Media Monsters in Seattle

by Cameron Chapman
illustration by Seymour Caprice
Free Press contributors


In 1996, members of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and other media industry interests celebrated as Bill Clinton signed into law Congress' revision of the Telecommunications Act. The Telecommunications Act sets forth the rules that the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) uses to govern the television, radio, and newsprint industries.

Two competing interpretations of the Act were audible: the first held that the new rules would stimulate competition, the second posited that the Act would mean further consolidation of ownership in the telecommunications industries and would eventually lead to monopolization.

A flurry of sell-offs, mergers, and exchanges commenced upon passage of the Act. Out of the dust, a small coterie of media megagroups has emerged, lending legitimacy to the latter of the two theories. One needs to look no farther than Seattle to see this. CBS, which recently bought American Radio Systems and hence KMPS AM/FM, KZOK FM, and KYCW FM, now controls 27 percent of listening in the top ten media markets. Along with N¼ 2 Chancellor Media, these top two radio companies now control over 50 percent of all listening in the top ten metropolitan areas of the United States.

Although limitations on ownership still exist, there are ways around them. Such methods are employed in Seattle. Entercomm, who own eight major signals already, are using a "Licensed Management Agreement" to control a ninth station, KING FM. This means that the station is still officially independently owned, but Entercomm controls station management and advertising and receives all revenues.

The list to the right shows who owns what in Seattle's mainstream media market. Television, radio, newsprint: it is from these sources that we get our information on a daily basis, helping to shape the lens through which we view the world. Does it matter that fewer corporations and fewer ideologies are guiding these sources of information? Depends on what kind of society you want to live in.


Ackerley Group
They own three Seattle radio stations (KJR-AM, KJR-FM, KUBE-FM), one Tacoma radio station and 9 TV stations in other cities. Ackerly also owns an advertising agency, the dominant billboard company in the Pacific Northwest, and the Seattle Sonics basketball franchise.

Ah Belo
Owns one Seattle TV station (KING), plus one radio and 17 TV stations in other cities. Ah Belo's additional holdings include: The Dallas Morning News, Dallas-Fort Worth Suburban Newspapers, The Providence Journal-Bulletin, The Riverside Press-Enterprise, The Owenboro Messenger-Inquirer, The Colle Station Eagle, The Arlington Morning News and The Henderson Gleaner.

CBS/Westinghouse
CBS owns six Seattle radio stations (KZOK-FM, KMPS-FM, KMPS-AM, KYCW-FM, KRPM-AM, KBKS-FM), plus 131 radio and 17 TV stations in other cities. Westinghouse is a major corporation that owns investment firms, pension management firms, waste disposal companies, nuclear power plant maintenance companies, and is involved in satellite communications, telecommunications, security systems, and mobile rerefrigeration. It also owns CBS, a major corporation unto itself. On cable, CBS owns Home Team Sports, The Nashville Newtork, and 1/3 of Country Music Television. Of course, it owns CBS Network News as well.

Cox
Cox owns one Seattle TV station (KIRO) plus 48 radio and 7 TV stations in other cities. Their 15 newspapers include: Rocky Mount Telegram, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Dayton Daily News, Springfiled News, The Palm Beach Post, Austin-American Statesman, Waco Tribune-Herald and News Messenger, Arizonan Tribune, Gilbert Tribune, Mesa Tribune, Scottsdale Tribune, and the Tempe Daily News Tribune.

Entercom
Entercom owns 8 Seattle radio stations (KNDD-FM, KBSG-FM, KMTT-FM, KISW-FM, KIRO-AM, KIRO-FM, KNWX-FM, KING-FM) and 27 radio stations in other cities.

Fisher
Fisher owns 1 Seattle TV station (KOMO) and 3 Seattle radio stations (KVI-AM, KPLZ-FM, KOMO-AM) plus one TV and 20 radio stations in other cities.

Hearst
Owner of The Seattle Post Intelligencer, Hearst owns 24 TV and 7 radio stations in other cities. They also own A & E Cable (with ABC and NBC), ESPN (20 percent), Heasrt-ABC Video Services, Lifetime Cable (with ABC), and New England Cable News (with Continental Cablevision). Some of their 13 newspapers include: The San Francisco Examiner, Albany Times Union (NY), Houston Chronicle. Magazines include: Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harper's Bazaar, Popular Mechanics and Redbook

Knight Ridder
Knight Ridder owns half of The Seattle Times. They own 33 newspapers in other cities.

Sandusky
Sandusky owns 5 Seattle radio stations (KLSY-FM, KRWM-FM, KIXI-AM, KEZX-AM, KWJZ-FM) and 5 radio stations in other cities. They also own five newspapers.

TCI
Largest cable operator in the country. Runs 692 cable systems in 40 states. 40 percent interest in Cablevision, 20 percent interest in USA Networks. Own 40 percent of NY Rangers, NY Knicks, and Madison Square Garden. Own part of LA Kings. 60 percent of Prime Sports Network, 18 percent of The Family Channel, 49 percent of The Discovery Channel, 42 percent of QVC, 90 percent of Encore, 49 percent of Starz!, 33 percent of The Sega Channel and 20 percent of The Microsoft Network. TCI owns 20 percent of the stock in the proposed merger between Time-Warner and Turner Broadcasting.

Viacom
Viacoms owns one Seattle TV station (KSTW) and 16 TV stations in other cities. Other holdings include: Blockbuster Entertainment, MTV, Paramount Pictures, Showtime, Nickolodean, The Movie Channel and VH1TV program production and distribution, motion pictures production and distribution, book publishing, video production and distribution and theme parks.



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Contents this page were published in the July/August, 1998 edition of the Washington Free Press.
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