# Fisher Communications

Fisher Communications, Inc. was a media company in the United States. Based in Seattle, Washington, the company primarily owned a number of radio and television stations in the Western United States. It was the last company in the Seattle area to own a local TV station before being acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group in 2013. Prior to 2001, it was a conglomerate with businesses in broadcasting, flour milling and real estate.

## History

    See also KNWN (AM)
Fisher Companies, Inc.'s Fisher Communications by 1998 owned 25 radio stations and 2 TV stations. Fisher Companies also owned a flour milling and food distribution company and real estate development subsidiary.
In 1999 Retlaw Enterprises (a company owned by the relatives of Walt Disney) sold its remaining 11 television stations to Fisher Communications, including all of the related assets to those properties for $215 million in cash. Its broadcasting unit, until the 2000s, was Fisher Broadcasting. Also that year, Fisher is launching its own entertainment division, Fisher Entertainment, to be headed by Alan Winters, a syndication executive.
Fisher began to sell many of its properties in the mid-2000s, including real estate, its longtime flour milling operation, and its stake in Safeco. By 2011, Fisher Communications was down to 10 radio stations. On April 11, 2013, Fisher (which by then owned 20 television stations and only three radio stations) announced that it would be acquired by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. However, the deal was subject to financial scrutiny; the law firm Levi & Korsinsky notified Fisher shareholders with accusations that Fisher's board of directors were breaching fiduciary duties by "failing to adequately shop the Company before agreeing to enter into the transaction", and Sinclair was underpaying for Fisher's stock. Shortly after the announcement, a lawsuit was filed by a Fisher shareholder; the suit was settled in July 2013, on August 6 Fisher's shareholders approved the merger. The FCC granted its approval of the sale of August 7. On August 8, Sinclair announced that the sale was completed.

## Former stations

* Stations are arranged in alphabetical order by state and city of license.
* Two boldface asterisks appearing following a station's call letters (**) indicate a station built and signed on by Fisher Communications.
Stations owned by Fisher Communications :
| Media market | State | Station | Purchased | Sold |
| Bakersfield | California | KBAK-TV | 2008 | 2013 |
| Bakersfield | California | KBFX-CD | 2008 | 2013 |
| Fresno–Visalia | California | KJEO | 1999 | 2000 |
| Augusta | Georgia | WFXG | 1999 | 2003 |
| Columbus | Georgia | WXTX | 1999 | 2003 |
| Boise | Idaho | KBOI-TV | 1999 | 2013 |
| Boise | Idaho | KYUU-LD | 2006 | 2013 |
| Idaho Falls–Pocatello | Idaho | KIDK | 1999 | 2013 |
| Idaho Falls–Pocatello | Idaho | KXPI-LD | 2006 | 2013 |
| Lewiston | Idaho | KLEW-TV | 1999 | 2013 |
| Billings | Montana | KBLG | 1994 | 2006 |
| Billings | Montana | KRKX | 1994 | 2006 |
| Billings | Montana | KRZN ** | 1998 | 2006 |
| Billings | Montana | KYYA | 1994 | 2006 |
| Butte | Montana | KAAR | 1994 | 2006 |
| Butte | Montana | KMBR | 1994 | 2006 |
| Butte | Montana | KXTL | 1994 | 2006 |
| Great Falls | Montana | KAAK | 1994 | 2011 |
| Great Falls | Montana | KIKF ** | 2001 | 2011 |
| Great Falls | Montana | KINX ** | 2002 | 2011 |
| Great Falls | Montana | KQDI | 2001 | 2011 |
| Great Falls | Montana | KQDI-FM | 2001 | 2011 |
| Great Falls | Montana | KXGF | 1994 | 2011 |
| Missoula | Montana | KBQQ | 2003 | 2006 |
| Missoula | Montana | KGGL | 1994 | 2006 |
| Missoula | Montana | KGRZ | 1994 | 2006 |
| Missoula | Montana | KXDR | 1998 | 2006 |
| Missoula | Montana | KYLT | 1991 | 2006 |
| Missoula | Montana | KZOQ-FM | 1996 | 2006 |
| Bend | Oregon | KABH-CA | 2006 | 2013 |
| Coos Bay | Oregon | KCBY-TV | 1999 | 2013 |
| Coos Bay | Oregon | KMCB | 2013 | 2013 |
| Eugene | Oregon | KVAL-TV | 1999 | 2013 |
| Eugene | Oregon | KMTR | 2013 | 2013 |
| Portland | Oregon | KATU ** | 1962 | 2013 |
| Portland | Oregon | KOTK | 1996 | 2003 |
| Portland | Oregon | KUNP | 2006 | 2013 |
| Portland | Oregon | KWJJ-FM | 1996 | 2003 |
| Roseburg | Oregon | KPIC | 1999 | 2013 |
| Roseburg | Oregon | KTCW | 2013 | 2013 |
| Ellensburg | Washington | KWWA-CA | 2007 | 2008 |
| Kennewick | Washington | KVVK-CD | 2007 | 2013 |
| Pasco | Washington | KEPR-TV | 1999 | 2013 |
| Seattle–Tacoma | Washington | KOMO ** | 1926 | 2013 |
| Seattle–Tacoma | Washington | KOMO-FM | 2009 | 2013 |
| Seattle–Tacoma | Washington | KOMO-TV ** | 1953 | 2013 |
| Seattle–Tacoma | Washington | KPLZ-FM | 1994 | 2013 |
| Seattle–Tacoma | Washington | KUNS-TV | 2006 | 2013 |
| Seattle–Tacoma | Washington | KVI | 1994 | 2013 |
| Wenatchee | Washington | KAPP | 1994 | 2006 |
| Wenatchee | Washington | KWWW-FM | 1992 | 2006 |
| Wenatchee | Washington | KWWX | 1992 | 2006 |
| Wenatchee | Washington | KYSN | 1994 | 2006 |
| Wenatchee | Washington | KZPH | 1997 | 2006 |
| Yakima | Washington | KIMA-TV | 1999 | 2013 |
| Yakima | Washington | KUNW-CD | 2007 | 2013 |
| Walla Walla | Washington | KORX-CA | 2007 | 2013 |
* 1 2 3 4 5 Owned by a third party and operated by Fisher.
* ↑ Known as KXAA prior to 2000.
* 1 2 Semi-satellite of KIMA.
* ↑ Satellite of KUNP.
* 1 2 Satellite of KVAL.
* 1 2 Satellite of KMTR.
* 1 2 3 Satellite of KUNW.

## Contract dispute

On December 17, 2008, Fisher Communications' contract expired with Dish Network. As a result of this contract dispute, stations owned by Fisher Communications were no longer available to Dish Network subscribers. Dish Network claimed that Fisher is asking for over an 80% increase. The Fisher stations that returned to Dish Network are: KOMO and KUNS in Seattle.; KATU and KUNP in Portland.; KIMA in Yakima, Washington.; KVAL in Eugene, Oregon.; KBCI (now KBOI) in Boise, Idaho; KIDK in Idaho Falls, Idaho; and KBAK and KBFX in Bakersfield, California. Dish Network restored the service to their customers at 10:25 p.m. PST on June 10.