Lotus Communications

Last updated
Lotus Communications Corporation
Company typePrivate
Industry Broadcasting
Founded1962;62 years ago (1962)
Headquarters
Key people
Howard Kalmenson (CEO)
Website www.lotuscorp.com

Lotus Communications Corporation is a media company that owns numerous radio stations and a few TV stations, and is one of the largest privately owned radio station groups in the United States. Headquarters are located in Los Angeles, and the company's President and CEO is Howard Kalmenson.

Contents

Radio

As of November 2017, Lotus has a total of 34 stations in Arizona, California, and Nevada.

In August 2018, Lotus announced that it would acquire Scripps' Tucson and Boise clusters for $8 million. To comply with ownership limits due to its existing stations in Tucson, Lotus divested KQTH and KTGV. [1]

In June 2021, Sinclair Broadcast Group agreed to sell KOMO (AM), KOMO-FM, KVI and KPLZ to Lotus Communications for $18 million. Sinclair retained KOMO-TV, plus rights to the KOMO call letters. [2]

Arizona

Tucson

California

Los Angeles

Bakersfield

Fresno

Sacramento

Idaho

Boise

Nevada

Las Vegas

Reno

Washington

Seattle

Television

All of Lotus' television stations are affiliated with Multimedios Television, Telemax & Mira TV.

On June 4, 2021, it was announced that Lotus Communications would sell KHLM-LD to the Christian Television Network for $1.1 million. [3] The sale was completed on August 18. [4]

On March 11, 2022, Gray Television (owner of CBS affiliate KPHO-TV and independent station KTVK) filed an application to acquire KPHE-LD for $1.75 million. [5] The sale was completed on May 4. [6] Lotus had previously reached a deal to sell to Sovryn Holdings for $2 million, which was not consummated, as part of its exit from the few low-power TV stations it still owned. [7]

Related Research Articles

KOMO-TV is a television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Bellevue-licensed CW affiliate KUNS-TV. The two stations share studios within KOMO Plaza in the Lower Queen Anne section of Seattle adjacent to the Space Needle; KOMO-TV's transmitter is located in the city's Queen Anne neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KNWN (AM)</span> Radio station in Seattle, Washington

KNWN is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Seattle, Washington, and serving the Seattle metropolitan area. Owned by Lotus Communications, the station primarily airs an all-news radio format. It is the local affiliate for ABC News Radio and identifies itself as "Northwest News Radio".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KBOI-TV</span> CBS affiliate in Boise, Idaho

KBOI-TV is a television station in Boise, Idaho, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside low-power CW+ affiliate KYUU-LD. The two stations share studios on North 16th Street in downtown Boise; KBOI-TV's transmitter is located at the Bogus Basin ski area summit in unincorporated Boise County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KNIN-TV</span> Fox affiliate in Caldwell, Idaho

KNIN-TV is a television station licensed to Caldwell, Idaho, United States, serving as the Fox affiliate for the Boise area. The station is owned by Marquee Broadcasting. KNIN-TV's transmitter is located at the Bogus Basin ski area summit in unincorporated Boise County, with its technical and news operations based out of the studios of Sinclair Broadcast Group–owned KBOI-TV on North 16th Street in Boise under a facilities and services agreement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fisher Communications</span> Defunct American media company

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.

Mission Broadcasting, Inc. is a television station group that owns 29 full-power television stations in 26 markets in the United States. The group's chair is Nancie Smith, the widow of David S. Smith, who founded the company in 1996 and died in 2011. All but one of Mission's stations are located in markets where Nexstar Media Group also owns a station, and all of Mission's stations are managed by Nexstar through shared services and local marketing agreements—effectively creating duopolies between the top two stations in a market or in markets with too few stations or unique station owners to legally allow duopolies. The company moved its headquarters from Westlake, Ohio, to Wichita Falls, Texas, in 2018. The company's stations are based in markets as large as New York City and as small as Grand Junction, Colorado.

KPLZ-FM is a commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is owned and operated by Lotus Communications and it airs a gold-based country music radio format. The studios and offices are co-located with former sister station KOMO-TV within KOMO Plaza in the Lower Queen Anne section of Seattle, directly across the street from the Space Needle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KVI</span> Talk radio station in Seattle

KVI is a commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. Owned by Lotus Communications, it airs a conservative talk radio format called "News Talk 570 KVI." Its transmitter is on Vashon Island and its studios and offices are located with former sister station KOMO-TV at KOMO Plaza in Seattle.

WNTJ is a radio station licensed to serve Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States. The station, established in 1946, is currently owned by Seven Mountains Media, through licensee Southern Belle Media Family, LLC.

KVMX-FM is a radio station licensed to Placerville, California, United States, and serving the Sacramento area with a Classic Regional Mexican format, branded as "La Ranchera". The station is currently owned by Lotus Communications, who bought the then-KMJE from Results Radio on September 3, 2013 and took over ownership on December 10, 2013. It is also broadcasting on AM at 890, known as KSAC, which signed on as KMJE in the summer of 2014.

KJOQ is a commercial AM radio station in Duluth, Minnesota. Established in 1963 as KAOH, the station is owned by Daniel and Alana Hatfield, through licensee Twin Ports Radio, LLC, and airs a worship music format. The studios are located in Duluth's Central Hillside at 806 East 4th street in Duluth. The AM transmitter is located off Maryland Avenue in Superior, Wisconsin and the 100.9 FM translator is co-located with former sister station WWPE-FM 92.1 in the Duluth antenna farm.

KHIT is a commercial radio station that broadcasts a sports radio format. It is licensed to Reno, Nevada, United States and serves the Reno area. The station is currently owned by Lotus Communications. Programming is also heard on FM translator station K231CS at 94.1 MHz. Its studios are located on Plumb Lane in South Reno, and its transmitter is located in northwest Reno.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KNWN-FM</span> Radio station in Oakville, Washington

KNWN-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Oakville, Washington, and serving the Seattle metropolitan area and the Olympic Peninsula. It is owned by Lotus Communications. KNWN-FM broadcasts an all-news radio format, simulcast with sister station KNWN 1000 AM. It is a network affiliate of ABC News Radio. The studios and offices are co-located with former sister station KOMO-TV within KOMO Plaza in the Lower Queen Anne section of Seattle, directly across the street from the Space Needle.

KSAC-FM is a Ranchera leaning Regional Mexican radio station based in Sacramento, California, United States. The station is licensed to the community of Dunnigan, California and is owned by Lotus Communications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KHIT-FM</span> Radio station in Madera–Fresno, California

KHIT-FM is a radio station airing a Spanish adult contemporary format. Licensed to Madera, California, United States, the station serves the Fresno area. It first began broadcasting in 1990 under the call sign KJDN. The station is currently owned by Lotus Communications. Its studios are located just north of downtown Fresno, and the transmitter tower is near Yosemite Lakes, California.

WQQO-HD2 – branded 100.7 The Ticket – is a digital subchannel of Sylvania radio station WQQO. Owned by Cumulus Media, WQQO-HD2 functions as a commercial sports radio station, serving the Toledo metropolitan area and much of surrounding Northwest Ohio, and also acts as the Toledo market affiliate for ESPN Radio and the Michigan Sports Network. Using the proprietary technology HD Radio for its main digital transmission, WQQO-HD2 also rebroadcasts over low-power analog Toledo translator W264AK, and streams online. The WQQO-HD2 studios, and the WQQO-HD2 and W264AK transmitters, are co-located in Toledo's Scott Park neighborhood.

WVRX is a Southern Gospel formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Strasburg, Virginia, serving the Northern Shenandoah Valley. WVRX is owned by Point FM Ministries. WVRX simulcasts sister station WVRS.

KVLM is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Tarzan, 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.

KSAC is a Class B radio station in Olivehurst, California, operating with 10,000 watts of power during the day and 270 watts at night. The station is owned by Lotus Communications through licensee Lotus Sacramento Corp. and targets the Sacramento area. KSAC's programming is entirely devoted to The Rob, Anybody, and Dawn Show. It also broadcasts via translator K284CM on 104.7 MHz, licensed to Sacramento.

References

  1. "Lotus Grabs Scripps' Stations In Two Markets". Radio & Television Business Report. 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
  2. "More Details On Lotus' Purchase Of Sinclair's Seattle Radio Properties". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
  3. "Assignments". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. June 4, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  4. "Notification of Consummation". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. August 18, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  5. "Assignments". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. March 11, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  6. "Notification of Consummation". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. May 4, 2022. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  7. Jacobson, Adam (July 21, 2021). "Philip Falcone's New Venture Snags Another LPTV Property". Radio and Television Business Report. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2023.