Fisher Communications, Inc. was a media company in the United States. Based in Seattle, Washington, the company primarily owned a number of radio and television stations in the Western United States. It was the last company in the Seattle area to own a local TV station before being acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group in 2013. Prior to 2001, it was a conglomerate with businesses in broadcasting, flour milling and real estate.
History See also KNWN (AM)
Fisher Companies, Inc.'s Fisher Communications by 1998 owned 25 radio stations and 2 TV stations. Fisher Companies also owned a flour milling and food distribution company and real estate development subsidiary.
In 1999 Retlaw Enterprises (a company owned by the relatives of Walt Disney) sold its remaining 11 television stations to Fisher Communications, including all of the related assets to those properties for $215 million in cash. Its broadcasting unit, until the 2000s, was Fisher Broadcasting. Also that year, Fisher is launching its own entertainment division, Fisher Entertainment, to be headed by Alan Winters, a syndication executive.
Fisher began to sell many of its properties in the mid-2000s, including real estate, its longtime flour milling operation, and its stake in Safeco. By 2011, Fisher Communications was down to 10 radio stations."Fisher Communications." Company Profile. Hoover's, Inc., 2012. Answers.com July 20, 2012. On April 11, 2013, Fisher (which by then owned 20 television stations and only three radio stations) announced that it would be acquired by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. However, the deal was subject to financial scrutiny; the law firm Levi & Korsinsky notified Fisher shareholders with accusations that Fisher's board of directors were breaching fiduciary duties by "failing to adequately shop the Company before agreeing to enter into the transaction", and Sinclair was underpaying for Fisher's stock. Shortly after the announcement, a lawsuit was filed by a Fisher shareholder; the suit was settled in July 2013, on August 6 Fisher's shareholders approved the merger. The FCC granted its approval of the sale of August 7. On August 8, Sinclair announced that the sale was completed.
Final stations Stations are arranged in alphabetical order by state and city of license. Two boldface asterisks appearing following a station's call letters (**) indicate a station built and signed on by Fisher Communications.
+ Stations owned by Fisher Communications Media market State Station Purchased Sold Notes Bakersfield California KBAK-TV 2008 2013 KBFX-CD 2008 2013 Fresno–Visalia KJEO 1999 2000 Augusta Georgia WFXG 1999 2003 Columbus WXTX 1999 2003 Boise Idaho KBOI-TV 1999 2013 KYUU-LD 2006 2013 Idaho Falls–Pocatello KIDK 1999 2013 KXPI-LD 2006 2013 Lewiston KLEW-TV 1999 2013 Billings Montana KBLG 1994 2006 KRKX 1994 2006 KRZN ** 1998 2006 KYYA 1994 2006 Butte KAAR 1994 2006 KMBR 1994 2006 KXTL 1994 2006 Great Falls KAAK 1994 2011 KIKF ** 2001 2011 KINX ** 2002 2011 KQDI 2001 2011 KQDI-FM 2001 2011 KXGF 1994 2011 Missoula KBQQ 2003 2006 KGGL 1994 2006 KGRZ 1994 2006 KXDR 1998 2006 KYLT 1991 2006 KZOQ-FM 1996 2006 Bend Oregon KABH-CA 2006 2013 Coos Bay KCBY-TV 1999 2013 KMCB 2013 2013 Eugene KVAL-TV 1999 2013 KMTR 2013 2013 Portland KATU ** 1962 2013 KOTK 1996 2003 KUNP 2006 2013 KWJJ-FM 1996 2003 Roseburg KPIC 1999 2013 KTCW 2013 2013 Ellensburg Washington KWWA-CA 2007 2008 Kennewick KVVK-CD 2007 2013 Pasco KEPR-TV 1999 2013 Seattle–Tacoma KOMO ** 1926 2013 KOMO-FM 2009 2013 KOMO-TV ** 1953 2013 KPLZ-FM 1994 2013 KUNS-TV 2006 2013 KVI 1994 2013 Wenatchee KAPP 1994 2006 KWWW-FM 1992 2006 KWWX 1992 2006 KYSN 1994 2006 KZPH 1997 2006 Yakima KIMA-TV 1999 2013 KUNW-CD 2007 2013 Walla Walla KORX-CA 2007 2013
Contract dispute On December 17, 2008, Fisher Communications' contract expired with Dish Network. As a result of this contract dispute, stations owned by Fisher Communications were no longer available to Dish Network subscribers. Dish Network claimed that Fisher is asking for over an 80% increase. The Fisher stations that returned to Dish Network are: KOMO and KUNS in Seattle.; KATU and KUNP in Portland.; KIMA in Yakima, Washington.; KVAL in Eugene, Oregon.; KBCI (now KBOI) in Boise, Idaho; KIDK in Idaho Falls, Idaho; and KBAK and KBFX in Bakersfield, California. Dish Network restored the service to their customers at 10:25 p.m. PST on June 10.
References