The owner of Huntsville television station WAFF Channel 48 has purchased the media group owner of WAAY Channel 31, also of Huntsville, in a multi-station deal.

Atlanta-based Gray Media reached an agreement with Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group to acquire television stations in 10 markets – including Montgomery’s WCOV Channel 20 – for $171 million, according to a news release.

Allen Media began selling stations in June and was the subject of controversy when it planned to slash its TV meteorologists in favor of The Weather Channel providing local coverage.

However, the company reversed that decision based on “viewer and advertiser reaction.”

According to a news release, Gray expects the transaction to strengthen the company’s presence in the seven other markets by creating new duopolies that would allow Gray to preserve and deepen public service to their communities with expanded local news, local weather, and local sports programming.

Specifically, the transaction includes the following local television stations: Huntsville,  WAAY (ABC); Paducah-Cape Girardeau-Harrisburg, WSIL (ABC); Evansville, Ind., WEVV (CBS/FOX); Fort Wayne, Ind., WFFT (FOX); Montgomery, WCOV (FOX); Lafayette, La., KADN (FOX/NBC); Columbus-Tupelo, Miss., WTVA (ABC/NBC); Rockford, Ill. WREX (NBC); Terre Haute, Ind., WTHI (CBS/FOX); and West Lafayette, Ind., WLFI (CBS).

Courtesy of 256 Today