One week ago RBR+TVBR shared the news that the Kathy Lau and John Exline-led Red River Broadcast Co. has signed off the sale of KVRR-15 in Fargo and full-time satellites KJRR-7 in Jamestown, N.D. and KBRR-10 in Thief River Falls, Minn.; and FOX-affiliated sibling KQDS-21 in Duluth, Minn.-Superior, Wisc., to Coastal Television.

That deal came after a June 2023 announcement that, after more than 18 months of waiting for FCC action, Forum Communications Company said it was longer buying the stations.

We now know what Red River is pocketing from the new deal, and how it compares to the transaction that never came to pass.

According to a lengthy 82-page contract dated December 1 and submitted on Monday for regulatory approval with the Commission, Red River is earning $18.1 million from the deal.

A $905,000 escrow deposit is being held by Kalil & Co., the broker of record in this transaction.

The Forum deal also saw Kalil & Co. serve as the seller’s broker of record.

How did that transaction compare, financially speaking? According to the original asset purchase agreement, Forum was to have paid a $1.2 million escrow deposit to Citibank B.A., ahead of a total purchase price of $24 million.

Thus, Red River is selling the stations at a lesser price.

Forum was unable to move forward with the deal as it could not obtain a “Big Four” rule waiver from a FCC that under Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has put more scrutiny into local ownership rule limits, rather than thawing them to allow for more consolidation in an era where unregulated local digital media is siphoning ad dollars — and eyeballs — away from local linear media.