Fisher Communications, Inc.
TypePublic
NASDAQ: FSCI
IndustryBroadcasting, Television, Radio
Founded1910 (1910)
DefunctAugust 8, 2013 (2013-08-08)
FateAcquired by Sinclair
SuccessorSinclair Broadcast Group
HeadquartersSeattle, Washington, United States
Area served
Northwestern United States
Key people
Colleen Brown
(President) & (CEO)
Michael D. Wortsman (Chair)
Robert I. (Rob) Dunlop (EVP) (Ops)[1]
Revenue$164.0M (Increase 6.8%) 2011[1]
$36.4M (Increase 273.8%) 2011[1]
Number of employees
784 (Increase5.3%) 2011[1]
Before they were in broadcasting, the Fisher fortune rested on the Fisher Flour Mill on Seattle's Harbor Island, founded 1910.
Fisher Plaza, the company's headquarters.

Fisher Communications was a media company in the United States. Based in Seattle, Washington, the company primarily owned a number of radio and television stations in the Western United States. It was the last company in the Seattle area to own a local TV station before being acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Fisher was acquired the same year KOMO-TV's competitor KING-TV's owner, Belo, was acquired by the Gannett Company.

History

See also KNWN (AM)

Fisher Companies, Inc.'s Fisher Communications by 1998 owned 25 radio stations and 2 TV stations. Fisher Companies also owned a flour milling and food distribution company and real estate development subsidiary.[2]

In 1999 Retlaw Enterprises (a company owned by the relatives of Walt Disney) sold its remaining 11 television stations to Fisher Communications, including all of the related assets to those properties[3] for $215 million in cash.[2] Its broadcasting unit, until the 2000s, was Fisher Broadcasting. Also that year, Fisher is launching its own entertainment division, Fisher Entertainment, to be headed by Alan Winters, a syndication executive.[4]

Fisher began to sell many of its properties in the mid-2000s, including real estate, its longtime flour milling operation, and its stake in Safeco.[5] By 2011, Fisher Communications was down to 10 radio stations.[1] On April 11, 2013, Fisher (which by then owned 20 television stations and only three radio stations) announced that it would be acquired by the Sinclair Broadcast Group.[5] However, the deal was subject to financial scrutiny; the law firm Levi & Korsinsky notified Fisher shareholders with accusations that Fisher's board of directors were breaching fiduciary duties by "failing to adequately shop the Company before agreeing to enter into the transaction", and Sinclair was underpaying for Fisher's stock.[6] Shortly after the announcement, a lawsuit was filed by a Fisher shareholder;[7] the suit was settled in July 2013,[8] on August 6 Fisher's shareholders approved the merger.[9] The FCC granted its approval of the sale of August 7.[10] On August 8, Sinclair announced that the sale was completed.[11]

Final stations

Stations are arranged alphabetically by state and by city of license.

  • (**) - Indicates a station built and signed-on by Fisher.

Radio

AM Station FM Station
City of license / Market Station Years owned Current status
Billings, MT KBLG 910 1994–2006Owned by Desert Mountain Broadcasting
KYYA 93.3 1994–2006KURL, owned by Elenbaas Media, Inc
KRKX 94.1 1994–2006Owned by Desert Mountain Broadcasting
KRZN 96.3 ** 1998–2006Owned by Desert Mountain Broadcasting
Butte, MT KXTL 1370 1994–2006Owned by Townsquare Media
KAAR 92.5 1994–2006Owned by Townsquare Media
KMBR 95.5 1994–2006Owned by Townsquare Media
Great Falls, MT KXGF 1400 1994–2011Owned by STARadio Corporation
KQDI 1450 –2011Owned by STARadio Corporation
KAAK 98.9 1994–2011Owned by Townsquare Media
KIKF 104.9 ** 2001–2011Owned by STARadio Corporation
KQDI-FM 106.1 –2011Owned by STARadio Corporation
KINX 107.3 ** 2002–2011KIMO, owned by Montana Radio Company
Missoula, MT KYLT 1340 –2006Owned by Townsquare Media
KGRZ 1450 1994–2006Owned by Townsquare Media
KGGL 93.3 1994–2006Owned by Townsquare Media
KXDR 98.7 –2006KHKM, owned by Legacy Broadcasting, Inc.
KZOQ-FM 100.1 –2006Owned by Townsquare Media
KBQQ 106.7 2003–2006KXDR, owned by Cherry Creek Radio
Portland, OR KOTK 1090 1996–2003KFXX, owned by Audacy, Inc.
KWJJ-FM 99.5 1996–2003Owned by Audacy, Inc.
Seattle–Tacoma, WA KVI 570 1994–2013Owned by Lotus Communications
KOMO 1000 ** 1926–2013KNWN, owned by Lotus Communications
KOMO-FM 97.7 [lower-alpha 1]KNWN-FM, owned by Lotus Communications
KPLZ-FM 101.5 1994–2013Owned by Lotus Communications
Wenatchee, WA KWWX 1340 –2006KYSP, owned by Townsquare Media
KWWW-FM 96.7 –2006Owned by Townsquare Media
KYSN 97.7 1994–2006Owned by Townsquare Media
KXAA/KAPP 99.5 1994–2006KAPL-FM, owned by Townsquare Media
KZPH 106.7 1997–2006KKWN, owned by Townsquare Media
  1. ↑ Owned by South Sound Broadcasting and operated by Fisher under an LMA.

Television

City of license / Market Station Channel Years owned Current status
Bakersfield, CA[12] KBAK-TV 29 2008–2013 CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
KBFX-CD 58 2008–2013 Fox affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Fresno–Visalia, CA KJEO 47 1999–2000[lower-alpha 1] CBS affiliate KGPE, owned by Nexstar Media Group
Augusta, GA WFXG 54 1999–2003[lower-alpha 1] Fox affiliate owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group
Columbus, GA WXTX 54 1999–2003[lower-alpha 1] Fox affiliate owned by American Spirit Media[lower-alpha 2]
Boise, ID KBOI-TV 2 1999–2013[lower-alpha 1] CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
KYUU-LD 35 2006–2013 The CW affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Idaho Falls–Pocatello, ID KIDK 3 1999–2013[lower-alpha 1] Dabl affiliate owned by VistaWest Media, LLC[lower-alpha 3]
KXPI-LD 34 2006–2013 Fox affiliate owned by News-Press & Gazette Company
Lewiston, ID–Spokane, WA KLEW-TV[upper-alpha 1] 3 1999–2013[lower-alpha 1] CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Bend, OR KABH-CA[upper-alpha 2] 15 [lower-alpha 4] Defunct, license cancelled in 2015
Eugene–Coos Bay–Roseburg, OR KVAL-TV 13 1999–2013[lower-alpha 1] CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
KCBY-TV[upper-alpha 3] 11 1999–2013[lower-alpha 1] CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
KPIC[upper-alpha 3] 4 1999–2013[lower-alpha 1] CBS affiliate owned by South West Oregon TV Broadcasting[lower-alpha 5]
KMTR 16 2013[lower-alpha 6] NBC affiliate owned by Roberts Media, LLC[lower-alpha 7]
KMCB[upper-alpha 4] 23 2013[lower-alpha 6] NBC affiliate owned by Roberts Media, LLC[lower-alpha 7]
KTCW[upper-alpha 4] 46 2013[lower-alpha 6] NBC affiliate owned by Roberts Media, LLC[lower-alpha 7]
Portland, OR–Vancouver, WA KATU ** 2 1962–2013 ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
KUNP 16 2006–2013 Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Seattle–Tacoma, WA KOMO-TV ** 4 1953–2013 ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
KUNS-TV 51 2006–2013 The CW affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Yakima–Walla Walla, WA KIMA-TV 29 1999–2013[lower-alpha 1] CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
KEPR-TV[upper-alpha 1] 19 1999–2013[lower-alpha 1] CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
KUNW-CD 2 2007–2013 Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
KVVK-CD[upper-alpha 5] 15 2007–2013 Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
KORX-CA[upper-alpha 5] 16 2007–2013 Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
KWWA-CA[upper-alpha 5] 49 2007–2008 Defunct, ceased operations in 2008
  1. 1 2 Semi-satellite of KIMA.
  2. ↑ Satellite of KUNP.
  3. 1 2 Satellite of KVAL.
  4. 1 2 Satellite of KMTR.
  5. 1 2 3 Satellite of KUNW.
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Acquired from Retlaw Enterprises.
  2. ↑ Operated through an SSA by Gray Television.
  3. ↑ Operated through an SSA by News-Press & Gazette Company.
  4. ↑ Owned by WatchTV, Inc. and operated by Fisher under an LMA.
  5. ↑ Jointly owned by Sinclair (50 percent) and COBI (50 percent).
  6. 1 2 3 Owned by Roberts Media, LLC, and operated by Fisher under a SSA.
  7. 1 2 3 Operated through an SSA by Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Contract Dispute

On December 17, 2008, Fisher Communications' contract expired with Dish Network. As a result of this contract dispute, stations owned by Fisher Communications were no longer available to Dish Network subscribers. Dish Network claimed that Fisher is asking for over an 80% increase.[13] The Fisher stations that returned to Dish Network are: KOMO and KUNS in Seattle.; KATU and KUNP in Portland.; KIMA in Yakima, Washington.; KVAL in Eugene, Oregon.; KBCI (now KBOI) in Boise, Idaho; KIDK in Idaho Falls, Idaho; and KBAK and KBFX in Bakersfield, California. Dish Network restored the service to their customers at 10:25 p.m. PST on June 10.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Fisher Communications." Company Profile. Hoover's, Inc., 2012. Answers.com July 20, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Vrana, Debrora (November 19, 1998). "Fisher Cos. Is Expected to Buy Retlaw's 11 TV Stations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  3. ↑ "8-K For 7/1/99". Fisher Communications Inc. filings. secinfo.com. Retrieved October 20, 2007.
  4. ↑ Littleton, Cynthia (March 30, 1999). "Fisher taps Winters". Variety. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Allison, Melissa (April 11, 2013). "KOMO owner Fisher Communications agrees to sale". The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  6. ↑ "SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Notifies Investors of Claims of Breaches of Fiduciary Duty by the Board of Fisher Communications, Inc. in Connection With the Sale of the Company to Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc". Press release. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Fisher Communications, Inc. (FSCI) Investor Lawsuit to Stop Takeover by Sinclair Broadcast Group Announced by Shareholders Foundation". Press release. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Fisher Reaches Settlement In Shareholder Suit". All Access. July 29, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Fisher Shareholders Approve Sale To Sinclair". NetNewsCheck. August 6, 2013. Archived from the original on September 8, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Application Search Details: File Number: BTCCDT-20130425ACH". fcc.gov. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Sinclair Broadcast Group Closes On Fisher Communications Acquisition". All Access. August 8, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  12. ↑ Fisher Communications Agrees to Purchase Two Bakersfield Television Stations
  13. ↑ "Feud Between DISH Network and Fisher Communications Cuts Local Affiliate Stations". nbcrightnow.com. December 29, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  14. ↑ "KATU, Fisher stations return to DISH Network". KATU News. June 11, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
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