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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.22


         SEVERANCE COMPENSATION AGREEMENT dated as of September 5, 1996,
between LIN Television Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and
Peter E. Maloney (the "Executive").

         WHEREAS the Company currently employs the Executive and has determined
that the Executive's services are important to the stability and continuity of
the management of the Company;

         WHEREAS the Company has determined that it is in its best interest to
reinforce and encourage the Executive's continued disinterested attention and
undistracted dedication to the Executive's duties in the potentially disturbing
circumstances of a possible change in control of the Company by providing some
degree of personal financial security; and

         WHEREAS to induce the Executive to remain in the employ of the
Company, the Company has determined that it is desirable to pay the Executive
the severance compensation set forth below if the Executive's employment with
the Company terminates in one of the circumstances described below following a
change in control of the Company;

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual
covenants contained in this Agreement, it is agreed upon between the Company
and the Executive as follows;

1.       Definitions. In addition to other words and terms defined elsewhere in
         this Agreement, the following words and terms shall have the following
         meanings:

         (a)     "Cause" shall mean:

                 i)       the will and continued failure of Executive to
                          perform substantially Executive's duties with the
                          Company (other than any such failure resulting from
                          incapacity due to physical or mental illness), after
                          a written demand for substantial performance is
                          delivered to Executive by the Board or an elected
                          officer of the Company which specifically identifies
                          the manner in which the Board or the elected officer
                          believes that Executive has not substantially
                          performed Executive's duties; or

                 ii)      (A) the conviction of, or plea of nolo contendre to,
                          a felony or (B) the willful engaging by Executive in
                          gross misconduct which is materially and demonstrably
                          injurious to the Company;
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                 in each case above, after Executive is provided an opportunity
                 to be heard upon 30 days written notice and a good faith
                 determination of Cause by at least 3/4 of the Disinterested
                 Directors

         (b)     "Change in Control" shall mean any of the following events;

                 i)       any "person" (as defined in Section 3(a)(9) of the
                          Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
                          "Act") and as used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)
                          thereof, including a "group" (as defined in Section
                          13(d) of the Act) but excluding AT&T, the Company,
                          any subsidiary thereof and any trustee or fiduciary
                          on behalf of any Company Executive benefit plan)
                          becomes the "beneficial owner" (as defined in Rule
                          13d-3 under the Act) of securities of the Company
                          having at least 25% of the voting power of the
                          Company's then outstanding securities (unless the
                          event causing the 25% threshold to be crossed is an
                          acquisition of securities directly from the Company)
                          but only if at the time of such person becoming the
                          beneficial owner of the requisite voting power, AT&T
                          designees no longer hold a majority of the seats on
                          the Board of Directors; or

                 ii)      the shareholders of the Company shall approve any
                          merger or other business combination of the Company,
                          any sale of all or substantially all of the Company's
                          assets in one or a series of related transactions or
                          any combination of the foregoing transactions (the
                          "Transactions"), other than a Transaction immediately
                          following which the shareholders of the Company
                          immediately prior to the Transaction (including
                          AT&T), any subsidiary thereof and any trustee or
                          fiduciary on behalf of any Company Executive benefit
                          plan own greater than 50% of the voting securities of
                          the surviving company (or its parent) (and, in a sale
                          of assets, of the purchaser of the assets)
                          immediately following the Transaction; provided,
                          however, that a Transaction which would otherwise not
                          result in a Change in Control because of the
                          resulting ownership of more than 50% of the voting
                          securities of the surviving company, its parent, or a
                          purchaser of the assets will, nonetheless, be deemed
                          to be a Change in Control but only in connection with
                          a termination for Good Reason under Section 1(d)(iv);
                          or

                iii)      within any 24 month period, the persons who were 
                          directors immediately before the beginning of such 
                          period (the "Disinterested





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                                  Directors") shall cease (for any reason other
                                  than death) to constitute at least a majority
                                  of the Board or the board of directors of a
                                  successor to the Company.  For this purpose,
                                  any director who was not a director at the
                                  beginning of such period shall be deemed to
                                  be a Disinterested Director if such director
                                  was elected to the Board by, or on the
                                  recommendation of or with the approval of, at
                                  least two-thirds of the directors who then
                                  qualified as Disinterested Directors (so long
                                  as such director was not nominated by a
                                  person who has entered into an agreement or
                                  threatened to effect a Change of Control).

(c)      "Date of Termination" shall mean the date on which a Notice of
Termination is given.

(d)      "Good Reason" shall have the following definition:

         i)      Executive's annual salary or target bonus opportunity is
                 reduced below the higher of (A) the amount of annual salary or
                 target bonus opportunity in effect immediately prior to the
                 Change in Control or (B) the highest amount of annual salary
                 or target bonus opportunity in effect at any time thereafter;

         ii)     (A) any failure by the Company to continue in effect or
                 provide plans or arrangements pursuant to which the Executive
                 will be entitled to receive grants relating to the securities
                 of the Company (or any parent company) (including, without
                 limitation, stock options, stock appreciation rights,
                 restricted stock or other equity based awards) of the same
                 type as the Executive was participating in immediately prior
                 to the Change in Control (hereinafter referred to as
                 "Securities Plans") or providing substitutes for such
                 Securities Plans which in the aggregate provide substantially
                 similar economic benefits; or (B) the taking of any action by
                 the Company which would adversely effect the Executive's
                 participation in, or benefits under, any such Securities Plan
                 or its substitute if in the Aggregate the Executive is not
                 provided substantially similar economic benefits; provided,
                 however, that for these purposes, any determination of whether
                 Good Reason exists under (A) or (B) of this subsection (ii)
                 because the Executive is or is not provided substantially
                 similar economic benefits in the aggregate will be made with
                 due consideration given to such Executive's base salary, other
                 cash compensation and any other equity based incentive
                 programs to which the Executive is also entitled to receive,
                 and not solely on the basis of whether the Executive is or is
                 not entitled or eligible to receive equity based incentive
                 compensation;





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         iii)    Executive's duties and responsibilities or, in the aggregate,
                 the program of retirement and welfare benefits offered to
                 Executive are materially and adversely diminished in
                 comparison to the duties and responsibilities or the program
                 of benefits, in the aggregate, enjoyed by Executive on the
                 Effective Date; provided, however, that Good Reason shall not
                 be deemed to exist solely as a result of changes in
                 Executive's duties and responsibilities which are directly
                 caused by the Company's ceasing to be a publicly held company
                 or its becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of another company;

         iv)     in the event of a Transaction that is deemed to be a Change in
                 Control solely as a result of Section 1(b)(ii) of this
                 Agreement, Executive is removed from the position he held with
                 the Company prior to such Transaction (or fails to hold the
                 comparable position in the parent company following such
                 Transaction) or his duties or responsibilities are adversely
                 diminished in a manner that would be Good Reason under Section
                 1(d)(iii) above;

         v)      Executive is required to be based at a location more than 50
                 miles from the location where Executive was based and
                 performed services on the Effective Date, or if Executive is
                 required to substantially increase his or her business travel
                 obligations.

                 Executive must give notice in writing within 90 days alter the
                 Executive has knowledge of the event forming the basis of Good
                 Reason, setting forth the particulars of such event and the
                 reason why he believes in good faith that Good Reason exists.
                 The Company shall have 30 days within which to cure such event
                 if it disagrees with the Executive.

2.       Severance Compensation Trigger.  Executive will be entitled to
         severance compensation as set forth in section 3 ("Severance
         Compensation") in the event Executive's employment is terminated
         within two years after a Change in Control (i) by the Company without
         Cause, or (ii) by Executive within 90 days after Executive has
         knowledge of the occurrence of an event constituting Good Reason.

         Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive will not be entitled to
         Severance Compensation in the event of a termination of employment on
         account of:

         (a)     Death or Disability (illness or injury preventing Executive
                 from performing his duties, as the existed immediately prior
                 to the illness or injury, on a full time basis for 180
                 consecutive business days);





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         (b)     Retirement (voluntary late, normal or early retirement under a
                 pension plan sponsored by the Company, as defined in such
                 plan); or

         (c)     Qualified Sale of Business.  (the sale of a business unit in
                 which Executive was employed before such sale and Executive
                 has been offered employment with the purchaser of such
                 business unit on substantially the same terms under which he
                 worked for the Company, including severance protection).

3.       Severance Compensation.

         (a)     In the event of a Severance Compensation Trigger, the
                 Executive shall be entitled to the Severance Compensation
                 provided below:

                 i)       In lieu of any further salary payments to the
                          Executive for periods subsequent to the Date of
                          Termination, the Company shall pay to the Executive
                          not later then the tenth day following the Date of
                          Termination a lump sum severance payment equal to the
                          sum of:

                          (x)     an amount equal to two times (2x) the
                                  Executive's annual base salary in effect on
                                  the Date of Termination (the "Base Salary"),

                          (y) an amount equal to two times (2x)

                                  (1)      the bonus compensation paid to the
                                           Executive with respect to the last
                                           complete fiscal year, and

                                  (2)      the contribution, if any, paid by
                                           the Company for the benefit of the
                                           Executive to any 401(k) Plan in the
                                           last complete fiscal year,

                          (z)     the present value, determined as of the Date
                                  of Termination, of the sum of:

                                  (3)      all benefits which have accrued to
                                           the Executive but have not vested
                                           under the LIN Television Corporation
                                           Retirement Plan (the "Retirement
                                           Plan") as of the Date of
                                           Termination, and





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                                  (4)      all additional benefits which would
                                           have accrued to the Executive under
                                           the Retirement Plan if the Executive
                                           had continued to be employed by the
                                           Company on the same terms the
                                           Executive was employed on the Date
                                           of Termination from the Pate of
                                           Termination to the date 12 months
                                           after the Date of Termination.

                 For purposes of this Section, the present value of a future
                 payment shall be calculated by reference to the actuarial
                 assumptions (including assumptions with respect to interest
                 rates) in use immediately prior to the Change in Control for
                 purpose of calculating actuarial equivalents under the
                 Retirement Plan.

                 ii)      The Company shall arrange to provide the Executive
                          for a period of 24 months following the Date of
                          Termination or until the Executive's earlier death,
                          with life, health, disability and accident insurance
                          benefits and the package of "executive benefits"
                          substantially similar to those which the Executive
                          was receiving immediately prior to the Notice of
                          Termination, or immediately prior to a Change in
                          Control, if greater provided however, that Executive
                          shall be obliged to continue to pay that proportion
                          of premiums paid by the Executive immediately prior
                          to the change in control.

                 iii)     The Company shall accelerate the exercise date of all
                          stock options granted to the Executive under the 199
                          Stock Incentive Plan and the 1994 Stock Adjustment
                          Plan (the "Options") which are not exercisable on the
                          Date of Termination, to the end that such Options
                          shall be immediately exercisable.

                 iv)      The Executive shall have the right within one year
                          following the later of the Change in Control or the
                          exercise of each Option to sell to the Company shares
                          of Common Stock acquired at any time upon exercise of
                          an Option at a price equal to the average market
                          price of the Common Stock for the 30 day period
                          ending on the date prior to the date of the Change in
                          Control.

         b)      If the Severance Compensation under this Section 3, either
                 alone or together with other payments to the Executive from
                 the Company, would constitute an "excess parachute payment"
                 (as defined in Section 280G of the Code), such





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                 Severance Compensation shall be reduced to the largest amount
                 that will result in no portion of the payments under this
                 Section 3 being subject to the excise tax imposed by Section
                 4999 of the Code or being disallowed as deductions to the
                 Company under Section 280G of the Code.

4.       No Obligation To Mitigate Damages: No Effect on Other Contractual
         Rights.

         (a)     The Executive shall not be required to mitigate damages or the
                 amount of any payment provided for under this Agreement by
                 seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall the amount of
                 any payment provided for under this Agreement be reduced by
                 any compensation earned by the Executive as the result of
                 employment by another employer after the termination of the
                 Executive's employment, or otherwise.

         (b)     The provisions of this Agreement, and any payment provided for
                 hereunder, shall not reduce any amounts otherwise payable, or
                 in any way diminish the Executive's existing rights, or rights
                 which would accrue solely as a result of the passage of time,
                 under any Benefit Plan, Incentive Plan or Securities Plan,
                 employment agreement or other contract, plan or arrangement of
                 the Company.

5.       Successors.

         (a)     The Company will require any successors or assign (whether
                 direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or
                 otherwise) to all or substantially all the business and/or
                 assets of the Company by agreement in form and substance
                 satisfactory to the Executive, expressly, absolutely and
                 unconditionally to assume and agree to perform this Agreement
                 in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company
                 would be required to perform it if no such succession or
                 assignment had taken place.  Any failure of the Company to
                 obtain such agreement prior to the effectiveness of any such
                 succession or assignment shall be a material breach of this
                 Agreement and shall entitle the Executive to terminate the
                 Executive's employment for Good Reason. As used in this
                 Agreement, the "Company" shall mean the Company as
                 hereinbefore defined and any successor or assign to its
                 business and/or assets as aforesaid which executes and
                 delivers the agreement provided for in this Section 5 or which
                 otherwise becomes bound by all the terms and provisions of
                 this Agreement by operation of law.



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         (b)     This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be
                 enforceable by the Executive's personal and legal
                 representatives, executors, administrators, successors, heirs,
                 distributees, devisees and legatees. If the Executive should
                 die while any amounts are still payable to the Executive
                 under, all such amounts, unless otherwise provided herein,
                 shall be paid in accordance with the terms of this Agreement
                 to the Executive's devisee, legatee, or other designee or, if
                 there be no such designee, to the Executive's estate.

         (c)     In the event of a liquidation of the Company, the payment
                 provided for hereunder shall be made before any property or
                 asset of the Company is distributed to-any holder of common
                 stock.

6.       Employment.  The Executive agrees to be bound by the terms and
         conditions of this Agreement and to remain in the employ of the
         Company during any period following any public announcement by any
         person of any proposed transaction or transactions which, if effected,
         would result in a Change in Control until a Change in Control has
         taken place or, in the opinion of the Board of Directors of the
         Company, such person has abandoned or terminated its efforts to effect
         a Change in Control. Subject to the foregoing, nothing contained in
         this Agreement shall impair or interfere in any way with the right of
         the Executive to terminate the Executive's employment or the right of
         the Company to terminate the employment of the Executive with or
         without cause prior to a Change in Control.  Nothing contained in this
         Agreement shall be construed as a contract of employment between the
         Company and the Executive or as a right of the Executive to continue
         in the employ of the Company or as a limitation of the right of the
         Company to discharge the Executive with or without cause prior to a
         Change in Control.

7.       Legal Fees.  In the event that any legal action is required to enforce
         the Executive's rights under this Agreement, the Executive, if the
         Executive is the prevailing party, shall be entitled to recover from
         the Company any expenses for attorneys' fees and disbursements
         reasonably incurred by the Executive.

8.       Choice of Law.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in
         accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.

9.       Confidentiality:  Executive shall not, without the prior written
         consent of the Company, divulge, disclose or make accessible to any
         other person, partnership, corporation or other entity any
         Confidential Information pertaining to the business of the Company,
         except (i) while employed by the Company, or (ii) when required by





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         law to do so. For these purposes, "Confidential Information" shall
         mean non-public information concerning the financial data, strategic
         business plans, product development (or other proprietary product
         data), customer lists, marketing plans and any other nonpublic,
         proprietary and confidential information of the Company and its
         subsidiaries that is not otherwise available to the public or has not
         become publicly available through any breach of fiduciary duty.

10.      Nonsolicitation:  For a period of one year following the Executive's
         termination of employment, the Executive shall not contact,
         communicate with or solicit in any fashion any employee, consultant,
         customer or advertiser who, at the time of such termination and at any
         time during the preceding twelve-month period was employed by,
         employed or otherwise had business dealings with, the Company for the
         purpose of causing such employee, consultant, customer or advertiser
         (i) to terminate such person's relationship with the Company or (ii)
         to be employed by, to employ or otherwise to have business dealings
         with any business, whether or not incorporated, in any television
         markets served by the Company at the time of termination.

11.      Release.  As a condition to the receipt of any payments hereunder; the
         Executive shall deliver to the Company, in form and substance
         reasonably acceptable to the Company, a written release of the
         Company, its officers, directors and shareholders from all claims of
         whatever nature, other than as arising under the terms hereof or under
         any benefit plans of the Company to which the Executive is otherwise
         entitled.

12.      Notice.  For purpose of this Agreement, notices and all other
         communications provided for in the Agreement shall be in writing and
         shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered or mailed by
         United States registered mail, return receipt requested, postage
         prepaid. Notice may be given to either party at the present principal
         place of business of the Company or such other place as the party to
         receive such notice shall notify the other.

13.      Modification or Waiver. No provisions of this Agreement may be
         modified, waived or discharged unless such waiver, modification or
         discharge is agreed to in writing and signed by the Executive and the
         Company. No waiver by a party hereto at any time of any breach by
         another party hereto of, or compliance with, any condition or
         provision of this Agreement to be performed by such other party shall
         be deemed a waiver of similar or dissimilar provisions or conditions.





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14.      Entire Agreement.  No agreements or representations, oral or
         otherwise, express or implied, with respect to the subject matter
         hereof have been made by any of the parties which are not set forth
         expressly in this Agreement.

15.      Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in one or more
         counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original but all
         of which together will constitute one and the same instrument.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the
date first above written.


LIN TELEVISION CORPORATION,                EXECUTIVE,



By:                                        By:
   -------------------------                  -----------------------------
Title:                                     Title:
      ----------------------                     --------------------------




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