Benedek Broadcasting

Benedek Broadcasting was a television broadcasting company, 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, but was knocked off the air by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Its facilities were so badly damaged that Benedek, with no financial resources to rebuild, 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.

Former stations

Stations are arranged alphabetically by state and by city of license.

City of license / Market Station Channel Years owned Current status
Dothan, AL WTVY 4 1995–2002 CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
Santa Maria–Santa Barbara–San Luis Obispo, CA KCOY-TV 12 1996–1999 Dabl affiliate owned by VistaWest Media, LLC[lower-alpha 1]
Colorado Springs–Pueblo, CO KKTV 11 1999–2002 CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
Peoria, IL WHOI 19 1996–2002 Comet TV affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Freeport–Rockford, IL WIFR 23 1986–2002 Defunct, license cancelled in 2017[lower-alpha 2]
Topeka, KS WIBW-TV 13 1996–2002 CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
Wichita, KS KAKE-TV 10 2000–2002 ABC affiliate owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group
Bowling Green, KY WBKO 13 1983–2002 ABC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Springfield–Holyoke, MA WWLP 22 1996–2000 NBC affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Lansing, MI WILX-TV 10 1996–2002 NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Duluth, MN KDLH 3 1985–2002 The CW affiliate owned by Gray Television
Meridian, MS WTOK-TV 11 1988–2002 ABC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Columbia–Jefferson City, MO KMIZ 17 1996–2002 ABC affiliate owned by News-Press & Gazette Company
Hannibal, MO–Quincy, IL KHQA-TV 7 1986–2002 CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Omaha, NE WOWT-TV 6 1999–2002 NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Youngstown, OH WYTV 33 1985–2002 ABC affiliate owned by Vaughan Media[lower-alpha 3]
Odessa–Midland, TX KOSA-TV 7 1996–2000 CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
Wichita Falls, TX KAUZ-TV 6 1996–2002 CBS affiliate owned by American Spirit Media[lower-alpha 4]
Charlotte Amalie, USVI WBNB-TV 10 1986–1995 Defunct, off-air in 1989; license cancelled in 1995
Harrisonburg, VA WHSV-TV 3 1986–2002 ABC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Parkersburg, WV WTAP-TV 15 1979–2002 NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Wheeling, WV–Steubenville, OH WTRF-TV 7 1996–2002 CBS affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Madison, WI WMTV 15 1996–2002 NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Wausau–Rhinelander, WI WSAW-TV 7 1996–2002 CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
Casper, WY KGWC-TV 14 1996–2002 CBS affiliate owned by Big Horn Television, LLC[lower-alpha 5]
Cheyenne, WY KGWN-TV 5 1996–2002 CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
  1. Operated through SSA by News-Press & Gazette Company.
  2. Intellectual unit and CBS programming transferred to a Gray Television-owned license and renamed WIFR-LD.
  3. Operated through SSA by Nexstar Media Group.
  4. Operated through SSA by Gray Television.
  5. Operated through an SSA by Coastal Television Broadcasting Company.
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