Benedek Broadcasting
Benedek Broadcasting is a former television broadcaster, who owned and operated 22 network-affiliated television stations throughout the United States, all affiliated with major television networks, serving mainly small and medium-size markets. The company was founded in the late 1970s by A. Richard Benedek but grew in the 1990s with buyouts of Brisette Broadcasting and Stauffer Communications. The company was based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Throughout its existence, namesake Benedek served as chairman and chief executive officer.
Benedek also owned U.S. Virgin Islands station WBNB-TV starting in 1986. WBNB was knocked off the air by Hurricane Hugo. Its facilities were so badly damaged that Benedek essentially chose to abandon the station, and its license was deleted in 1995.
Benedek Broadcasting filed for bankruptcy in 2002, and sold off its 22 stations to different owners, many of them to Gray Television with the balance (all small or struggling stations) going to Chelsey Broadcasting. Barrington Broadcasting which began operations in 2004 with former Benedek president and COO K. James Yager as CEO, occupied what had been Benedek's headquarters and purchased two of the former Benedek stations which had been purchased by Chelsey, until it was acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group in 2013.
Benedek Broadcasting had also operated Benedek Interactive Media, an 'Internet newsroom' that extended web-only coverage and editorial capabilities to its stations.
List of stations formerly owned by Benedek
| City of License / Market | Station | Channel TV (RF) |
Years Owned | Current Ownership Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dothan, Alabama | WTVY | 4 (36) | 1995-2002 | CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara- San Luis Obispo, California |
KCOY-TV | 12 (19) | 1996-1999 | CBS affiliate owned by VistaWest Media, LLC (Operated through SSA by News-Press & Gazette Company) |
| Colorado Springs-Pueblo, Colorado | KKTV | 11 (10) | 1999-2002 | CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Peoria, Illinois | WHOI | 19 (19) | 1996-2002 | ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group (Operated under SSA by Quincy Newspapers) |
| Rockford, Illinois | WIFR | 23 (41) | 1986-2002 | CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Topeka, Kansas | WIBW-TV | 13 (13) | 1996-2002 | CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Wichita, Kansas | KAKE-TV | 10 (10) | 2000-2002 | ABC affiliate owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group |
| Bowling Green, Kentucky | WBKO | 13 (13) | 1983-2002 | ABC affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Springfield-Holyoke, Massachusetts | WWLP | 22 (11) | 1996-2000 | NBC affiliate owned by Media General |
| Lansing, Michigan | WILX-TV | 10 (10) | 1996-2002 | NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Duluth, Minnesota | KDLH | 3 (33) | 1985-2002 | CBS affiliate owned by SagamoreHill Broadcasting (Operated under SSA by Quincy Newspapers) |
| Meridian, Mississippi | WTOK-TV | 11 (11) | 1988-2002 | ABC affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Columbia-Jefferson City, Missouri | KMIZ | 17 (17) | 1996-2002 | ABC affiliate owned by News-Press & Gazette Company |
| Hannibal, Missouri-Quincy, Illinois | KHQA-TV | 7 (7) | 1986-2002 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Omaha, Nebraska | WOWT-TV | 6 (22) | 1999-2002 | NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Youngstown, Ohio | WYTV | 33 (36) | 1985-2002 | ABC affiliate owned by Vaughan Media, LLC (Operated through SSA by Media General) |
| Odessa-Midland, Texas | KOSA-TV | 7 (7) | 1996-2000 | CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Wichita Falls, Texas | KAUZ-TV | 6 (22) | 1996-2002 | CBS affiliate owned by American Spirit Media (Operated through SSA by Raycom Media) |
| Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands | WBNB-TV | 10 | 1986-1995 | defunct, License surrendered to FCC |
| Harrisonburg, Virginia | WHSV-TV | 3 (49) | 1986-2002 | ABC affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Parkersburg, West Virginia | WTAP-TV | 15 (49) | 1979-2002 | NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Wheeling, West Virginia-Steubenville, Ohio | WTRF-TV | 7 (7) | 1996-2002 | CBS affiliate owned by West Virginia Media Holdings |
| Madison, Wisconsin | WMTV | 15 (19) | 1996-2002 | NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Wausau-Rhinelander, Wisconsin | WSAW-TV | 7 (7) | 1996-2002 | CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television |
| Casper, Wyoming | KGWC-TV | 14 (14) | 1996-2002 | CBS affiliate owned by Mark III Media |
| Cheyenne, Wyoming | KGWN-TV | 5 (30) | 1996-2002 | CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television |