 2 FOR 4 In A Class By Itself For Information on how to uw the lexfnoton Hetaid Loader In your classroom call Sylvia Smith at 231-3353 RECUNA-ROCKER RECUNER OR PICK A PAIR RECUNA-WAY WALL CHAIR PICK YOUR PRICK you coni um I I WwNi CUT THE PRICK IN 'I Chooto Rom our ontlro stock ol gomilno la-X-Sov'chaln SliowaxsJshoppe 2300 Nlcholasvllle Road 2777438 Dolly Sun i i.