 | |
| Formerly | Ottumwa Media Holdings, LLC |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcast media |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Owner | Thomas B. Henson |
| Website | americanspiritmedia |
American Spirit Media, LLC is a broadcasting company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded by Thomas B. Henson in 2003 as Ottumwa Media Holdings, it owns television stations in several cities in the Southeastern United States. [1]
In 2003, Raycom Media acquired the Waitt Media stations (that included KYOU-TV in the Ottumwa, Iowa DMA). As Raycom already owned KTVO (licensed in Kirksville, Missouri, on the same DMA) and it could not legally keep both stations because the market has too few channels to legally permit a duopoly, KYOU was sold to then named Ottumwa Media Holdings (created on that year) for $4 million. The company entered into a shared services agreement and studio lease agreement with Raycom to operate KYOU and Raycom would have an option to purchase KYOU. [2]
In August 2006, Ottumwa Media Holdings changed its name to American Spirit Media. [1] On the same month, on August 11, KTVO was sold to Barrington Broadcasting as part of a $262 million deal for twelve stations, [3] however Raycom retained its shared services agreement with KYOU.
In 2011, Community Newspaper Holdings sold Southeastern Media Holdings and its four stations to Thomas Henson (which later transferred in the same year its shares to American Spirit Media, which he owns) for $24 million and the assumption of $50 million in debt. [4] [5]
On January 11, 2012, it was reported that LIN Media would sell WUPW to American Spirit Media for $22 million. [6] As part of the acquisition, WUPW entered into a shared services agreement with Raycom's WTOL. [7] The acquisition was completed on April 20, 2012. [8]
In July 2012, the company agreed to acquire WDBD and WXMS-LP from Roundtable Broadcasting. As part of the deal, the station's operations would be taken over by Raycom's WLBT. American Spirit also agreed to acquire WUFX and WBMS-CA from Vicksburg Broadcasting, but spin off the WUFX license to Tougaloo College for $1 (though it will operate that station under a joint sales agreement). [9] Both transactions were consummated on November 13. [10] [11]
On November 27, 2013, American Spirit Media announced it would acquire KFVE and its satellites KGMV and KGMD-TV from MCG Capital Corporation. [12] The stations are currently owned by MCG and operated by Raycom Media. A lawsuit was filed by Media Council Hawaii in 2014 to halt the transfer to American Spirit Media; consequently, as of January 31, 2016, the deal has yet to be consummated. [13]
In August 2015, as a result of Raycom Media's purchase of Drewry Communications; Hoak Media sold Wichita Falls, Texas'-based KAUZ-TV to American Spirit Media. KSWO-TV (acquired by Raycom from Drewry) and KAUZ remained jointly operated, but the joint sales agreement between with KAUZ would be terminated upon the sale's closure due to FCC rules prohibiting such agreements by counting the sale of 15% or more of advertising time by one station to a competing junior partner station in the JSA as a duopoly in violation with the agency's ownership rules (the Wichita Falls-Lawton market has only four full-power television stations, four fewer than that allowed to legally form a duopoly); upon the JSA's termination, Raycom would enter into a shared services agreement with KAUZ, under which KSWO would handle news production, administrative and production operations, and equipment and building space for that station. [14] [15] The sale was completed on December 1. [16]
On March 10, 2016, American Spirit's KVHP License Subsidiary, LLC acquired Lake Charles' KVHP for $2 million. [17] [18] After close its purchase on August 15, [19] American Spirit entered into a shared services agreement and studio lease agreement with Raycom's KPLC to operate KVHP. [20]
On June 25, 2018, Atlanta-based Gray Television announced it had reached an agreement with Raycom to merge their respective broadcasting assets (consisting of Raycom's 63 existing owned-and/or-operated television stations, and Gray's 93 television stations) under the former's corporate umbrella. As part of the cash-and-stock merger transaction valued at $3.6 billion – in which Gray shareholders would acquire preferred stock currently held by Raycom – Gray would acquire KYOU in Ottumwa, Iowa and WUPV in Richmond, Virginia outright. [21] [22] [23] [24] In advance of the merger, Raycom exercised its options to purchase both stations outright from American Spirit Media. The sale to Gray was approved on December 20 and completed on January 2, 2019. [25] [26]
The company owns or operates seven stations, which all but two are operated by Gray Television through shared services and/or joint sales agreements. Prior to 2019, Raycom Media provided services to these stations that are now operated by Gray, while WUPW is now operated by Tegna.
This list also contains stations that were owned by Southeastern Media Holdings, prior to its acquisition by American Spirit in 2011.
| City of license / Market | Station | Channel TV (RF) | Owned Since | Network Affiliation | Operated By |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, Georgia | WXTX | 54 (24) | 2011 | Fox | Gray Television (SSA) |
| Lake Charles, Louisiana | KVHP | 29 (18) | 2016 | Fox ABC (DT2) | Gray Television (SSA) |
| Jackson, Mississippi | WDBD | 40 (14) | 2012 | Fox | Gray Television (SSA) |
| WLOO | 35 (36) | 1 | MyNetworkTV | N/A | |
| Wilmington, North Carolina | WSFX-TV | 26 (29) | 2011 | Fox | Gray Television (SSA) |
| Toledo, Ohio | WUPW | 36 (26) | 2012 | Fox | Tegna (JSA) |
| Wichita Falls, Texas | KAUZ-TV | 6 (22) | 2015 | CBS The CW Plus (DT2) | Gray Television (SSA) |
| City of license / Market | Station | Channel TV (RF) | Years owned | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta, Georgia | WFXG | 54 (31) | 2003–2011 | Fox affiliate owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group |
| Ottumwa, Iowa | KYOU-TV | 15 (15) | 2003–2019 | Fox affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Richmond, Virginia | WUPV | 65 (47) | 2011–2019 | The CW affiliate owned by Gray Television |
Under U.S. federal law, cable and satellite providers may not carry over-the-air stations on their systems without the consent of each stations' signal owners. American Spirit Media failed to renew its retransmission contract with DirecTV/AT&T U-verse upon its expiration on August 31, 2017. After a three-week extension period passed with both parties failing to agree on a new contract, American Spirit Media withdrew permission for DirecTV/AT&T U-verse to retransmit the signals of its stations as of 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 21. [27] The dispute lasted for four months before a resolution was reached on January 30, 2018. [28]
In North American broadcasting, a local marketing agreement (LMA), or local management agreement, is a contract in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another party. In essence, it is a sort of lease or time-buy.
KGMB is a television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands as an affiliate of CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside NBC affiliate KHNL and Kailua-Kona–licensed Telemundo affiliate KFVE. The stations share studios on Waiakamilo Road in Honolulu's Kapālama neighborhood, while KGMB's transmitter is located in Akupu, Hawaii.
KHII-TV is a television station in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, serving the Hawaiian Islands as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside dual Fox/CW affiliate KHON-TV. Both stations share studios at the Haiwaiki Tower in downtown Honolulu, while KHII's main transmitter is located in Akupu, Hawaii.
Raycom Media, Inc. was an American television broadcasting company based in Montgomery, Alabama. Raycom owned and/or provided services for 65 television stations and two radio stations across 44 markets in 20 states. Raycom, through its Community Newspaper Holdings subsidiary, also owned multiple newspapers in small and medium-sized markets throughout the United States.
WUPW is a television station in Toledo, Ohio, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by American Spirit Media, which maintains a joint sales agreement (JSA) with Tegna Inc., owner of CBS affiliate WTOL, for the provision of certain services. Both stations share studios on North Summit Street in downtown Toledo, while WUPW's transmitter is located on Corduroy Road in Oregon, Ohio.
WUPV is a television station licensed to Ashland, Virginia, United States, serving the Richmond area as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by Gray Television alongside Richmond-licensed NBC affiliate WWBT. Both stations share studios on Midlothian Turnpike in Richmond, while WUPV's transmitter is located northeast of Richmond in King William County.
KXXV is a television station in Waco, Texas, United States, serving Central Texas as an affiliate of ABC. Owned by the E. W. Scripps Company, the station maintains studios on South New Road in Waco, and its transmitter is located near Moody, Texas.
WDBD is a television station in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by American Spirit Media, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Gray Television, owner of NBC affiliate WLBT, for the provision of certain services; it is also sister to Vicksburg-licensed MyNetworkTV outlet WLOO. Although technically owned by Tougaloo College, WLOO is actually controlled by American Spirit through a separate joint sales agreement (JSA), with Gray providing limited engineering support. The stations share studios on South Jefferson Street in downtown Jackson, while WDBD's transmitter is located on Thigpen Road southeast of Raymond, Mississippi.
WTOL is a television station in Toledo, Ohio, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Tegna Inc., which provides certain services to Fox affiliate WUPW under a joint sales agreement (JSA) with American Spirit Media. Both stations share studios on North Summit Street in downtown Toledo, while WTOL's transmitter is located on Cedar Point Road in Oregon, Ohio.
KTVO is a television station licensed to Kirksville, Missouri, United States, serving the Ottumwa, Iowa–Kirksville, Missouri market as an affiliate of ABC and CBS. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station maintains studios on US 63 two miles (3.2 km) north of Kirksville, with a secondary studio, news bureau and advertising sales office on South Market Street in downtown Ottumwa. Its transmitter is located northwest of Downing, Missouri, along US 136.
KFDA-TV is a television station in Amarillo, Texas, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside Borger-licensed Telemundo affiliate KEYU. Both stations share studios on Broadway Drive in northern Amarillo, where KFDA's transmitter is also located.
KAUZ-TV is a television station licensed to Wichita Falls, Texas, United States, serving the western Texoma area as an affiliate of CBS and The CW Plus. It is owned by American Spirit Media, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with Gray Television, owner of Lawton, Oklahoma–licensed ABC affiliate KSWO-TV, for the provision of certain services. KAUZ-TV's studios and transmitter are located near Seymour Highway and West Wenonah Boulevard in western Wichita Falls.
KSWO-TV is a television station licensed to Lawton, Oklahoma, United States, serving the western Texoma area as an affiliate of ABC and Telemundo. It is owned by Gray Television, which maintains a shared services agreement (SSA) with American Spirit Media, owner of Wichita Falls, Texas–licensed dual CBS/CW+ affiliate KAUZ-TV, for the provision of certain services. KSWO-TV's studios are located on 60th Street in southeastern Lawton, and its transmitter is located near East 1940 and North 2390 Roads in rural southwestern Tillman County, Oklahoma.
Hoak Media Corporation was a broadcast media company based in Dallas, Texas. Hoak once owned eighteen television stations, all in medium and small-markets, mostly in the Great Plains states and Colorado. Hoak Media was established in August 2003.
KYOU-TV is a television station licensed to Ottumwa, Iowa, United States, serving the Ottumwa, Iowa–Kirksville, Missouri market as an affiliate of Fox, NBC and The CW Plus. The station is owned by Gray Television and maintains studios on West 2nd Street in Downtown Ottumwa; its transmitter is located one mile (1.6 km) east of Richland, Iowa.
KEYU is a television station licensed to Borger, Texas, United States, serving the Amarillo area as an affiliate of the Spanish-language Telemundo network. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate KFDA-TV. The two stations share studios on Broadway Drive in northern Amarillo; KEYU's transmitter is located on Dumas Drive and Reclamation Plant Road in rural unincorporated Potter County.
KTLE-LD is a low-power television station licensed to Odessa, Texas, United States, affiliated with the Spanish-language network Telemundo. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate KOSA-TV, MyNetworkTV affiliate KWWT, Big Spring–licensed CW+ affiliate KCWO-TV, and Midland-licensed low-power Antenna TV affiliate KMDF-LD. The five stations share studios inside the Music City Mall on East 42nd Street in Odessa, with a secondary studio and news bureau in downtown Midland; KTLE-LD's transmitter is located on US 385 just north of downtown Odessa.
KVLM is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Lamesa, Texas, and serving the Midland-Big Spring-Odessa region of Texas. It broadcasts a Christian radio format and is owned by VCY America, Inc. The station airs a mix of Christian talk and teaching shows and Christian music. SRN News provides updates.
KJNB-LD is a low-power television station in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States, affiliated with Fox and CBS. Owned by Coastal Television Broadcasting Company LLC, the station maintains a small office in the Regions Bank Building in Jonesboro, and its transmitter is located on Highway 91/Southern Avenue in unincorporated Lawrence County, southeast of Walnut Ridge.
The Drewry Communications Group was a media company based in Lawton, Oklahoma, wholly owned and operated by the Drewry family. The company was run by Robert Drewry, Bill Drewry, and Larry Patton. Robert and Bill are the sons of late patriarch Ransom H. Drewry.