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ABC has found a new home in Providence, R.I., signing a 10-year affiliation deal with Freedom Communications' CBS affiliate WLNE, a VHF. In March, WLNE learned it would lose its CBS affiliation because the network had agreed to add the current ABC affiliate WPRI, also a VHF, to its stable of owned-and-operated stations. "It's a very exciting day for this television station," says Paul Kilcullen, general manager of WLNE, of the move from No. 3 CBS to No. 1 ABC. However, it seems unlikely that the network change will completely reverse WLNE's fortunes. WLNE has long been the market's third-place station; according to the Nielsen February book, it earned only a 3 rating and 10 share for the sign-on-to-sign-off period. WPRI is second with a 5/14, while the NBC affiliate, Outlet Broadcasting's WJAR, is dominant with 8/24. WNAC, the UHF Fox affiliate, gets a 5/2. Kilcullen anticipates beefing up the station's news operations with the move to ABC, adding early morning and midday newscasts. The switch will take place when the $85 million deal for the station between Narragansett Television and CBS closes. The date is undetermined because the deal is pending FCC approval, but the parties estimate it will happen between July and September.
In Toledo, Ohio, where affiliations have been unresolved since last October, sources say that NBC is negotiating an affiliation deal with WNWO, currently with ABC. As in Providence, a new network O&O rearranged the affiliations in Toledo. This time, it was ABC that upset the balance, buying NBC affiliate WTVG from SJL Broadcast Management. Although ABC has not yet given WNWO an affiliation termination notice, that is expected to happen this month. Once it does, negotiations between WNWO and NBC should heat up. All parties involved are expected to agree to switch the affiliations as ABC takes possession of WTVG, which could take place by the end...