Midwest Communications was a broadcasting company based in the Upper Midwest United States.
The company's history dates back to August 1952, when it was formed as Midwest Radio and Television as a merger of
WCCO (AM) and
WTCN-TV. The company was a joint-venture of Mid-Continent Radio-Television (itself a partnership of the
Saint Paul Pioneer Press and the
Minneapolis Tribune Company, 53%) and
CBS Corporation (47%). While the radio stations went to a separate owner, WTCN-TV became
WCCO-TV.
The company expanded over the years, launching
WCCO-FM
KMNB (102.9 MHz, "The Wolf") is an American commercial FM radio station in Minneapolis-St. Paul that carries a country radio format. KMNB is owned by Audacy, Inc. Its main transmitter is located on the KMSP Tower in Shoreview, Minnesota, with ba ...
(now KMNB) in the 1970s.
In the 1980s, Midwest Radio and Television bought ABC affiliate
WFRV-TV in Green Bay and its satellite in
Escanaba, Michigan,
WJMN-TV (CBS did not initially take an ownership stake in either of those two stations at the time as they had good relations with then-CBS affiliate
WBAY-TV). Midwest Radio and Television also bought KCMT in
Alexandria, Minnesota and its satellite in
Walker, Minnesota, KNMT. The stations' calls became KCCO and KCCW respectively, and the stations became satellites of WCCO-TV.
In October 1982, the company renamed itself Midwest Communications to reflect the company's expanded business that now included cable systems and two cable channels.
WCCO II
WCCO II was an early local cable channel serving the Minneapolis area. The channel was owned by Midwest Communications and meant to complement programming on broadcast station WCCO-TV.
History
The network, launched by Midwest Radio and Televisi ...
was also launched around this time to become an early local cable channel that would evolve into the
regional sports network Midwest Sports Channel
Bally Sports North is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as a Bally Sports affiliate. The channel broadcasts coverage of sporting events involving teams located in the Upper Midwest region, with a focu ...
.
In February 1992, the company merged with CBS, and WFRV/WJMN as well as WCCO became CBS
owned-and-operated stations.
Today, only the Minneapolis stations are retained by
Paramount Global (WFRV/WJMN was sold to
Liberty Media
Liberty Media Corporation (commonly referred to as Liberty Media or just Liberty) is an American mass media company controlled by chairman John C. Malone. The company has three divisions, reflecting the company's ownership stakes in Formula One ...
in 2007, then to
Nexstar Broadcasting Group
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is an American publicly traded media company with headquarter offices in Irving, Texas; Midtown Manhattan; and Chicago, Illinois. The company is the largest television station owner in the United States, owning 197 te ...
in 2011).
Midwest also owned the ''Midwest Sports Channel'', which was originally associated with WCCO-TV. MSC became a CBS owned and operated network following its acquisition of WCCO. In 1999, shortly after CBS was acquired by Viacom, MSC was sold to Fox Sports Net, eventually becoming the current day
Fox Sports North, along with later sister network
Fox Sports Wisconsin
Bally Sports Wisconsin (BSWI) is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. Operating as the "Wisconsin" sub-feed of Fox Sports North until 2007, the channel was known as Fox S ...
.
Midwest Radio and Television was not associated with ''Midwest Television'', owners of
KFMB,
KFMB-FM, and
KFMB-TV in
San Diego, California, nor
Midwest Communications, which also has broadcasting interests in Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, North Dakota and Tennessee.
References
Defunct broadcasting companies of the United States
Paramount Global subsidiaries
1952 establishments in Minnesota
1992 disestablishments in Minnesota
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