Hearst Television

Hearst Television, Inc.

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Broadcast Television Television Production
Founded	1997, by a merger of Hearst Broadcasting and Argyle Television Holdings II
Headquarters	New York City
Area served	United States (Nationwide)
Key people	Jordan Wertlieb, President
Products	Broadcast television
Revenue	$785.4 million USD (2006)
Operating income	$228.8 million USD (2006)
Net income	$98.7 million USD (2006)
Number of employees	approx. 3000 (full-time)
Parent	Hearst Corporation
Website	www.hearst.com/broadcasting

Hearst Television, Inc. (formerly Hearst-Argyle Television) is a broadcasting company in the United States, owned by the New York City-based Hearst Corporation. It holds joint ventures in television production with NBCUniversal Television Distribution (although most of the stations it owns are affiliated with ABC). From 1998 to mid-2009, the company traded its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "HTV."

Hearst-Argyle was formed in 1997 with the merger of Hearst Corporation's broadcasting division and stations owned by Argyle Television Holdings II,^[1] which is partially related to the company of the same name who (in 1994) sold its stations to New World Communications, stations that eventually became Fox-owned stations. Hearst's involvement in broadcasting dates to the 1920s.

In terms of audience reach, Hearst is the largest group owner of ABC-affiliated stations, and the second-largest group owner of NBC affiliates. Hearst-owned ABC affiliates in National Football League markets simulcast Monday Night Football games from ESPN that involve these teams - ESPN is 20% owned by Hearst, the rest being owned by ABC's parent, The Walt Disney Company. Other Hearst-owned stations also carry ESPN-aired NFL games, even though they are affiliated with other networks (like WBAL-TV, Baltimore's NBC affiliate).

In June 2009, the Hearst Corporation announced that it would purchase substantially all of the stock not held by Hearst. Hearst-Argyle Television then dropped "Argyle" from its name and became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation.^[2]

Digital television

In February 2009 Hearst-Argyle announced that its stations (except for KITV and its satellites in Hawaii, which had already completed their transition to digital, and WPTZ in Plattsburgh, New York and WNNE in Hartford, Vermont, which followed the other Champlain Valley in transitioning on February 17, 2009) would comply with the new DTV transition date of June 12, 2009.

Hearst-owned stations

Hearst-Argyle Television logo, 2007-2009

Currently, Hearst owns a total of 32 television stations: twelve NBC affiliates, fourteen ABC affiliates, two CBS affiliates, two CW affiliates, one MyNetworkTV affiliate, and one independent station. Through digital multicasts, Hearst also operates one additional ABC affiliate and two additional CW affiliates; most of the company's other subchannels broadcast either Weigel Broadcasting's Me-TV or Tribune Broadcasting's This TV through national affiliation deals, along with being charter carriers of Weigel's two newest concepts, Heroes & Icons and Movies!. On December 1, 2014 Hearst's KCCI added MyNetworkTV programming in primetime for their new DT3 subchannel; H&I programming airs throughout the day.

Hearst also owns two radio stations in Baltimore, the last remaining from the company divesting most of their radio assets after the Telecommunications Act of 1996 went into effect.

Candy Altman at the 68th Annual Peabody Awards for Hearst-Argyle Television-Commitment 2008

All Hearst-owned stations uses "Project Economy" during most business segments. In addition, all Hearst-owned stations also use the "Commitment" banner for all political news coverage leading up to the local, national, and statewide elections in lieu of a localized version of the network's political segment. Hearst also maintains a Washington, D.C. bureau for their stations customized to each of their brandings, with Sally Kidd as the on-air reporter for the bureau. "Operation High School" is Hearst's branding in most markets for coverage of local high school sports.

Until 2009, three of Hearst's television stations (KCWE, WMOR-TV, and WPBF) and its two radio stations (WBAL radio and WIYY) were owned by Hearst Broadcasting, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation through which Hearst ultimately controlled Hearst-Argyle Television, as opposed to Hearst-Argyle itself; Hearst-Argyle still operated these stations under a management services agreement. These stations were transferred to Hearst Television shortly after its privatization.^[3][4]

On August 20, 2014, it was announced that Hearst Television would acquire WVTM in Birmingham, Alabama and WJCL in Savannah, Georgia from Media General, who must divest the stations to proceed with their acquisition of LIN Media.^[5][6]

Television stations

Stations are listed alphabetically by state and city of license.

Note:

• (**) - Indicates a station that was built and signed-on by Hearst.
• (¤¤) – Indicates a station owned by Pulitzer prior to its acquisition by Hearst-Argyle in 1999.

Other Notes:

• ¹ KCWE in Kansas City has been managed by Hearst since its sign-on in 1996.

Radio stations

Stations formerly owned by Hearst and/or Argyle II

Television stations

First Hearst-Argyle Television logo from 1997 to 2007.

Notes:

• ¹ WDTN was an ABC affiliate under Hearst during its ownership; LIN switched the station's affiliation back to NBC in 2004.
• ² WNAC-TV was owned by Argyle, but operated from 1996 to 2001 by Clear Channel Communications under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with WPRI-TV, which Clear Channel owned at the time.

In addition to the above, Hearst-Argyle never owned WZZM or WGRZ. Those two stations were divested by one of the company's predecessors, Argyle Television Holdings II, several months prior to the merger with Hearst Broadcasting. The "years owned" information reflects the years of ownership by Argyle Television Holdings II. And WDTN was the only formerly owned television station that was owned directly by Hearst prior to the merger.

Radio stations

(a partial listing)

References

External links

• Official website