Equity Broadcasting
Encyclopedia
Equity Media Holdings was a broadcasting
company based in Little Rock, Arkansas
that owned and operated television
stations across the United States
. Prior to March 30, 2007, the company was known as Equity Broadcasting, which is now used for its broadcast station subisdary. The company had a focus on Hispanic
and Asian American
communities in large markets while owning a combination of English-language network affiliates in medium and small markets.
In late 2005, Equity launched the Retro Television Network
(RTN for short), a programming service with a lineup of "classic" shows from the 1950s-1980s which currently airs in part or full in numerous markets (controversially replacing UPN
in one). Equity sold RTN to Luken Communications in June 2008.
On December 8, 2008, Equity filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. As a result of this, they auctioned off their stations on April 16, 2009. Many stations were sold to broadcast companies such as Daystar Television Network
.
Additionally, the Retro Television Network was sold to Luken's company, Luken Communications, on June 25, 2008. Luken Communications continued to operate RTN out of Little Rock, Arkansas
as a client of Equity's C.A.S.H. system.
In June 2008, Equity instituted a companywide suspension of news programs.
In November 2008, Equity began attempts to sell all of its TV stations and cut most of the company's top management in a move which Chief Restructuring Officer Paul Brissette believed could allow the company a chance to avoid bankruptcy.
Equity filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy on December 8, 2008 after the company defaulted on a loan worth $41.5 million. One of its creditors, Silver Point Finance, soon filed to change the bankruptcy from a voluntary Chapter 11 to an involuntary Chapter 7
in an attempt to foreclose on Equity assets, as they felt that there was no way Equity can reorganize under Chapter 11, nor do they have enough funds to cover payroll.
Silver Point ended its attempts to push the company directly into liquidation on December 23, in return for the appointment of Kim D. Kelly, a new Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) who would exert near-total control to run the company and handle decisions on the sale of the individual stations.
Trading in Equity Media Holdings Corporation (EMDA.Q) common stock, units, and warrants were suspended on December 18, 2008; NASDAQ
announced on January 15, 2009 that the Equity-related securities are to be de-listed permanently.
The sale of Equity's flagship Little Rock TV station KWBF (now Nexstar Broadcasting Group
's KARZ-TV
) closed at the end of January 2009; similarly named RTN radio station KWBF-FM
had also been sold (to Flinn Broadcasting Corporation) and has been silent
since November 2008. Equity had also unexpectedly terminated a deal with the Southland Conference
to carry Central Arkansas University basketball games on KKYK-DT, effective January 14, 2009.
Silver Point extended a $58 million "debtor in protection" loan on February 2, 2009 to keep Equity on-air under chief restructuring officer Kim D. Kelly, but at a hefty interest rate
premium: 8% above the current London Interbank Offered Rate
. The chief restructuring officer will not be answerable in any way to Equity's board.
On April 10, 2009, Equity announced an auction of all its stations to occur on April 16 in Dallas
. About 60 stations (counting repeater transmitters) were sold (pending FCC approval) at a total of $21.3 million.
services for RTN
after that network was sold to Luken Communications for $25 million in June 2008. Equity had held an option to re-purchase RTN from Luken; that option expired unexercised on December 24, 2008.
On January 4, 2009, a contract conflict between Equity and Luken Communications, the owners of RTN, interrupted the programming on many RTN affiliates with Luken alleging that Equity had left many obligations to RTN's creditors, including programming suppliers, unpaid. As a result, Luken restored a national RTN feed from its headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee
, via SES Americom
-owned satellite
AMC 9 (83.0°W), with individual feeds to non-Equity-owned affiliates following on a piecemeal basis. Equity owned or operated stations lost RTN affiliation immediately, though Luken vowed to find new affiliates for RTN in those areas. A message displayed on-screen by Equity's stations in place of RTN gave Henry Luken's cell number as a contact number for viewers. As a result of this dispute, Luken pulled out of a deal to buy Equity's southwest Florida stations.
As of January 7, 2009, various Equity-owned or operated stations were broadcasting classic
movies (or in some cases, Retro Jams
) in place of RTN's content;. Around January 21, some of these stations began to carry This TV
, a new subchannel network owned by MGM and Weigel Broadcasting
.
that more than a dozen of its individual analogue-only full service
stations would not be able to acquire equipment for digital TV transition
without court approval, and these recently constructed full-power stations would therefore go dark
at the end of digital transition (originally scheduled for February 17, 2009; since extended to June 12, 2009). Stations with existing digital broadcasts or low-power broadcasting
stations on channels 2 - 51 would not be affected.
Equity has requested that the FCC extend the expiry dates of digital construction permit
s for these stations, a possible means of retaining the affected licenses until a buyer can be found.
Full-service stations scheduled to go dark at the end of digital transition include:
Affected stations sold to Daystar
:
Affected stations sold to Max Media
, then closed down:
Affected station sold to Pinnacle Media:
Affected station sold to Tyler Media:
Affected station sold to Valley Bank, and then Fusion Communications:
Equity's situation is unique due to its rapid and recent expansion. Many of its full-service stations were built during the last few years of digital transition
and are in the position of needing to flash-cut
to digital in 2009 or cease operation. Established full-service broadcasters (who signed on before the start of transition) had (with rare exception) been required to operate existing digital simulcasts on another channel for several years and digital equipment is therefore already in place.
(called by Equity the Central Automated Satellite Hub, or C.A.S.H, system) where all production, programming, and master control is handled from a facility adjacent to the company's headquarters. Though such hubbing is done on regional scales for many groups, no other company has done it to the scale and magnitude of Equity and C.A.S.H.
Various C.A.S.H. stations are available free-to-air
throughout North America
on Ku band
via Galaxy 18
(123°W) or on C band
via Galaxy 3C (95°W). The feeds are in a format which can be fed directly to a terrestrial television
transmitter
with no further studio processing.
Satellite transponder space is rented from Intelsat
, which claims as of December 2008 to be owed over $580,000.
1These stations were RTN
affiliates until the dispute between Equity and Luken in January 2009
Univision
This TV
TeleFutura
MyNetworkTV
Fox
The following construction permit
s had been issued to Equity before its 2008 bankruptcy filing; the status of any station construction or acquisition plans is uncertain given the current financial situation
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
company based in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
that owned and operated television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
stations across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Prior to March 30, 2007, the company was known as Equity Broadcasting, which is now used for its broadcast station subisdary. The company had a focus on Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
and Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
communities in large markets while owning a combination of English-language network affiliates in medium and small markets.
In late 2005, Equity launched the Retro Television Network
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
(RTN for short), a programming service with a lineup of "classic" shows from the 1950s-1980s which currently airs in part or full in numerous markets (controversially replacing UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
in one). Equity sold RTN to Luken Communications in June 2008.
On December 8, 2008, Equity filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. As a result of this, they auctioned off their stations on April 16, 2009. Many stations were sold to broadcast companies such as Daystar Television Network
Daystar Television Network
The Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
.
Financial troubles
In the company's annual report for 2007, released on April 2, 2008, Equity said that the company is in default on its credit lines, and that if it cannot find additional financing it "will need to cease all or a portion of its operations, seek protection under U.S. bankruptcy laws and regulations, engage in a restructuring or undertake a combination of these and other actions." An earlier indication of Equity's troubles came one month previous, when its board of directors appointed its chairman, Henry Luken, to replace Equity founder Larry Morton as president and CEO. Morton remained the chair, president and CEO of Retro Television Network.Additionally, the Retro Television Network was sold to Luken's company, Luken Communications, on June 25, 2008. Luken Communications continued to operate RTN out of Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
as a client of Equity's C.A.S.H. system.
In June 2008, Equity instituted a companywide suspension of news programs.
In November 2008, Equity began attempts to sell all of its TV stations and cut most of the company's top management in a move which Chief Restructuring Officer Paul Brissette believed could allow the company a chance to avoid bankruptcy.
Equity filed for Chapter 11
Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
bankruptcy on December 8, 2008 after the company defaulted on a loan worth $41.5 million. One of its creditors, Silver Point Finance, soon filed to change the bankruptcy from a voluntary Chapter 11 to an involuntary Chapter 7
Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 7 of the Title 11 of the United States Code governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States...
in an attempt to foreclose on Equity assets, as they felt that there was no way Equity can reorganize under Chapter 11, nor do they have enough funds to cover payroll.
Silver Point ended its attempts to push the company directly into liquidation on December 23, in return for the appointment of Kim D. Kelly, a new Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) who would exert near-total control to run the company and handle decisions on the sale of the individual stations.
Trading in Equity Media Holdings Corporation (EMDA.Q) common stock, units, and warrants were suspended on December 18, 2008; NASDAQ
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
announced on January 15, 2009 that the Equity-related securities are to be de-listed permanently.
The sale of Equity's flagship Little Rock TV station KWBF (now Nexstar Broadcasting Group
Nexstar Broadcasting Group
Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc., is an entity of broadcast television stations headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company consists of 50 television stations across the U.S., ranging from market sizes 9 to 201 . 43 of the stations are broadcasting at full power, with the other 4 broadcasting at...
's KARZ-TV
KARZ-TV
KARZ-TV is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Central Arkansas. It is licensed to Little Rock. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 42 from a transmitter on Shinall Mountain near the Chenal Valley section of Little Rock...
) closed at the end of January 2009; similarly named RTN radio station KWBF-FM
KWBF-FM
KZTS is a radio station broadcasting an Mainstream Urban format. Licensed to Cammack Village, Arkansas, USA, it serves the Little Rock area...
had also been sold (to Flinn Broadcasting Corporation) and has been silent
Dark (broadcasting)
In the broadcasting industry, dark is a term used to describe a radio station or television station that has gone off-the-air for an indefinite period of time, or as defined by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission , a "silent" station...
since November 2008. Equity had also unexpectedly terminated a deal with the Southland Conference
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
to carry Central Arkansas University basketball games on KKYK-DT, effective January 14, 2009.
Silver Point extended a $58 million "debtor in protection" loan on February 2, 2009 to keep Equity on-air under chief restructuring officer Kim D. Kelly, but at a hefty interest rate
Interest rate
An interest rate is the rate at which interest is paid by a borrower for the use of money that they borrow from a lender. For example, a small company borrows capital from a bank to buy new assets for their business, and in return the lender receives interest at a predetermined interest rate for...
premium: 8% above the current London Interbank Offered Rate
London Interbank Offered Rate
The LIBOR rate is the average interest rate that leading banks in London charge when lending to other banks. It is an acronym for London Interbank Offered Rate Banks borrow money for one day, one month, two months, six months, one year etc. and they pay interest to their lenders based on...
. The chief restructuring officer will not be answerable in any way to Equity's board.
On April 10, 2009, Equity announced an auction of all its stations to occur on April 16 in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. About 60 stations (counting repeater transmitters) were sold (pending FCC approval) at a total of $21.3 million.
Retro Television Network
Equity Media had been paid to provide centralcastingCentralcasting
In terrestrial radio and television broadcasting, centralcasting refers to the use of systems automation by which customised signals for broadcast by multiple individual stations may be created at one central facility.- :...
services for RTN
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
after that network was sold to Luken Communications for $25 million in June 2008. Equity had held an option to re-purchase RTN from Luken; that option expired unexercised on December 24, 2008.
On January 4, 2009, a contract conflict between Equity and Luken Communications, the owners of RTN, interrupted the programming on many RTN affiliates with Luken alleging that Equity had left many obligations to RTN's creditors, including programming suppliers, unpaid. As a result, Luken restored a national RTN feed from its headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
, via SES Americom
SES Americom
SES Americom was a major commercial satellite operator based in the United States. Formerly RCA Americom and GE Americom, the company became one of the principal parts of SES S.A.....
-owned satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
AMC 9 (83.0°W), with individual feeds to non-Equity-owned affiliates following on a piecemeal basis. Equity owned or operated stations lost RTN affiliation immediately, though Luken vowed to find new affiliates for RTN in those areas. A message displayed on-screen by Equity's stations in place of RTN gave Henry Luken's cell number as a contact number for viewers. As a result of this dispute, Luken pulled out of a deal to buy Equity's southwest Florida stations.
As of January 7, 2009, various Equity-owned or operated stations were broadcasting classic
Classic
The word classic means something that is a perfect example of a particular style, something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality. The word can be an adjective or a noun . It denotes a particular quality in art, architecture, literature and other cultural artifacts...
movies (or in some cases, Retro Jams
Retro Jams
Retro Jams was a music video network that played music videos from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and early 90s. Established in 2007, it was owned and operated by now-defunct Equity Media Holdings...
) in place of RTN's content;. Around January 21, some of these stations began to carry This TV
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
, a new subchannel network owned by MGM and Weigel Broadcasting
Weigel Broadcasting
Weigel Broadcasting is an American locally based television broadcasting company. The company is based in downtown Chicago, Illinois, alongside its flagship station WCIU-TV , at the apt address of 26 North Halsted Street in the Greektown neighborhood.- History :The company was founded by Chicago...
.
Digital transition issues
In mid-December 2008, Equity filed notice with the Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
that more than a dozen of its individual analogue-only full service
Full service
Full service is a term that has many different uses. In general the term implies that the customer will receive as much service as is reasonably possible.-Gas station:...
stations would not be able to acquire equipment for digital TV transition
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
without court approval, and these recently constructed full-power stations would therefore go dark
Dark (broadcasting)
In the broadcasting industry, dark is a term used to describe a radio station or television station that has gone off-the-air for an indefinite period of time, or as defined by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission , a "silent" station...
at the end of digital transition (originally scheduled for February 17, 2009; since extended to June 12, 2009). Stations with existing digital broadcasts or low-power broadcasting
Low-power broadcasting
Low-power broadcasting is electronic broadcasting at very low power and low cost, to a small community area.The terms "low-power broadcasting" and "micropower broadcasting" should not be used interchangeably, because the markets are not the same...
stations on channels 2 - 51 would not be affected.
Equity has requested that the FCC extend the expiry dates of digital construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
s for these stations, a possible means of retaining the affected licenses until a buyer can be found.
Full-service stations scheduled to go dark at the end of digital transition include:
- KEGS (Goldfield, NevadaGoldfield, NevadaGoldfield is an unincorporated community and the county seat of Esmeralda County, Nevada, United States, with a resident population of 440 at the 2000 census. It is located about southeast of Carson City, along U.S...
)
Affected stations sold to Daystar
Daystar Television Network
The Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
:
- KUTFKUTFKUTF is a Daystar Television Network owned-and-operated station in Logan, Utah that serves the Salt Lake City media market which broadcasts in digital on channel 12. Prior to June 2009, it was a Spanish-language television station owned by Equity Media Holdings and affiliated with TeleFutura...
(TeleFutura, Logan, UtahLogan, Utah-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
) - KQUPKQUPKQUP is an Daystar Television Network affiliate licensed to Pullman, Washington, serving the Spokane, Washington area. KQUP is owned by the Daystar Television Network.-Station history:...
(ex-RTN, Pullman, WashingtonPullman, WashingtonPullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
) - KWBMKWBMKWBM is an affiliate of the Daystar Television Network in Springfield, Missouri. Its main transmitter, on channel 31, is licensed in Harrison, Arkansas and located northeast of Branson, Missouri...
(MyTV, Harrison, ArkansasHarrison, ArkansasHarrison is a city in Boone County, Arkansas, United States. It is the county seat. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 13,108. Boone County was organized in 1869, during reconstruction after the civil war. Harrison was platted and made the county seat. It is...
) - WBIFWBIFWBIF is a television station licensed to Marianna, Florida, serving the Panama City, Florida market on channel 51. The station is owned by the Daystar Television Network.-History:Founded in 2001, the station was originally owned by Equity Media Holdings...
(This TVThis TVThis TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
, Marianna, FloridaMarianna, FloridaMarianna is a city in Jackson County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,230 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,200 . It is the county seat of Jackson County and is home to Chipola College...
) - WNGS (This TVThis TVThis TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
, Springville, New YorkSpringville, New YorkSpringville is a village in the southeast part of the town of Concord in Erie County, New York, United States. Springville is the principal community in the town and a major business location in south Erie County. The population was 4,252 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara...
) - WNYIWNYIWNYI is a television station in Ithaca, New York, serving the Elmira and Syracuse television markets. The station, now owned by Daystar Television Network, had formerly broadcast on analogue UHF channel 52 before going silent in 2009 as a result of the US digital TV transition.- History :The...
(Univisión, Ithaca, New YorkIthaca, New YorkThe city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
)
Affected stations sold to Max Media
Max Media
Max Media is a company that owns radio and television stations throughout the United States. It is based out of Virginia Beach, Virginia.-History:Max Media was founded in 2001...
, then closed down:
- KBTZKBTZKBTZ was a full-service television station serving Butte, Montana as a Fox affiliate, broadcasting in analog on UHF channel 24, with no digital allocation. The station was owned by Equity Media Holdings of Little Rock, Arkansas...
(Fox, Butte, MontanaButte, MontanaButte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
) - KLMNKLMNKLMN was a television station in Great Falls, Montana, broadcasting locally on channel 26 as an affiliate of Fox. Founded on December 19, 2000, the station was owned by Equity Media Holdings.- History :...
* (Fox, Great Falls, MontanaGreat Falls, MontanaGreat Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
) - KMMFKMMFKMMF was a full-service television station in Missoula, Montana, broadcasting locally in analog on UHF channel 17 as an affiliate of Fox. Founded April 25, 2000, the station was owned by Equity Broadcasting...
(Fox, Missoula, MontanaMissoula, MontanaMissoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
)
Affected station sold to Pinnacle Media:
- KPBI (MyTV, Eureka Springs, ArkansasEureka Springs, ArkansasEureka Springs is a city in Carroll County, Arkansas, United States. Along with Berryville, it is one of the two county seats for the county. It is located in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 2,350...
)
Affected station sold to Tyler Media:
- KUOKKUOKKUOK also known as "Univisión 36" or "Univisión Oklahoma" is a network of television stations airing programming from Spanish-language television network Univisión based in Oklahoma City...
(Univisión, Woodward, OklahomaWoodward, OklahomaWoodward is a city in and the county seat of Woodward County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the largest city in a nine-county area. The population was 12,051 at the 2010 census....
)
Affected station sold to Valley Bank, and then Fusion Communications:
- KWWFKWWFKWWF is licensed to Waterloo, Iowa broadcasting on UHF channel 22. Its transmitter is located near Walker, Iowa.-History:KWWF signed on December 1, 2002, with a format of infomercials, home shopping, and reruns that were in the public domain...
(ex-RTN, Waterloo, IowaWaterloo, IowaWaterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...
)
- * While KLMNKLMNKLMN was a television station in Great Falls, Montana, broadcasting locally on channel 26 as an affiliate of Fox. Founded on December 19, 2000, the station was owned by Equity Media Holdings.- History :...
had already applied to reduce its analogue signal power to 50 kW, the license remained that of a full serviceFull serviceFull service is a term that has many different uses. In general the term implies that the customer will receive as much service as is reasonably possible.-Gas station:...
station. Its new owners therefore would've had to convert it to digital to continue broadcasting after 6/12/2009.
Equity's situation is unique due to its rapid and recent expansion. Many of its full-service stations were built during the last few years of digital transition
DTV transition in the United States
The DTV transition in the United States was the switchover from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting of free over-the-air television programming...
and are in the position of needing to flash-cut
Flash-cut
A flash-cut, also called flash-cutover, is an immediate change in a complex system, with no phase-in period.Some telephone area codes were split immediately, rather than being phased in with a permissive dialing period. An example is telephone area code 213, which was split into 213 and 714 all at...
to digital in 2009 or cease operation. Established full-service broadcasters (who signed on before the start of transition) had (with rare exception) been required to operate existing digital simulcasts on another channel for several years and digital equipment is therefore already in place.
C.A.S.H. system
A trait unique to Equity Media Holdings is their usage of a centralized group-wide hubCentralcasting
In terrestrial radio and television broadcasting, centralcasting refers to the use of systems automation by which customised signals for broadcast by multiple individual stations may be created at one central facility.- :...
(called by Equity the Central Automated Satellite Hub, or C.A.S.H, system) where all production, programming, and master control is handled from a facility adjacent to the company's headquarters. Though such hubbing is done on regional scales for many groups, no other company has done it to the scale and magnitude of Equity and C.A.S.H.
Various C.A.S.H. stations are available free-to-air
FTA Receiver
A free-to-air or FTA Receiver is a satellite television receiver designed to receive unencrypted broadcasts. Modern decoders are typically compliant with the MPEG-2/DVB-S and more recently the MPEG-4/DVB-S2 standard for digital television, while older FTA receivers relied on analog satellite...
throughout North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on Ku band
Ku band
The Kμ band is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies. This symbol refers to —in other words, the band directly below the K-band...
via Galaxy 18
Galaxy 18
Galaxy 18 is a Space Systems/Loral 1300-series hybrid communications satellite owned by Intelsat and located in geosynchronous orbit at 123° W longitude, serving the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, and Canada with 24 C-band, and 24 Ku band transponders...
(123°W) or on C band
C band
The C band is a name given to certain portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, including wavelengths of microwaves that are used for long-distance radio telecommunications. The IEEE C-band - and its slight variations - contains frequency ranges that are used for many satellite communications...
via Galaxy 3C (95°W). The feeds are in a format which can be fed directly to a terrestrial television
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
with no further studio processing.
Intelsat
Intelsat, Ltd. is a communications satellite services provider.Originally formed as International Telecommunications Satellite Organization , it was—from 1964 to 2001—an intergovernmental consortium owning and managing a constellation of communications satellites providing international broadcast...
, which claims as of December 2008 to be owed over $580,000.
Stations
Under the protection of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Equity Media Holdings sold most of these TV stations at an auction in Dallas on April 16, 2009 for a total of $21.3 million. Other stations were sold at later dates or are still looking for a buyer.1These stations were RTN
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
affiliates until the dispute between Equity and Luken in January 2009
UnivisionUnivisionUnivision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
Stations
- KEYUKEYUKEYU, known locally as Univisión Amarillo or Univisión 41, is a Spanish-language television station in Borger, Texas, serving the Amarillo market on digital channel 31 as an affiliate of Univision, and on analog low-power station KEYU-LP channel 41...
- Amarillo, TexasAmarillo, TexasAmarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
(Sold to Drewry Communications Group) - KLRA - Little Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
(Sold to Pinnacle Media) - KUKC-LPKUKC-LPKUKC-LP is a low-powered broadcast television station in Kansas City, Missouri and is licensed to the city with offices in Kansas City,Missouri. KUKC is a licensed Univision network affiliate and the only Spanish-language television station in the area. KUKC-LP is the only local Univision affiliate...
- Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
(Sold to Silver Point Finance) - KUOK / KUTU-CAKUOKKUOK also known as "Univisión 36" or "Univisión Oklahoma" is a network of television stations airing programming from Spanish-language television network Univisión based in Oklahoma City...
- Oklahoma CityOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
/Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
(Sold to Tyler Media Group)- KUOK-CAKUOK-CAKUOK-CA was a low-power television station in Norman, Oklahoma. The station, which operated on channel 11, was owned by Equity Broadcasting.-History:...
- Norman, OklahomaNorman, OklahomaNorman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
(Buyer Never Found; license cancelled June 2010) - WJMF-LPWJMF-LPWJMF-LP is a low-power television station in Jackson, Mississippi. The station, which currently operates on Channel 53, is owned by Rainey Radio...
- Jackson, MississippiJackson, MississippiJackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
(rebroadcaster of KUOK) (Sold to Rainey Radio)
- KUOK-CA
- KUTHKUTHKUTH-DT is a full-service television station in Provo, Utah, and serves as the Univision station for the Salt Lake City, Utah market. It broadcasts in digital on UHF channel 32. The station is network-owned, but was operated by Equity Media Holdings, with all programming and master control...
- Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
(Owned by Univision CommunicationsUnivision CommunicationsUnivision Communications is an American Spanish language media company in the United States. Its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Prior to 2007, the headquarters were in Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA.- History :...
but operated by Equity; Univision now operates the station outright) - KUWF-LPKUWF-LPKUWF-LP is a television broadcaster in Wichita Falls, Texas, United States. It is a low-powered Univision affiliate. Founded on October 18, 2000 and owned by Drewry Communications Group, it broadcasts on UHF channel 36....
- Wichita Falls, TexasWichita Falls, TexasWichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
(Sold to Drewry Communications Group) - KXUN-LPKXUN-LPKXUN-LP is one of two Univision affiliates for the Fort Smith-Fayetteville, Arkansas television market. It is licensed in Fort Smith, owned by Pinnacle Media, and operates on UHF channel 43, and now on digital 34.2...
- Fort SmithFort Smith, ArkansasFort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
/Fayetteville, ArkansasFayetteville, ArkansasFayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
(Sold to Pinnacle Media) - WNYIWNYIWNYI is a television station in Ithaca, New York, serving the Elmira and Syracuse television markets. The station, now owned by Daystar Television Network, had formerly broadcast on analogue UHF channel 52 before going silent in 2009 as a result of the US digital TV transition.- History :The...
- Ithaca, New YorkIthaca, New YorkThe city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
(Sold to Daystar Television NetworkDaystar Television NetworkThe Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
) - WUDT-CAWUDT-CAWUDT-LD, in Detroit, Michigan, is a low-power affiliate of the Daystar Television Network. It operates as a digital station on channel 8 , owned and operated by Daystar.- History :...
- Detroit, MichiganDetroit, MichiganDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
(Sold to Daystar Television NetworkDaystar Television NetworkThe Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
) - WUMN-CAWUMN-CAWUMN-LP is a Univision affiliate in Minneapolis, Minnesota owned by Silver Point Finance of Greenwich, Connecticut and is the only Spanish-language television station in Minnesota.-History:...
- Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
(Sold to Silver Point Finance) - KWKO-LP - Waco, TexasWaco, TexasWaco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
(Sold to Drewry Communications Group) - WUVF-CA / WLZE-LP - NaplesNaples, FloridaNaples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
/Fort Myers, FloridaFort Myers, FloridaFort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
(Sold to Silver Point Finance)- WEVU-CA / WBSP-CA - Fort MyersFort Myers, FloridaFort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
/Naples, FloridaNaples, FloridaNaples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
(WEVU sold to Silver Point Finance; licenses for both stations cancelled by March 2011)
- WEVU-CA / WBSP-CA - Fort Myers
This TVThis TVThis TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
Stations1
- WNGS - Springville, New YorkSpringville, New YorkSpringville is a village in the southeast part of the town of Concord in Erie County, New York, United States. Springville is the principal community in the town and a major business location in south Erie County. The population was 4,252 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara...
(was operated by WKBW-TVWKBW-TVWKBW-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliate for the Buffalo, New York television market, and is one of many local Buffalo TV stations seen over-the-air and on cable in Canada. Its transmitter is located at 8909 Center Street in Colden. The station is owned by the Granite Broadcasting Corporation, who...
, an ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe 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...
affiliate owned by Granite Broadcasting) (Sold to Daystar Television NetworkDaystar Television NetworkThe Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
; then resold to ITV of Buffalo, now again re-airing This TV) - WBIF-TV - Marianna, FloridaMarianna, FloridaMarianna is a city in Jackson County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,230 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,200 . It is the county seat of Jackson County and is home to Chipola College...
(Sold to Daystar Television NetworkDaystar Television NetworkThe Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
) - KFDF-CAKFDF-CAKFDF-CA is a Class A low power television station in Fort Smith, Arkansas, broadcasting in analog on VHF channel 10 as an affiliate of This TV. The station is owned by Pinnacle Media, and has an analog translator in Fayetteville, KFFS-CA, on UHF channel 36...
- Fort Smith, ArkansasFort Smith, ArkansasFort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
(Sold to Pinnacle Media)
TeleFuturaTeleFuturaTeleFutura is a U.S. Spanish-language broadcast television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami, Florida.-Overview:TeleFutura Is America’s #2 Spanish-Language Network in prime time...
Stations
- KAMT-LPKAMT-LPKAMT-LP is a low-powered TeleFutura affiliate in Amarillo, Texas. Founded in 2005 and owned by Drewry Communications Group, it broadcasts on UHF channel 50....
- Amarillo, TexasAmarillo, TexasAmarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
(Sold to Drewry Communications Group) - WTMS-CAWTMS-CAWTMS-CA was a Telefutura affiliate in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The station was owned by Silver Point Capital of Greenwich, Connecticut and was one of two Spanish language television stations in Minnesota, alongside sister station Univision affiliate WUMN-LP 13...
- Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
(Sold to Silver Point Finance, then closed down) - KUTFKUTFKUTF is a Daystar Television Network owned-and-operated station in Logan, Utah that serves the Salt Lake City media market which broadcasts in digital on channel 12. Prior to June 2009, it was a Spanish-language television station owned by Equity Media Holdings and affiliated with TeleFutura...
- Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
(Sold to Daystar Television NetworkDaystar Television NetworkThe Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
) - WTLE-LPWTLE-LPWTLE-LP was a low-power television station in the Fort Myers-Naples, Florida television market. It was licensed in Fort Myers, owned by Silver Point Capital, and operates on UHF channel 18, with no digital signal. The station has, in the past, carried programming from the Pax network; it has also...
- Fort Myers, FloridaFort Myers, FloridaFort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
(Sold to Silver Point Finance)
MyNetworkTVMyNetworkTVMyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
Stations
- KPBI-TV - Eureka Springs, ArkansasEureka Springs, ArkansasEureka Springs is a city in Carroll County, Arkansas, United States. Along with Berryville, it is one of the two county seats for the county. It is located in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 2,350...
(Sold to Pinnacle Media; now an RTVRetro Television NetworkThe Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
affiliate)- KPBI-CAKPBI-CAKPBI-CA was a Class A low-power television station Fort Smith, Arkansas, broadcasting on channel 46. It is presently silent. The station is owned by Equity Media Holdings and, like many of Equity's stations, KPBI-CA was controlled remotely via satellite from Equity's headquarters in Little Rock,...
- Fort Smith, ArkansasFort Smith, ArkansasFort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
(Buyer not yet found)
- KPBI-CA
- KWBMKWBMKWBM is an affiliate of the Daystar Television Network in Springfield, Missouri. Its main transmitter, on channel 31, is licensed in Harrison, Arkansas and located northeast of Branson, Missouri...
- Harrison, ArkansasHarrison, ArkansasHarrison is a city in Boone County, Arkansas, United States. It is the county seat. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 13,108. Boone County was organized in 1869, during reconstruction after the civil war. Harrison was platted and made the county seat. It is...
- Springfield, MissouriSpringfield, MissouriSpringfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
(Sold to Daystar Television NetworkDaystar Television NetworkThe Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
) - WGMU - Burlington, VermontBurlington, VermontBurlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
(Sold to Convergence Media Group; now a satellite of RTVRetro Television NetworkThe Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
affiliate WNMN)
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...
Stations
- KBTZKBTZKBTZ was a full-service television station serving Butte, Montana as a Fox affiliate, broadcasting in analog on UHF channel 24, with no digital allocation. The station was owned by Equity Media Holdings of Little Rock, Arkansas...
- Butte, MontanaButte, MontanaButte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
(Sold to Max Media, then closed down after programming transferred to subchannel of KWYBKWYBKWYB is a full-service television station in Butte, Montana, broadcasting locally in digital on UHF channel 19 as an affiliate of ABC. The station's signal is rebroadcast on KWYB-LD UHF channel 28 in Bozeman...
) - KLMNKLMNKLMN was a television station in Great Falls, Montana, broadcasting locally on channel 26 as an affiliate of Fox. Founded on December 19, 2000, the station was owned by Equity Media Holdings.- History :...
- Great Falls, MontanaGreat Falls, MontanaGreat Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
(Sold to Max Media, then closed down after programming transferred to subchannel of KFBB) - KMMFKMMFKMMF was a full-service television station in Missoula, Montana, broadcasting locally in analog on UHF channel 17 as an affiliate of Fox. Founded April 25, 2000, the station was owned by Equity Broadcasting...
- Missoula, MontanaMissoula, MontanaMissoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
(Sold to Max Media, then closed down after programming transferred to subchannel of KTMFKTMFKTMF is a full-service television station in Missoula, Montana, broadcasting locally in digital on UHF channel 23 as an affiliate of ABC. Founded April 12, 1989, the station is owned by Max Media of Montana...
) - WMQF - Marquette, MichiganMarquette, MichiganMarquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
(Sold to MMMRC; Fox would later move to subchannel of WLUC-TVWLUC-TVWLUC-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Michigan's Central Upper Peninsula licensed to Marquette. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 35 from a transmitter on South Helen Lake Road southeast of Republic in rural Marquette County. The station can also be seen...
, with the now-WZMQ becoming a full-time This TV and MyNetworkTV affiliate)
Independent Stations1
- KCBUKCBUKCBU was a television station in Price, Utah, broadcast locally in analog on channel 3 under the ownership of Equity Media Holdings. Until January 4, 2009 KCBU was an affiliate of the Retro Television Network ....
- Salt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City, UtahSalt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
(Sold to Daystar Television NetworkDaystar Television NetworkThe Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
; License Cancelled July 2010) - KEGS - Goldfield, NevadaGoldfield, NevadaGoldfield is an unincorporated community and the county seat of Esmeralda County, Nevada, United States, with a resident population of 440 at the 2000 census. It is located about southeast of Carson City, along U.S...
(Buyer never found; license cancelled July 2010)- KEGS-LP - Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
(Sold to Mako Communications) - KRRI-LPKRRI-LPKRRI-TV is a low-power television station located in Reno, Nevada, broadcasting locally in analog on UHF channel 25. It is an affiliate of Azteca America network....
- Reno, NevadaReno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
(Sold to NGEN Solutions)
- KEGS-LP - Las Vegas, Nevada
- KKYK-DT - Little Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
(Sold to Bank of Little Rock) - KQDK-CAKQDK-CAKQDK-CA, channel 39, is a low-power television station in Aurora, Colorado, serving as a satellite of KQCK. Founded October 30, 1990, the station is currently owned by Fusion Communications...
- Denver, ColoradoDenver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
(Sold to Valley Bank, then to Fusion Communications) - KQUPKQUPKQUP is an Daystar Television Network affiliate licensed to Pullman, Washington, serving the Spokane, Washington area. KQUP is owned by the Daystar Television Network.-Station history:...
- Spokane, WashingtonSpokane, WashingtonSpokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
(Sold to Daystar Television NetworkDaystar Television NetworkThe Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
) - KTVC - RoseburgRoseburg, OregonRoseburg is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the county seat of Douglas County. The population was 21,181 at the 2010 census.-History:...
-Eugene, OregonEugene, OregonEugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
(Sold to Better Life TVKBLNKBLN digital channel 30 is an affiliate of the Three Angels Broadcasting Network based in Grants Pass, Oregon, serving the Medford, Oregon television market...
) - WBLU-LPWBLU-LPWBLU-LP was a low-power television station broadcasting on channel 62 in Lexington, Kentucky. The station was owned by Equity Media Holdings of Little Rock, Arkansas...
- Lexington, KentuckyLexington, KentuckyLexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
(Sold to Daystar Television NetworkDaystar Television NetworkThe Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
, then closed down) - WPXSWPXSWPXS is an owned and operated affiliate of the Daystar Television Network, broadcasting a digital signal on UHF channel 21, which redirects to former analog channel 13 via PSIP. WPXS is licensed to Mount Vernon, Illinois, which is located in the Paducah, Kentucky/Cape Girardeau,...
- Mt. Vernon, Illinois-St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
(Owned by a subsidiary of Daystar Television Network but operated by Equity; Daystar now operates the station outright and has reverted the station to RTV, before switching to Daystar)
Other Stations
- KDEV-LPKDEV-LPKDEV-LP is a low-power television station in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It is currently owned by Fusion Communications.-History:On October 4, 2004, the station's call sign changed from K40HP to KKTU-LP...
- Cheyenne, WyomingCheyenne, WyomingCheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
- An ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe 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...
affiliate (Sold to Fusion Communications; now a MyNetworkTV affiliate) - KELM-LPKELM-LPKELM-TV is a low-power television station located in Reno, Nevada, broadcasting locally in analog on UHF channel 43. It is an affiliate of Mexicanal network....
- Reno, NevadaReno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
(Sold to NGEN Solutions) - KMCCKMCCKMCC is a full-power television station in Laughlin, Nevada, broadcasting locally in digital on UHF channel 32 as a VasalloVision affiliate. The station is owned by Cranston II LLC .-History:...
- Laughlin, NevadaLaughlin, NevadaLaughlin is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States, and a port located on the Colorado River. Laughlin is south of Las Vegas, located in the far southern tip of Nevada. It is best known for its gaming, entertainment, and water recreation. As of the 2010 census, the...
- A Mega TVWSBS-TVWSBS-TV is a Spanish-language television station in Key West, Florida, broadcasting to the lower Florida Keys on VHF channel 3 as an Mega TV flagship station. The station also operates a repeater in Miami, WSBS-CD channel 50, and has been available nationally on DirecTV since October 17, 2007 and...
station (Owned by Cranston II but managed by Equity; operations have since been transferred to Fusion Communications)- KNBX-CA - Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
(Sold to Mako Communications)
- KNBX-CA - Las Vegas, Nevada
- KQCKKQCKKQCK, channel 33, is a television station licensed to Cheyenne, Wyoming. It is currently owned by Fusion Communications and is a VasalloVision affiliate, serving both the Aurora and Denver markets...
- Cheyenne, WyomingCheyenne, WyomingCheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
- An AMGTVAMGTVAMGTV is an American family-oriented television network, featuring programming including sitcoms, lifestyle programs, sports, films and more...
affiliate (Sold to Valley Bank, then to Fusion Communications) - KUSE-LPKUSE-LPKUSE-LD, channel 46, is a low power translator station in Seattle, Washington owned by Mako Communications and is currently broadcasting Tuff TV.-History:...
- Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
- Rebroadcasts DaystarDaystar Television NetworkThe Daystar Television Network is an American evangelical Christian television religious broadcasting network headquartered near Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Bedford, Texas...
programming, via KWDKKWDKKWDK is a Christian television station owned by the Daystar Television Network, broadcasting out of Tacoma, Washington, formerly broadcasting on channel 56...
(Sold to Mako Communications) - KWWF-TV - Waterloo, IowaWaterloo, IowaWaterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...
- An independent station (Sold to Valley Bank, then to Fusion Communications)
Expansion
Acquisition of two New York-area stations by Equity Media were pending in 2008 but were not completed:- WBQM-LPWBQM-LPWBQM-LP is a low-power television station licensed to Brooklyn, New York as an affiliate of Cornerstone Television. It is owned by Renard Communications Corp., and broadcasts on VHF channel 3, with a construction permit for digital operations on UHF channel 50....
- Brooklyn, New York - A Cornerstone TelevisionCornerstone TelevisionThe Cornerstone TeleVision Network is a non-commercial Christian broadcast and satellite television network based in Wall, Pennsylvania, United States. Its founder and CEO is Russ Bixler...
station - WMBQ-CAWMBQ-CAWMBQ-CA is a Class A low-power television station located in New York City. It is owned by Renard Communications Corp., and broadcasts on UHF channel 46...
- Cranford, New JerseyCranford, New JerseyCranford is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 22,625.Cranford was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 14, 1871, from portions of the Townships of Clark, Linden,...
- An MTV2MTV2MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
station
The following construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
s had been issued to Equity before its 2008 bankruptcy filing; the status of any station construction or acquisition plans is uncertain given the current financial situation
- Reno, NevadaReno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
(another station) - West Palm Beach, FloridaWest Palm Beach, FloridaWest Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
Other Properties
- Arkansas RiverBladesArkansas RiverBladesThe Arkansas RiverBlades was a short-lived minor-league ice hockey team located in North Little Rock, Arkansas.The Arkansas RiverBlades was an expansion franchise that entered the East Coast Hockey League for the 1998–99 season...
(a defunct ECHLECHLThe ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
hockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
franchise in Little Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock, ArkansasLittle Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
; Equity owned 51% interest in team; folded in 2003) - Arkansas Twisters (an af2Af2AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
arena footballArena footballArena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
franchise in Little Rock; since moved to Allen, TexasAllen, TexasAllen is a city in Collin County, Texas, United States, a northern suburb of Dallas. As of the 2010 census the city had a total population of 84,246.-Geography:According to the City of Allen, the city has a total area of...
and renamed the Allen Wranglers, as part of the Indoor Football LeagueIndoor Football LeagueThe Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
)
Liabilities
, key liabilities appear to be:- $41.5 million to private equity firm Silver Point Finance LLC of Greenwich, ConnecticutGreenwich, ConnecticutGreenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
. - $1.3 million to CBS CorporationCBS CorporationCBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's...
for RTN programming run during the time Equity owned Retro Television NetworkRetro Television NetworkThe Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
. - $583,931.25 to IntelsatIntelsatIntelsat, Ltd. is a communications satellite services provider.Originally formed as International Telecommunications Satellite Organization , it was—from 1964 to 2001—an intergovernmental consortium owning and managing a constellation of communications satellites providing international broadcast...
. - Undetermined additional liabilities to 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...
(as a programming supplier) and UnivisiónUnivisionUnivision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
.