 | |
| 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]
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) | [lower-alpha 1] | Fox | |
| Alpena, MI | WBKB-TV | 11 (11) | 2023 | CBS / NBC / ABC / Fox |
| Calumet - Marquette, MI | WBKP | 5 (5) | 2023 | CW+ |
| Ishpeming - Marquette, MI | WBUP | 10 (10) | 2023 | ABC |
| Victoria, TX | KMOL-LD | 17 (17) | 2017 | NBC |
| KVCT | 19 (11) | [lower-alpha 1] | 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 [upper-alpha 1] ** | 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 |
Quincy Media, Inc., formerly known as Quincy Newspapers, Inc., was a family-owned media company that originated in the newspapers of Quincy, Illinois. The company's history can be traced back to 1835, when the Bounty Land Register was one of four newspapers in Illinois. Over the next century, a number of mergers followed. The company moved into radio in 1947 and began television broadcasts in 1953.
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. Both stations share studios on North Road near the WIS 172 freeway in Ashwaubenon, while 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.
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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.
WOKY is a commercial AM radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. It is one of two sports radio stations owned by iHeart in Milwaukee. WRNW 97.3 FM focuses on Wisconsin-based sports shows, while WOKY 920 mostly airs national programs from Fox Sports Radio, including Dan Patrick and Colin Cowherd. WOKY's studios and offices, which became the home of all iHeart Milwaukee stations in 2000 after a building expansion, are on West Howard Avenue in Greenfield.
WISN is a commercial AM radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It broadcasts a news/talk radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios are on Howard Avenue in the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield.
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 620 AM and WKTI 94.5 FM, 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.
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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 1470 AM in West Bend.
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WGLR-FM is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Lancaster, Wisconsin, United States. The station is currently owned by Morgan Murphy Media and features programming from Westwood One.
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