This article needs additional citations for verification .(January 2013) |
Type | Public |
---|---|
NASDAQ: FSCI | |
Industry | Broadcasting, Television, Radio |
Founded | 1910 |
Defunct | August 8, 2013 |
Fate | Acquired by Sinclair |
Successor | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Headquarters | Seattle, Washington, United States |
Area served | Northwestern United States |
Key people | Colleen Brown (President) & (CEO) Michael D. Wortsman (Chair) Robert I. (Rob) Dunlop (EVP) (Ops) [1] |
Revenue | $164.0M ( 6.8%) 2011 [1] |
$36.4M ( 273.8%) 2011 [1] | |
Number of employees | 784 (5.3%) 2011 [1] |
Fisher Communications was a media company in the United States. Based in Seattle, Washington, the company primarily owned a number of radio and television stations in the Western United States. It was the last company in the Seattle area to own a local TV station before being acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Fisher was acquired the same year KOMO-TV's competitor KING-TV's owner, Belo, was acquired by the Gannett Company.
Fisher Companies, Inc.'s Fisher Communications by 1998 owned 25 radio stations and 2 TV stations. Fisher Companies also owned a flour milling and food distribution company and real estate development subsidiary. [2]
In 1999 Retlaw Enterprises (a company owned by the relatives of Walt Disney) sold its remaining 11 television stations to Fisher Communications, including all of the related assets to those properties [3] for $215 million in cash. [2] Its broadcasting unit, until the 2000s, was Fisher Broadcasting. Also that year, Fisher is launching its own entertainment division, Fisher Entertainment, to be headed by Alan Winters, a syndication executive. [4]
Fisher began to sell many of its properties in the mid-2000s, including real estate, its longtime flour milling operation, and its stake in Safeco. [5] By 2011, Fisher Communications was down to 10 radio stations. [1] On April 11, 2013, Fisher (which by then owned 20 television stations and only three radio stations) announced that it would be acquired by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. [5] However, the deal was subject to financial scrutiny; the law firm Levi & Korsinsky notified Fisher shareholders with accusations that Fisher's board of directors were breaching fiduciary duties by "failing to adequately shop the Company before agreeing to enter into the transaction", and Sinclair was underpaying for Fisher's stock. [6] Shortly after the announcement, a lawsuit was filed by a Fisher shareholder; [7] the suit was settled in July 2013, [8] on August 6 Fisher's shareholders approved the merger. [9] The FCC granted its approval of the sale of August 7. [10] On August 8, Sinclair announced that the sale was completed. [11]
Stations are arranged alphabetically by state and by city of license.
AM Station | FM Station |
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City of license / Market | Station | Years owned | Current status |
---|---|---|---|
Billings, MT | KBLG 910 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Desert Mountain Broadcasting |
KYYA 93.3 | 1994–2006 | KURL, owned by Elenbaas Media, Inc | |
KRKX 94.1 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Desert Mountain Broadcasting | |
KRZN 96.3 ** | 1998–2006 | Owned by Desert Mountain Broadcasting | |
Butte, MT | KXTL 1370 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media |
KAAR 92.5 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
KMBR 95.5 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
Great Falls, MT | KXGF 1400 | 1994–2011 | Owned by STARadio Corporation |
KQDI 1450 | –2011 | Owned by STARadio Corporation | |
KAAK 98.9 | 1994–2011 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
KIKF 104.9 ** | 2001–2011 | Owned by STARadio Corporation | |
KQDI-FM 106.1 | –2011 | Owned by STARadio Corporation | |
KINX 107.3 ** | 2002–2011 | KIMO, owned by Montana Radio Company | |
Missoula, MT | KYLT 1340 | –2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media |
KGRZ 1450 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
KGGL 93.3 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
KXDR 98.7 | –2006 | KHKM, owned by Legacy Broadcasting, Inc. | |
KZOQ-FM 100.1 | –2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
KBQQ 106.7 | 2003–2006 | KXDR, owned by Cherry Creek Radio | |
Portland, OR | KOTK 1090 | 1996–2003 | KFXX, owned by Audacy, Inc. |
KWJJ-FM 99.5 | 1996–2003 | Owned by Audacy, Inc. | |
Seattle–Tacoma, WA | KVI 570 | 1994–2013 | Owned by Lotus Communications |
KOMO 1000 ** | 1926–2013 | KNWN, owned by Lotus Communications | |
KOMO-FM 97.7 | [lower-alpha 1] | KNWN-FM, owned by Lotus Communications | |
KPLZ-FM 101.5 | 1994–2013 | Owned by Lotus Communications | |
Wenatchee, WA | KWWX 1340 | –2006 | KYSP, owned by Townsquare Media |
KWWW-FM 96.7 | –2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
KYSN 97.7 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
KXAA/KAPP 99.5 | 1994–2006 | KAPL-FM, owned by Townsquare Media | |
KZPH 106.7 | 1997–2006 | KKWN, owned by Townsquare Media |
City of license / Market | Station | Channel | Years owned | Current status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bakersfield, CA [12] | KBAK-TV | 29 | 2008–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
KBFX-CD | 58 | 2008–2013 | Fox affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
Fresno–Visalia, CA | KJEO | 47 | 1999–2000 [lower-alpha 1] | CBS affiliate KGPE, owned by Nexstar Media Group |
Augusta, GA | WFXG | 54 | 1999–2003 [lower-alpha 1] | Fox affiliate owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group |
Columbus, GA | WXTX | 54 | 1999–2003 [lower-alpha 1] | Fox affiliate owned by American Spirit Media [lower-alpha 2] |
Boise, ID | KBOI-TV | 2 | 1999–2013 [lower-alpha 1] | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
KYUU-LD | 35 | 2006–2013 | The CW affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
Idaho Falls–Pocatello, ID | KIDK | 3 | 1999–2013 [lower-alpha 1] | Dabl affiliate owned by VistaWest Media, LLC [lower-alpha 3] |
KXPI-LD | 34 | 2006–2013 | Fox affiliate owned by News-Press & Gazette Company | |
Lewiston, ID–Spokane, WA | KLEW-TV [upper-alpha 1] | 3 | 1999–2013 [lower-alpha 1] | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
Bend, OR | KABH-CA [upper-alpha 2] | 15 | [lower-alpha 4] | Defunct, license cancelled in 2015 |
Eugene–Coos Bay–Roseburg, OR | KVAL-TV | 13 | 1999–2013 [lower-alpha 1] | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
KCBY-TV [upper-alpha 3] | 11 | 1999–2013 [lower-alpha 1] | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
KPIC [upper-alpha 3] | 4 | 1999–2013 [lower-alpha 1] | CBS affiliate owned by South West Oregon TV Broadcasting [lower-alpha 5] | |
KMTR | 16 | 2013 [lower-alpha 6] | NBC affiliate owned by Roberts Media, LLC [lower-alpha 7] | |
KMCB [upper-alpha 4] | 23 | 2013 [lower-alpha 6] | NBC affiliate owned by Roberts Media, LLC [lower-alpha 7] | |
KTCW [upper-alpha 4] | 46 | 2013 [lower-alpha 6] | NBC affiliate owned by Roberts Media, LLC [lower-alpha 7] | |
Portland, OR–Vancouver, WA | KATU ** | 2 | 1962–2013 | ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
KUNP | 16 | 2006–2013 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
Seattle–Tacoma, WA | KOMO-TV ** | 4 | 1953–2013 | ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
KUNS-TV | 51 | 2006–2013 | The CW affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
Yakima–Walla Walla, WA | KIMA-TV | 29 | 1999–2013 [lower-alpha 1] | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
KEPR-TV [upper-alpha 1] | 19 | 1999–2013 [lower-alpha 1] | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
KUNW-CD | 2 | 2007–2013 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
KVVK-CD [upper-alpha 5] | 15 | 2007–2013 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
KORX-CA [upper-alpha 5] | 16 | 2007–2013 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
KWWA-CA [upper-alpha 5] | 49 | 2007–2008 | Defunct, ceased operations in 2008 |
On December 17, 2008, Fisher Communications' contract expired with Dish Network. As a result of this contract dispute, stations owned by Fisher Communications were no longer available to Dish Network subscribers. Dish Network claimed that Fisher is asking for over an 80% increase. [13] The Fisher stations that returned to Dish Network are: KOMO and KUNS in Seattle.; KATU and KUNP in Portland.; KIMA in Yakima, Washington.; KVAL in Eugene, Oregon.; KBCI (now KBOI) in Boise, Idaho; KIDK in Idaho Falls, Idaho; and KBAK and KBFX in Bakersfield, California. Dish Network restored the service to their customers at 10:25 p.m. PST on June 10. [14]
KOMO-TV is a television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Bellevue-licensed CW affiliate KUNS-TV. The two stations share studios within KOMO Plaza in the Lower Queen Anne section of Seattle adjacent to the Space Needle; KOMO-TV's transmitter is located in the city's Queen Anne neighborhood.
LIN Media was an American holding company founded in 1994 that operated 43 television stations. All except one were affiliates of the six major U.S. television networks. One of the remaining stations was a low powered weather station in Indiana.
KNWN is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Seattle, Washington, and serving the Seattle metropolitan area. Owned by Lotus Communications, the station primarily airs an all-news radio format. It is the local affiliate for ABC News Radio and identifies itself as "Northwest News Radio."
KATU is a television station in Portland, Oregon, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside La Grande–licensed Univision affiliate KUNP. Both stations share studios on NE Sandy Boulevard in Portland, while KATU's transmitter is located in the Sylvan-Highlands section of the city.
KMTR is a television station in Eugene, Oregon, United States, affiliated with NBC and The CW Plus. It is owned by Roberts Media, LLC, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of CBS affiliate KVAL-TV, for the provision of certain services. Both stations share studios on Blanton Road in Eugene, while KMTR's transmitter is located on Coburg Ridge. KMTR maintained separate facilities on International Court in Springfield, Oregon, until 2020 when the station relocated to KVAL's building; master control and some internal operations for KMTR were based at the KVAL studios.
KUNS-TV is a television station licensed to Bellevue, Washington, United States, serving the Seattle area as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside ABC affiliate KOMO-TV. The two stations share studios within KOMO Plaza in the Lower Queen Anne section of Seattle; KUNS-TV's transmitter is located in the city's Queen Anne neighborhood.
Retlaw Enterprises, originally Walt Disney Miniature Railroad, then Walt Disney, Inc. (WDI), and then WED Enterprises (WED), was a privately held company owned by the heirs of entertainment mogul Walt Disney. Disney formed the company to control the rights to his name and to manage two Disneyland attractions that he personally owned. The name, Retlaw, is Walter spelled backwards.
KIMA-TV is a television station in Yakima, Washington, United States, affiliated with CBS and The CW Plus. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside low-power, Class A Univision affiliate KUNW-CD. Both stations share studios on Terrace Heights Boulevard in Yakima, while KIMA-TV's transmitter is located on Ahtanum Ridge.
KEPR-TV is a television station licensed to Pasco, Washington, United States, serving the Tri-Cities area as an affiliate of CBS and The CW Plus. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station maintains studios on West Lewis Street in Pasco and a transmitter on Johnson Butte near Kennewick.
KLEW-TV is a television station licensed to Lewiston, Idaho, United States, affiliated with CBS. The station serves the Lewis–Clark Valley and Palouse regions of north-central Idaho and southeastern Washington, as well as Wallowa County, Oregon. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, KLEW-TV maintains studios on 17th Street in Lewiston, and its transmitter is located near Clarkston, Washington.
KBOI-TV is a television station in Boise, Idaho, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside low-power CW+ affiliate KYUU-LD. Both stations share studios on North 16th Street in downtown Boise, while KBOI-TV's transmitter is located at the Bogus Basin ski area summit in unincorporated Boise County.
KVAL-TV is a television station in Eugene, Oregon, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which provides certain services to dual NBC/CW+ affiliate KMTR under a shared services agreement (SSA) with Roberts Media, LLC. Both stations share studios on Blanton Road in Eugene, where KVAL's transmitter is also located. KMTR maintained separate facilities on International Court in Springfield, Oregon, until 2020 when the station relocated to KVAL's building; master control and some internal operations for KMTR were based at the KVAL studios.
KUNP is a television station licensed to La Grande, Oregon, United States, affiliated with the Spanish-language Univision network. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Portland-based ABC affiliate KATU. Both stations share studios on NE Sandy Boulevard in Portland, while KUNP's transmitter is located east of Cove atop Mount Fanny, within eastern Oregon's Wallowa–Whitman National Forest.
KPLZ-FM is a commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is owned and operated by Lotus Communications and it airs a hot adult contemporary radio format. The studios and offices are co-located with former sister station KOMO-TV within KOMO Plaza in the Lower Queen Anne section of Seattle, directly across the street from the Space Needle.
KVI is a commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. Owned by Lotus Communications, it airs a conservative talk radio format called "News Talk 570 KVI." Its transmitter is on Vashon Island and its studios and offices are located with former sister station KOMO-TV at KOMO Plaza in Seattle.
There were two companies under the name Cascade Broadcasting Company:
KXPI-LD, virtual channel 34, is a low-power television station licensed to Pocatello, Idaho, United States. Owned by the St. Joseph, Missouri–based News-Press & Gazette Company (NPG), it is a translator of Idaho Falls–licensed dual Dabl/Fox/MyNetworkTV affiliate KIDK, channel 3 ; it is also a sister station to ABC affiliate KIFI-TV, channel 8, which NPG owns outright. KXPI-LD's transmitter is located on Howard Mountain in unincorporated Bannock County west of downtown Pocatello; its parent station shares studios with KIFI-TV on North Yellowstone Highway/US 26 in Idaho Falls.
Newport Television, LLC was a television station holding company founded by Providence Equity Partners and Sandy DiPasquale in 2007 to acquire the television stations owned by Clear Channel Communications.
KNWN-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Oakville, Washington, and serving the Seattle metropolitan area and the Olympic Peninsula. It is owned by Lotus Communications. KNWN-FM broadcasts an all-news radio format, simulcast with sister station KNWN 1000 AM. It is a network affiliate of ABC News Radio. The studios and offices are co-located with former sister station KOMO-TV within KOMO Plaza in the Lower Queen Anne section of Seattle, directly across the street from the Space Needle.