Rahul Sharma (Editor)

List of stations owned or operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group

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Sinclair Broadcast Group is the largest owner of television stations in the United States, currently owning or operating a total of 154 stations across the country (165 after all currently proposed sales are approved) in nearly 80 markets, ranging from markets as large as Washington, D.C. to as small as Steubenville, Ohio.

Contents

Many stations are owned outright by the company, but many others are affiliated through other companies through a local marketing agreement, a concept Sinclair pioneered in Pittsburgh in 1991 when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) forbid duopolies. (The stations involved in the initial deal, WPGH-TV and WPTT — now WPNT — are now both owned by Sinclair outright.) Sinclair has done this with various companies, most notably Cunningham Broadcasting and Deerfield Media, both of which are each believed to be a shell corporation in order for Sinclair to circumvent FCC rules.

The stations are affiliates of various television networks: ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. Sinclair also owned or managed several affiliates of the WB and UPN networks, which both launched in January 1995. In September 2006, the WB and UPN merged their operations into a new network, the CW. Eight of Sinclair's WB stations, along with independent KFBT (now KVCW) in Las Vegas, became affiliates of the new network. At the same time, Sinclair aligned 17 of its stations (ten former WB affiliates, six former UPN stations, and independent WFGX) with MyNetworkTV, a programming service owned by Fox's parent News Corporation. Sinclair's relationship with Fox/News Corporation was also strengthened after Sinclair agreed to a six-year affiliation renewal for its 19 Fox-affiliated stations. The deal also included flagship WBFF in Baltimore, despite Fox owning a station, MyNetworkTV affiliate WUTB, in the same market; however, Sinclair would later purchase WUTB.

In addition to the major networks, many Sinclair stations air Ring of Honor Wrestling, a weekly professional wrestling program by Sinclair-owned Ring of Honor. Many Sinclair stations are also affiliated with the Sinclair-owned American Sports Network (ASN) on a secondary basis, effectively making those stations an owned-and-operated station (O&O) of ASN.

Current television stations

Stations are arranged alphabetically by state and by market. A blank affiliation indicates a subchannel not currently operational.

Notes:

  • (**) – indicates a station that was built and signed-on by Sinclair
  • (††) – indicates a station that was owned by Act III Broadcasting prior to its acquisition by Sinclair between 1994 and 1996
  • (##) – indicates a station that was owned by River City Broadcasting prior to its merger with Sinclair in 1997
  • (¤¤) – indicates a station that was owned by Guy Gannett Communications prior to its acquisition by Sinclair in 1998
  • (ƒ) – indicates a station that was owned by Four Points Media Group prior to its acquisition by Sinclair in 2011
  • (≈≈) – indicates a station that was owned by Freedom Communications prior to its acquisition by Sinclair in 2012
  • (∞) – indicates a station that was acquired from Newport Television in 2012
  • (‡‡) – indicates a station that was owned by Barrington Broadcasting prior to its acquisition by Sinclair in 2013
  • (§§) – indicates a station that was owned by Fisher Communications prior to its acquisition Sinclair in 2013
  • (α) – indicates a station that was owned by Allbritton Communications prior to its acquisition by Sinclair in 2014

    • Notes:

  • 1 These stations are nominally owned by Cunningham Broadcasting and are operated by Sinclair under local marketing agreements. However, Cunningham Broadcasting's stock is almost completely controlled by trusts in the names of members of Sinclair's founding Smith family.
  • 2 These stations are nominally owned by Deerfield Media and operated by Sinclair under local marketing agreements.
  • 3 These stations are owned by New Age Media or MPS Media and operated by Sinclair under a master service agreement.
  • 4 Via local marketing agreements, Sinclair operates these stations, which are owned by local independent or private companies.
  • 5 WYZZ is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting, but operated by Nexstar Media Group under a local marketing agreement.
  • 6 WPFO is owned by Corporate Media Consultants Group (itself 49% owned by Max Media) and operated by Sinclair. The station's license assets are in the process of being transferred to Cunningham Broadcasting, pending FCC approval.
  • 7 These stations are nominally owned by Howard Stirk Holdings (owned by Armstrong Williams) and operated by Sinclair under local marketing agreements.
  • 8 KRNV is owned by Intermountain West Communications Company and operated by Sinclair. The station's license assets are in the process of being transferred to Cunningham Broadcasting, pending FCC approval.
  • 9 WTVH is owned by Granite Broadcasting and operated by Sinclair under a shared services agreement.
  • 10 WWHO is owned by Manhan Media and operated by Sinclair under a shared services agreement.
  • 11 KPIC's license is held by South West Oregon TV Broadcasting Corp., which is 50% owned by Sinclair and 50% owned by California Oregon Broadcasting, Inc.
  • 12 WNAB is owned by Tennessee Broadcasting, LP, an affiliate company of Beverly Hills-based Lambert Broadcasting, but its operations are managed by Sinclair under an outsourcing agreement. Sinclair filed an application to acquire the station outright under an FCC "failing station" waiver in July 2005 but the FCC has not acted on the application as of 2014—and will likely either reject the application or continue to not act on it unless Sinclair sells off either WZTV or WUXP due to current rules prohibiting one company from directly owning more than two full-power television stations in the same market.
  • ASinclair owned WPNT from its 1978 launch (as WPTT-TV) until selling it to its operations manager, Eddie Edwards, in 1991 after acquiring WPGH-TV; Edwards would sell the station back to Sinclair in 2000.

    • Radio stations

    Notes:

  • 1 KOMO-FM is owned by South Sound Broadcasting, but operated by Sinclair under a local marketing agreement.

    • Former Sinclair-owned stations

  • 1 WJSU/WCFT were satellites of WBMA-LD during their ownership by Allbritton Communications; Sinclair agreed to sell them to a 3rd party as part of its 2014 acquisition of Allbritton's TV stations.
  • 2 These stations were owned by third parties, but were operated by Sinclair during these years.
  • 3 Owned by RKM Media, Inc., WNYS was operated by Sinclair under a Local marketing agreement.
  • 4 Owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Sinclair operated WLYH under a Local marketing agreement.
  • 5 Sinclair temporarily owned WHTM under a "Hold Separate Agreement", while it was being sold to Media General, following the completion of the acquisition of Allbritton Communications.
  • 6 Non-license assets were purchased by Communications Corporation of America in 1999; license sold to ComCorp in 2004.

    • References

    List of stations owned or operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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