Fisher Communications
Fisher Communications 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. Fisher was acquired the same year KOMO-TV's competitor KING-TV's owner, Belo, was acquired by Gannett Company.
History
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 sold its remaining 11 television stations to Fisher Communications, including all of the related assets to those properties for $215 million in cash.
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. On April 11, 2013, Fisher 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.
Former Fisher-owned stations
Radio stations
Television stations
Stations are arranged alphabetically by state and by city of license.Notes:
- - Indicates a station built and signed-on by Fisher.
- - Indicates a station owned by Retlaw Enterprises, prior to its acquisition by Fisher in 1999.
| City of license / Market | Station | Channel TV | Years owned | Current ownership status |
| Bakersfield | KBAK-TV | 29 | 2008–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Bakersfield | KBFX-CD | 58 | 2008–2013 | Fox affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Fresno - Visalia | KJEO ++ | 47 | 1999–2000 | |
| Augusta, GA | WFXG ++ | 54 | 1999–2003 | Fox affiliate owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group |
| Columbus - Opelika - Auburn | WXTX ++ | 54 | 1999–2003 | Fox affiliate owned by American Spirit Media |
| Boise | KBOI-TV ++ | 2 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Boise | KYUU-LD | 35 | 2006–2013 | The CW affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Idaho Falls - Pocatello | KIDK ++ | 3 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by VistaWest Media, LLC |
| Idaho Falls - Pocatello | KXPI-LD | 34 | 2006–2013 | Fox affiliate owned by News-Press & Gazette Company |
| Lewiston - Spokane - Coeur d'Alene - Clarkston - Pullman - Moscow | KLEW-TV ++ | 3 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Bend | KABH-CA | 15 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group | |
| Eugene - Coos Bay - Roseburg | KVAL-TV ++ | 13 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Eugene - Coos Bay - Roseburg | KCBY-TV ++ | 11 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Eugene - Coos Bay - Roseburg | KPIC ++ | 4 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by South West Oregon TV Broadcasting Corp. and COBI ) |
| Eugene - Coos Bay - Roseburg | KMTR | 16 | 2013 1 | NBC affiliate owned by Roberts Media, LLC |
| Eugene - Coos Bay - Roseburg | KMCB | 23 | 2013 1 | NBC affiliate owned by Roberts Media, LLC |
| Eugene - Coos Bay - Roseburg | KTCW | 46 | 2013 1 | NBC affiliate owned by Roberts Media, LLC |
| Portland - Vancouver - Salem | KATU ** | 2 | 1962–2013 | ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Portland - Vancouver - Salem | KUNP | 16 | 2006–2013 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Seattle - Tacoma - Olympia - Bellingham | KOMO-TV ** | 4 | 1953–2013 | ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Seattle - Tacoma - Olympia - Bellingham | KUNS-TV | 51 | 2006–2013 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Yakima - Walla Walla - Pasco - Richland - Kennewick | KIMA-TV ++ | 29 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Yakima - Walla Walla - Pasco - Richland - Kennewick | KEPR-TV ++ | 19 | 1999–2013 | CBS affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Yakima - Walla Walla - Pasco - Richland - Kennewick | KUNW-CD | 2 | 2007–2013 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Yakima - Walla Walla - Pasco - Richland - Kennewick | KVVK-CD | 15 | 2007–2013 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Yakima - Walla Walla - Pasco - Richland - Kennewick | KORX-CA | 16 | 2007–2013 | Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Yakima - Walla Walla - Pasco - Richland - Kennewick | KWWA-CA | 49 | 2007–2008 | defunct |
Other Note:
- 1 Owned by Roberts Media, LLC, Fisher operated KMTR under a shared services agreement with KVAL.
Contract Dispute
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 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.