| Evening Telegram Company | |
| Trading Name: | Morgan Murphy Media |
| Former Name: | Morgan Murphy Stations |
| Type: | Private |
| Area Served: | United States |
| Industry: | Broadcast media |
| Products: | Television stations |
| Hq Location City: | Madison, Wisconsin |
| Hq Location Country: | U.S. |
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) | 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 | |
| 19 (11) | 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 ** | 42 (27) | 1970 | ABC | |
| La Crosse–Eau Claire, WI | WKBT-DT | 8 (8) | 2000 | CBS | |
| Madison, WI | WISC-TV ** | 3 (11) | 1956 | CBS |