Block Communications
Encyclopedia
Block Communications is a privately held holding company
of various assets, mainly in the print and broadcast media, based in Toledo, Ohio
. The company was founded in 1900 in New York City
when Paul Block, a German immigrant who came to the United States fifteen years prior, formed an ad representation firm for newspapers. Through the 1910s and 1920s, the Block empire grew to encompass many newspapers on the east coast of the US, however with the Great Depression
in the 1930s came the loss of all but three properties: the ad representation firm, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
, and the Blade of Toledo (where Block eventually settled the company upon its purchase in 1927). After Block's death in 1941, his sons took over the company and later his grandchildren (one of which, Allan Block, is company chairman).
Television
On November 29, 2008, it was announced that Metro Video Productions
, owners of Lima, Ohio
low-powered network affiliates WOHL-CA
(Fox
), WLQP-LP
(ABC
) and WLMO-LP
(CBS
), would sell these stations to West Central Ohio Broadcasting, Inc.; one of the company's heads, Allan J. Block, is the chairman of Block Communications, owner of WLIO. Block will assume control of the stations' operations, but will not consolidate their newscasts or facilities with WLIO.
Cable Systems
Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC)
Cable Television Networks
Non-Media Holdings
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
of various assets, mainly in the print and broadcast media, based in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. The company was founded in 1900 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
when Paul Block, a German immigrant who came to the United States fifteen years prior, formed an ad representation firm for newspapers. Through the 1910s and 1920s, the Block empire grew to encompass many newspapers on the east coast of the US, however with the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in the 1930s came the loss of all but three properties: the ad representation firm, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
, and the Blade of Toledo (where Block eventually settled the company upon its purchase in 1927). After Block's death in 1941, his sons took over the company and later his grandchildren (one of which, Allan Block, is company chairman).
Company holdings
Newspapers- Pittsburgh Post-GazettePittsburgh Post-GazetteThe Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
(Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
) - Pittsburgh PressPittsburgh PressThe Pittsburgh Press is an online newspaper in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, currently owned and operated by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Historically, it was a major afternoon paper...
(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, onlineOnline newspaperAn online newspaper, also known as a web newspaper, is a newspaper that exists on the World Wide Web or Internet, either separately or as an online version of a printed periodical....
-only) - The BladeThe Blade (newspaper)The Blade is a daily newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, first published on December 19, 1835.- Overview :David Ross Locke gained national fame for the paper during the Civil War era by writing under the pen name Petroleum V. Nasby. Writing under the pen name, Locke wrote satires ranging on topics from...
(Toledo, OhioToledo, OhioToledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
)
Television
- KTRV NampaNampa, IdahoNampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...
-Boise, IdahoBoise, IdahoBoise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
(Independent/This TVThis TVThis TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
/MyNetworkTVMyNetworkTVMyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
/MeTVMeTVMe-TV is a television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that airs classic television sitcoms, dramas and classic commercials from the 1950s through the 1980s. The network is a sister network to This TV...
) - WANDWANDWAND, virtual channel 17, is an NBC-affiliated television station serving the Decatur–Springfield–Champaign area. It is owned by Block Communications...
Decatur, IllinoisDecatur, IllinoisDecatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city, sometimes called "the Soybean Capital of the World", was founded in 1823 and is located along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Central Illinois. In 2000 the city population was 81,500,...
(NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
) - WDRBWDRBWDRB is a television station in Louisville, Kentucky, broadcasting locally on channel 41 as a Fox affiliate. Owned by Block Communications, the station's transmitter is located in Floyds Knobs, Indiana alongside sister-station WMYO...
Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
(FoxFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
; operated by Block property Independence Television along with WMYO) - WMYOWMYOWMYO is a television station serving the Louisville, Kentucky market as a My Network TV affiliate on channel 58. The station is owned by the Independence Television subsidiary of Block Communications with sister-station WDRB in Louisville...
Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
(MyNetworkTVMyNetworkTVMyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
) - WLIOWLIOWLIO is the NBC-affiliated television station for Northwest Ohio licensed to Lima. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter at its studios on Rice Avenue in the city. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 5 and in high definition on...
Lima, OhioLima, OhioLima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
(NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
) - WT05WT05WT05 is the flagship television station of Block Communications, which also owns the Toledo Blade and Buckeye CableSystem. It is the CW's Northwest Ohio affiliate....
Toledo, OhioToledo, OhioToledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
(CWThe CW Television NetworkThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
cable; operated by Block property Buckeye Cablevision) - HF100 Toledo, OhioToledo, OhioToledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
HomeFinder Channel 100 cable; operated by Block property Buckeye Cablevision)
On November 29, 2008, it was announced that Metro Video Productions
Metro Video Productions
Metro Video Productions is a video production company in Lima, Ohio. Established in 1993 by Greg Phipps, Metro broke into the television market with its acquisition of low-power television stations WOHL-CA and WLQP-LP in Lima, Ohio...
, owners of Lima, Ohio
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
low-powered network affiliates WOHL-CA
WOHL-CA
WOHL-CD is the Class A ABC-affiliated television station for Northwest Ohio licensed to Lima. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 35 from a transmitter at its studios on Rice Avenue in the city. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 12...
(Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
), WLQP-LP
WLQP-LP
WLQP-LP is the ABC-affiliated television station for Northwestern Ohio that is licensed to Lima. It broadcasts a low-powered analog signal on UHF channel 25 from a transmitter on Rice Avenue in the city. WLQP can also be seen on Time Warner channel 12...
(ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
) and WLMO-LP
WLMO-LP
WLMO-LP is the CBS-afifliated television station for Northwestern Ohio that is licensed to Lima. It broadcasts a low-powered analog signal on UHF channel 38 from a transmitter on Rice Avenue in the city. The station can also be seen on Time Warner channel 11...
(CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
), would sell these stations to West Central Ohio Broadcasting, Inc.; one of the company's heads, Allan J. Block, is the chairman of Block Communications, owner of WLIO. Block will assume control of the stations' operations, but will not consolidate their newscasts or facilities with WLIO.
Cable Systems
- Buckeye CableSystemBuckeye CableSystemBuckeye CableSystem, formerly known as The CableSystem until the 1990s, is a cable company located in Toledo, Ohio and serves Northwest Ohio and parts of Southeast Michigan...
, Inc. http://www.buckeyecablesystem.com (systems in Toledo, Ohio and Sandusky, OhioSandusky, OhioSandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
, latter officially known as Erie CountyErie County, OhioAs of the census of 2000, there were 79,551 people, 31,727 households, and 21,764 families residing in the county. The population density was 312 people per square mile . There were 35,909 housing units at an average density of 141 per square mile...
Cablevision) - Buckeye Express (High Speed Internet) http://www.buckeye-express.com
- Buckeye Access (Dial up Internet) http://www.buckeye-access.com
Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC)
- Buckeye TeleSystem, Inc. http://www.buckeyetelesystem.com
Cable Television Networks
- WT05WT05WT05 is the flagship television station of Block Communications, which also owns the Toledo Blade and Buckeye CableSystem. It is the CW's Northwest Ohio affiliate....
(see above) - Buckeye Cable Sports NetworkBuckeye Cable Sports Network-BCSN History and Info.:Buckeye Cable Sports Network is a regional sports network founded in 2003 to carry sports broadcasting, which had previously been aired on fellow cable-only station WT05...
Non-Media Holdings
- Metro Fiber & Cable Construction Company (a Toledo-based contractor of fiber optic installation)
Formerly owned
- WIIC Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
(NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
; founded by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; now WPXIWPXIWPXI, channel 11, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Western Pennsylvania that is licensed to Pittsburgh. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 48 from a transmitter located on the north side of Pittsburgh. Owned by Cox Enterprises, the station has studios in the...
owned by Cox EnterprisesCox EnterprisesCox Enterprises is the successor to the publishing company founded in Dayton, Ohio, United States, by James Middleton Cox, who began with the Dayton Daily News. He was the Democratic candidate for the President of the United States in the election of 1920...
) - WLFI-TVWLFI-TVWLFI-TV, channel 18, is the CBS television affiliate in West Lafayette, Indiana that serves the Lafayette, Indiana metropolitan area. It operates on digital channel 11. Its transmitter is located in Rossville, Indiana...
Lafayette, IndianaLafayette, IndianaLafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
(CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
; now owned by LIN TV Corporation) - Corporate Protection Services (Sold to Guardian Alarm Co. of Toledo http://www.guardianalarm.com/news.asp?NewsID=71 which later was sold to Asset Protection Services, Toledo, Ohio)
- The Monterey County HeraldThe Monterey County HeraldThe Monterey County Herald, sometimes referred to as the Monterey Herald, is the major daily newspaper published in Monterey, California, and serving Monterey County. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...
, traded to ScrippsE. W. Scripps CompanyThe E. W. Scripps Company is an American media conglomerate founded by Edward W. Scripps on November 2, 1878. The company is headquartered inside the Scripps Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its corporate motto is "Give light and the people will find their own way."On October 16, 2007, the company...
in exchange for the Pittsburgh PressPittsburgh PressThe Pittsburgh Press is an online newspaper in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, currently owned and operated by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Historically, it was a major afternoon paper...
; now owned by MediaNews GroupMediaNews GroupMediaNews Group, based in Denver, Colorado, is one of the largest newspaper companies in the United States. It is privately owned and operates 56 daily newspapers in 12 states, with combined daily and Sunday circulation of approximately 2.4 million and 2.7 million, respectively...