| Fisher Communications, Inc. | |
| Type: | Public |
| Traded As: | NASDAQ FSCI |
| Fate: | Acquired by Sinclair |
| Successor: | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Location: | Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Key People: | Colleen Brown (President) & (CEO) Michael D. Wortsman (Chair) Robert I. (Rob) Dunlop (EVP) (Ops) |
| Area Served: | Northwestern United States |
| Revenue: | $164.0M (6.8%) 2011 |
| Net Income: | $36.4M (273.8%) 2011 |
| Num Employees: | 784 (5.3%) 2011 |
| Industry: | Broadcasting, Television, Radio |
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.
See also KNWN (AM)
Fisher Companies, Inc.'s Fisher Communications by 1998 owned 25 radio stations and 2 TV stations. Fisher Companies also owned a flour milling and food distribution company and real estate development subsidiary.[1] In 1999 Retlaw Enterprises (a company owned by the relatives of Walt Disney) sold its remaining 11 television stations to Fisher Communications, including all of the related assets to those properties[2] for $215 million in cash.[1] Its broadcasting unit, until the 2000s, was Fisher Broadcasting. Also that year, Fisher is launching its own entertainment division, Fisher Entertainment, to be headed by Alan Winters, a syndication executive.[3]
Fisher began to sell many of its properties in the mid-2000s, including real estate, its longtime flour milling operation, and its stake in Safeco.[4] By 2011, Fisher Communications was down to 10 radio stations.[5] On April 11, 2013, Fisher (which by then owned 20 television stations and only three radio stations) announced that it would be acquired by the Sinclair Broadcast Group.[4] However, the deal was subject to financial scrutiny; the law firm Levi & Korsinsky notified Fisher shareholders with accusations that Fisher's board of directors were breaching fiduciary duties by "failing to adequately shop the Company before agreeing to enter into the transaction", and Sinclair was underpaying for Fisher's stock.[6] Shortly after the announcement, a lawsuit was filed by a Fisher shareholder;[7] the suit was settled in July 2013,[8] on August 6 Fisher's shareholders approved the merger.[9] The FCC granted its approval of the sale of August 7.[10] On August 8, Sinclair announced that the sale was completed.[11]
Stations are arranged alphabetically by state and by city of license.
| AM Station | FM Station |
|---|
| City of license / Market | Station | Years owned | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billings, MT | KBLG 910 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Desert Mountain Broadcasting |
| KYYA 93.3 | 1994–2006 | KURL, owned by Elenbaas Media, Inc | |
| KRKX 94.1 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Desert Mountain Broadcasting | |
| KRZN 96.3 ** | 1998–2006 | Owned by Desert Mountain Broadcasting | |
| Butte, MT | KXTL 1370 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media |
| KAAR 92.5 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
| KMBR 95.5 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
| Great Falls, MT | KXGF 1400 | 1994–2011 | Owned by STARadio Corporation |
| KQDI 1450 | –2011 | Owned by STARadio Corporation | |
| KAAK 98.9 | 1994–2011 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
| KIKF 104.9 ** | 2001–2011 | Owned by STARadio Corporation | |
| KQDI-FM 106.1 | –2011 | Owned by STARadio Corporation | |
| KINX 107.3 ** | 2002–2011 | KIMO, owned by Montana Radio Company | |
| Missoula, MT | KYLT 1340 | –2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media |
| KGRZ 1450 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
| KGGL 93.3 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
| KXDR 98.7 | –2006 | KHKM, owned by Legacy Broadcasting, Inc. | |
| KZOQ-FM 100.1 | –2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
| KBQQ 106.7 | 2003–2006 | KXDR, owned by Cherry Creek Radio | |
| Portland, OR | KOTK 1090 | 1996–2003 | KFXX, owned by Audacy, Inc. |
| KWJJ-FM 99.5 | 1996–2003 | Owned by Audacy, Inc. | |
| Seattle–Tacoma, WA | KVI 570 | 1994–2013 | Owned by Lotus Communications |
| KOMO 1000 ** | 1926–2013 | KNWN, owned by Lotus Communications | |
| KOMO-FM 97.7 | KNWN-FM, owned by Lotus Communications | ||
| KPLZ-FM 101.5 | 1994–2013 | Owned by Lotus Communications | |
| Wenatchee, WA | KWWX 1340 | –2006 | KYSP, owned by Townsquare Media |
| KWWW-FM 96.7 | –2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
| KYSN 97.7 | 1994–2006 | Owned by Townsquare Media | |
| KXAA/KAPP 99.5 | 1994–2006 | KAPL-FM, owned by Townsquare Media | |
| KZPH 106.7 | 1997–2006 | KKWN, owned by Townsquare Media |
| City of license / Market | Station | Channel | Years owned | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA[12] | KBAK-TV | 29 | 2008–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| KBFX-CD | 58 | 2008–2013 | Fox affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| Fresno–Visalia, CA | KJEO | 47 | 1999–2000 | CBS affiliate KGPE, owned by Nexstar Media Group |
| Augusta, GA | 54 | 1999–2003 | Fox affiliate owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group | |
| Columbus, GA | WXTX | 54 | 1999–2003 | Fox affiliate owned by American Spirit Media |
| Boise, ID | 2 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| KYUU-LD | 35 | 2006–2013 | The CW affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| Idaho Falls–Pocatello, ID | KIDK | 3 | 1999–2013 | Dabl affiliate owned by VistaWest Media, LLC |
| KXPI-LD | 34 | 2006–2013 | Fox affiliate owned by News-Press & Gazette Company | |
| Lewiston, ID–Spokane, WA | KLEW-TV | 3 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Bend, OR | KABH-CA | 15 | Defunct, license cancelled in 2015 | |
| Eugene–Coos Bay–Roseburg, OR | 13 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| KCBY-TV | 11 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| KPIC | 4 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by South West Oregon TV Broadcasting | |
| KMTR | 16 | 2013 | NBC affiliate owned by Roberts Media, LLC | |
| KMCB | 23 | 2013 | NBC affiliate owned by Roberts Media, LLC | |
| KTCW | 46 | 2013 | NBC affiliate owned by Roberts Media, LLC | |
| Portland, OR–Vancouver, WA | KATU ** | 2 | 1962–2013 | ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| KUNP | 16 | 2006–2013 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| Seattle–Tacoma, WA | KOMO-TV ** | 4 | 1953–2013 | ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| KUNS-TV | 51 | 2006–2013 | The CW affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| Yakima–Walla Walla, WA | KIMA-TV | 29 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| KEPR-TV | 19 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| 2 | 2007–2013 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | ||
| KVVK-CD | 15 | 2007–2013 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| KORX-CA | 16 | 2007–2013 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| KWWA-CA | 49 | 2007–2008 | Defunct, ceased operations in 2008 |
On December 17, 2008, Fisher Communications' contract expired with Dish Network. As a result of this contract dispute, stations owned by Fisher Communications were no longer available to Dish Network subscribers. Dish Network claimed that Fisher is asking for over an 80% increase.[13] The Fisher stations that returned to Dish Network are: KOMO and KUNS in Seattle.; KATU and KUNP in Portland.; KIMA in Yakima, Washington.; KVAL in Eugene, Oregon.; KBCI (now KBOI) in Boise, Idaho; KIDK in Idaho Falls, Idaho; and KBAK and KBFX in Bakersfield, California. Dish Network restored the service to their customers at 10:25 p.m. PST on June 10.[14]