Capital Cities Communications
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:''Capital Cities redirects here. For the article about the seat of a government, see [[Capital]].''
'''Capital Cities Communications''' (sometimes referred to as '''"CapCities"''') was an [[United States of America|American]] media company best known for its surprise purchase of the much larger [[American Broadcasting Company]] in 1985.
==History==
Capital Cities' origins are traced to 1947, when the '''Hudson Valley Broadcasting Company''' received a license for [[WROW|WROW radio]] in [[Albany, New York]]. In [[1953#October|October 1953]] it opened the Albany-[[Schenectady, New York|Schenectady]]-[[Troy, New York|Troy]] area's second television station, WROW-TV on channel 41. In 1955, a group of [[New York City]]-based investors, lead by legendary broadcaster [[Lowell Thomas]], bought control of Hudson Valley Broadcasting.
In 1957, WROW-TV moved from channel 41 to channel 10 and became WCDA. That same year, Hudson Valley Broadcasting merged with '''Durham Broadcasting Enterprises''', the owners of [[WTVD|WTVD television]] in [[Durham, North Carolina]]. The new company took the name '''Capital Cities Television Corporation''', as both WCDA (now [[WTEN]]) and WTVD served the capital regions of their respective states. Capital Cities then began purchasing stations, starting with [[WPRO (AM)|WPRO-AM]]-[[WPRO-FM|FM]]-TV in [[Providence, Rhode Island]] (another capital city) in 1959. The company's name changed to '''Capital Cities Broadcasting''' in 1960.
===Expansion===
During the 1960s, Capital Cities' holdings grew with the separate 1961 purchases of [[WPAT (AM)|WPAT-AM]]-[[WPAT-FM|FM]] in [[Paterson, New Jersey]], and WKBW-AM-[[WKBW-TV|TV]] in [[Buffalo, New York]]; and of the Goodwill Stations, which included [[WJR|WJR-AM]]-[[WDVD|FM]] in [[Detroit]], [[WJRT-TV]] in [[Flint, Michigan]], and WSAZ-AM-[[WSAZ-TV|TV]] in [[Huntington, West Virginia]], in 1964. CapCities entered the [[Los Angeles]] market in 1966 with its purchase of [[KPOL (AM)|KPOL]] and KPOL-FM (later [[KZLA-FM]] and now [[KMVN-FM]]).<ref>"Capital Cities Corp. agrees to purchase station KPOL." ''[[The New York Times]], Mar. 5, 1966, pg. 51.</ref>
As a result of the Goodwill Stations purchase, and to adhere to [[Federal Communications Commission]] rules limiting ownership of [[VHF]] television stations to five per company, Capital Cities spun-off WJRT-TV to Poole Broadcasting, a company owned by former CapCities shareholder John B. Poole. Poole Broadcasting would later purchase two other television stations from CapCities: the second was WPRO-TV (now [[WPRI-TV]]) in 1967, coinciding with CapCities' purchase of [[KTRK-TV]] in [[Houston]] from the ''[[Houston Chronicle]]'' in June of that year. In 1968, Capital Cities enter the publishing business by acquiring [[Fairchild Publications]], publisher of several magazines including ''[[Womens Wear Daily]]''. The company closed out the decade in 1969 with the sale of WTEN to Poole Broadcasting.
In 1970, Capital Cities sold WSAZ radio in Huntington was divested to Stoner Broadcasting (it is now [[WRVC (AM)|WRVC]]). The following year, the company made another big purchase, acquiring WFIL-AM-FM-TV in [[Philadelphia]], WNHC-AM-FM-TV in [[New Haven, Connecticut]], and KFRE-AM-FM-TV in [[Fresno, California]] from Triangle Publications. Capital Cities would immediately sell the radio stations to new owners, and changed the television stations' calls to [[WPVI-TV]], [[WTNH-TV]], and [[KFSN-TV]] respectively. The company also adopted the ''[[Action News]]'' format, previously started by Triangle, and still seen today at WPVI and KFSN. The acquisition of WPVI and WTNH gave them six VHF stations, one station over the FCC limit, and WSAZ-TV was spun-off by CapCities to [[Lee Enterprises]] not long after the Triangle purchase was finalized. To reflect the diversity of their holdings, the company changed its name to '''Capital Cities Communications''' in 1973. {{Fact|date=June 2008}}
In 1974, Capital Cities bought [[WBAP]] and [[KSCS|KSCS-FM]] in [[Fort Worth, Texas]], along with its purchase of the ''[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]]''. The [[Kansas City Star|''Kansas City'' (Missouri) ''Star]]'' was acquired in 1977. WBIE-FM (now [[WKHX-FM]]) in [[Marietta, Georgia]], was bought in 1981, and in 1984 the company made its last purchase with independent television station [[WFTS]] in [[Tampa, Florida]].
=== Purchase of ABC ===
Capital Cities' announced $3.5 billion purchase of ABC on [[March 18]], [[1985]], stunned the media industry, as ABC was some four times bigger than Capital Cities was at the time. [[Berkshire Hathaway]] chairman [[Warren Buffet]] helped financed the deal in return for a 25 percent stake in the combined company.<ref>Kleinfield, N.R. "ABC is being sold for $3.5 billion; 1st network sale." ''The New York Times'', March 19, 1985.</ref>
The newly merged company, known as '''Capital Cities/ABC''' (or CapCities/ABC), was forced to sell off some stations due to FCC ownership rules. Between them, ABC and CapCities owned more television stations than FCC rules allowed at the time. Also, the two companies owned several radio stations in the same markets. <ref>"FCC approval of Capcities/ABC deal likely." ''[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]]'', March 25, 1985.</ref>
Of the former Capital Cities television stations, the new company opted to keep the ones in Philadelphia, Houston, Durham, and Fresno. WFTS and ABC's [[O&O|owned-and-operated]] station in Detroit, [[WXYZ-TV]], were divested as a pair to the [[E.W. Scripps Company]]. WTNH and WKBW-TV were sold separately to minority-owned companies. The new company had originally planned to keep WPVI, but FCC rules could have forced a sale of that station because its signal overlapped with that of ABC's [[WABC-TV|New York City flagship station]]. At the time, the FCC normally did not allow companies to own two television stations with common coverage areas (known commonly as the "[[Concentration of media ownership|one-to-a-market]]" rule). Citing [[CBS]]' then ownership of television stations in [[WCBS-TV|New York]] and [[WCAU-TV|Philadelphia]] under grandfathered status, Capital Cities/ABC requested, and received, a permanent waiver from the FCC allowing them to keep WPVI. If the request were disallowed, WXYZ would have been retained. <ref>Stevenson, Richard W. "ABC, Capital Cities to sell stations." ''The New York Times'', May 14, 1985.</ref><ref>"Approval sought for ABC merger." [[Associated Press]], July 2, 1985.</ref><ref>Fabrikant, Geraldine. "TV station winners reported." ''The New York Times'', July 26, 1985.</ref>
WPVI and KTRK had long been ABC affiliates (in fact, two of ABC's strongest affiliates), while WTVD and KFSN, longtime CBS affiliates, respectively switched to ABC in August and September 1985.
On the radio side, new owners were found for CapCities' WPAT stations ([[Roy H. Park]] Communications was the buyer), WKBW (Price Communications, the new owner, changed its call letters to [[WWKB]]) and KPOL and KZLA-FM, and ABC's [[WRIF|WRIF-FM]] in Detroit, among others.
The purchase was completed on [[January 3]], [[1986]]. The new company retained ABC's radio and television combinations in [[WABC|New York City]], [[KABC|Los Angeles]], [[WLS|Chicago]], and [[KGO|San Francisco]], along with [[WMAL]] and [[WRQX|WRQX-FM]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]; CapCities' aforementioned television outlets and the Detroit, Providence, Marietta, and Fort Worth radio stations, the ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' and the ''Kansas City Star''; and other broadcasting and publishing properties.
The [[Walt Disney Company]] bought Capital Cities/ABC in [[1996#February|February 1996]], and changed the corporate name back to ABC.
==Former Capital Cities-owned stations==
===Television stations===
{| class="toccolours" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse"
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"| '''[[Media market|DMA#]]'''
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"| '''[[City of license]]/Market'''
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"| '''Station'''
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"| '''Channel'''<br>'''''[[Analog television|TV]] / [[Digital terrestrial television|DT]]'''''
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"| '''Years owned'''
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"| '''Current affiliation and ownership'''
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 4.
| [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]]
| '''[[WPVI-TV]]'''
| '''6 / 64'''
| 1971-1985
| '''[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]''' owned-and-operated ([[Owned and operated station|O&O]])
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 10.
| [[Houston, Texas|Houston]]
| '''[[KTRK-TV]]'''
| '''13 / 32'''
| 1967-1985
| '''ABC''' owned-and-operated (O&O)
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 13.
| [[Tampa, Florida|Tampa]] - [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]]
| '''[[WFTS]]'''
| '''28 / 29'''
| 1984-1985
| '''ABC''' affiliate owned by [[E. W. Scripps Company]]
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 28.
| [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]] - [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] - [[Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville]]
| '''[[WTVD]]'''
| '''11 / 52'''
| 1957-1985
| '''ABC''' owned-and-operated (O&O)
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 29.
| [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]] - [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford, CT]]
| '''[[WTNH-TV]]'''
| '''8 / 10'''
| 1971-1985
| '''ABC''' affiliate owned by [[LIN TV|LIN Television]]
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 50.
| [[Buffalo, New York]]
| '''[[WKBW-TV]]'''
| '''7 / 38'''
| 1961-1985
| '''ABC''' affiliate owned by [[Granite Broadcasting Corporation|Granite Broadcasting]]
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 52.
| [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence, R.I.]] - [[New Bedford, Massachusetts|New Bedford, MA]]
| '''WPRO-TV'''<br>(now [[WPRI-TV]])
| '''12 / 13'''
| 1959-1967
| '''[[CBS]]''' affiliate owned by LIN Television
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 55.
| [[Fresno, California]]
| '''[[KFSN-TV]]'''
| '''30 / 9'''
| 1971-1985
| '''ABC''' owned-and-operated (O&O)
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 56.
| [[Albany, New York|Albany]] - [[Schenectady, New York|Schenectady]] - [[Troy, New York|Troy, N.Y.]]
| '''[[WTEN|WROW-TV/WCDA/WTEN]]'''
| '''10 / 26'''
| 1954-1969
| '''ABC''' affiliate owned by [[Young Broadcasting]]
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 65.
| [[Huntington, West Virginia|Huntington]] - [[Charleston, West Virginia|Charleston, W.V.]]
| '''[[WSAZ-TV]]'''
| '''3 / 23'''
| 1964-1971
| '''[[NBC]]''' affiliate owned by [[Gray Television]]
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 66.
| [[Flint, Michigan|Flint]] - [[Saginaw, Michigan|Saginaw]] - [[Bay City, Michigan|Bay City, MI]]
| '''[[WJRT-TV]]'''
| '''12 / 36'''
| 1964
| '''ABC''' owned-and-operated (O&O)
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
|}
===Radio stations===
(a partial listing)
{|
| style="border: 1px solid #a3b0bf; padding: 1em; margin: auto" bgcolor="#cedff2" | '''AM Stations'''
| style="border: 1px solid #afa3bf; padding: 1em; margin: auto" bgcolor="#ddcef2" | '''FM Stations'''
|}
{| class="toccolours" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse"
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"| '''[[List of United States radio markets|DMA]]#'''
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"| '''Market'''
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"| '''Station'''
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"| '''Years owned'''
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"| '''Current Ownership'''
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| rowspan="2" | 1.
| rowspan="2" | [[New York City]]<br>([[Paterson, New Jersey]])
!style="background: #ddcef2;"| '''[[WPAT-FM]]-93.1'''
| 1961-1985
| owned by [[Spanish Broadcasting System]]
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
!style="background: #cedff2"| '''[[WPAT (AM)|WPAT]]-930'''
| 1961-1985
| owned by [[Multicultural Broadcasting]]
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| rowspan="2" | 2.
| rowspan="2" | [[Los Angeles]]
!style="background: #ddcef2;"| '''KPOL-FM/KZLA-93.9'''<br>(now [[KMVN]])
| 1966-1985
| owned by [[Emmis Broadcasting]]
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
!style="background: #cedff2;"| '''KPOL-1540'''<br>(now [[KMPC]])
| 1966-1985
| owned by [[P&Y Broadcasting Licensee, L.L.C.]]
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| rowspan="2" | 5.
| rowspan="2" | [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]] - [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]]
!style="background: #ddcef2;"| '''[[KSCS]]-96.3'''
| 1974-1985
| owned by [[Citadel Broadcasting]]
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
!style="background: #cedff2;"| '''[[WBAP]]-820'''
| 1974-1985
| owned by Citadel Broadcasting
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 8.
| [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]]<br>([[Marietta, Georgia]])
!style="background: #ddcef2;"| '''[[WKHX-FM]]-101.5'''
| 1982-1985
| owned by Citadel Broadcasting
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| rowspan="2" | 11.
| rowspan="2" | [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]]
!style="background: #ddcef2;"| '''WJR-FM/WHYT-96.1'''<br>(now [[WDVD]])
| 1964-1985
| owned by Citadel Broadcasting
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
!style="background: #cedff2;"| '''[[WJR]]-760'''
| 1964-1985
| owned by Citadel Broadcasting
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| rowspan="2" | 39.
| rowspan="2" | [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]] - [[Warwick, Rhode Island|Warwick, R.I.]]
!style="background: #ddcef2;"| '''[[WPRO-FM]]-92.3'''
| 1959-1985
| owned by Citadel Broadcasting
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
!style="background: #cedff2;"| '''[[WPRO (AM)|WPRO]]-630'''
| 1959-1985
| owned by Citadel Broadcasting
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 52.
| [[Buffalo, New York]]
!style="background: #cedff2;"| '''WKBW-1520'''<br>(now [[WWKB]])
| 1961-1985
| owned by [[Entercom Communications]]
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
| 158.
| [[Huntington, West Virginia|Huntington, W.V.]] - [[Ashland, Kentucky|Ashland, KY]]
!style="background: #cedff2;"| '''WSAZ-930'''<br>(now [[WRVC (AM)|WRVC]])
| 1964-1970
| owned by [[Kindred Communications]]
|- style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"
|}
==References==
<small><references /></small>
[[Category:Companies established in 1947]]
[[Category:Broadcasting companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct broadcasting companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Company subsidiaries]]
[[Category:ABC television network]]
[[Category:1986 disestablishments]]
[[fr:Capital Cities Communications]]