Knorr Broadcasting Corp. Sale Of Dearborn WKNR 1310 Ends 22 Year Ownership Era in Motor City
Two station sales were reported last week for an aggregate of almost $7.5 million. Sold were WKNR Dearborn, Mich. (Detroit), by Knorr Broadcasting Corp. to Mission Broadcasting Co. for a price in the neighborhood of $6 million and KTHI-TV Fargo, N.D., by Fuqua Communications to the Morgan Murphy station group for $1.4 million.
Also last week the FCC approved, by a 4 to 1 vote, the transfer of WASH (FM) in Washington from Everett L. Dillard to Metromedia Inc. and the sale of Metromedia’s WCBM-FM Baltimore to the A.S. Abell Co.
Included in the WKNR package is the purchase of WKHM-TV which holds a construction permit for channel 18 in Jackson, Mich., and an option to buy WKNR-FM Dearborn, at a later date.
WKNR, founded in 1946, is principally owned by Mrs. Fred Knorr of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., who also has controlling interest in Jackson Broadcasting Corp. (WKHM-AM-FM) Jackson. Other principals of the selling corporation include Walter Patterson, executive vice president, Charles J. Sitta, vice president, Robert M. Booth Jr., assistant secretary, and (renown veteran Detroit sportscaster) Van Patrick. Mr. Booth owns 33% of WSAL-AM FM in Logansport, Ind., and Mr. Patrick is a 50% owner of WSRF-AM-FM in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
WKHM-TV is owned by Jackson Broadcasting Corp. (51%) and Southern Michigan Broadcasting Corp. and Knorr Broadcasting Corp. (each 17%). Southern Michigan Broadcasting Corp. is the licensee of WKFR-AM-FM (also known as ‘Keener’ 14) Battle Creek, Mich.
Mission Broadcasting Co., controlled by Jack Roth and family, already owns KONG and KRRY-FM, both San Antonio, Tex., WRIZ Coral Gables, Fla., and is an applicant for an FM in Miami. The sale of Mission’s only television station, KSAT-TV (formerly KONO-TV) San Antonio to The Outlet Co. for $10.5 million was approved by the FCC last November (see BROADCASTING, Nov. 27, 1967).
WKNR is a daytimer on 1310 kc with 5kw. WKNR-FM, which Mission has an option to buy, is on 100.3 mc with7.1 kw. WKHM-TV is authorized to telecast with 1,084 kw visual from an antenna that is 1,050 feet above terrain.
KTHI-TV (ch.11), founded in 1959, is principally owned by J.B. Fuqua, president of Fuqua Communications Inc., a subsidiary of Fuqua Industries Inc. Other Fuqua holdings are WROZ and WTVW (TV), both Evansville, Ind., KXOA Sacramento, Calif., and WTAC Flint, Mich. Mr. Fuqua personally own 100% of WJBF (TV) Augusta, Ga.
The Morgan Murphy stations are controlled by Mr. Murphy, who also has interests in the Superior Evening Telegram, Manitowoc Herald Times, Two Rivers Reporter, Ashland Press, all Wisconsin, and the Virginia (Minn.) Mesabi News. The Murphy stations are WISC-TV Madison, Wis., KXYL-AM-FM-TV Spokane and KAPP (TV) Yakima, both Washington.
KTHI-TV has 304 kw visual and operates from an antenna 2,063 feet above ground. Both WKNR and KTHI-TV sales were handled by William T. Stubblefield, mediabroker.
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Note: The original article was edited and condensed by the author.
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Information, credit and news source: Broadcasting; June 24, 1968
