Taft Broadcasting
Encyclopedia
The Taft Broadcasting Company, also known as Taft Television and Radio Company, Incorporated, was an American
media conglomerate based in Cincinnati, Ohio
.
The company is rooted in the family
of William Howard Taft
, the 27th President of the United States
. William Howard's half-brother, Charles Phelps Taft
, purchased the Cincinnati Times-Star newspaper in 1879; its later publishers included Charles' son Hulbert Taft Sr., and grandson
Hulbert Taft Jr.
The company is notable for having been the owner of such major media and entertainment properties as Hanna-Barbera Productions, Worldvision Enterprises, Ruby-Spears Productions
, KECO Entertainment
and many television
and radio station
s.
It also owned 50% of CIC Video
's Australia
n operations, CIC-Taft Home Video.
In a bit of an ironic twist, the company's last headquarters building in the Mount Auburn neighborhood, today houses studios for Cincinnati's NBC
affiliate, WLWT
.
from founding owner Kodel Radio Company.
In 1949, Taft's first TV station, WKRC-TV
in Cincinnati begins broadcasting.
In 1953, Radio Cincinnati purchases WTVN-TV (now WSYX
) in Columbus, Ohio
, from Picture-Waves, Inc., controlled by Toledo
attorney and broadcaster Edward Lamb
.
In 1954, the company buys WHKC radio in Columbus from United Broadcasting, then-owners of WHK in Cleveland
; WHKC is renamed WTVN
.
In 1956, Jay Birdwell, owner of WBIR-AM
-FM-TV
in Knoxville, Tennessee
sells his shares in those stations to Gilmore Nunn, Robert Ashe, John P. Hart, and Radio Cincinnati (which acquires 30 percent ownership).
In 1957, Radio Cincinnati purchased WBRC-AM-FM
-TV in Birmingham, Alabama
, from Storer Broadcasting
.
In 1958, the Cincinnati Times-Star is merged into the Cincinnati Post, published by the E.W. Scripps Company. Radio Cincinnati also purchases WKYT-TV
in Lexington, Kentucky
, from local interests.
In 1959, the company acquires the remaining 70 percent of WBIR-AM-FM-TV in Knoxville. Also during this year, the Taft family merges its broadcasting subsidiaries into one, using the Taft Broadcasting Company name.
In 1960, Taft sold the WBIR stations to WMRC, Inc. (later to become Multimedia Inc.
) of Greenville, South Carolina
. The company also launches WTVN-FM in Columbus (it is now WLVQ
).
In 1963, Taft purchases several stations from Transcontinent Television Corporation: WDAF-AM
-FM
-TV
in Kansas City, Missouri
, WGR-AM
-FM
-TV
in Buffalo, New York
, and WNEP-TV
in Scranton, Pennsylvania
.
In 1967, Taft purchased the Hanna-Barbera
cartoon studio from its founders, Joseph Barbera
and William Hanna
. Taft also sells WKYT-TV to a subsidiary of Kentucky Central Life Insurance Company.
In 1969, Taft purchased WIBF-TV in Philadelphia and changes its calls to WTAF-TV
. The FCC initially grants Taft a waiver to keep both WTAF and WNEP, but later reversed itself in 1973 (four years later) and sold WNEP-TV as a result due to FCC regulations at the time prohibiting one company from owning two television stations with overlapping coverage areas.
In 1970, Taft forms Rhodes Productions, a television syndication arm for various independent TV programs, including those of Hanna-Barbera.
In 1972, Taft opened its first theme park, Kings Island
, outside of Cincinnati. Taft owned five other theme parks through is KECO Entertainment
division. WBRC radio and WBRC-FM in Birmingham are sold to Mooney Broadcasting.
In 1974, Taft acquired Top 40 station KQV
and rock
outlet WDVE
, both in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, from ABC Radio.
In 1975, Rhodes Productions is sold to Filmways
. Taft, H-B Program Sales and Taft, H-B International are established as the new domestic and overseas television distribution arms.
In 1979, Taft purchased WDCA-TV
in Washington, D.C.
from the Superior Tube Company. Around this same period, Taft also acquires independent distributor Worldvision Enterprises (formerly a division of ABC) and production company QM Productions.
In 1980, Taft acquires Sunn Classic Pictures
and two additional Schick divisions.
In 1981, Taft acquired Ruby-Spears Productions
from Filmways. Around this time, most references to Taft on TV and radio are split into 2 "subdivisions": the "Taft Entertainment Company" (which housed Hanna-Barbara, Ruby-Spears, Worldvision, the theme parks, and the TV and movie producing and distributing companies). The other was the "Taft Television & Radio Co, Inc.", (which housed the TV and radio stations).
In 1982, KQV is sold to General Manager Robert W. Dickey and other investors under the "Calvary, Inc." banner.
In 1983, Taft exchanged WGR-TV to General Cinema Corporation's Coral Television subsidiary in return for WCIX
in Miami.
In 1984, Taft purchased Gulf Broadcasting, which included KTXA
in Fort Worth, Texas
, KTXH
in Houston, WTSP
in St. Petersburg, Florida
, KTSP-TV (now KSAZ-TV
) in Phoenix
and WGHP
in High Point, North Carolina
.
In 1987, Taft sold its independent
stations (WDCA-TV, KTXA, and KTXH) and Fox
affiliates (WCIX and WTAF-TV) to the TVX Broadcast Group
. Taft also sells WGR radio in Buffalo to Rich Communications.
Cincinnati-based billionaire Carl Lindner, Jr.
, becomes Taft's majority stockholder and renames the company after his Great American Insurance Company
to Great American Broadcasting (also known as Great American Communications), following a major restructuring of its operations. Great American spun-off WTVN-TV to Anchor Media, a new firm composed of former Taft Broadcasting board members led by Texas
millionaire Robert Bass. Another new company, led by former Taft Broadcasting president Dudley S. Taft Jr., retained WGHP and later purchases another Philadelphia station, WPHL-TV
.
In 1988, Great American Broadcasting sold Worldvision to Aaron Spelling Productions
. Included with Worldvision is outright ownership of all of Great American's programming assets, except for the Hanna-Barbera and Ruby-Spears libraries, which remain owned by Great American for the time being. However, Worldvision continued to hold syndication rights until the two animation studios found new owners.
In 1991, Hanna-Barbera, along with much of the original Ruby-Spears library, is acquired by Turner Broadcasting, which becomes part of Time Warner
in 1996. As part of this deal, syndication rights to the libraries passed to Turner Entertainment Co. and Turner Program Services
(the latter is now Warner Bros. Television Distribution
). The Ruby-Spears studio is spun off to a different, as yet unknown, owner.
In 1992, KECO Entertainment, Great American's theme park division, were sold to Paramount Communications (the parent of Paramount Pictures
formerly Gulf+Western
) and became Paramount Parks
, later to be acquired by Viacom. (These parks were sold to Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. by CBS in 2006.) Great American also reacquires WGHP from Dudley Taft.
In 1993, Great American filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
and renamed to Citicasters Communications. It also sells WKRC radio to Jacor Communications and shuts down Electra
, a teletext service operated as a joint venture between Zenith
, Taft, and Turner's WTBS-TV (now WPCH-TV).
In 1994, Citicasters sold most of its TV stations, including WDAF-TV and KSAZ-TV to New World Communications
, and WBRC and WGHP to the News Corporation
's Fox Television Stations unit, which would later acquire the New World chain.
In 1996, Citicasters, by then the owner of owned and operated 2 television stations, 5 AM radio stations and 14 FM radio stations, merged with Jacor, which became a subsidiary of Citicasters. Three months after the merger is completed, Jacor exchanged WTSP to Gannett in return for Gannett's radio stations in Los Angeles
, San Diego
and Tampa. In 1997, as a condition of the merger, Jacor sold WKRQ and the original WDAF-FM (by then KYYS, now KCKC) to American Radio Systems, which would become acquired by Infinity Broadcasting (now CBS Radio
) in 1998. Also in 1997, Jacor sells WDAF-AM (now KCSP) to Entercom Communications
.
In 1997, the Worldvision properties that had previously been under Taft and Great American (with the exception of the Hanna-Barbera and most of the Ruby-Spears material) are incorporated into Republic Pictures
(today part of Paramount Pictures
).
In 1999, Clear Channel Communications
acquired Citicasters & Jacor
. The Citicasters name lives on as a holding company and licensee under the Clear Channel corporate structure.
.
Notes:
1. Two boldface asterisks appearing following a station's call letters (**) indicate a station that was built and signed-on by Taft;
2. This list does not include ownership by the second Taft Broadcasting Company, a company formed in the wake of the Great American takeover of the original Taft Broadcasting.
. It also owns Pentagon Channel
, a joint venture with American Forces Network
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
media conglomerate based in Cincinnati, Ohio
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...
.
The company is rooted in the family
Taft family
The Taft family of the United States hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, with historic origins in Massachusetts; its members have served Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, and the United States in various positions, such as Governor of Ohio, Governor of Rhode Island, U.S. Senator , U.S...
of William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
, the 27th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. William Howard's half-brother, Charles Phelps Taft
Charles Phelps Taft
Charles Phelps Taft I was an American lawyer and politician.-Biography:He was born on December 21, 1843 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Alphonso Taft, and his brother was President William Howard Taft....
, purchased the Cincinnati Times-Star newspaper in 1879; its later publishers included Charles' son Hulbert Taft Sr., and grandson
Grandson
Grandson has multiple meanings:*Grandson *Grandson, Switzerland, a municipality in Switzerland*Grandson , a district in Switzerland...
Hulbert Taft Jr.
The company is notable for having been the owner of such major media and entertainment properties as Hanna-Barbera Productions, Worldvision Enterprises, Ruby-Spears Productions
Ruby-Spears Productions
Ruby-Spears Productions is a Burbank, California-based entertainment production company that specializes in animation...
, KECO Entertainment
KECO Entertainment
Kings Entertainment Company owned and/or operated six theme parks around the world. The company was originally owned by Taft Broadcasting and in the mid 1980s was purchased by a few top-level executives of Taft's....
and many television
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...
and radio station
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...
s.
It also owned 50% of CIC Video
CIC Video
CIC Video was a home video distributor, owned by Cinema International Corporation , and operated in some countries by local operators...
's 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 operations, CIC-Taft Home Video.
In a bit of an ironic twist, the company's last headquarters building in the Mount Auburn neighborhood, today houses studios for Cincinnati's 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, WLWT
WLWT
WLWT, virtual channel 5 , is an NBC-affiliated television station in Cincinnati, Ohio, the station is owned by Hearst Television...
.
History
The Taft family's involvement in broadcasting began in 1939 as Radio Cincinnati, Inc., when the Cincinnati Times-Star purchases WKRC radioWKRC (AM)
WKRC is a radio station based in Cincinnati, Ohio that is owned by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasts at 550 kHz. Broadcasting under the branding of 55KRC, the station is a news/talk outlet featuring a local morning show and national hosts like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean...
from founding owner Kodel Radio Company.
In 1949, Taft's first TV station, WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount...
in Cincinnati begins broadcasting.
In 1953, Radio Cincinnati purchases WTVN-TV (now WSYX
WSYX
WSYX, channel 6, is an ABC-affiliated television station located in Columbus, Ohio. WSYX is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which also operates Fox affiliate WTTE through a local marketing agreement...
) in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, from Picture-Waves, Inc., controlled by Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
attorney and broadcaster Edward Lamb
Edward Lamb
Edward Lamb was an American businessman, broadcasting executive and labor lawyer. He is best known for having defended striking workers during the Auto-Lite Strike in 1934 and for successfully resisting the federal government's attempt to strip him of his broadcasting licenses during the McCarthy...
.
In 1954, the company buys WHKC radio in Columbus from United Broadcasting, then-owners of WHK 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...
; WHKC is renamed WTVN
WTVN
WTVN is a full-service AM radio station in Columbus, Ohio located at 610 kHz. It has news, talk, and sports programs, is the dominant AM station in the Columbus market and is consistently rated either #1 or #2 by Arbitron...
.
In 1956, Jay Birdwell, owner of WBIR-AM
WIFA
WIFA is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian music format. Licensed to Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, the station serves the Knoxville area. The station is currently owned by Progressive Media, Inc. and features programing from Salem Radio Network....
-FM-TV
WBIR-TV
WBIR-TV, channel 10, is the NBC affiliate television station in Knoxville, Tennessee. The station is licensed to the Gannett Pacific Corporation, a subsidiary of the Gannett Company...
in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
sells his shares in those stations to Gilmore Nunn, Robert Ashe, John P. Hart, and Radio Cincinnati (which acquires 30 percent ownership).
In 1957, Radio Cincinnati purchased WBRC-AM-FM
WBPT
WBPT is a classic hits music-formatted radio station licensed to Homewood, Alabama, that serves the Birmingham and central Alabama area. The station was assigned the WBPT call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on October 17, 2001. Since October 2005, it has used the branding "106.9...
-TV in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, from Storer Broadcasting
Storer Broadcasting
Storer Broadcasting, Inc. was an American company which owned several television and radio stations in the northeast United States. It was incorporated in Ohio in 1927, and sold its broadcasting properties in 1983.-1920s—1940s:...
.
In 1958, the Cincinnati Times-Star is merged into the Cincinnati Post, published by the E.W. Scripps Company. Radio Cincinnati also purchases WKYT-TV
WKYT-TV
WKYT-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station in Lexington, Kentucky, serving the east-central part of Kentucky. Through cable, the station also reaches much of eastern, southern & northern Kentucky. Its transmitter is located in Lexington, east of the intersection of I-75 & US 60...
in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, from local interests.
In 1959, the company acquires the remaining 70 percent of WBIR-AM-FM-TV in Knoxville. Also during this year, the Taft family merges its broadcasting subsidiaries into one, using the Taft Broadcasting Company name.
In 1960, Taft sold the WBIR stations to WMRC, Inc. (later to become Multimedia Inc.
Multimedia (media company)
Multimedia, Inc. was a media company that owned 10 daily newspapers, three weekly newspapers, two radio stations, five television stations, and a cable television system division...
) of Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
. The company also launches WTVN-FM in Columbus (it is now WLVQ
WLVQ
WLVQ is an FM radio station in Columbus, Ohio, United States, broadcasting on 96.3 MHz. Its brand identifier is Ohio's Best Rock, QFM 96. WLVQ is currently owned by Wilks Broadcasting and plays classic rock...
).
In 1963, Taft purchases several stations from Transcontinent Television Corporation: WDAF-AM
KCSP
KCSP may refer to:* KCSP , a radio station licensed to Kansas City, Missouri, United States* KCSP-FM, a radio station licensed to Casper, Wyoming, United States* KC Space Pirates, a team that competed in Space Elevator Games...
-FM
KCKC-FM
KCKC is an adult album alternative station based in Kansas City, Missouri that operates at 102.1 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW. The station is licensed to and operated by Wilks Broadcasting. Its transmitter is located in Independence, Missouri...
-TV
WDAF-TV
WDAF-TV, virtual channel 4.1, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas designated market area. The station is owned by Local TV LLC, the media arm of private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners. Its studios and transmitter are located in the Signal Hill...
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...
, WGR-AM
WGR
WGR, or WGR Sports Radio 550, is an all sports radio station in Buffalo, New York that broadcasts on 550 AM. It is the flagship station of the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bandits, and is currently the only full-time sports talk station in the city of Buffalo. Its studios are located in Amherst,...
-FM
WGRF
WGRF is a radio station in Buffalo, New York, USA. The station's on air branding is "97 Rock". The station mostly plays Classic rock from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s...
-TV
WGRZ-TV
WGRZ, virtual channel 2 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Buffalo, New York. Its studio is located at 259 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo. Its transmitter is located at 11530 Warner Hill Road in South Wales, New York...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, and WNEP-TV
WNEP-TV
WNEP-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for northeastern Pennsylvania licensed to Scranton. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter on Penobscot Knob in Mountain Top...
in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
.
In 1967, Taft purchased the Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
cartoon studio from its founders, Joseph Barbera
Joseph Barbera
Joseph Roland Barbera was an influential American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the twentieth century....
and William Hanna
William Hanna
William Denby Hanna was an American animator, director, producer, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of people for much of the 20th century. When he was a young child, Hanna's family moved frequently, but they settled in Compton, California, by...
. Taft also sells WKYT-TV to a subsidiary of Kentucky Central Life Insurance Company.
In 1969, Taft purchased WIBF-TV in Philadelphia and changes its calls to WTAF-TV
WTXF-TV
WTXF-TV, virtual channel 29 , is an owned-and-operated station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. The FCC initially grants Taft a waiver to keep both WTAF and WNEP, but later reversed itself in 1973 (four years later) and sold WNEP-TV as a result due to FCC regulations at the time prohibiting one company from owning two television stations with overlapping coverage areas.
In 1970, Taft forms Rhodes Productions, a television syndication arm for various independent TV programs, including those of Hanna-Barbera.
In 1972, Taft opened its first theme park, Kings Island
Kings Island
Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
, outside of Cincinnati. Taft owned five other theme parks through is KECO Entertainment
KECO Entertainment
Kings Entertainment Company owned and/or operated six theme parks around the world. The company was originally owned by Taft Broadcasting and in the mid 1980s was purchased by a few top-level executives of Taft's....
division. WBRC radio and WBRC-FM in Birmingham are sold to Mooney Broadcasting.
In 1974, Taft acquired Top 40 station KQV
KQV
KQV is a radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station, which is the only broadcast station owned by Calvary, Inc., broadcasts at 1410 kHz, with 5000 watts of power day and night. KQV's call letters reportedly stand for King of the Quaker Valley...
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
outlet WDVE
WDVE
WDVE is a mainstream rock music formatted radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA at 102.5 MHz. It is often referred to by Pittsburghers as simply "DVE." WDVE's transmitter is located on Pittsburgh's North Side...
, both in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, from ABC Radio.
In 1975, Rhodes Productions is sold to Filmways
Filmways
Filmways, Inc. was a television and film production company founded by American film executive Martin Ransohoff in 1958...
. Taft, H-B Program Sales and Taft, H-B International are established as the new domestic and overseas television distribution arms.
In 1979, Taft purchased WDCA-TV
WDCA
WDCA, virtual channel 20, is a television station in Washington, D.C.. Owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, WDCA is a sister station to Fox network outlet WTTG , and is affiliated with the co-owned MyNetworkTV programming service...
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....
from the Superior Tube Company. Around this same period, Taft also acquires independent distributor Worldvision Enterprises (formerly a division of ABC) and production company QM Productions.
In 1980, Taft acquires Sunn Classic Pictures
Sunn Classic Pictures
Sunn Classic Pictures, also known as Schick Sunn Classic Pictures is an independent U.S.-based film distributor, founded in 1971. The company was notable for family films and documentaries, and was bought by Taft Broadcasting in 1980.-History:...
and two additional Schick divisions.
In 1981, Taft acquired Ruby-Spears Productions
Ruby-Spears Productions
Ruby-Spears Productions is a Burbank, California-based entertainment production company that specializes in animation...
from Filmways. Around this time, most references to Taft on TV and radio are split into 2 "subdivisions": the "Taft Entertainment Company" (which housed Hanna-Barbara, Ruby-Spears, Worldvision, the theme parks, and the TV and movie producing and distributing companies). The other was the "Taft Television & Radio Co, Inc.", (which housed the TV and radio stations).
In 1982, KQV is sold to General Manager Robert W. Dickey and other investors under the "Calvary, Inc." banner.
In 1983, Taft exchanged WGR-TV to General Cinema Corporation's Coral Television subsidiary in return for WCIX
WFOR-TV
WFOR-TV, virtual channel 4.1 , is the CBS owned-and-operated station in Miami, Florida. WFOR shares its TV studio facilities with sister station WBFS-TV in Doral, near Miami International Airport, and its transmitter is located in Miramar.WFOR-TV also previously had two translator stations in the...
in Miami.
In 1984, Taft purchased Gulf Broadcasting, which included KTXA
KTXA
KTXA, virtual channel 21 , is an independent television station based in Fort Worth, Texas, and serving the Dallas/Fort Worth designated market area. With its transmitter in Cedar Hill, KTXA is owned by CBS Corporation and is the sister station of CBS outlet KTVT .KTXA was originally an...
in Fort Worth, Texas
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...
, KTXH
KTXH
KTXH, digital channel 19 , is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station in Houston, Texas. It is owned by the Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is one-half of a duopoly with Fox network station KRIV .Along with programming from MyNetworkTV, the station also airs...
in Houston, WTSP
WTSP
WTSP is a CBS-affiliated television station in St. Petersburg, Florida . It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 10....
in St. Petersburg, Florida
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...
, KTSP-TV (now KSAZ-TV
KSAZ-TV
KSAZ-TV, virtual channel 10.1, is the Fox owned-and-operated station in Phoenix, Arizona. It is owned by Fox Television Stations in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV station KUTP ....
) in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
and WGHP
WGHP
WGHP, channel 8, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem, North Carolina designated market area...
in High Point, North Carolina
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
.
In 1987, Taft sold its independent
Independent station
An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
stations (WDCA-TV, KTXA, and KTXH) and 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...
affiliates (WCIX and WTAF-TV) to the TVX Broadcast Group
TVX Broadcast Group
The TVX Broadcast Group was an American media company that owned a group of UHF television stations during the 1980s. Originally known as the Television Corporation, the company was headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, and was founded by a group of Norfolk-area businessmen led by Timothy McDonald...
. Taft also sells WGR radio in Buffalo to Rich Communications.
Cincinnati-based billionaire Carl Lindner, Jr.
Carl Lindner, Jr.
Carl Henry Lindner, Jr. was a Cincinnati businessman and one of the world's richest people. According to the 2006 issue of Forbes Magazine's 400 list, Lindner was ranked 133 and was worth an estimated $2.3 billion...
, becomes Taft's majority stockholder and renames the company after his Great American Insurance Company
American Financial Group
American Financial Group Incorporated is a holding company based in Cincinnati, Ohio whose primary business is insurance and investments. American Financial Group's purpose is to enable businesses and individuals to manage risk using insurance products and services tailored to meet their specific...
to Great American Broadcasting (also known as Great American Communications), following a major restructuring of its operations. Great American spun-off WTVN-TV to Anchor Media, a new firm composed of former Taft Broadcasting board members led by Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
millionaire Robert Bass. Another new company, led by former Taft Broadcasting president Dudley S. Taft Jr., retained WGHP and later purchases another Philadelphia station, WPHL-TV
WPHL-TV
WPHL-TV, channel 17, is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, owned by the Tribune Company and currently affiliated with the News Corporation-owned MyNetworkTV television network. This makes it the largest non-O&O station of the network...
.
In 1988, Great American Broadcasting sold Worldvision to Aaron Spelling Productions
Spelling Television
Spelling 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...
. Included with Worldvision is outright ownership of all of Great American's programming assets, except for the Hanna-Barbera and Ruby-Spears libraries, which remain owned by Great American for the time being. However, Worldvision continued to hold syndication rights until the two animation studios found new owners.
In 1991, Hanna-Barbera, along with much of the original Ruby-Spears library, is acquired by Turner Broadcasting, which becomes part of Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
in 1996. As part of this deal, syndication rights to the libraries passed to Turner Entertainment Co. and Turner Program Services
Turner Program Services
Turner Program Services was the former syndication arm of Turner Broadcasting. It served the same purpose as Turner Entertainment's distribution unit, with the exception that TPS was more involved in distributing television series rather than films....
(the latter is now Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Warner Bros. Television Distribution is an American television distribution arm of Warner Bros. Television, itself a part of Time Warner formed circa 1960. In 1989, the studio formed Warner Bros...
). The Ruby-Spears studio is spun off to a different, as yet unknown, owner.
In 1992, KECO Entertainment, Great American's theme park division, were sold to Paramount Communications (the parent of 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...
formerly Gulf+Western
Gulf+Western
Gulf and Western Industries, Inc., for a number of years known as Gulf+Western, was an American conglomerate.- History :Gulf and Western's prosaic origins date to a manufacturer named Michigan Bumper Co. founded in 1934, though Charles Bluhdorn treated his 1958 takeover of what was then Michigan...
) and became Paramount Parks
Paramount Parks
Paramount Parks was an operator of theme parks and attractions, which annually attracted about 13 million patrons. Viacom had assumed control of the company as part of its acquisition of Paramount Pictures in 1994....
, later to be acquired by Viacom. (These parks were sold to Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. by CBS in 2006.) Great American also reacquires WGHP from Dudley Taft.
In 1993, Great American filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
and renamed to Citicasters Communications. It also sells WKRC radio to Jacor Communications and shuts down Electra
Electra (teletext)
Electra was a teletext service in the United States that was in operation from the early 1980s up until 1993, when it was shut down due to a lack of funding, and discontinuation of teletext-capable television sets by the only US television manufacturer offering teletext capability at the time, Zenith...
, a teletext service operated as a joint venture between Zenith
Zenith
The zenith is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the imaginary celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction opposite to the apparent gravitational force at that location. The opposite direction, i.e...
, Taft, and Turner's WTBS-TV (now WPCH-TV).
In 1994, Citicasters sold most of its TV stations, including WDAF-TV and KSAZ-TV to New World Communications
New World Communications
New World Pictures was an independent motion picture and television production company, and later television station owner in the United States from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s...
, and WBRC and WGHP 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...
's Fox Television Stations unit, which would later acquire the New World chain.
In 1996, Citicasters, by then the owner of owned and operated 2 television stations, 5 AM radio stations and 14 FM radio stations, merged with Jacor, which became a subsidiary of Citicasters. Three months after the merger is completed, Jacor exchanged WTSP to Gannett in return for Gannett's radio stations in 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...
, San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
and Tampa. In 1997, as a condition of the merger, Jacor sold WKRQ and the original WDAF-FM (by then KYYS, now KCKC) to American Radio Systems, which would become acquired by Infinity Broadcasting (now 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...
) in 1998. Also in 1997, Jacor sells WDAF-AM (now KCSP) to 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....
.
In 1997, the Worldvision properties that had previously been under Taft and Great American (with the exception of the Hanna-Barbera and most of the Ruby-Spears material) are incorporated into Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
(today part of 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...
).
In 1999, 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...
acquired Citicasters & Jacor
Jacor
Jacor Communications was a media corporation which owned a large number of radio stations in the United States. Inside the radio industry, Jacor was seen as one of the most competitive broadcast companies in history. Jacor's re-image in 1996 created the slogan "The Noise You Can't Ignore".Jacor was...
. The Citicasters name lives on as a holding company and licensee under the Clear Channel corporate structure.
Television stations
Stations are arranged in alphabetical order 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 Taft;
2. This list does not include ownership by the second Taft Broadcasting Company, a company formed in the wake of the Great American takeover of the original Taft Broadcasting.
| 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 Virtual channel In telecommunications, a logical channel number , also known as virtual channel, is a channel designation which differs from that of the actual radio channel on which the signal travels.... (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/Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S... - Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa, Alabama Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010... - Anniston Anniston, Alabama Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741... |
WBRC-TV WBRC WBRC, virtual channel 6, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Birmingham, Alabama designated market area. The station is owned by Raycom Media, and its transmitter is located atop Red Mountain in Birmingham... |
6 (50) | 1957–1995 | 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... 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.... |
| Phoenix Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data... |
KTSP-TV (now KSAZ-TV KSAZ-TV KSAZ-TV, virtual channel 10.1, is the Fox owned-and-operated station in Phoenix, Arizona. It is owned by Fox Television Stations in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV station KUTP .... ) |
10 (10) | 1984–1994 | Fox owned-and-operated (O&O Owned-and-operated station In the broadcasting industry , an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television station or radio station that is owned by the network with which it is associated... ) |
| 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.... |
WDCA-TV WDCA WDCA, virtual channel 20, is a television station in Washington, D.C.. Owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, WDCA is a sister station to Fox network outlet WTTG , and is affiliated with the co-owned MyNetworkTV programming service... |
20 (35) | 1979–1987 | My Network TV affiliate owned by Fox Television Stations |
| Miami Miami, Florida Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625... - Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010... |
WCIX (now WFOR-TV WFOR-TV WFOR-TV, virtual channel 4.1 , is the CBS owned-and-operated station in Miami, Florida. WFOR shares its TV studio facilities with sister station WBFS-TV in Doral, near Miami International Airport, and its transmitter is located in Miramar.WFOR-TV also previously had two translator stations in the... ) |
6 (now 4 (31)) |
1983–1987 | 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) |
| 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... - 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.... |
WTSP WTSP WTSP is a CBS-affiliated television station in St. Petersburg, Florida . It broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 10.... |
10 (10) | 1984–1996 | CBS 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... |
| Lexington, Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region... |
WKYT-TV WKYT-TV WKYT-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station in Lexington, Kentucky, serving the east-central part of Kentucky. Through cable, the station also reaches much of eastern, southern & northern Kentucky. Its transmitter is located in Lexington, east of the intersection of I-75 & US 60... |
27 (36) | 1958–1967 | CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television Gray Television Gray Television, Inc. is a communications company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with administrative offices in Albany, Georgia.Established in 1946 by James H... |
| 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... |
WDAF-TV WDAF-TV WDAF-TV, virtual channel 4.1, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas designated market area. The station is owned by Local TV LLC, the media arm of private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners. Its studios and transmitter are located in the Signal Hill... |
4 (34) | 1964–1994 | Fox affiliate owned by Local TV Local TV Local TV LLC is a limited liability corporation, owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners , which operates 18 local network-affiliated television stations in the United States.-History:... |
| Buffalo, New York Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the... |
WGR-TV (now WGRZ) |
2 (33) | 1964–1983 | 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 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... |
| High Point High Point, North Carolina High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina.... - Greensboro Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S... - Winston-Salem Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to... |
WGHP WGHP WGHP, channel 8, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem, North Carolina designated market area... |
8 (35) | 1984–1987 | Fox affiliate owned by Local TV |
| 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... |
WKRC-TV WKRC-TV WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount... ** |
12 (12) | 1949–1996 | CBS affiliate owned by Newport Television Newport Television Newport Television, LLC is 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. In September 2007, Newport agreed to sell KFTY and KVOS-TV to LK Station Group LLC for $26.6... |
| Columbus, Ohio Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city... |
WTVN-TV (now WSYX WSYX WSYX, channel 6, is an ABC-affiliated television station located in Columbus, Ohio. WSYX is owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which also operates Fox affiliate WTTE through a local marketing agreement... ) |
6 (48) | 1953–1987 | 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 Sinclair Broadcast Group Sinclair Broadcast Group The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of... |
| Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,... |
WTAF-TV (now WTXF-TV WTXF-TV WTXF-TV, virtual channel 29 , is an owned-and-operated station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania... ) |
29 (42) | 1969–1987 | Fox owned-and-operated (O&O) |
| Scranton Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S... - Wilkes-Barre, PA Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census... |
WNEP-TV WNEP-TV WNEP-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for northeastern Pennsylvania licensed to Scranton. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter on Penobscot Knob in Mountain Top... |
16 (50) | 1964–1973 | ABC affiliate owned by Local TV |
| Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region... |
WBIR-TV WBIR-TV WBIR-TV, channel 10, is the NBC affiliate television station in Knoxville, Tennessee. The station is licensed to the Gannett Pacific Corporation, a subsidiary of the Gannett Company... |
10 (10) | 1959–1960 (also held a 30% stake from 1956–1959) |
NBC affiliate owned by Gannett Company |
| 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... - 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... |
KTXA KTXA KTXA, virtual channel 21 , is an independent television station based in Fort Worth, Texas, and serving the Dallas/Fort Worth designated market area. With its transmitter in Cedar Hill, KTXA is owned by CBS Corporation and is the sister station of CBS outlet KTVT .KTXA was originally an... |
21 (29) | 1984–1987 | Independent Independent station An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network.... owned by CBS Corporation CBS Corporation CBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's... |
| 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 ... |
KTXH KTXH KTXH, digital channel 19 , is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station in Houston, Texas. It is owned by the Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is one-half of a duopoly with Fox network station KRIV .Along with programming from MyNetworkTV, the station also airs... |
20 (19) | 1984–1987 | My Network TV affiliate owned by Fox Television Stations |
Radio stations
(a partial listing)| AM Stations | FM Stations |
| DMA# | Market | Station | Current owner |
| 24. | Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States... |
KQV KQV KQV is a radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station, which is the only broadcast station owned by Calvary, Inc., broadcasts at 1410 kHz, with 5000 watts of power day and night. KQV's call letters reportedly stand for King of the Quaker Valley... -1410 |
Calvary, Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| WDVE WDVE WDVE is a mainstream rock music formatted radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA at 102.5 MHz. It is often referred to by Pittsburghers as simply "DVE." WDVE's transmitter is located on Pittsburgh's North Side... -102.5 |
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... |
||
| 29. | Cincinnati | WKRC WKRC (AM) WKRC is a radio station based in Cincinnati, Ohio that is owned by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasts at 550 kHz. Broadcasting under the branding of 55KRC, the station is a news/talk outlet featuring a local morning show and national hosts like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean... -550 |
Clear Channel Communications |
| WKRC-FM-101.9 (now WKRQ WKRQ WKRQ, known on-air as Q102, is a radio station located in the Cincinnati, Ohio area and broadcasts at 101.9 FM. Its transmitter is located in Cincinnati. It carries an adult top 40 format and is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting.-History:... ) |
Hubbard Broadcasting | ||
| 32. | 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... |
WDAF-610 (now KCSP KCSP (AM) KCSP is a sports/talk radio station located in Kansas City, Missouri. The Entercom-owned station broadcasts on 610 kHz. Beginning March 31, 2011, its programming is simulcast on KMBZ-FM's 98.1-HD2 subchannel.... ) |
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.... |
| WDAF-FM-102.1 (now KCKC) |
Wilks Broadcasting | ||
| 37. | Columbus, Ohio Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city... |
WTVN WTVN WTVN is a full-service AM radio station in Columbus, Ohio located at 610 kHz. It has news, talk, and sports programs, is the dominant AM station in the Columbus market and is consistently rated either #1 or #2 by Arbitron... -610 |
Clear Channel Communications |
| WTVN-FM-96.3 (now WLVQ WLVQ WLVQ is an FM radio station in Columbus, Ohio, United States, broadcasting on 96.3 MHz. Its brand identifier is Ohio's Best Rock, QFM 96. WLVQ is currently owned by Wilks Broadcasting and plays classic rock... ) |
Wilks Broadcasting | ||
| 52. | Buffalo, New York Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the... |
WGR WGR WGR, or WGR Sports Radio 550, is an all sports radio station in Buffalo, New York that broadcasts on 550 AM. It is the flagship station of the Buffalo Sabres and the Buffalo Bandits, and is currently the only full-time sports talk station in the city of Buffalo. Its studios are located in Amherst,... -550 |
Entercom Communications |
| WGR-FM-96.9 (now WGRF WGRF WGRF is a radio station in Buffalo, New York, USA. The station's on air branding is "97 Rock". The station mostly plays Classic rock from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s... ) |
Citadel Broadcasting Citadel Broadcasting Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country... |
||
| 57. | Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S... |
WBRC-960 (now WERC) |
Clear Channel Communications |
| WBRC-FM-106.9 (now WBPT WBPT WBPT is a classic hits music-formatted radio station licensed to Homewood, Alabama, that serves the Birmingham and central Alabama area. The station was assigned the WBPT call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on October 17, 2001. Since October 2005, it has used the branding "106.9... ) |
Cox Radio Cox Radio Cox Radio, Inc. is a division of Cox Enterprises that holds a number of radio stations. Cox Radio is headquartered at 6205 Peachtree Dunwoody Road in Sandy Springs, Georgia.... |
Taft Broadcasting Company LLC
In 1988, Dudley Taft Jr. established a second but much smaller company with the same name. Its headquarters are now located at Houston, TexasHouston, 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 ...
. It also owns Pentagon Channel
Pentagon Channel
The Pentagon Channel is a TV channel broadcasting military news and information for the 2.6 million members of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is widely available on US Public, educational, and government access cable tv channels, can be viewed FTA in most Central and Western European countries ,...
, a joint venture with American Forces Network
American Forces Network
The American Forces Network is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide...
.
TV Stations
| Current DMA Media market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content... # |
Market | Station | Affiliation |
| 1. | White River Junction White River Junction, Vermont White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States... |
WNNE-TV | NBC |
Radio Stations
| DMA# | Market | Station |
| 1. | 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 ... |
KODA-AM KODA-FM KODA-FM KODA, known as "Sunny 99.1", is an FM radio station licensed to Houston, Texas. The station's transmitters are in Missouri City, Texas. It is a mainstream adult contemporary station, marketed to the at-work listener... |
|---|---|---|
| 2. | Fort Worth, Texas 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... |
KRXV-AM |
| 3. | Oklahoma City Oklahoma city Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial... |
KTOK-AM |
- WNNE-TV (NBC), White River Junction, Vermont
External links
- Taft and Great American: Overview
- WTVN-TV History Page at the Early Television Foundation
- Taft Broadcasting Company LLC