Benedek Broadcasting

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Benedek Broadcasting was a television broadcasting company, that owned and operated 22 network-affiliated television stations throughout the United States, all affiliated with major television networks, serving mainly small and medium-size markets. The company was founded in the late 1970s by A. Richard Benedek but grew in the 1990s with buyouts of Brisette Broadcasting and Stauffer Communications. The company was based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Throughout its existence, namesake Benedek served as chairman and chief executive officer.

Benedek also owned U.S. Virgin Islands station WBNB-TV starting in 1986, but was knocked off the air by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Its facilities were so badly damaged that Benedek, with no financial resources to rebuild, essentially chose to abandon the station, and its license was deleted in 1995.

Benedek Broadcasting filed for bankruptcy in 2002, and sold off its 22 stations to different owners, many of them to Gray Television with the balance (all small or struggling stations) going to Chelsey Broadcasting. Barrington Broadcasting which began operations in 2004 with former Benedek president and COO K. James Yager as CEO, occupied what had been Benedek's headquarters and purchased two of the former Benedek stations which had been purchased by Chelsey, until it was acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group in 2013.

Benedek Broadcasting had also operated Benedek Interactive Media, an 'Internet newsroom' that extended web-only coverage and editorial capabilities to its stations.

Former stations

Stations owned by Benedek Broadcasting
Media market State/TerritoryStationPurchasedSoldNotes
Dothan Alabama WTVY 19952002
Santa Barbara California KCOY-TV 19961999
Colorado SpringsPueblo Colorado KKTV 19992002
Peoria Illinois WHOI 19962002
FreeportRockford WIFR 19862002
Colby Kansas KLBY 20002002 [A]
Garden City KUPK 20002002 [A]
Topeka WIBW-TV 19962002
Wichita KAKE-TV 20002002
Bowling Green Kentucky WBKO 19832002
Springfield Massachusetts WWLP 19962000
Lansing Michigan WILX-TV 19962002
Duluth Minnesota KDLH 19852002
Meridian Mississippi WTOK-TV 19882002
ColumbiaJefferson City Missouri KMIZ 19962002
Hannibal KHQA-TV 19862002
Omaha Nebraska WOWT-TV 19992002
Youngstown Ohio WYTV 19852002
OdessaMidland Texas KOSA-TV 19962000
Wichita Falls KAUZ-TV 19962002
Harrisonburg Virginia WHSV-TV 19862002
Parkersburg West Virginia WTAP-TV 19792002
Wheeling WTRF-TV 19962002
Madison Wisconsin WMTV 19962002
Wausau WSAW-TV 19962002
Casper Wyoming KGWC-TV 19962002 [B]
Cheyenne KGWN-TV 19962002
Charlotte Amalie U.S. Virgin Islands WBNB-TV 19861995 [a]
  1. Ceased operations in 1989 following Hurricane Hugo; license was cancelled in 1995.
  1. 1 2 Satellite of KAKE-TV.
  2. Semi-satellite of KGWN-TV.

References