Block Communications

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Logo of Block/Blade Communications Block Communications Inc logo.jpg
Logo of Block/Blade Communications

Block Communications Inc. (also known as Blade Communications) is an American privately held holding company of various assets, mainly in the print and broadcast media, based in Toledo, Ohio. The company was founded in 1900 in New York City when Paul Block, a German-Jewish immigrant who came to the United States in 1885, formed an ad representation firm for newspapers. The Block empire grew to encompass many newspapers on the east coast of the US, however with the Great Depression in the 1930s came the loss of all but three properties: the ad representation firm, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette , and the Toledo Blade (where Block eventually settled the company upon its purchase in 1927). After Block's death in 1941, his children took over the company. They eventually passed it on to their grandchildren, who continue to operate it to this day. In May 2024, a lawsuit to stop the sale of the company, and over control it, revealed that Allan Block and John Block each own 25%, while the other 50% is owned by family trusts that benefit family members. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Company holdings

Newspapers

Television

Broadcast

Louisville, Kentucky

Lima/Findlay, Ohio

(*) – Serve as translators for WOHL to expand its coverage across the West Ohio TV market

Other markets

Cable

Online

Non-Media

Former properties

Related Research Articles

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<i>The Blade</i> (Toledo, Ohio) American daily newspaper from Toledo, Ohio

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBKI (TV)</span> TV station in Salem, Indiana

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLKY</span> CBS affiliate in Louisville, Kentucky

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBKI-TV (1983–2017)</span> Television station in Campbellsville, Kentucky

WBKI-TV was a television station licensed to Campbellsville, Kentucky, United States, which served the Louisville area. Last owned by LM Communications, LLC, it was most recently affiliated with The CW. LM Communications maintained a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Block Communications, owner of Fox affiliate WDRB and Salem, Indiana–licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYO, for the provision of certain services. WBKI-TV's transmitter was located in Raywick, Kentucky. In 2014, all of WBKI-TV's operations were consolidated at WDRB and WMYO's shared studio facility on West Muhammad Ali Boulevard in downtown Louisville. Previously, WBKI-TV maintained separate studios at the Wright Tower on Dutchmans Lane in Louisville's Bowman section, while the WDRB/WMYO facilities only housed WBKI-TV's master control and some internal operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WUPW</span> Fox affiliate in Toledo, Ohio

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">WSYX</span> TV station in Columbus, Ohio

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toledo 5</span> Former cable channel in Toledo, Ohio, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLIO</span> NBC/Fox/MyNetworkTV affiliate in Lima, Ohio

WLIO, virtual and VHF digital channel 8, is a dual NBC/Fox-affiliated television station licensed to Lima, Ohio, United States. Owned by Block Communications, it is a sister station to low-powered, Class A dual ABC/CBS affiliate WOHL-CD. The two stations share studios on Rice Avenue northwest of downtown; WLIO's transmitter is located on Saint Clair Avenue north of downtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WOHL-CD</span> ABC/CBS television affiliate in Lima, Ohio

WOHL-CD is a low-power, Class A television station in Lima, Ohio, United States, affiliated with ABC and CBS. Owned by Block Communications, it is sister to full-powered dual NBC/Fox affiliate WLIO. The two stations —which all operate under the collective banner of "Your Hometown Stations"—share studios on Rice Avenue northwest of downtown; WOHL-CD's transmitter is located on Saint Clair Avenue north of downtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WAMS-LD</span> WOHL-CD translator in Minister/New Bremen, Ohio

WAMS-LD is a low-power television station licensed to both Minster and New Bremen, Ohio, United States. It is a translator of Lima-licensed Class A dual ABC/CBS affiliate WOHL-CD which is owned by Block Communications, and is also sister to Lima-licensed, full-powered dual NBC/Fox affiliate WLIO. All of the stations share studios on Rice Avenue northwest of downtown; WAMS-LD's transmitter is located off SR 119 east of Minster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPNM-LD</span> Television station in Ohio, United States

WPNM-LD is a low-power television station in Leipsic, Ohio, United States. It is a translator of Lima-based Class A dual ABC/CBS affiliate WOHL-CD which is owned by Block Communications, and is also sister to Lima-licensed, full-powered dual NBC/Fox affiliate WLIO. WPNM-LD's transmitter is located on the WBGU-TV tower near Belmore, Ohio; its parent station shares studios with WLIO on Rice Avenue northwest of downtown Lima.

WFND-LD is a low-power television station in Findlay, Ohio, United States, serving the Toledo area as a Buckeye Cable Sports Network affiliate owned by Block Communications. Its licensee is West Central Ohio Broadcasting, Inc., a Block subsidiary. Block also owns several other assets in Northwestern Ohio, including The Blade, Buckeye CableSystem and WLIO. Engineering operations and monitoring are performed from West Central Ohio Broadcasting's operation center at 1424 Rice Avenue in Lima. The engineering supervisor is Frederick Vobbe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WIMA (AM)</span> Radio station in Lima, Ohio

WIMA is a commercial AM radio station in Lima, Ohio, owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc.. Its studio's and office are located on West Market Street, and its transmitter is located on McClain Road in Fort Shawnee. It is Lima's first and oldest commercial radio station. The call sign, when spoken like a word rhymes with the city of Lima, which is pronounced with a long "i" sound, unlike the capital city of Peru.

Buckeye Broadband is a cable and telecommunications company located in Toledo, Ohio, owned by Block Communications. Buckeye Broadband provides cable television, broadband internet and home telephone services to customers in northwest Ohio and parts of southeast Michigan; in addition to its system in Toledo, Buckeye also provides services to Sandusky and Erie County in north central Ohio, which were formerly served by predecessor Erie County Cablevision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KNPG-LD</span> NBC/CW/Telemundo affiliate in St. Joseph, Missouri

KNPG-LD is a low-power television station in St. Joseph, Missouri, United States, affiliated with NBC, The CW Plus and Telemundo. It is owned by the locally based News-Press & Gazette Company (NPG) alongside fellow flagship properties, Fox affiliate KNPN-LD and CBS affiliate KCJO-LD. The three stations share studios at News-Press & Gazette's corporate headquarters on Edmond Street in downtown St. Joseph; KNPG-LD's transmitter is located on South 16th Street, just southeast of downtown.

WCZU-LD is a low-power television station in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States, affiliated with The365. The station is owned by Innovate Corp. and licensed to its subsidiary DTV America Corporation. WCZU-LD's transmitter is located near Wingfield, in unincorporated southwestern Edmonson County along Wingfield Church Road.

References

  1. "Lawsuit seeks to stop potential sale of Toledo Blade, Buckeye Broadband". 2024-06-15. Archived from the original on 2024-06-15.
  2. Batz Jr, Bob Batz; Mellon, Steve (10 May 2024). "Pittsburgh news strike leader reacts to PG co-owner's family lawsuit". Pittsburgh Union Progress. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  3. "Ohio Media Executive Allan Block Fired by Family After Lawsuit to Stop Sale". 2024-05-21. Archived from the original on 2024-05-21.
  4. "Phipps flips Lima low-power cluster". Television Business Report. November 29, 2008. Archived from the original on June 1, 2009. Retrieved December 1, 2008.
  5. Sowinski, Greg (December 2, 2008). "WLIO owner buys Fox affiliate, other stations for $2.4 million". The Lima News . Archived from the original on 2008-12-06. Retrieved December 2, 2008.
  6. About us – Hometown Stations.com
  7. Buckeye Cable
  8. Buckeye Express
  9. Buckeye Access
  10. TeleSystem
  11. Line Systems
  12. Block acquires Line Systems - TeleSystem.us
  13. Archived January 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine