Benedek Broadcasting


Benedek Broadcasting was a television broadcasting company, who owned and operated 22 network-affiliated television stations throughout the United States, all affiliated with major television networks, serving mainly small and medium-size markets. The company was founded in the late 1970s by A. Richard Benedek but grew in the 1990s with buyouts of Brisette Broadcasting and Stauffer Communications. The company was based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Throughout its existence, namesake Benedek served as chairman and chief executive officer.
Benedek also owned U.S. Virgin Islands station WBNB-TV starting in 1986, but was knocked off the air by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Its facilities were so badly damaged that Benedek, with no financial resources to rebuild, essentially chose to abandon the station, and its license was deleted in 1995.
Benedek Broadcasting filed for bankruptcy in 2002, and sold off its 22 stations to different owners, many of them to Gray Television with the balance going to Chelsey Broadcasting. Barrington Broadcasting which began operations in 2004 with former Benedek president and COO K. James Yager as CEO, occupied what had been Benedek's headquarters and purchased two of the former Benedek stations which had been purchased by Chelsey, until it was acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group in 2013.
Benedek Broadcasting had also operated Benedek Interactive Media, an 'Internet newsroom' that extended web-only coverage and editorial capabilities to its stations.

List of stations formerly owned by Benedek

Stations are arranged alphabetically by state and by city of license.
City of License / MarketStationChannel
TV 		Years ownedCurrent ownership status
Dothan, AlabamaWTVY4 1995–2002CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
Santa Maria - Santa Barbara -
San Luis Obispo, California		KCOY-TV12 1996–1999CBS affiliate owned by VistaWest Media, LLC
Colorado Springs - Pueblo, ColoradoKKTV11 1999–2002CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
Peoria, IllinoisWHOI19 1996–2002Comet TV affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Freeport - Rockford, IllinoisWIFR23 1986–2002defunct, License cancelled in 2017.
Topeka, KansasWIBW-TV13 1996–2002CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
Wichita, KansasKAKE-TV10 2000–2002ABC affiliate owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group
Bowling Green, KentuckyWBKO13 1983–2002ABC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Springfield - Holyoke, MassachusettsWWLP22 1996–2000NBC affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Lansing, MichiganWILX-TV10 1996–2002NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Duluth, MinnesotaKDLH3 1985–2002The CW affiliate owned by Quincy Media
Meridian, MississippiWTOK-TV11 1988–2002ABC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Columbia - Jefferson City, MissouriKMIZ17 1996–2002ABC affiliate owned by News-Press & Gazette Company
Hannibal, Missouri - Quincy, IllinoisKHQA-TV7 1986–2002CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Omaha, NebraskaWOWT-TV6 1999–2002NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Youngstown, OhioWYTV33 1985–2002ABC affiliate owned by Vaughan Media
Odessa - Midland, TexasKOSA-TV7 1996–2000CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
Wichita Falls, TexasKAUZ-TV6 1996–2002CBS affiliate owned by American Spirit Media
Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin IslandsWBNB-TV101986–1995defunct, Off-air in 1989; license cancelled in 1995.
Harrisonburg, VirginiaWHSV-TV3 1986–2002ABC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Parkersburg, West VirginiaWTAP-TV15 1979–2002NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Wheeling, West Virginia - Steubenville, OhioWTRF-TV7 1996–2002CBS affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Madison, WisconsinWMTV15 1996–2002NBC affiliate owned by Gray Television
Wausau - Rhinelander, WisconsinWSAW-TV7 1996–2002CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television
Casper, WyomingKGWC-TV14 1996–2002CBS affiliate owned by Big Horn Television, LLC
Cheyenne, WyomingKGWN-TV5 1996–2002CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television