ACME Communications Inc. was a U.S.-based broadcasting company that was involved in operations of television stations and programming from the late 1990s to 2013.
History ACME Communications was co-founded by chairman and original CEO Jamie Kellner, who previously served as a Fox Broadcasting Company executive and was founding CEO of The WB Television Network. Kellner used the name ACME as a play on the fictional Acme Corporation featured in Warner Bros' Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner animated film series and other Looney Tunes media. In 2000, ACME Communications and Paramount Stations Group entered into a joint partnership. ACME stations would air three hours of UPN programming in three markets (St. Louis, Knoxville, and Champaign, Illinois) where UPN had no affiliate; WB programs would remain as on a secondary basis on Paramount stations in Columbus, Ohio, and Providence, Rhode Island that were switching to UPN, and were added to the UPN station in West Palm Beach.
The ownership portfolio of ACME Communications included television stations generally located in medium-sized U.S. media markets, all of which ACME obtained through acquisitions. All but one of ACME's stations were affiliated with The WB or converted to WB affiliation at purchase, likely playing on Kellner's previous relationship with that network. The ACME WB stations were among the first to line up affiliations with The CW Television Network when The WB and UPN amalgamated in 2006.Source: 3/9/2006 press release by ACME Communications posted on NASDAQ GlobeNewsWire ACME's station portfolio reached a peak of 11 stations in the early 2000s, at which time ACME also ventured into program production with the 2002 launch of The Daily Buzz, a syndicated daily morning news and information program that reached 180 markets at one point.
During the early 2010s, ACME set forth on cost-cutting efforts involving its assets and an admitted "exit strategy" from the television business,"ACME 3Q Station Revenue Falls 9%," from TVNewsCheck, 12/9/2011 including the following: A licensing and consulting agreement with Fisher Communications for The Daily Buzz, announced in April 2010, that would see Fisher handle production of Buzz. A June 2010 agreement with LIN TV Corporation (with intent to purchase) involving stations in two markets where the companies had common ownership (Dayton, and Green Bay-Fox Cities), where the LIN stations would provide operational, administrative, and joint sales services for the ACME stations. At the same time, LIN TV also entered into an agreement to provide some services (including third-party accounting) for ACME's duopoly in Albuquerque. A reduction and restructuring of its corporate staff, set forth in July 2010, that would see Jamie Kellner remain as company chairman but Doug taking over Keller's titles of President and CEO. Stan Gill, Vice President and General Manager of ACME's KWBQ-KASY duopoly in Albuquerque-Santa Fe, became COO while WBDT, Dayton, Ohio, Vice President and General Manager John Hannon was elevated to ACME's Executive Vice President."Acme Restructures, Moves Toward Exit Plan", from Broadcasting & Cable, 6/17/2010 The sales of its last remaining stations: single stations in Dayton, Green Bay, Knoxville (all 3 in sales consummated in Spring 2011),Source: FCC Daily Digest of 4/7/2011"Acme 4Q Station Revenue Rises 7%," from TVNewsCheck, 4/19/2011, dated 5/24/2011 and Madison (a February 2012 sale);"Byrne Grabs Acme's Madison CW Station," from Broadcasting & Cable, 12/13/2011 as well as an Albuquerque/Santa Fe duopoly (September 2012)."Acme Sells Albuquerque Stations to Viall for $17.3 Million," from Broadcasting & Cable, 9/11/2012 The sale of The Daily Buzz to Mojo Brands Media in April 2013, which left ACME with no remaining broadcast assets and put the company into a closedown mode; ACME officially folded operations once it closed its outstanding accounts in December 2016., ACME Communications, 20 December 2016, Retrieved 23 January 2017. The Daily Buzz itself was abruptly canceled April 17, 2015, when a Mojo Brands investor pulled their funding for the series.
Programming The Daily Buzz, a 3-hour-per-weekday morning news and information program geared towards young adult audiences. The show launched in 2002 from the studios of ACME-owned WBDT in Dayton, and from 2007 onward would originate from the studios of Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. The show was sold to Mojo Brands Media in April 2013, and was cancelled in April 2015. The show was revived in June 2017, but is now broadcast weekly.
Former stations Stations are arranged in alphabetical order by state and city of license.
+ Stations owned by ACME Communications Media market State Station Purchased Sold Notes Fort Myers–Naples Florida WTVK 1998 2007 Springfield Illinois WBUI 1999 2007 St. Louis Missouri KPLR-TV 1997 2003 Albuquerque–Santa Fe New Mexico KWBQ 1999 2012 KASY-TV 2000 2012 Roswell KRWB-TV 1999 2012 Springfield–Dayton Ohio WBDT 1999 2011 Portland Oregon KWBP 1997 2003 Knoxville Tennessee WBXX-TV 1997 2011 Salt Lake City Utah KUWB 1999 2006 Green Bay Wisconsin WIWB 1999 2011 Madison WBUW 2002 2012
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