Max Media

Last updated

Max Media
Company type Private
Industry Broadcasting
Founded2001
Headquarters5589 Greenwich Rd., Suite 200, Vriginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.
Area served
Illinois, Missouri, and Virginia
Products Radio
Divisions River Radio LLC
Website maxmediallc.com

Max Media is a company that owns radio stations throughout the United States. It is based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The company also operates under the name River Radio for stations in their Illinois and Missouri Markets with offices in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Carterville, Illinois, and Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

Contents

River Radio serves as Max Media's midwest division River Radio LLC Logo.png
River Radio serves as Max Media's midwest division

History

Max Media was founded in 2001. Prior to this, some of the company's management had run the TVX Broadcast Group from 1979 until its sale in 1991 to Paramount Communications (which renamed it the Paramount Stations Group), and had also run Max Media Properties (similarly named to the current company) from then until its sale in 1998 to the Sinclair Broadcast Group (which owned some former TVX stations).

In December 2003, Max Media would gain a handful of radio stations in Southern Illinois and Missouri after the Zimmer Radio Group sold 17 of their stations to Max under the name River Radio for an estimated $43 million. [1]

On September 30, 2013, the Cowles Publishing Company acquired Max Media's Montana television station cluster for $18 million. [2] [3]

On October 31, 2013, Sinclair acquired the non-license assets of WPFO, Waterville, Maine, for $13.6 million; the deal made it a sister station to WGME-TV, Portland, Maine, which already produced a newscast for the station. [4] On November 20, 2013, it was announced that Cunningham Broadcasting was to acquire the license assets for $3.4 million. [5] The sale of the license assets was approved on June 23, 2017. [6]

On January 9, 2014, Max Media sold its six Arkansas-based radio stations to Bobby Caldwell's East Arkansas Broadcasters for $3 million.

Effective November 5, 2015, Max Media sold its four Pennsylvania-based radio stations to Kristin Cantrell's Southern Belle, LLC for $3.8 million.

On April 5, 2017, Max Media announced that it was selling NBC affiliate WNKY(TV) in Bowling Green, Kentucky to Marquee Broadcasting for $5.6 million. [7] [8] The sale was completed on June 30, 2017. [9] [10]

All television stations either directly or indirectly owned by Max Media were sold off by 2019, leaving the company with a portfolio consisting solely of radio stations.

Current stations

Radio

AM StationFM Station
City of license / MarketStationOwned sinceCurrent format
Cape Girardeau, Missouri KGIR 12202004 Sports radio
KZIM 9602004 News/talk
KCGQ-FM 99.32004 Active rock
KEZS-FM 102.92004 Country music
KGKS 93.92004 Adult hits
MarionCarbondale, IL WCIL 11202004News/talk
WJPF 13402004News/talk
WCIL-FM 101.52004 Contemporary hit radio
WOOZ-FM 99.92004Country music
WUEZ 95.12004 Adult contemporary
WXLT 103.52004Sports radio
NorfolkVirginia BeachNewport News, VA WGH 13102005Sports radio
WGH-FM 97.32005Country music
WTWV-FM 92.92005Adult contemporary
WVBW-FM 100.52005 Urban adult hits
WVSP-FM 94.12005Sports radio
Poplar Bluff, Missouri KWOC 9302004News/talk
KJEZ 95.52004 Active rock
KKLR-FM 94.52004Country music
Sikeston, Missouri KMAL 14702004Sports radio
KSIM 14002004News/talk
KLSC 92.92004Variety Hits

Former stations

Television

City of license / Market Station
  • Years
  • owned
Current status
Bowling Green, KY WNKY 40 (16)2003–2017 NBC affiliate owned by Marquee Broadcasting
WatervillePortland, ME WPFO 23 (23)2003–2017 [a] Fox affiliate owned by Cunningham Broadcasting [b]
Traverse City, MI WGTU 29 (29)2003–2008 ABC affiliate owned by Cunningham Broadcasting [b]
Sault Ste. Marie, MI WGTQ [c] 8 (8)2003–2008ABC affiliate owned by Cunningham Broadcasting [b]
Billings, MT KULR-TV 8 (11)2004–2013 NBC affiliate owned by Cowles Company
ButteBozeman, MT KWYB 18 (19)2001–2013ABC affiliate owned by Cowles Company
Great Falls, MT KFBB-TV 5 (8)2004–2013ABC affiliate owned by Cowles Company
KTGF16 (45)2001–2004 MeTV affiliate, KJJC-TV, owned by PetroMedia Corporation
Helena, MT KHBB-LD [d] 21 (21)2004–2013ABC affiliate owned by Cowles Company
Missoula, MT KTMF 23 (23)2001–2013ABC affiliate owned by Cowles Company
KYTX 19 (18)2003–2008 CBS affiliate owned by Tegna Inc.
Christiansted, USVI WVIF 15 (15)2003–2009 [a] defunct, went dark in 2009
Arecibo, PR WMEI 60 (14)2007–2017 [a] defunct, went dark in 2017
Mayagüez, PR WOST 14 (20)2007–2019 [a] ShopHQ affiliate owned by HC2 Holdings
Ponce, PR WQQZ-CD [e] 14 (24)2005–2019 [a] ShopHQ affiliate owned by HC2 Holdings
Quebradillas, PR WWKQ-LD [e] 14 (34)2005–2019 [a] ShopHQ affiliate owned by HC2 Holdings

Radio

AM StationFM Station
City of license / MarketStationYears ownedCurrent status
Morrilton, AR KVOM 8002003–2014Owned by East Arkansas Broadcasters
KVOM-FM 101.72003–2014Owned by East Arkansas Broadcasters
RussellvilleDardanelle, AR KCAB 9802003–2014Owned by East Arkansas Broadcasters
KCJC 102.32003–2014Owned by East Arkansas Broadcasters
KVLD 99.32003–2014Owned by East Arkansas Broadcasters
KWKK 100.92003–2014Owned by East Arkansas Broadcasters
Denver, CO KFCO 107.12009-2024Owned by Pillar Media
KJHM 101.52009-2024Owned by Pillar Media
Ahoskie, NC WQDK 99.32003–2015Owned by Augusta Radio Fellowship Institute, Inc.
Elizabeth City, NC WGAI 5602003–2014Owned by Gregory Communications License, Inc.
WCMS-FM 94.52003–2018Defunct, went silent in 2024
WCXL 104.12003–2018Owned by JAM Media Solutions
Selinsgrove, PA WVSL 12402003–2013Defunct, went silent in 2013
WFYY 106.52003–2015Owned by Southern Belle, LLC
WVSL-FM 92.32003–2015Owned by Southern Belle, LLC
WWBE 98.32003–2015Owned by Southern Belle, LLC
WYGL-FM 100.52003–2015Owned by Southern Belle, LLC

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Owned by Corporate Media Consultants Group, a joint venture between Max Media and Power Television International.
  2. 1 2 3 Operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group.
  3. Satellite of WGTU.
  4. Satellite of KFBB-TV.
  5. 1 2 Satellite of WOST.

References

  1. "Changing Hands".
  2. Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License "Federal Communications Commission", 1 October 2013
  3. Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License "Federal Communications Commission", 1 October 2013
  4. Malone, Michael (November 6, 2013). "Sinclair Acquires WPFO Portland (ME) Assets For $13.6 Million". Broadcasting & Cable . Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  5. Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved 20 November 2013
  6. Notice. CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, 23 June 2017, Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  7. "Max Media Selling WNKY Bowling Green". TVNewsCheck. April 5, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  8. Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License. CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved 7 April 2017
  9. Consummation Notice, CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  10. Marquee Closes Buy, Names Gray COO. TVNewsCheck, 29 June 2017, Retrieved 3 July 2017.