Northwest Broadcasting

Northwest Broadcasting is a television broadcasting company based in Okemos, Michigan, a suburb of Lansing. The broadcasting group owns or operates twelve television stations in six markets, through subsidiaries such as Broadcasting Communications, Mountain Communications, Stainless Broadcasting, and Bristlecone Broadcasting.^[1]

Northwest Broadcasting was founded in 1995 by Brian Brady to acquire the television stations of Salmon River Communications, including KAYU-TV in Spokane, Washington, K68EB in Yakima, Washington, KBWU-LP in the Tri-Cities (Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, Washington), and KMVU in Medford, Oregon.^[2] In 1997, Northwest purchased Stainless, Inc. for $17 million; while Stainless was primarily a manufacturer of broadcasting towers, the purchase also added WICZ-TV in Binghamton, New York and KTVZ in Bend, Oregon to Northwest's station group.^[3][4] Stainless had owned broadcast stations since purchasing WICZ (then known as WINR-TV) in 1971.^[5] Though Northwest would sell the Stainless tower company to SpectraSite Holdings in 1999^[6] and KTVZ to News-Press & Gazette Company in 2002,^[7] it still owns WICZ-TV under the Stainless Broadcasting Company name.

Brian Brady expanded his broadcast holdings in 2002, when he teamed up with Alta Communications to acquire the K-Six Television stations under the name Eagle Creek Broadcasting;^[8] Alta had also invested in Northwest Broadcasting in 1996.^[9] Alta divested its interest in Northwest Broadcasting in 2007^[10] and in Eagle Creek Broadcasting in 2013.^[11] During the 2010s, Brady acquired additional stations through companies such as Blackhawk Broadcasting,^[12] Bristlecone Broadcasting,^[13] and Cedar Creek Broadcasting.^[14] These companies have occasionally made joint filings with Northwest Broadcasting in Federal Communications Commission proceedings under the name "The TV Station Group."^[15]

Stations owned by Northwest

Notes:

• ¹ KYMA-DT and KSWT are owned by Blackhawk Broadcasting, which is commonly owned with Northwest Broadcasting. Both stations are operated by News-Press & Gazette Company under a shared services agreement.
• ² WXVT is owned by John Wagner; Northwest Broadcasting operates the station under a local marketing agreement.
• ³ WNYS-TV is owned by Syracuse Broadcasting; Northwest Broadcasting operates the station under a local marketing agreement.
• ⁴ KFFX-TV was operated by Northwest Broadcasting under a local marketing agreement with Communication Properties from its 1999 sign-on until Northwest bought the station outright in 2003.

Stations formerly owned by Northwest

Notes:

• ¹ WKNT was operated by Northwest Broadcasting under a local marketing agreement with Southeastern Communications from 1997 until Northwest bought the station outright in 2000.
• ² KZTV, KVTV, and KNEX-LP were owned by Eagle Creek Broadcasting, which was commonly owned with Northwest Broadcasting.

References