Bonten Media Group
 | |
| Industry | Broadcast Television |
|---|---|
| Fate | Acquisition by Sinclair Broadcast Group pending |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founders |
Randall D. Bongarten Diamond Castle Holdings |
| Defunct | June 30, 2017 |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Website |
www |
Bonten Media Group is a New York City-based owner of television broadcast stations in the United States. It was formed by Randall D. Bongarten and Diamond Castle Holdings in November 2006. Its first acquisition was 14 stations from Bluestone Television, founded by Sandy DiPasquale and Providence Equity Partners (who would later form Newport Television) on May 31, 2007.[1][2] Bluestone had acquired the same stations from Lamco Communications in 2004.[3] On January 1, 2008, Bonten entered into an agreement with Esteem Broadcasting to provide services to the Fox affiliates (WFXI/WYDO) in the Greenville-New Bern market, in addition to WEMT in the Tri-Cities area of Northeastern Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia, bringing the number of stations which Bonten Media Group owns or provides services up to 16 from 13.
On April 21, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced its intent to purchase the Bonten stations for $240 million. The deal came immediately following the re-instatement of the "UHF discount", which reduces the calculated "reach" of a station for the purposes of national ownership limits if it broadcasts on a UHF channel.[4] The sale was approved on June 30.[5]
Stations owned by Bonten Media
Stations are arranged in alphabetical order by state and city of license.
| City of license / Market | Station | Channel TV (RF) |
Years owned | Current ownership status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redding - Chico - Paradise, California | KRCR-TV | 7 (7) | 2007–2017 | ABC affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| KXVU-LP | 17 | 2012–2017 | Antenna TV affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| KCVU | 20 (20) | 2012–2017 1 | Fox affiliate to be owned by Cunningham Broadcasting (Operated through a SSA by Sinclair Broadcast Group) | |
| KRVU-LD | 21 (21) | 2012–2017 | MyNetworkTV affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| KZVU-LD (Satellite of KRVU-LD) |
22 (22) | 2012–2017 | MyNetworkTV affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| KUCO-LP | 27 | 2012–2017 | Univision affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| KKTF-LD | 30 (30) | 2012–2017 | UniMás affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| Arcata - Eureka, California | KAEF-TV (Semi-satellite of KRCR) |
23 (22) | 2007–2017 | ABC affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| KBVU (Semi-satellite of KCVU) |
28 (28) | 2012–2017 1 | Fox affiliate to be owned by Cunningham Broadcasting (Operated through a SSA by Sinclair Broadcast Group) | |
| KECA-LD | 29 (29) | 2012–2017 | The CW affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| KEUV-LP | 31 | 2012–2017 | Univision affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| Missoula, Montana | KECI-TV | 13 (13) | 2007–2017 | NBC affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Kalispell, Montana | KCFW-TV (Semi-satellite of KECI) |
9 (9) | 2007–2017 | NBC affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Butte, Montana | KTVM-TV (Semi-satellite of KECI) |
6 (6) | 2007–2017 | NBC affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Bozeman, Montana | KDBZ-CD (Satellite of KTVM) |
42 (42) | 2007–2017 | NBC affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Greenville - New Bern - Morehead City, North Carolina |
WFXI | 8 (8) | 2007–2017 1 | Fox affiliate to be owned by Cunningham Broadcasting (Operated through a SSA by Sinclair Broadcast Group) |
| WYDO (Satellite of WFXI) |
14 (47) | 2007–2017 1 | Fox affiliate to be owned by Cunningham Broadcasting (Operated through a SSA by Sinclair Broadcast Group) | |
| WCTI-TV | 12 (12) | 2007–2017 | ABC affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| Abilene, Texas | KTXS-TV | 12 (12) | 2007–2017 | ABC affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| KTES-LD | 40 (40) | 2007–2017 | MeTV affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| San Angelo, Texas | KTXE-LD (Satellite of KTXS) |
38 (38) | 2007–2017 | ABC affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Bristol, Virginia - Greeneville - Johnson City - Kingsport, Tennessee |
WCYB-TV | 5 (5) | 2007–2017 | NBC affiliate to be owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| WEMT | 39 (38) | 2007–2017 1 | Fox affiliate to be owned by Cunningham Broadcasting (Operated through a SSA by Sinclair Broadcast Group) | |
Note:
- 1 Owned by Esteem Broadcasting, LLC, Bonten operated these stations through a shared services agreement.
See also
References
- ↑ DiPasquale moving Wichita business to Kansas City, Wichita Business Journal, 3 August 2007, Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ↑ BlueStone Television to Acquire Lamco Communications, BusinessWire.com, 14 January 2014, Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ↑ Former KWCH owner buys 12 stations, makes Wichita base, Wichita Business Journal, 25 January 2004, Retrieved 27 March 2017.
- ↑ "Sinclair Buying Bonten Stations For $240M". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ↑ FCC Approves Sinclair-Bonten Deal, Broadcasting & Cable, 30 June, 2017, Retrieved 30 June, 2017.