NBC Owned Television Stations

NBC's owned and operated television stations group was formed by National Broadcasting Company (NBCUniversal's name at the time) as "NBC Television Stations Division (TVSD)".

In 1997, NBC and LIN Television Corporation formed Station Venture Holdings with LIN's KXAS and NBC's KNSD.[5]

In 2006, NBC sold four stations from its smallest markets. In November 2007, TVSD changed its name to NBC Local Media. In March 2008, Local Media decided to focus on growing websites and the top ten market stations placing WTVJ in Miami and WVIT in Hartford up for sale.[6]

LXTV was acquired in January 2008 by Local Media[7] followed in March by the purchase of Skycastle Entertainment, Local Media's former outside sales and marketing firm.[8] After NBC Weather Plus was shut down in late 2008, WNBC launched a replacement programming of local information, news and livestyle as NBC New York Nonstop in March 2009 using LXTV programs.[9] In January 2009, Local Media and Fox Television Stations set up a local news sharing service starting with their Philadelphia stations after testing since the summer of 2008. Footage will be made available to other local media.[10] On July 29, 2009, NBC Local Integrated Media replaced the standard station extension websites with city centric websites using nbccity.com web addresses.[11]

In February 2010, the NBC stations launched a new website, theFeast.com, a restaurant news, blog and aggregate critic feature.[12] Additional vertical websites were also launched including The Goods and The 20. Stations are encouraged by Local Media to develop their own specialized websites. The 20 is for the top special interest articles and the Goods is a group buying website launched in May.[13]

In late 2010 and early 2011, eight more NBC O&O stations adopted the Nonstop digital subchannel format including the three California as one network. Each stations' Nonstop subchannel has eight hours of local programming along with core programming from affiliated production company's, LXTV: Talk Stoop, First Look and Open House.[14]

In Summer 2011, the company started to sell national advertising on behalf of affiliated cable channel, New England Cable News (NECN).[15] In June, Local Media's new president. Valari Staab. renamed the company to NBC Owned Television Stations (NBCOTS).[1]

On November 3, 2011, NBCOTS announced that its seven local Nonstop subchannels would become a single national network, Nonstop Network. The Network will also add its stations that currently do not have a Nonstop subchannel and beyond to other markets.[16] A NBC executive indicated that the independent formatted Nonstop channels were doing well but needed separate 24/7 programming. The Network will have daytime retro reruns and evening lifestyle shows. Local stations will be able to pre-empt the national programming. By July 2012, NBC was also considering renaming the Network to "Bob TV" or some other name.[17]

With Comcast purchasing controlling interest from GE of NBCUniversal in 2011, NBC stations were required by the Federal Communications Commission to develop partnership agreements with nonprofit news organizations.[13] TheFeast website was transferred to NBCU affiliate DailyCandy.com in November.[18] In December, four NBC stations indicated their non-profit news partners with the partnership modeled after KNSD and Voice of San Diego's preexisting one.[19]

With the success of the NECN advertising partnership in April 2012, the division and the Comcast Sports Group extended the partnership nationwide with four additional markets where there are both a Comcast SportsNet channel and a NBC-owned station (New England, Mid-Atlantic, Northwest, and Philadelphia).[15] On October 24, 2012, NBCOTS announced it will relaunch the NBC Nonstop network as Cozi TV, which will feature classic TV shows, movies and, original programming.[20]

In February 2013, LIN Media pulled out of its Station Venture Operations joint venture with NBCUniversal as part of a corporate reorganization, giving NBC 100% ownership of the venture's two stations, KNSD and KXAS-TV.[21]

In July 2013, NBCOTS and Telemundo's O&Os station groups were brought together under a newly formed division, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations under NBC TV Station president Valari Staab, with NECN was transferred into NBC Stations.[2]

With four NBC stations already having 4 PM newscasts, in late May the remaining four stations, WNBC, KNBC, WTVJ, and WVIT, added 4 PM news.[22] KNTV, however, is the only NBC O&O left that doesn't have its own 4 PM news.

On January 7, 2016, NBCOTS announced that it would launch an NBC O&O in Boston, NBC Boston, on January 1, 2017, replacing affiliate WHDH.[23] It was originally rumored that NBC would air primary on a WNEU channel, however on November 1, it was announced that NBC would use Boston-area translator WBTS-LD (acquired from WNEU's former operator ZGS Communications), with WNEU airing NBC Boston on its DT2 channel for the New Hampshire side of the DMA.[24][25][26]

The venture began in 1997 when LIN sold a controlling interest in KXAS to NBC, and NBC contributed KNSD to the resulting partnership. Owing to their controlling stake in the partnership, NBC took operational control of both stations.[5] In February 2013, LIN pulled out of its Station Venture Operations joint venture with NBCUniversal as part of a corporate reorganization, giving NBC 100% ownership of KXAS and KNSD. LIN paid NBC around $100 million to allow for the transaction.[21] The stations remain under this name for FCC licensing purposes, along with WYCN-LD.