Metromedia
Encyclopedia
Metromedia was a media company that owned radio
and television station
s in the United States
from 1956 to 1986 and owned Orion Pictures
from 1986-1997.
, the world's first commercial television network
. By 1955, DuMont realized it could not compete against CBS
, NBC
and a revived ABC
, and decided to shut down network operations. Soon after DuMont formally shut down network operations in 1956, it spun off its two remaining owned and operated stations, WABD in New York City
and WTTG
in Washington, D.C.
, to shareholders as the DuMont Broadcasting Corporation. The company's headquarters were co-located with WABD in the former DuMont Tele-Centre (which was later renamed the Metromedia Telecenter) in New York.
In 1957, DuMont Broadcasting purchased two New York area radio stations, WNEW (now WBBR
) and WHFI (later WNEW-FM and WWFS), and later that year changed its name to the Metropolitan Broadcasting Corporation to distance itself from its former parent company. The following year Paramount Pictures
, an indirect player in the failure of the DuMont network, sold its shares in Metropolitan Broadcasting to Washington-based investor John Kluge, who became the company's chairman and later gained a 75-percent controlling interest. WABD's call letters were later changed to WNEW-TV to match its new radio sisters.
Metropolitan's first acquisitions under Kluge included WHK-AM-FM
in Cleveland (in 1958); KOVR
in Stockton, California
, WTVH-TV (now WHOI
) in Peoria, Illinois
, and the Foster & Kleiser outdoor advertising firm (all in 1959); and WIP-AM-FM
in Philadelphia and WTVP television (now WAND
) in Decatur, Illinois
(both in 1960). In 1961, Kluge changed the company's name to Metromedia. However, the Metropolitan Broadcasting name was retained for its broadcasting division until 1967.
Also in 1961, Metromedia purchased KMBC-AM-TV
in Kansas City, Missouri
. In separate 1963 deals the company expanded into Los Angeles
, buying first KTTV
, and later KLAC
and KLAC-FM (later KMET and now KTWV
). Metromedia also entered the realm of live entertainment by purchasing the Ice Capades
(in 1963) and the Harlem Globetrotters
(in 1967). Later in the decade Metromedia opened a television production center in Los Angeles, known as Metromedia Square
, which served as the studio facility for numerous network programs. Metromedia also owned a TV production and distribution company called Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC), established in 1968 from Wolper Productions
. MPC produced and syndicated various programs and TV movies, most notably the game show
Truth or Consequences
and the 1972-86 version of The Merv Griffin Show
. Metromedia spent the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s increasing its television and radio station portfolio, and continued to expand its syndication business.
Metromedia entered the record business in 1969 when they launched the Metromedia Records label, whose biggest-selling artist was Bobby Sherman
. The label was also notable as having issued the first two studio albums of Peter Allen
, Peter Allen (1971) and Tenterfield Saddler (1972). The label was closed as of 1974. Allen's Tenterfield Saddler, the title song of which has become an Australian standard
, was acquired and reissued by A&M Records
in 1978.
In 1982, Metromedia made its biggest broadcasting purchase when it acquired WCVB-TV
in Boston
for $220 million, which at the time was the largest amount ever spent on a single television station property. Two years later, John Kluge bought out Metromedia's shareholders and took the company private.
On May 6, 1985, Kluge announced the sale of Metromedia's television stations, and Metromedia Producers Corp., to the News Corporation
(owned by Australia
n newspaper publisher Rupert Murdoch
) and 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
(owned jointly by Murdoch and Marvin Davis
) for $3.5 billion. With the exception of WCVB-TV (which was subsequently sold to the Hearst Corporation
), all of the former Metromedia stations formed the nucleus of the Fox Broadcasting Company
, while MPC was folded into 20th Century Fox Television
. The transactions became official on March 6, 1986. Kluge also sold Metromedia's outdoor advertising firm, the Harlem Globetrotters, and the Ice Capades in that same year, and spun off the radio stations into a separate company (which ironically took on the Metropolitan Broadcasting name) before they were sold to various other owners by the early 1990s.
In retaliation for a lawsuit brought by Paul Winchell
, who sought the rights to his children's television program, "Winchell-Mahoney Time," Metromedia management destroyed the video tapes. Mr. Winchell was later awarded nearly $18 million as compensation for Metromedia's capricious behavior.
The Metromedia name has lived on in other projects by Kluge such as the Metromedia Restaurant Group
, though the ventures have been largely unrelated to television, and the former WIP-FM radio station in Philadelphia, which now bears the call sign WMMR
, standing for Metromedia Radio. When Kluge bought into Major League Soccer
in 1995, the club he operated was named MetroStars (now New York Red Bulls) after his company.
In early 2011 abandoned trademarks were registered with the US Department of Commerce by a midwestern businessman, combined with a large collection of the WNEW 1130 AM archive library: old shows, concerts and jingle packs, a new "Metromedia Radio" is now broadcasting on internet radio Live365.com. Metromedia Radio now broadcasts licensed music from BMI, ASCAP and SESAC consistent with the station that discovered Frank Sinatra.
Based on the common link to Metromedia, television historian Clarke Ingram
claims that Fox is a direct descendant, if not a revival, of DuMont. Indeed, the former WNEW-TV, now Fox flagship WNYW
, is still headquartered in the former Metromedia (and before that, DuMont) Telecenter, then known as the Fox Television Center.
's share for $78 million, holding a majority stake in Orion Pictures worth nearly 67%. In 1996, Metromedia acquired Motion Picture Corporation of America
and The Samuel Goldwyn Company
. On April 11, 1997, Metromedia sold Orion/Goldwyn and MPCA to MGM for $573 million and was closed on July 10 of the same year. In 1998, MPCA broke apart of MGM becoming independent again.
for its TV and radio stations beginning in 1963. Metromedia Television Alphabet was used for the channel numbers of its television stations until 1977, when another typeface modeled slightly after the Futura
family was introduced.
.
Notes:
1. Two boldface asterisks appearing following a station's call letters (**) indicate a station that was built and signed-on by Metromedia or its predecessor companies;
2. This list does not include WDTV (now KDKA-TV
) in Pittsburgh or KCTY
in Kansas City. Although DuMont owned the two stations at some point, Metromedia never owned either of these two stations.
DuMont Broadcasting also acquired a construction permit
for WHK-TV (channel 19) in Cleveland
along with its purchase of WHK radio in 1958, but that station never signed on. The channel 19 allocation is now occupied by WOIO
, which was under common ownership with WHK (Malrite Broadcasting) for a few years.
Footnotes:
1: The acquisition of KMBC-AM-TV also included KMOS-TV
in Sedalia, Missouri
, and KFRM radio
in Concordia, Kansas
. Both stations were subsequently spun-off by Metropolitan Broadcasting to other firms;
2: The acquisition of KRLD also included the Texas State Network
.
* -- MPC was the international distributor for these programs. Distribution was later transferred to 20th Century Fox Television
, following Murdoch's acquisition of MPC. These programs ane now distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Television
. In the United States, Sony Pictures Television
and its predecessor, Columbia Pictures Television, was always the distributor of syndicated repeats of these programs.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
and television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1956 to 1986 and owned Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures
Orion Pictures Corporation was an American independent production company that produced movies from 1978 until 1998. It was formed in 1978 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and three former top-level executives of United Artists. Although it was never a large motion picture producer, Orion...
from 1986-1997.
Overview
The company arose from the ashes of the DuMont Television NetworkDuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
, the world's first commercial television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
. By 1955, DuMont realized it could not compete against CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and a revived ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, and decided to shut down network operations. Soon after DuMont formally shut down network operations in 1956, it spun off its two remaining owned and operated stations, WABD in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and WTTG
WTTG
WTTG, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, to shareholders as the DuMont Broadcasting Corporation. The company's headquarters were co-located with WABD in the former DuMont Tele-Centre (which was later renamed the Metromedia Telecenter) in New York.
In 1957, DuMont Broadcasting purchased two New York area radio stations, WNEW (now WBBR
WBBR
WBBR is a radio station broadcasting at 1130 AM in New York City. It airs Bloomberg Radio, a service of Bloomberg L.P. WBBR's format is general and financial news, offering local, national and international news reports along with financial market updates and interviews with corporate executives,...
) and WHFI (later WNEW-FM and WWFS), and later that year changed its name to the Metropolitan Broadcasting Corporation to distance itself from its former parent company. The following year Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, an indirect player in the failure of the DuMont network, sold its shares in Metropolitan Broadcasting to Washington-based investor John Kluge, who became the company's chairman and later gained a 75-percent controlling interest. WABD's call letters were later changed to WNEW-TV to match its new radio sisters.
Metropolitan's first acquisitions under Kluge included WHK-AM-FM
WMMS
WMMS — branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout much of the history of FM broadcasting...
in Cleveland (in 1958); KOVR
KOVR
KOVR, channel 13, is an owned-and-operated station of the CBS Television Network located in Sacramento, California and licensed to Stockton. KOVR-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KMAX-TV in West Sacramento, California, and its transmitter is located in Walnut Grove,...
in Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
, WTVH-TV (now WHOI
WHOI (TV)
WHOI is the ABC-affiliated television station for West Central Illinois licensed to Peoria. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 19 from a transmitter on North Stewart Street in Creve Coeur. Owned by Barrington Broadcasting, the station is operated by the Granite...
) in Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, and the Foster & Kleiser outdoor advertising firm (all in 1959); and WIP-AM-FM
WMMR
WMMR is an active rock radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93.3 MHz FM. The station is owned by Greater Media....
in Philadelphia and WTVP television (now WAND
WAND
WAND, virtual channel 17, is an NBC-affiliated television station serving the Decatur–Springfield–Champaign area. It is owned by Block Communications...
) in Decatur, Illinois
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...
(both in 1960). In 1961, Kluge changed the company's name to Metromedia. However, the Metropolitan Broadcasting name was retained for its broadcasting division until 1967.
KMBC-TV
KMBC-TV virtual channel 9 is a television station affiliated with the ABC television network, located in Kansas City, Missouri. KMBC-TV is owned by Hearst Television and its studios are located on Winchester Ave. near Swope Park in Kansas City, Missouri. The station's high guyed mast broadcast...
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. In separate 1963 deals the company expanded into Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, buying first KTTV
KTTV
KTTV, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles, California. Serving the vast Los Angeles metropolitan area, KTTV is a sister station to KCOP , Los Angeles' MyNetworkTV station...
, and later KLAC
KLAC (AM)
KLAC AM 570 is a radio station serving the Los Angeles metropolitan area. KLAC is one of eight Los Angeles radio stations owned by San Antonio-based Clear Channel Communications...
and KLAC-FM (later KMET and now KTWV
KTWV
KTWV is a commercial radio station located in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside–San Bernardino and Ventura County areas on 94.7 FM. KTWV airs a hybrid Smooth AC radio format branded as "94.7 The Wave"...
). Metromedia also entered the realm of live entertainment by purchasing the Ice Capades
Ice Capades
The Ice Capades was a traveling entertainment show featuring theatrical performances involving ice skating. Shows often featured former Olympicand National Champion figure skaters who had retired from amateur competition....
(in 1963) and the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
(in 1967). Later in the decade Metromedia opened a television production center in Los Angeles, known as Metromedia Square
Metromedia Square
Metromedia Square was a radio and television studio facility located at 5746 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, on the southeastern corner of Sunset and Van Ness Avenue. For decades it was recognizable by the white, ladder-like snake on the building's roof...
, which served as the studio facility for numerous network programs. Metromedia also owned a TV production and distribution company called Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC), established in 1968 from Wolper Productions
David L. Wolper
David Lloyd Wolper was an American television and film producer, responsible for shows such as Roots, The Thorn Birds, North & South, L.A. Confidential, and the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory...
. MPC produced and syndicated various programs and TV movies, most notably the game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Truth or Consequences
Truth or Consequences
Truth or Consequences is an American quiz show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards and later on television by Edwards , Jack Bailey , Bob Barker , Bob Hilton and Larry Anderson . The television show ran on CBS, NBC and also in syndication...
and the 1972-86 version of The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
. Metromedia spent the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s increasing its television and radio station portfolio, and continued to expand its syndication business.
Metromedia entered the record business in 1969 when they launched the Metromedia Records label, whose biggest-selling artist was Bobby Sherman
Bobby Sherman
Robert Cabot "Bobby" Sherman, Jr. , is an American singer, actor and occasional songwriter, who became a popular teen idol in the late 1960s and early 1970s.He graduated in 1961 from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys, California...
. The label was also notable as having issued the first two studio albums of Peter Allen
Peter Allen
Peter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Elkie Brooks, Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, with one, Arthur's Theme, winning an Academy Award in 1981...
, Peter Allen (1971) and Tenterfield Saddler (1972). The label was closed as of 1974. Allen's Tenterfield Saddler, the title song of which has become an Australian standard
George Woolnough
George Woolnough was a saddler in Tenterfield, New South Wales from 1908 until his retirement in 1960.Woolnough's grandson was Peter Allen, a flamboyant cabaret singer who immortalised Woolnough with the song Tenterfield Saddler. Woolnough's son Dick Woolnough become a violent alcoholic upon...
, was acquired and reissued by A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
in 1978.
In 1982, Metromedia made its biggest broadcasting purchase when it acquired WCVB-TV
WCVB-TV
WCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
for $220 million, which at the time was the largest amount ever spent on a single television station property. Two years later, John Kluge bought out Metromedia's shareholders and took the company private.
On May 6, 1985, Kluge announced the sale of Metromedia's television stations, and Metromedia Producers Corp., to the News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
(owned by Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n newspaper publisher Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
) and 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
(owned jointly by Murdoch and Marvin Davis
Marvin Davis
Marvin H. Davis was an American industrialist and philanthropist...
) for $3.5 billion. With the exception of WCVB-TV (which was subsequently sold to the Hearst Corporation
Hearst Corporation
The Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
), all of the former Metromedia stations formed the nucleus of the Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
, while MPC was folded into 20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
. The transactions became official on March 6, 1986. Kluge also sold Metromedia's outdoor advertising firm, the Harlem Globetrotters, and the Ice Capades in that same year, and spun off the radio stations into a separate company (which ironically took on the Metropolitan Broadcasting name) before they were sold to various other owners by the early 1990s.
In retaliation for a lawsuit brought by Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell was an American ventriloquist, voice actor and comedian, whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s...
, who sought the rights to his children's television program, "Winchell-Mahoney Time," Metromedia management destroyed the video tapes. Mr. Winchell was later awarded nearly $18 million as compensation for Metromedia's capricious behavior.
The Metromedia name has lived on in other projects by Kluge such as the Metromedia Restaurant Group
Metromedia Restaurant Group
The Metromedia Restaurant Group is a United States casual dining company that operates and franchises more than 800 restaurants under the names Bonanza, Ponderosa, The Plano Tavern, The Southlake Tavern and the 29 Degree Tavern. Its headquarters are in Plano, Texas...
, though the ventures have been largely unrelated to television, and the former WIP-FM radio station in Philadelphia, which now bears the call sign WMMR
WMMR
WMMR is an active rock radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93.3 MHz FM. The station is owned by Greater Media....
, standing for Metromedia Radio. When Kluge bought into Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
in 1995, the club he operated was named MetroStars (now New York Red Bulls) after his company.
In early 2011 abandoned trademarks were registered with the US Department of Commerce by a midwestern businessman, combined with a large collection of the WNEW 1130 AM archive library: old shows, concerts and jingle packs, a new "Metromedia Radio" is now broadcasting on internet radio Live365.com. Metromedia Radio now broadcasts licensed music from BMI, ASCAP and SESAC consistent with the station that discovered Frank Sinatra.
Based on the common link to Metromedia, television historian Clarke Ingram
Clarke Ingram
Clarke Ingram is a United States radio personality and programming executive.Ingram is best known in his home market and hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most recently, he was employed at Pittsburgh-area stations WKHB and WKFB , which program a mixture of talk shows and oldies...
claims that Fox is a direct descendant, if not a revival, of DuMont. Indeed, the former WNEW-TV, now Fox flagship WNYW
WNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
, is still headquartered in the former Metromedia (and before that, DuMont) Telecenter, then known as the Fox Television Center.
Ownership of Orion Pictures
On May 22, 1986, Metromedia acquired a 6.5% stake in Orion Pictures Corporation; a movie and television production company. By December, the stake in Orion's ownership was increased to 9.3% to 12.6% and on April 12, 1988, to 44.1% On May 20, 1988, Metromedia acquired Sumner RedstoneSumner Redstone
Sumner Murray Redstone is an American media magnate. He is the majority owner and Chairman of the Board of the National Amusements theater chain...
's share for $78 million, holding a majority stake in Orion Pictures worth nearly 67%. In 1996, Metromedia acquired Motion Picture Corporation of America
Motion Picture Corporation of America
Motion Picture Corporation of America is an American film production company founded by Brad Krevoy in 1986 to focus on producing, acquiring, and distributing commercial motion picture and television productions.-History:...
and The Samuel Goldwyn Company
The Samuel Goldwyn Company
The Samuel Goldwyn Company was an independent film company founded by Samuel Goldwyn, Jr., the son of the famous Hollywood mogul, Samuel Goldwyn, in 1979.-Background:...
. On April 11, 1997, Metromedia sold Orion/Goldwyn and MPCA to MGM for $573 million and was closed on July 10 of the same year. In 1998, MPCA broke apart of MGM becoming independent again.
Typeface
Beginning in 1967, Metromedia's television stations began utilizing a sans-serif font for their on-air logo. The typeface was a proprietary font called Metromedia Television Alphabet, which was as distinctive as the typeface employed by Group WWestinghouse Broadcasting
The Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, also known as Group W, was the broadcasting division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It owned several radio and television stations across the United States and distributed television shows for syndication....
for its TV and radio stations beginning in 1963. Metromedia Television Alphabet was used for the channel numbers of its television stations until 1977, when another typeface modeled slightly after the Futura
Futura (typeface)
In typography, Futura is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed in 1927 by Paul Renner. It is based on geometric shapes that became representative visual elements of the Bauhaus design style of 1919–1933...
family was introduced.
Former Metromedia stations
Stations are listed alphabetically by state and city of licenseCity of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
.
Notes:
1. Two boldface asterisks appearing following a station's call letters (**) indicate a station that was built and signed-on by Metromedia or its predecessor companies;
2. This list does not include WDTV (now KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....
) in Pittsburgh or KCTY
KCTY (defunct)
KCTY operated on channel 25 in the Kansas City market from June 9, 1953 to February 28, 1954. The studio for channel 25 was located in the Pickwick Hotel in downtown Kansas City, Missouri but the transmitter was located in a rural area of Overland Park, Kansas.The station was the second...
in Kansas City. Although DuMont owned the two stations at some point, Metromedia never owned either of these two stations.
Television stations
| City of license City of license A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator.... /Market |
Station | Channel TV Analog television Analog television is the analog transmission that involves the broadcasting of encoded analog audio and analog video signal: one in which the message conveyed by the broadcast signal is a function of deliberate variations in the amplitude and/or frequency of the signal... (DT Digital terrestrial television Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals... ) |
Years owned | Current affiliation and ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... |
KTTV KTTV KTTV, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles, California. Serving the vast Los Angeles metropolitan area, KTTV is a sister station to KCOP , Los Angeles' MyNetworkTV station... |
11 (11) | 1963–1986 | Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... owned-and-operated (O&O) |
| San Francisco - Oakland Oakland, California Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724... - San Jose San Jose, California San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay... |
KNEW-TV (now KMTP-TV KMTP-TV KMTP-TV, channel 32, is an independent, non-commercial television station located in San Francisco, California, USA. Owned and operated by the Minority Television Project, KMTP's has its main studio and offices in Palo Alto, California, and transmitter situated atop Mount Sutro.KMTP airs a large... ) |
32 (33) | 1968–1970 | Non-commercial Non-commercial Non-commercial refers to an activity or entity that does not in some sense involve commerce, at least relative to similar activities that do have a commercial objective or emphasis... independent owned by Minority Television Project |
| Stockton Stockton, California Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city... - Sacramento Sacramento, California Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,... - Modesto Modesto, California Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California.... |
KOVR KOVR KOVR, channel 13, is an owned-and-operated station of the CBS Television Network located in Sacramento, California and licensed to Stockton. KOVR-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KMAX-TV in West Sacramento, California, and its transmitter is located in Walnut Grove,... |
13 (25) | 1959–1964 | CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... owned-and-operated (O&O) |
| Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
WTTG WTTG WTTG, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C... ** |
5 (36) | 1956–1986 | Fox owned-and-operated (O&O) |
| Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
WFLD-TV | 32 (31) | 1983–1986 | Fox owned-and-operated (O&O) |
| Decatur Decatur, Illinois Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,... - Springfield Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area... - Champaign Champaign, Illinois Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of... - Urbana, IL Urbana, Illinois Urbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,250. Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area.... |
WTVP (now WAND WAND WAND, virtual channel 17, is an NBC-affiliated television station serving the Decatur–Springfield–Champaign area. It is owned by Block Communications... ) |
17 (18) | 1960–1965 | NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... affiliate owned by Block Communications Block Communications Block Communications is a privately held holding company of various assets, mainly in the print and broadcast media, based in Toledo, Ohio. The company was founded in 1900 in New York City when Paul Block, a German immigrant who came to the United States fifteen years prior, formed an ad... |
| Peoria Peoria, Illinois Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated... - Bloomington, IL Bloomington, Illinois Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area... |
WTVH-TV (now WHOI WHOI (TV) WHOI is the ABC-affiliated television station for West Central Illinois licensed to Peoria. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 19 from a transmitter on North Stewart Street in Creve Coeur. Owned by Barrington Broadcasting, the station is operated by the Granite... ) |
19 (19) | 1959–1965 | ABC American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948... affiliate owned by Barrington Broadcasting Barrington Broadcasting Barrington Broadcasting Company, LLC , headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois is an entity wholly focused on broadcast television. The company's assets mainly consist of television stations in middle and small sized markets... (operated under JSA Local marketing agreement In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee... and SSA by Granite Broadcasting Granite Broadcasting Corporation Granite Broadcasting Corporation, founded by W. Don Cornwell and Stuart Beck in 1988 , is a broadcasting holding company which owns or operates 14 television stations in the United States, largely centered in the midwest with a cluster in New York state... ) |
| Newport, KY Newport, Kentucky Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which... - Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's... |
WXIX-TV WXIX-TV WXIX-TV channel 19 is the Fox Broadcasting Company affiliate in Cincinnati, Ohio. The station's city of license is Newport, Kentucky, across the Ohio River... |
19 (29) | 1972–1983 | Fox affiliate owned by Raycom Media Raycom Media - History :Although Raycom Media dates its birth to 1996, the core of the company was formed in 1992 when Atlanta native Bert Ellis formed Ellis Communications. He eventually controlled 13 television stations and two radio stations.... |
| Boston | WCVB-TV WCVB-TV WCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by... |
5 (20) | 1982–1986 | ABC affiliate owned by Hearst Television |
| Minneapolis - St. Paul | WTCN-TV (now KARE KARE KARE, digital channel 11, is an NBC-affiliated television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota and portions of western Wisconsin. It also operates KARE WX NOW, formerly known as NBC Weather Plus on its second digital subchannel... ) |
11 (11) | 1972–1983 | NBC affiliate owned by Gannett Company Gannett Company Gannett Company, Inc. is a publicly-traded media holding company headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia, United States, near McLean. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. Its assets include the national newspaper USA Today and the weekly USA Weekend... |
| Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... |
KMBC-TV KMBC-TV KMBC-TV virtual channel 9 is a television station affiliated with the ABC television network, located in Kansas City, Missouri. KMBC-TV is owned by Hearst Television and its studios are located on Winchester Ave. near Swope Park in Kansas City, Missouri. The station's high guyed mast broadcast... 1 |
9 (29) | 1961–1982 | ABC affiliate owned by Hearst Television |
| New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
WABD/WNEW-TV ** (now WNYW WNYW WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan... ) |
5 (44) | 1956–1986 | Fox owned-and-operated (O&O) |
| Dallas Dallas, Texas Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States... - Fort Worth Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and... |
KRLD-TV (now KDAF KDAF KDAF, virtual channel 33 , is a CW-affiliated television station serving the Dallas-Fort Worth television market area. The station is licensed to Dallas and owned by the Tribune Company with its studios located off the John W. Carpenter Freeway in northwest Dallas. The station's transmitter is... ) |
33 (32) | 1983–1986 | CW The CW Television Network The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB... affiliate owned by Tribune Company Tribune Company The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida... |
| Houston Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... |
KRIV-TV | 26 (26) | 1978–1986 | Fox owned-and-operated (O&O) |
DuMont Broadcasting also acquired a construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
for WHK-TV (channel 19) in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
along with its purchase of WHK radio in 1958, but that station never signed on. The channel 19 allocation is now occupied by WOIO
WOIO
WOIO, virtual channel 19 , is the CBS affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio. It is licensed to the nearby suburb of Shaker Heights. WOIO is owned by Raycom Media and its sister station to MyNetworkTV affiliate WUAB . The two stations share a studio facility in Cleveland and WOIO's transmitter is located in...
, which was under common ownership with WHK (Malrite Broadcasting) for a few years.
Radio stations
| AM Stations | FM Stations |
| City of License/Market | Station | Years owned | Current Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... |
KLAC-570 | 1963–1984 | owned by Clear Channel Communications Clear Channel Communications Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008... |
| KLAC-FM/KMET-94.7 (now KTWV KTWV KTWV is a commercial radio station located in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside–San Bernardino and Ventura County areas on 94.7 FM. KTWV airs a hybrid Smooth AC radio format branded as "94.7 The Wave"... ) |
1963–1986 | owned by CBS Radio CBS Radio CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country... |
|
| San Francisco - Oakland Oakland, California Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724... |
KNEW KNEW (AM) KNEW is a radio station in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, CA, USA. The station is owned by Clear Channel. Prior to the format change, the station operated as CNET Radio, offering business and technology news 24 hours a day... -910 |
1966–1980 | owned by Clear Channel Communications |
| KSAN-FM-94.9 (now KYLD) |
1966–1981 | owned by Clear Channel Communications | |
| Denver Denver, Colorado The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains... - Boulder Boulder, Colorado Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of... |
KHOW KHOW KHOW is a radio station broadcasting a talk radio format to the Denver-Boulder, USA area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications and features programing from Westwood One, Premiere Radio Networks and ABC Radio.... -630 |
1981–1985 | owned by Clear Channel Communications |
| Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
WASH-97.1 | 1968–1986 | owned by Clear Channel Communications |
| Tampa Tampa, Florida Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709.... - St. Petersburg St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St... - Clearwater Clearwater, Florida Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of... |
WWBA-FM-107.3 (now WXGL WXGL WXGL, known as "The New 107.3 The Eagle - Tampa Bay's Classic Hits Station", is a Cox-owned radio station located on the FM dial at 107.3 in Tampa, Florida. The station plays classic hits, primarily from the 1970s and 1980s, but also the 1990s... ) |
1981–1986 | owned by Cox Enterprises Cox Enterprises Cox Enterprises is the successor to the publishing company founded in Dayton, Ohio, United States, by James Middleton Cox, who began with the Dayton Daily News. He was the Democratic candidate for the President of the United States in the election of 1920... |
| Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
WMET-95.5 (now WNUA WNUA WNUA is a Spanish Pop radio station located in Chicago, Illinois, owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications and branded as Mega 95.5.-History:... ) |
1972–1983 | owned by Clear Channel Communications |
| Baltimore | WCBM WCBM WCBM is a Talk formatted broadcast radio station in Baltimore, Maryland. The station is owned by WCBM Maryland, Inc., which also owns WVIE, 1370 AM... -680 |
1963–1986 | owned by WCBM Maryland Inc. |
| WCBM-FM-106.5 (now WWMX) |
1963–1968 | owned by CBS Radio | |
| Detroit Detroit, Michigan Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River... |
WOMC WOMC WOMC is a Classic Hits radio station broadcasting in the Detroit, Michigan, USA area. WOMC's transmitter and studios are located on Woodward Heights . near Interstate 75 in Ferndale, Michigan. WOMC broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 190,000 watts from an antenna height of 361 feet... -104.3 |
1972–1986 | owned by CBS Radio |
| Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... |
KMBC-980 1 (now KMBZ) |
1961–1967 | owned by Entercom Communications |
| KMBC-FM/KMBR-99.7 **1 (now KZPT KZPT KQTH is a news/talk radio station in Tucson, Arizona. 104-1, as it is known by listeners, is branded as "The Truth". KQTH is owned by Journal Broadcast Group.... ) |
1962–1967 | owned by Entercom Communications Entercom Communications Entercom Communications Corporation is the fourth-largest broadcasting company in the United States. As of November 2009, Entercom operates 110 radio stations in 23 markets across the United States.... |
|
| New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
WNEW-1130 (now WBBR WBBR WBBR is a radio station broadcasting at 1130 AM in New York City. It airs Bloomberg Radio, a service of Bloomberg L.P. WBBR's format is general and financial news, offering local, national and international news reports along with financial market updates and interviews with corporate executives,... ) |
1957–1986 | owned by Bloomberg L.P. Bloomberg L.P. Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P... |
| WHFI/WNEW-FM-102.7 (now WWFS) |
1957–1986 | owned by CBS Radio | |
| Philadelphia | WIP-610 | 1959–1986 | owned by CBS Radio |
| WIP-FM/WMMR WMMR WMMR is an active rock radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93.3 MHz FM. The station is owned by Greater Media.... -93.3 |
1959–1986 | owned by Greater Media Greater Media Greater Media, Inc., known as Greater Media, is an American media company that specializes in radio stations. The markets where they own radio stations include Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and the state of New Jersey... |
|
| Cleveland | WHK-1420 (operated as WCLV WCLV WCLV — branded WCLV 104.9 — is the classical radio station licensed to Lorain, Ohio serving Greater Cleveland and western parts of surrounding Northeast Ohio; WCLV is one of the few remaining classical music stations in the United States.... from 2001 to 2003, and WRMR from 2003 to 2004) |
1958–1972 | owned by Salem Communications Salem Communications Salem Communications is a U.S. radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher specializing in evangelical Christian and conservative political talk radio. It owns 99 commercial radio stations, 65 of which are in the top 25 markets. Salem is the fifth largest U.S.... |
| WHK-FM/WMMS WMMS WMMS — branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout much of the history of FM broadcasting... -100.7 |
1958–1972 | owned by Clear Channel Communications | |
| Dallas - Fort Worth | KRLD-1080 2 | 1978–1986 | owned by CBS Radio |
| Seattle Seattle, Washington Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country... - Tacoma Tacoma, Washington Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to... |
KJR-950 | 1980–1984 | owned by Clear Channel Communications |
Footnotes:
1: The acquisition of KMBC-AM-TV also included KMOS-TV
KMOS-TV
KMOS-TV is a PBS member public television station in Sedalia, Missouri, owned and operated by the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. Although Warrensburg and Sedalia are part of the Kansas City media market , KMOS serves as the PBS member station for the Columbia/Jefferson City market...
in Sedalia, Missouri
Sedalia, Missouri
Sedalia is a city located about south of the Missouri River in Pettis County, Missouri. U.S. Highway 50 and U.S. Highway 65 intersect in the city. As of 2006, the city had a total population of 20,669. It is the county seat of Pettis County. The Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of...
, and KFRM radio
KFRM
KFRM is a radio station licensed to Salina, Kansas, USA, but broadcasts from studios in Clay Center, Kansas. The station is currently owned by Taylor Communications...
in Concordia, Kansas
Concordia, Kansas
Concordia is a city in and the county seat of Cloud County, Kansas, United States. Located on the Republican River in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains, Concordia was founded in 1871 and is an economic and cultural center in north-central Kansas...
. Both stations were subsequently spun-off by Metropolitan Broadcasting to other firms;
2: The acquisition of KRLD also included the Texas State Network
Texas State Network
The Texas State Network is the largest of the 30 state radio networks in the United States. TSN mainly distributes news and agriculture business to more than 130 AM and FM radio affiliates across Texas.-History:...
.
Television syndication
This is a list of television programs that were produced and/or syndicated by Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC):- The Ann Sothern ShowThe Ann Sothern ShowThe Ann Sothern Show is an American sitcom starring Ann Sothern that aired on CBS for 93 episodes. The series began on October 6, 1958, and ended on September 25, 1961. The Ann Sothern Show was Sothern's second sitcom for CBS...
- Allen LuddenAllen LuddenAllen Ludden was an American television personality, emcee and game show host, perhaps most well known for hosting various incarnations of the game show Password between 1961 and 1980.-Early years:...
's Gallery - Charlie's AngelsCharlie's AngelsCharlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
* - The Cross-WitsThe Cross-WitsThe Cross-Wits is an American syndicated game show which premiered on December 15, 1975 and lasted for five seasons until its cancellation on September 12, 1980. The show was hosted by Jack Clark, with Jerri Fiala as hostess. Announcing duties were handled by John Harlan, Jay Stewart, and Jerry...
- Dusty's TrailDusty's TrailDusty's Trail is an American Western/comedy series that aired in syndication from September 1973 to March 1974. The series is set in the 19th century about a small group of travelers separated from their wagon train who become lost. Dusty's Trail stars Bob Denver as "Dusty" Boots, the assistant to...
- DynastyDynasty (TV series)Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
(distributor, 1985–1986) - FamilyFamily (TV series)Family is an American television drama series that aired on ABC from 1976 to 1980. Creative control of the show was split between executive producers Leonard Goldberg, Aaron Spelling and Mike Nichols...
* - FirehouseFirehouse (TV series)Firehouse was a short-lived ABC television series in early 1974. Somewhat derivative of Emergency! and the recent best-selling novel Report From Engine Co. 82 by FDNY fireman Dennis Smith, this drama/adventure series was set in Los Angeles at a small inner-city fire station...
- The Great Space CoasterThe Great Space CoasterThe Great Space Coaster is a children's television show that ran from 1981 through 1986. The series was directed by Dick Feldman, and distributed by Sunbow Productions.-Show summary and history:...
(co-produced with Sunbow ProductionsSunbow ProductionsSunbow Entertainment was an animation studio, founded in 1980 and owned up until 1998 by Griffin-Bacal Advertising in New York. The first animation efforts by Griffin-Bacal were producing the animated commercials for Hasbro's G.I...
) - Groovie Goolies and Friends
- Hart to HartHart to HartHart to Hart is an American television series, starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, a wealthy couple who also moonlighted as amateur detectives. The series was created by writer Sidney Sheldon and produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg...
* - Hit ManHit Man (game show)Hit Man is an American television game show that ran from January 3 to April 1, 1983 on NBC. Peter Tomarken hosted this Jay Wolpert production in association with Metromedia Video Productions, while Rod Roddy was the announcer.-Round 1:...
- The Howdy DoodyHowdy DoodyHowdy Doody is an American children's television program that was created and produced by E. Roger Muir and telecast on NBC in the United States from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows...
Show (1976 revival series) - Jeopardy!Jeopardy!Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
(original version - distributor, 1974; now distributed by Sony Pictures TelevisionSony Pictures TelevisionSony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
) - Mayberry RFD (distributor; now distributed by Warner Bros. TelevisionWarner Bros. TelevisionWarner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
) - The Merv Griffin ShowThe Merv Griffin ShowThe Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
(distributor/co-producer, 1972-1983 now distributed by Sony Pictures TelevisionSony Pictures TelevisionSony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
and owned by Merv Griffin EntertainmentMerv Griffin EntertainmentMerv Griffin Entertainment is a production company founded by entertainer Merv Griffin in December 1995. Its productions include revivals of recent franchises . Griffin's company is part of The Griffin Group...
) - My Favorite MartianMy Favorite MartianMy Favorite Martian is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963 to May 1, 1966 for 107 episodes...
(distributor; now distributed by Warner Bros. TelevisionWarner Bros. TelevisionWarner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
) - National Geographic Specials (1964–71)
- PrimusPrimus (TV series)Primus was a syndicated sea adventure series which aired in 1971–1972. It told the adventures of Carter Primus .The series was produced by Ivan Tors and one season was shot.-Cast:* Robert Brown as Carter Primus...
(1971–72) - Queen for a DayQueen for a DayQueen for a Day is an American radio and television game show that helped to usher in American listeners' and viewers' fascination with big-prize giveaway shows. Queen for a Day originated on the Mutual Radio Network on April 30, 1945 in New York City before moving to Los Angeles a few months...
(1969–1970) - Small Wonder (production company, 1985–1986)
- Soul TrainSoul TrainSoul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
(syndicated by Tribune EntertainmentTribune EntertainmentTribune Entertainment was a television production and syndication company owned and operated by Tribune Broadcasting in the mid-1980s. Many programs offered from Tribune Entertainment have been broadcast on the company's television stations....
then Trifecta Entertainment and Media) - Starsky and HutchStarsky and HutchStarsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
* - Star SearchStar SearchStar Search is a television show that was produced from 1983-95, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Alfred Masini. A relaunch was produced in 2003-04. The show was originally filmed at the old Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd...
(production company, 1983–86) - Strange ParadiseStrange ParadiseStrange Paradise is a Canadian occult / supernatural soap opera of 195 episodes, initially launched in syndication in the United States on September 8, 1969, and later broadcast on CBC Television from October 20, 1969 to July 22, 1970...
- Strike ForceStrike ForceStrike Force was an American action-adventure/police procedural television series that aired on ABC during the 1981–1982 television season. The program starred Robert Stack as Capt. Frank Murphy, the leader of a group of specialized detectives and police officers whose job is to stop violent...
- S.W.A.T.S.W.A.T. (TV series)----S.W.A.T. is a 1970s American television series about the adventures of the WCPD's Olympic Division Special Weapons And Tactics team operating in an unidentified California city....
* - That GirlThat GirlThat Girl is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971. It stars Marlo Thomas as the title character, Ann Marie, an aspiring actress, who had moved from her hometown of Brewster, New York to make it big in New York City...
(distributor; now distributed by CBS Television DistributionCBS Television DistributionCBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
) - Thicke of the NightThicke of the NightThicke of the Night is an American late night talk show produced by MGM Television, distributed in syndication by Metromedia and broadcast in first-run syndication during the 1983-1984 TV season....
(distributor; now distributed by Warner Bros. TelevisionWarner Bros. TelevisionWarner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
) - T.J. Hooker *
- Too Close for ComfortToo Close for Comfort (TV series)Too Close for Comfort is an American television sitcom which ran on the ABC network and later in first-run syndication from November 11, 1980 to September 27, 1986. It was modeled after the British series Keep It in the Family, which debuted nine months before Too Close for Comfort debuted in the U.S...
- Truth or ConsequencesTruth or ConsequencesTruth or Consequences is an American quiz show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards and later on television by Edwards , Jack Bailey , Bob Barker , Bob Hilton and Larry Anderson . The television show ran on CBS, NBC and also in syndication...
(distributor, 1966–78) - The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
- Untamed World
- Vauldeville
- Vega$Vega$Vega$ is an American detective television drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling. The series, was filmed in its entirety in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is believed to be the first television series produced entirely in Las Vegas...
(distributor; now distributed by CBS Television DistributionCBS Television DistributionCBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
and owned by Spelling TelevisionSpelling TelevisionSpelling Television Inc. was a television production company that produced popular shows such as Charmed, Beverly Hills, 90210, 7th Heaven, Dynasty and Melrose Place. The company was founded by television producer Aaron Spelling in 1969...
) - WinchellPaul WinchellPaul Winchell was an American ventriloquist, voice actor and comedian, whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s...
-Mahoney Time - WonderamaWonderamaWonderama was a long-running children's television program that appeared on the Metromedia-owned stations from 1955 to 1986, with WNEW-TV in New York City being its originating station....
* -- MPC was the international distributor for these programs. Distribution was later transferred to 20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
, following Murdoch's acquisition of MPC. These programs ane now distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
. In the United States, Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television, Inc. is an American and global television production/distribution subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In turn, the latter is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony.-Background:...
and its predecessor, Columbia Pictures Television, was always the distributor of syndicated repeats of these programs.
External links
- live365 http://www.live365.com/stations/wnewradio1130?site=pro&play=1 Metromedia Radio on Live365
- John Kluge at The Museum of Broadcast Communications (Note - although three separate companies are listed on the IMDb, it should be understood that Metromedia Producers Corporation, Metromedia Productions and Metromedia Television are all different names given for the same production company.)
- New York times 1986 announcement of MetroMedia liquidation
- Metromedia station logo history from 1950s to today