| Pappas Telecasting Companies | |
| Industry: | Media |
| Fate: | Stations sold |
| Hq Location: | Visalia, California |
| Services: | Broadcast television |
Pappas Telecasting Companies was a diversely organized broadcasting company headquartered in Visalia, California, United States. Founded in 1971, it was one of the largest privately held broadcasting companies in the country, with its stations reaching over 15% of all U.S. households and over 32% of Hispanic households. Apart from owning and/or operating many television stations, the company formerly had two radio stations in its possession, KTRB (860 AM) and KMPH (840 AM)—changed from KPMP in June 2006 to reflect its nearby sister/flagship television station, Fox affiliate KMPH-TV, both in Fresno, California.
On May 10, 2008, thirteen of Pappas' stations filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. Pappas cited "the extremely difficult business climate for television stations across the country" in papers filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware. The company reported in court filings that it had more than $536 million in debt and $460 million in assets. Problems that led to the bankruptcy included poor performance of The CW network, its now-former involvement with Azteca America, and preparations for the 2009 analog shutdown. Stations involved in the bankruptcy were KMPH-TV, KFRE-TV, KPTM, KXVO, WCWG, KPTH, KMEG, KTNC-TV, KAZH, KDBC-TV, KREN-TV, KAZR-CA and KCWK. It was later ordered on September 10, 2008, that the affected stations must be sold off by February 15, 2009. [1] Its other stations, and the corporation itself, were not part of the bankruptcy. [2] On May 14 of the same year, company founder Harry J. Pappas filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy at the Delaware court, where a judge could order his personal assets sold to pay off creditors. [3] 13 days later, on May 27, KCWK in Walla Walla, Washington (in the Yakima, Washington television market) ceased operations as a result of the bankruptcy. [4]
On September 17, bankruptcy trustee E. Roger Williams put KREN and its repeaters under contract to Entravision Communications for $4 million, which would double as a minimum bid for the station as it goes up for auction in late October. [5] New World TV Group (later renamed, Titan TV Broadcast Group; unrelated to New World Communications) agreed to acquire the remaining Pappas stations involved in the bankruptcy filing on December 17.[6] [7] The sale was approved by the United States bankruptcy court on January 16, 2009.[8] The remaining stations that weren't involved in the initial bankruptcy filing were later placed in a liquidating trust in December 2011.[9]
KMPH Radio ceased operations September 1, 2010, due to lack of revenue. Two weeks later, KTRB went into receivership with Comerica Bank, under license from KTRB Trust. This marked the end of Pappas era.
By 2014, the company began to sell all of its television stations to other companies such as Sinclair Broadcast Group, and began winding down operations; The company officially ceased operations when its final remaining station, KAZA-TV in Los Angeles, was sold to Weigel Broadcasting in 2018.[10]
Stations arranged alphabetically by state and by city of license.
| City of license / Market | Station | Years owned | Current status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opelika–Auburn, AL–Columbus, GA | 66 (30) | 1996–2016 | Independent WGBP-TV owned by CNZ Communications, LLC | ||
| Yuma, AZ–El Centro, CA | KSWT | 13 (13) | 2000–2014 | CBS/NBC affiliate KYMA-DT owned by Imagicomm Communications | |
| Avalon–Los Angeles, CA | KAZA-TV | 54 (47) | 2001–2018 | MeTV affiliate owned by Weigel Broadcasting | |
| Fresno–Visalia–Sanger, CA | KMPH-TV | 26 (28) | 1971–2009 | Fox affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| KFRE-TV | 59 (36) | 2002–2009 | The CW affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | ||
| Bakersfield, CA | KBBV-CD | 19 (19) | 2001–2011 | TeleXitos affiliate owned by Jaco Communications, LLC | |
| KBFX-LP | 58 (29) | 1990–2005 | Fox affiliate KBFX-CD owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | ||
| Fort Bragg–Concord– San Francisco–Oakland, CA | KTNC-TV | 42 (14) | 1996–2009 | Tri-State Christian Television owned-and-operated (O&O) | |
| KUNO-TV | 8 (8) | 1997–2009 | Total Living Network affiliate KQSL owned by One Ministries, Inc. | ||
| Sacramento–Stockton–Modesto, CA | KRBK/KPWB | 31 (21) | 1994–1998 | Independent KMAX-TV owned by CBS News and Stations | |
| Vero Beach, FL | WMMF-LP | 19 | 2006–2014 | Independent owned by Vinions, LLC | |
| Ames–Des Moines, IA | KDMI | 19 (19) | 2006–2016 | Tri-State Christian Television owned-and-operated (O&O) | |
| KCWI-TV | 23 (23) | 2001–2016 | The CW affiliate owned by Tegna Inc. | ||
| KMEG | 14 (39) | 2005–2009 | Dabl affiliate owned by Waitt Broadcasting, Inc. | ||
| KPTH | 44 (49) | 1999–2009 | Fox affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | ||
| Lincoln, NE | KFXL-TV | 51 (51) | 2006–2016 | Fox affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| Grand Island, NE | KTVG-TV | 17 (19) | 1996–2009 | Defunct; ceased operations in 2010 | |
| Superior, NE | KSNB-TV | 4 (4) | 1996–2009 | NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television | |
| Kearney–Hastings, NE | KHGI-TV | 13 (13) | 1996–2016 | ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| Hayes Center, NE | KWNB-TV | 6 (6) | 1996–2016 | ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| North Platte, NE | 13 (13) | 2006–2016 | ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | ||
| Omaha, NE–Council Bluffs, IA | KXVO | 15 (38) | 1995–2009 | The CW affiliate owned by Mitts Telecasting Company | |
| KPTM | 42 (43) | 1986–2009 | Fox affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | ||
| KAZO-LP | 57 | 1999–2008 | Defunct; ceased operations in 2008 | ||
| Reno–Sparks, Nevada | KREN-TV | 27 (26) | 1995–2009 | Univision affiliate owned by Entravision Communications | |
| KAZR-CA | 46 (46) | 1995–2009 | UniMás affiliate KRNS-CD owned by Entravision Communications | ||
| Lexington–Greensboro–High Point– Winston-Salem, NC | WCWG | 20 (19) | 1995–2009 | The CW affiliate owned by Hearst Television | |
| Greenville–Spartanburg, SC– Asheville, NC | WHNS | 21 (21) | 1984–1988 | Fox affiliate owned by Gray Television | |
| WASV-TV | 62 (45) | 1995–2000 | CW station WYCW, owned-and-operated (O&O) by Nexstar Media Group | ||
| Austin, TX | KXLK-CD | 23 (23) | 2003–2015 | Justice Network affiliate owned by Univision Communications | |
| Corpus Christi, TX | KXCC-CA | 45 | 2003–2015 | Dark station KXCC-LD owned by Roseland Broadcasting, LLC[11] | |
| El Paso, TX | KDBC-TV | 4 (18) | 2004–2009 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| Houston, TX | KVVV/KAZH | 57 (41) | 1999–2009 | ShopHQ affiliate KUBE-TV owned by WRNN-TV Associates | |
| KHMV-LP | 28 (28) | 1999–2007 | 3ABN affiliate KUGB-CD owned by HC2 Holdings | ||
| KVVV-LP | 15 (15) | 1999–2013 | Independent KVVV-LD owned by Sovryn Holdings, Inc. | ||
| Walla Walla–Yakima–Pasco– Richland–Kennewick, WA | KCWK | 9 | 2002–2008 | Defunct; ceased operations in 2008 | |
| KCWK-LP | 27 | ||||
| Fond du Lac–Green Bay–Appleton, WI | 68 (5) | 1995–2014 | Cozi TV affiliate owned by CNZ Communications, LLC |