Heartland Media

Heartland Media, LLC is an American media company that owns television stations in smaller markets in the United States. The company is based in Atlanta, Georgia. It operates the television broadcasting companies, USA Television MidAmerica Holdings, LLC[1] and USA Television MidAmerica Holdings, LLC (together USA TV) as a joint venture alongside MSouth Equity Partners. The company is run by Bob Prather, a former CEO of Gray Television, whose philosophy of station acquisitions, acquired during his time at Gray, is centered on "acquiring No. 1-rated stations, Big Four affiliates with strong local news operations targeting university towns and state capitols that are deeply ingrained in the fabric of their communities".[2]

Heartland Media LLC
Broadcast television ownership corporation
Foundedc. 2012
FounderRobert S. Prather, Jr.
Key people
Robert S. Prather, Jr. (Managing member)
SubsidiariesUSA Television Holdings LLC
USA Television MidAmerica Holdings LLC
Websitewww.heartlandtv.com

History

Heartland Media made its first acquisition in September 2013, when it acquired NBC affiliate WKTV in Utica, New York from Smith Media, which was the company's remaining television property.[3] This was followed by the 2014 acquisition of Oregon-based Chambers Communications and its stations, KEZI in Eugene and KDRV in Medford, as well as the latter's satellite station in Klamath Falls, KDKF.[4] Later that year, Heartland and MSouth Equity Partners also acquired NBC affiliate WTVA in Tupelo, Mississippi from the Spain family, along with WTVA's shared services agreement with West Point-based Fox affiliate WLOV-TV (owned by Coastal Television).[5]

In 2015, US Television Holdings would acquire CBS affiliate KHSL-TV in Chico, California from GOCOM Media, LLC, in a deal that also concurrently saw the station's LMA partner, NBC affiliate KNVN, sold by K4 Media Holdings to Maxair Media, LLC, with KHSL selling up to 15 percent of KNVN's advertising time.[1]

On August 26, 2016, Hartland agreed to acquire ABC affiliate WAAY-TV in Huntsville, Alabama from Calkins Media, as that company sold the rest of its television stations to Raycom Media, who already owned WAFF in the market. The sale closed on May 1, 2017.[6]

On June 13, 2016, USA Television MidAmerica Holdings, a Heartland Media and MSouth Equity Partners, announced its acquisition of five small-market stations owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group and Media General for $115 million. The stations were sold to allow Nexstar to comply with FCC ownership rules as part of its acquisition of Media General, particularly in regards to national market coverage and rules forbidding duopolies in these markets, which are among the smallest in the United States.[2] The deal was consummated upon the approval of Nexstar's merger with Media General on January 17.[7]

On October 1, 2019, Allen Media Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Entertainment Studios, announced that it would acquire 11 of USA TV's stations for $290 million. Heartland management would continue to manage the stations.[8][9][10] The sale was approved by the FCC on November 22, 2019.[11]

Television stations

Stations are arranged in alphabetical order by state and city of license.

Note:

  • (##) - Indicates stations that were previously owned by Chambers Communications, prior to its acquisition by Heartland in 2016.
  • (§§) - Indicates stations that were acquired by Heartland as divestitures from Nexstar's acquisition of Media General in 2017.

Current
City of license / Market Station Channel
TV (RF)		 Owned since Network affiliation
Saint Joseph, Missouri KQTV §§ 2 (7) 2017 ABC
Utica – Rome, New York WKTV 2 (29) 2014
  • NBC
  • CBS (DT2)
  • The CW (DT3)

Former
City of license / Market Station Channel
TV (RF)		 Years owned Current ownership status
Huntsville, Alabama WAAY-TV 31 (32) 2017–2020 ABC affiliate owned by Allen Media Broadcasting
Chico - Redding, California KHSL-TV 12 (36) 2015–2020 CBS affiliate owned by Allen Media Broadcasting
KNVN 24 (24) 1 NBC affiliate owned by Maxair Media, LLC
(Operated through an SSA by Allen Media Broadcasting)
Fort Wayne, Indiana WFFT-TV §§ 55 (36) 2017–2020 Fox affiliate owned by Allen Media Broadcasting
West Lafayette, Indiana WLFI-TV §§ 18 (11) 2017–2020 CBS affiliate owned by Allen Media Broadcasting
Terre Haute, Indiana WTHI-TV §§ 10 (10) 2017–2020 CBS affiliate owned by Allen Media Broadcasting
Mason City, Iowa - Rochester, Minnesota KIMT §§ 3 (42) 2017–2020 CBS affiliate owned by Allen Media Broadcasting
Eugene, Oregon KEZI ## 9 (9) 2014–2020 ABC affiliate owned by Allen Media Broadcasting
Medford - Klamath Falls, Oregon KDRV ## 12 (12) 2014–2020 ABC affiliate owned by Allen Media Broadcasting
KDKF ##
(Satellite of KDRV)		 31 (29) 2014–2020 ABC affiliate owned by Allen Media Broadcasting
Tupelo - Columbus, Mississippi WTVA 9 (8) 2015–2020 NBC affiliate owned by Allen Media Broadcasting
WLOV-TV 27 (16) 2 Fox affiliate owned by Coastal Television Broadcasting Company, LLC
(Operated through an SSA by Allen Media Broadcasting)

Other Notes:

  • 1 Owned by Maxair Media, LLC. Heartland operates the station under a shared services agreement (SSA).
  • 2 Owned by Coastal Television Broadcasting Company LLC. Heartland operates the station under a shared services agreement.

References
  1. "New Owners For KHSL, KNVN Chico-Redding". TVNewsCheck.com. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  2. "Prather Buys 5 TVs From Nexstar-Media Gen". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  3. "WKTV in place to be sold to Atlanta-based media company". Utica Observer-Dispatch. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  4. "Prather Buying Three Oregon TVs for $30M". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  5. "Heartland/Prather Acquire WTVA Tupelo for $18.7 Million". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 2016-09-12.
  6. "Raycom Closes On WWSB And WTXL". TVNewsCheck.com. May 1, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  7. Nexstar Broadcasting Group Completes Acquisition of Media General Creating Nexstar Media Group, The Nation’s Second Largest Television Broadcaster Nexstar Media Group, 17 January 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  8. "Byron Allen Buying 11 Stations For $290M". TV News Check. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
  9. Hayes, Dade (2019-10-01). "Byron Allen Strikes $290M Deal To Buy 11 Local Stations From USA Television". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
  10. Littleton, Cynthia (2019-10-01). "Byron Allen Buys 11 TV Stations for $290 Million". Variety. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
  11. "Notice of Consent to Transfer of Control", CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, 22 November 2019, Retrieved 27 November 2019.
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