Morgan Murphy Media | |
Formerly | Morgan Murphy Stations |
Company type | Private |
Industry | Broadcast media |
Headquarters | , U.S. |
Area served | United States |
Products | Television stations |
The Evening Telegram Company, d/b/a Morgan Murphy Media, is an American television and radio company based in Madison, Wisconsin. The company is named for publisher Morgan Murphy, who expanded the business after he took over from his grandfather, who founded the Superior Evening Telegram (now owned by Forum Communications).
The company traces its roots to the founding of the Superior Evening Telegram in 1890 by John T. Murphy. He died in 1932, and the business passed to his son John Morgan Murphy, who acquired several other newspapers in the Upper Midwest and also expanded into broadcasting. The company sold off its print interests in 2003, leaving only its former broadcasting division. Nevertheless, it is still legally incorporated as the "Evening Telegram Company." [1]
The company was known as Morgan Murphy Stations until 2007, when its trade name was slightly changed to Morgan Murphy Media. [2]
On May 10, 2017, the company announced that it would acquire Saga Communications' television clusters in Joplin, Missouri, including KOAM-TV, and Victoria, Texas, including KAVU-TV. Saga will additionally acquire the assets of Fox affiliates in each market owned by Surtsey Media and operated by Saga under local marketing agreements, including KFJX in Joplin, Missouri and KVCT in Victoria, Texas. Those stations' license assets were acquired by SagamoreHill Broadcasting. [3] The sale was completed September 1. [4] [5]
In September 2018, it was announced that the company would invest in Good Karma Brands to back its acquisition of the Milwaukee radio stations WKTI and WTMJ. [6]
On October 13, 2021, the company dropped its channels from Dish Network due to a programming dispute. This dispute is in addition to Dish's dispute with Tegna and is the 2nd time that a satellite TV company was involved with such conflicts (DIRECTV had a conflict with the companies' stations in December 2020). [7] [8]
In September 2023, the company acquired The Marks Group's Michigan broadcasting properties—WBKB-TV, WBKP, WBUP, and the Houghton and Iron River radio stations—for $13.375 million. [9] The deal was closed on December 4. [10] Morgan Murphy subsequently took over operations of WJMN-TV, owned by Sullivan's Landing, LLC (following its acquisition from Nexstar Media Group), via joint sales and shared services agreements; [11] WJMN-TV merged its operations into, and was converted into a satellite of, WBUP. [12] [13]
Stations are arranged in alphabetical order by state and city of license.
(**) - Indicates a station built and signed on by Morgan Murphy Media (then known as the Evening Telegram Company).
City of license / Market | Station | Owned since | Network affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Joplin, MO–Pittsburg, KS | KOAM-TV | 7 (7) | 2017 | CBS |
KFJX | 14 (13) | [a] | Fox | |
Alpena, MI | WBKB-TV | 11 (11) | 2023 | CBS / NBC / ABC / Fox |
Marquette, MI | WJMN-TV [A] | 3 (32) | [b] | ABC / CW+ |
WBKP | 5 (5) | 2023 | CW+ | |
WBUP | 10 (10) | 2023 | ABC / CW+ | |
Victoria, TX | KMOL-LD | 17 (17) | 2017 | NBC |
KVCT | 19 (11) | [a] | Fox | |
KUNU-LD | 21 (27) | 2017 | Univision | |
KAVU-TV | 25 (15) | 2017 | ABC | |
KQZY-LD | 33 (33) | 2017 | Cozi TV | |
KXTS-LD | 41 (26) | 2017 | CBS | |
KVTX-LD | 45 (15) | 2017 | Telemundo | |
Spokane, WA | KXLY-TV | 4 (13) | 1961 | ABC |
KXMN-LD | 4 (9) | 2007 | ABC | |
Yakima, WA | KAPP ** | 35 (14) | 1970 | ABC |
Kennewick, WA | KVEW [B] ** | 42 (27) | 1970 | ABC |
La Crosse–Eau Claire, WI | WKBT-DT | 8 (8) | 2000 | CBS |
Madison, WI | WISC-TV ** | 3 (11) | 1956 | CBS |
City of license / Market | Station | Owned from | Network affiliation | Sold to | Currently owned by | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fargo, North Dakota | KTHI/KVLY-TV | 11 (36) | 1968–1995 | ABC, then NBC after 1983 | Meyer Broadcasting | Gray Television |
WGBA-TV is a television station in Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Appleton-licensed independent station WACY-TV. The two stations share studios on North Road near the WIS 172 freeway in Ashwaubenon ; WGBA-TV's transmitter is located in the unincorporated community of Shirley, east of De Pere, Wisconsin.
WTMJ-TV is a television station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Kenosha-licensed Ion Television station WPXE-TV. WTMJ-TV's studios are located on Capitol Drive in Milwaukee, and its transmitter is located approximately four miles (6.4 km) north of downtown Milwaukee.
WTMJ is a commercial AM radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Owned by Good Karma Brands, the station has a news/talk radio format. Its sign-on dates back to 1922 and for most of its history it was owned by The Milwaukee Journal newspaper. On weekdays, it airs news blocks during drive time, local talk shows in middays, sports in the evening and syndicated shows in late nights. It is the flagship station for Milwaukee Brewers baseball and Milwaukee Bucks basketball.
WFRV-TV is a television station in Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States, affiliated with CBS. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, the station maintains studios on East Mason Street in Green Bay, and its transmitter is located north of Morrison, Wisconsin.
KREM is a television station in Spokane, Washington, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside CW affiliate KSKN. The two stations share studios on South Regal Street in the Southgate neighborhood of Spokane; KREM's transmitter is on Krell Hill to the southeast.
WJMN-TV is a television station licensed to Escanaba, Michigan, United States, serving the Central and Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan as a satellite of ABC affiliate WBUP. The station is owned by Sullivan's Landing, LLC, which maintains joint sales and shared services agreements with Morgan Murphy Media, owner of WBUP and CW+ affiliate WBKP. The three stations share studios off US 41/M-28 on Wright Street in Marquette Township, and its transmitter is located in unincorporated northern Delta County.
WRNW is a commercial radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, known as "97.3 The Game". It airs a sports radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios are on West Howard Avenue in Greenfield.
WKTI – branded 94.5 ESPN Milwaukee – is a commercial sports radio station licensed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serving the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Owned by Good Karma Brands, WKTI is an affiliate for ESPN Radio. WKTI is known as ESPN Milwaukee; also jointly identified as ESPN Wisconsin alongside Madison-based sister station WTLX, which simulcasts much of WKTI's local programming. WKTI also serves as the flagship station for the Marquette Golden Eagles; and the radio home of Mark Chmura, Mark Tauscher, Tony Smith and Steve True. WKTI shares its transmitter and tower facility with WTMJ-TV from its former studio located off of Capitol Drive in Milwaukee, an Art Deco facility known as "Radio City", in tribute to the New York complex of the same name. WTMJ radio, WKTI and WGKB moved to a new studio within the Third Street Market Hall in downtown Milwaukee at the end of 2022.
WBKP is a television station licensed to Calumet, Michigan, United States, serving the Central and Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan as an affiliate of The CW Plus. It is owned by Morgan Murphy Media alongside Ishpeming-licensed ABC affiliate WBUP ; Morgan Murphy also provides services to WJMN-TV through joint sales and shared services agreements with owner Sullivan's Landing, LLC. The three stations share studios on Wright Street in west Marquette; WBKP's transmitter is located on Tolonen Hill near unincorporated Painesdale in Adams Township.
WBUP is a television station licensed to Ishpeming, Michigan, United States, serving as the ABC affiliate for the Central and Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is owned by Morgan Murphy Media alongside Calumet-licensed CW+ affiliate WBKP ; Morgan Murphy also provides services to WJMN-TV through joint sales and shared services agreements with owner Sullivan's Landing, LLC. The three stations share studios on Wright Street in west Marquette; WBUP's transmitter is located south of Ely Township in unincorporated Marquette County.
WBKB-TV is a television station in Alpena, Michigan, United States, affiliated with CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Morgan Murphy Media, the station maintains studios on North Bagley Street in Alpena, and its transmitter is located in unincorporated Alcona County south of Hubbard Lake.
WGKB is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Waukesha, Wisconsin, and serving the Greater Milwaukee media market. It is owned by Good Karma Brands, broadcasting a talk radio format aimed at Milwaukee's African American community. Along with sister stations WTMJ and WKTI, WGKB has its studios in the downtown 3rd Street Market Hall. WGKB features local hosts with live programs on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The schedule is repeated at night and on weekends.
WSSP is a commercial radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, owned by Audacy, Inc. It airs a sports radio format known as "105.7 The Fan". Most of its programs are from Infinity Sports Network and the BetQL Network.
WAUK is a commercial progressive talk radio station licensed to the Washington County community of Jackson, Wisconsin, and serving the Milwaukee metropolitan area. It is known on-air as The Sha 101 FM in reference to the station's Waukesha based FM translator. The station's studios and offices are in downtown Waukesha.
WVTY is a commercial FM radio station in Racine, Wisconsin. It serves Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee's southern suburbs. WVTY airs a country music radio format and is co-programmed with sister station 92.5 WMBZ in West Bend. They are owned by David Magnum, through licensee Magnum Communications, Inc., along with WRYU in West Bend.
SagamoreHill Broadcasting LLC is a privately held American holding company that owns 13 television stations based in the Great Lakes and southern United States regions. The company is a joint venture of the investment firm Duff Ackerman & Goodrich of San Francisco, California and former Benedek Broadcasting and Spartan Communications executive Louis Wall.
The Marks Group is a Maryland-based operator of radio and television stations in small markets in the United States. Founded by Stephen A. Marks (1950–2022), the company holds 14 radio stations and five television properties.
The Packers Radio Network is a broadcast radio network and the official radio broadcaster of the Green Bay Packers, fully under the team's control in regards to technical productions and on-air personnel. The network's flagship is iHeartMedia's WRNW in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and its coverage is also heard nationwide through NFL Game Pass, Sirius XM, and TuneIn.
Good Karma Brands, LLC is an American conglomerate. Based in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, it has interests in radio broadcasting, sports marketing, retail, and real estate. GKB was founded in 1997 by Craig Karmazin, the son of former Viacom and Sirius XM executive Mel Karmazin. Craig remains the CEO of Good Karma to this day.
Craig Karmazin is the founder and chief executive officer of Good Karma Brands (GKB), and the son of Mel Karmazin, former CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio and former CEO of Viacom.