Standard Media
| File:STANDARD-MEDIA-GROUP-LOGO.png | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Fate | Acquisition by Rincon Broadcasting Group pending |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee |
Area served | United States (Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast) |
Key people |
|
| Products | |
| Website | www.standardmedia.com |
Standard Media Group is an American broadcast and digital media company based in Nashville, Tennessee. Standard Media was founded in 2018 by Deborah A. McDermott, who serves as the company's CEO. Previously, McDermott was the chief operating officer of Media General and CEO-president of Young Broadcasting.
History
Between 2012 and 2017, McDermott and her team led the acquisition of more than 90 television stations and helped grow Young/Media General from a $220 million regional TV group to a nearly $5 billion media company.[1] In 2017, Media General was acquired by Nexstar Broadcasting Group for $4.6 billion.[2]
On May 16, 2019, Standard Media announced plans to purchase two ABC-affiliated television stations from Citadel Communications for $83 million.[3] The stations, WLNE-TV in Providence, Rhode Island and KLKN in Lincoln, Nebraska, have been operated by Citadel since 2011 and 1996 respectively.[4][5] The company announced the acquisition of Waypoint Media and its affiliated companies in November 2019.[6] The Waypoint deal collapsed in January 2021.[7]
In November 2020, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced that they would sell Fox affiliate KBSI and MyNetworkTV affiliate WDKA in Paducah, Kentucky, to Community News Media (a subsidiary of Standard Media) for $28 million, in a transaction that closed in 2021.[8]
On February 22, 2022, a partnership of Standard General and Apollo Global Management announced their intent to acquire Tegna; Apollo will hold non-voting shares in the company. As part of the sale, Standard General will sell Standard Media to Cox Media Group, which will also acquire Tegna's stations in Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin (including WFAA, KHOU, and KVUE). WFXT in Boston will then be divested to Standard General.[9][10][11] The sale was approved by Standard General and Apollo Global Management on May 17, 2022.[12][13] In February 2023, it was confirmed that the deal would be given a hearing before an administrative law judge, which the FCC Commissioner's Board voted to remand the merger review.[14] The deal was terminated on May 22, 2023.[15][16]
On June 3, 2024, Standard Media and the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox announced the new regional sports network Chicago Sports Network, which is expected to launch in time for the Blackhawks' and Bulls' 2024–25 season.[17] It was later confirmed that the network would launch October 1.[18]
On September 22, 2025, it was announced that Rincon Broadcasting Group would buy all four stations for $50 million, pending FCC approval.[19]
Stations
| Media market | State | Station | Channel | Acquired | Network affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paducah | Kentucky | KBSI | 23 | 2021 | Fox |
| WDKA | 49 | 2021 | MyNetworkTV | ||
| Lincoln | Nebraska | KLKN | 8 | 2019 | ABC |
| Providence | Rhode Island | WLNE-TV | 6 | 2019[a] | Roar |
Chicago Sports Network
{{#section-h:Chicago Sports Network|Over-the-air}}
Notes
- ^ Operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group.
References
- ^ Staff Writer (May 16, 2019). "Nashville company to acquire two TV stations". NashvillePost.com. Nashville Post. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ Lieberman, David (January 17, 2017). "Nexstar Completes $4.6B Acquisition Of Media General". Dateline.com. Dateline Hollywood. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
- ^ Jessell, Harry (May 16, 2019). "McDermott In The Station Game With WLNE, KLKN". TVNewscheck.com. NewsCheck Media. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ "Citadel Communications Named New Owner of ABC6 News". abc6.com. WLNE-TV. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
- ^ "Memorandum Opinion and Order". FCC Record. 1. FCC: 786–1040. December 1986. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
- ^ Lafayette, Jon (November 25, 2019). "Standard Media Group Buys Waypoint, Vision Stations". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ^ Notice of Non-Consummation, January 4, 2021
- ^ Jacobson, Adam (January 20, 2021). "FCC OK's Sinclair Duo's Spin To Soo Kim". Radio & Television Business Report. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ Szalai, Alex Weprin,Georg; Weprin, Alex; Szalai, Georg (February 22, 2022). "Local TV Giant TEGNA Sold to Private Equity Firms in Mega-Deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "WFAA and Houston, Austin TV stations expected to go to Cox Media in Tegna's $5.4 billion sale". Dallas News. February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ "Radio Implications To Today's Standard General Acquisition of TEGNA". RadioInsight. February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ Goldsmith, Jill (May 17, 2022). "Tegna Shareholders Approve Sale Of Broadcaster To Standard General, Apollo Global". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ "FCC Wants More Info Before It Decides Fate Of Tegna-Cox-Standard Deal". Inside Radio. June 6, 2022. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
- ^ Johnson, Ted (February 27, 2023). "Standard General Blasts FCC Decision On Tegna Merger, Calls For Full Commission Vote". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ "Standard General's Tegna Takeover Doomed After Money Dries Up". Bloomberg.com. May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ Lafayette, Jon (April 16, 2023). "Standard General Files Brief Asking Court To Force FCC To Rule on Tegna Deal". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ Libit, Daniel (June 3, 2024). "Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks to Launch Chicago Sports Network". Sportico.com. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
- ^ "Get out your old antenna, sports fans. Chicago Sports Network to launch Oct. 1 on DirecTV and free TV". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Ellis, John (September 22, 2025). "Lincoln ABC Affiliate Sold as Rincon Buys Standard Media Stations". Northpine. Archived from the original on September 23, 2025. Retrieved September 23, 2025.