Pappas Telecasting

Defunct American media company

This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Pappas Telecasting Companies

Company type| Private
Industry| Media
Founded| 1971 (1971)
Defunct| 2018 (2018)
Fate| Stations sold
Headquarters| Visalia, California
Services| Broadcast television

Pappas Telecasting Companies was a diversely organized broadcasting company headquartered in Visalia, California, United States. Founded in 1971, it was one of the largest privately held broadcasting companies in the country, with its stations reaching over 15% of all U.S. households and over 32% of Hispanic households. Apart from owning and/or operating many television stations, the company formerly had two radio stations in its possession, KTRB (860 AM) and KMPH (840 AM)—changed from KPMP in June 2006 to reflect its nearby sister/flagship television station, Fox affiliate KMPH-TV, both in Fresno, California.

## Bankruptcy

[edit]

On May 10, 2008, thirteen of Pappas' stations filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. Pappas cited "the extremely difficult business climate for television stations across the country" in papers filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware. The company reported in court filings that it had more than $536 million in debt and $460 million in assets. Problems that led to the bankruptcy included poor performance of The CW network, its now-former involvement with Azteca America, and preparations for the 2009 analog shutdown. Stations involved in the bankruptcy were KMPH-TV, KFRE-TV, KPTM, KXVO, WCWG, KPTH, KMEG, KTNC-TV, KAZH, KDBC-TV, KREN-TV, KAZR-CA and KCWK. It was later ordered on September 10, 2008, that the affected stations must be sold off by February 15, 2009. [1] Its other stations, and the corporation itself, were not part of the bankruptcy. [2] [citation needed] On May 14 of the same year, company founder Harry J. Pappas filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy at the Delaware court, where a judge could order his personal assets sold to pay off creditors. [3] 13 days later, on May 27, KCWK in Walla Walla, Washington (in the Yakima, Washington television market) ceased operations as a result of the bankruptcy. [4]

On September 17, bankruptcy trustee E. Roger Williams put KREN and its repeaters under contract to Entravision Communications for $4 million, which would double as a minimum bid for the station as it goes up for auction in late October. [5] New World TV Group (later renamed, Titan TV Broadcast Group; unrelated to New World Communications) agreed to acquire the remaining Pappas stations involved in the bankruptcy filing on December 17.[6][7] The sale was approved by the United States bankruptcy court on January 16, 2009.[8] The remaining stations that weren't involved in the initial bankruptcy filing were later placed in a liquidating trust in December 2011.[9]

KMPH Radio ceased operations September 1, 2010, due to lack of revenue. Two weeks later, KTRB went into receivership with Comerica Bank, under license from KTRB Trust. This marked the end of Pappas era.

By 2014, the company began to sell all of its television stations to other companies such as Sinclair Broadcast Group, and began winding down operations; The company officially ceased operations when its final remaining station, KAZA-TV in Los Angeles, was sold to Weigel Broadcasting in 2018.[10]

## Former stations

[edit]

* Stations are arranged in alphabetical order by state and city of license.

Stations owned by Pappas Telecasting  Media market | State  | Station  | Purchased  | Sold  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

Auburn | Alabama | WLGA | 1996 | 2016 | [a]
Yuma | Arizona | KSWT | 2000 | 2014 |
Bakersfield | California | KBBV-CD | 2001 | 2011 |
KBFX-LP | 1990 | 2005 | [A]
Los Angeles | KAZA-TV | 2001 | 2018 |
Fresno | KFRE-TV | 2002 | 2009 |
KMPH-TV | 1971 | 2009 |
San Francisco–Oakland | KTNC-TV | 1996 | 2009 |
KUNO-TV | 1997 | 2009 | [B]
Sacramento | KPWB | 1994 | 1998 | [b]
Vero Beach | Florida | WMMF-LP  | 2006 | 2014 |
Ames–Des Moines | Iowa | KCWI-TV | 2001 | 2016 |
KDMI | 2006 | 2016 |
Sioux City | KMEG | 2005 | 2009 | [c]
KPTH | 1999 | 2009 |
Grand Island | Nebraska | KTVG-TV | 1996 | 2009 | [C][c]
Hayes Center | KWNB-TV  | 1996 | 2016 | [D]
Kearney–Hastings | KHGI-TV | 1996 | 2016 |
Lincoln | KFXL-TV | 2006 | 2016 | [c]
North Platte | KHGI-CD  | 2006 | 2016 | [E][d]
Omaha | KAZO-LP | 1999 | 2008 | [e]
KPTM | 1986 | 2009 |
KXVO | 1995 | 2009 | [c]
Superior | KSNB-TV | 1996 | 2009 | [F][c]
Reno | Nevada | KAZR-CA | 1995 | 2009 |
KREN-TV | 1995 | 2009 |
Asheville | North Carolina | WASV-TV | 1995 | 2002 |
Greensboro–Winston-Salem | WCWG | 1995 | 2009 |
Greenville | South Carolina | WHNS | 1984 | 1990 |
Austin | Texas | KXLK-CD | 2003 | 2015 |
Corpus Christi | KXCC-CA  | 2003 | 2015 |
El Paso | KDBC-TV | 2004 | 2009 |
Houston | KAZH | 1999 | 2009 | [f]
KHMV-LP | 1999 | 2007 |
KVVV-LP | 1999 | 2013 |
Walla Walla | Washington | KCWK | 2002 | 2008 | [e]
Yakima | KCWK-LP  | 2002 | 2008 | [G][e]
Green Bay | Wisconsin | WIWN | 2000 | 2014 | [g]

1. ^ Known as WSWS-TV prior to 2005.
2. ^ Known as KRBK-TV prior to 1995.
3. ^ a b c d e Owned by a third party and operated by Pappas.
4. ^ Known as WSWS-LD from 2007 to 2009.
5. ^ a b c Ceased operations at this date.
6. ^ Known as KVVV prior to 2000.
7. ^ Known as WMMF-TV from 2000 to 2004, and as WWAZ-TV from 2004 to 2012.

1. ^ Translator of KMPH-TV.
2. ^ Satellite of KTNC-TV.
3. ^ Satellite of KFXL-TV.
4. ^ Satellite of KHGI-TV.
5. ^ Satellite of KHGI-TV.
6. ^ Satellite of KFXL-TV.
7. ^ Translator of KCWK.

### Former broadcast network

[edit]

* TuVisión

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Web Page Under Construction".
2. ^ "Some Pappas Telecasting companies file for Ch. 11 Bankruptcy protection". Archived from the original on May 22, 2008. Retrieved May 14, 2008.
3. ^ "FresnoBee.com: Local: Pappas forced to file Ch. 7". Archived from the original on May 19, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
4. ^ "TV station files for bankruptcy | Yakima Herald-Republic Online". Archived from the original on June 4, 2008. Retrieved May 30, 2008.
5. ^ Pappas Saga Turning Into Tragedy, TVNewsCheck, September 24, 2008.
6. ^ "Complete List of TV Stations - Station Index".
7. ^ Ellis, Sullivan Poised To Run Pappas TVs, TVNewsCheck, December 17, 2008.
8. ^ Judge Approves Sale Of Pappas Stations, Broadcasting & Cable, January 16, 2009.
9. ^ "Application for Consent to Assign Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License or to Transfer Control of Entity Holding Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License", CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, December 21, 2011, Retrieved June 9, 2020.
10. ^ "Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License". Federal Communications Commission. September 8, 2017. Retrieved September 11, 2017.

## External links

[edit]

* Biography of Harry J. Pappas