Ackerley Group

The Ackerley Group was an American media company owned by Barry Ackerley that owned several television stations (mainly in New York, California, as well as one in Fairbanks) that was sold to Clear Channel Communications[1] in 2002. In addition to ownership of television stations across the country, the company also owned and operated several radio stations in the Seattle, Washington, market. The company also owned the NBA Seattle SuperSonics and WNBA Seattle Storm professional basketball teams.

The Ackerley Group
TypePublic
Broadcasting
IndustryMedia
Founded1975 (1975)
FounderBarry Ackerley
DefunctJune 14, 2002 (2002-06-14)
FateMerged with Clear Channel Communications
SuccessorClear Channel Communications
HeadquartersSeattle, Washington
ProductsTelevision

Ackerley announced its sale to Clear Channel Communications on October 8, 2001;[2] the merger was completed on June 14, 2002.[3] At the time of the closure of the transaction, the sale price was reported to be 38 times cashflow (approximately $1.1B USD) the highest ever sale valuation for a North American publicly traded media company in the history of the NYSE. The record setting high price tag was attributed to the overwhelming market monopoly position of the Ackerley Group's Out of Home Media (billboards) marketplace in the Washington, Oregon, Massachusetts and South Florida media markets, all areas where Clear Channel was devoid of inventory. Its chairman was Seattle-based businessman Barry Ackerley. Barry Ackerley and his immediate family owned approximately 82% of the company stock at the time of the sale.

Stations list (incomplete)

Stations are arranged in alphabetical order by state and city of license.

City of license / Market Station Channel
TV (RF)		 Years owned Current status
Fairbanks, Alaska KTVF 11 (26) 1999–2002 NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Bakersfield, California KGET-TV 17 (25) 1983–2002 NBC affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Eureka, California KVIQ 6 (later 17 (17)) 1998–2002 defunct, Went dark in 2018,[4][5] license cancelled in 2020.[6]
(Callsign changed to KJRW prior to the shutdown; intellectual unit and CBS programming
transferred to a Northwest Broadcasting-owned license and renamed KVIQ-LD.[7])
Fresno, California KJEO/KGPE 47 (34) 2000–2002 CBS affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Salinas - Monterey, California KCBA 35 (13) 1986–2000 1 The CW affiliate owned by Seal Rock Broadcasters, LLC
(Operated through an SSA by Entravision Communications)
KION 46 (32) 2000–2002 2 CBS affiliate owned by News-Press & Gazette Company
Santa Maria - Santa Barbara -
San Luis Obispo, California		 KCOY-TV 12 (19) 1999–2002 Dabl affiliate owned by VistaWest Media, LLC
(Operated through an SSA by News-Press & Gazette Company)
Santa Rosa - San Francisco - Oakland, California KFTY 50 (32) 1996–2002 Azteca América owned-and-operated station (O&O), KEMO-TV, owned by HC2 Holdings
Colorado Springs - Pueblo, Colorado KKTV 11 (49) 1982–1999 CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
Binghamton, New York WIVT 34 (34) 1997–2002 ABC affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
WBGH-LP/CA 20 2000–2002 NBC affiliate, WBGH-CD, owned by Nexstar Media Group
Elmira, New York WETM-TV 18 (18) 3 NBC affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Rochester, New York WOKR 13 (13) 1999–2002 ABC affiliate, WHAM-TV, owned by Deerfield Media
(Operated through an SSA by Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Syracuse, New York WIXT-TV 9 (17) 1982–2002 ABC affiliate, WSYR-TV, owned by Nexstar Media Group
Utica, New York WUTR 20 (30) 1997–2002 ABC affiliate owned by Mission Broadcasting
(Operated through an SSA by Nexstar Media Group)
Watertown, New York WWTI 50 (21) 2000–2002 ABC affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Eugene - Springfield, Oregon KMTR 16 (17) 1999–2002 NBC affiliate owned by Roberts Media, LLC
(Operated through an SSA by Sinclair Broadcast Group)
Bellingham, Washington -
Vancouver, British Columbia
(Bellingham is nominally in the Seattle market)		 KVOS-TV 12 (35) 1987–2002 Heroes & Icons owned-and-operated station (O&O), owned by Weigel Broadcasting

Notes:

  • 1 Divested following purchase of KION, Ackerley continued to operate station after divestiture until the merger with Clear Channel in 2002.
  • 2 Operated by Ackerley from 1994 until purchased outright by Ackerley in 2000.
  • 3 Ackerley never owned this station directly but did operate it through a time brokerage agreement from 2000 until the merger with Clear Channel in 2002.

Notes
  1. FCC approves Clear Channel (now known as iHeartMedia) purchase of Ackerley Group
  2. Virgin, Bill (October 8, 2001). "Ackerley selling out". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  3. "Clear Channel completes merger with Ackerley Group". San Antonio Business Journal. June 14, 2002. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  4. Suspension of Operations and Silent Authority of a DTV Station Application. Licensing and Management System, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved 23 September 2018
  5. Station Search Details - KJRW CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  6. Kreisman, Barbara A. "Re: Request for Reinstatement and Extension of License Under Section 312(g)" (PDF). Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  7. Redwood Television Closes On KIEM Buy, TVNewsCheck.com, 4 December 2017, Retrieved 16 September 2018
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