Midwest Radio and Television
Midwest Radio and Television was a broadcasting company based in the Upper Midwest United States.
Its history dates back to August 1952, when the original owners of WTCN-AM-FM-TV decided to sell the stations. While the radio stations went to a separate owner, WTCN-TV was sold to the owners of WCCO Radio (which CBS held a minority ownership stake in), and became WCCO-TV. The company expanded over the years, launching WCCO-FM (now KMNB) in the 1970s.
In the 1980s, Midwest Radio and Television bought ABC affiliate WFRV-TV in Green Bay and its satellite in Escanaba, Michigan, WJMN-TV (CBS did not initially take an ownership stake in either of those two stations at the time as they had good relations with then-CBS affiliate WBAY-TV). Midwest Radio and Television also bought KCMT in Alexandria, Minnesota and its satellite in Walker, Minnesota, KNMT. The stations' calls became KCCO and KCCW respectively, and the stations became satellites of WCCO-TV.
In 1992, the company merged with CBS, and WFRV/WJMN as well as WCCO became CBS owned-and-operated stations.[1] Today, only the Minneapolis stations are retained by ViacomCBS (WFRV/WJMN was sold to Liberty Media in 2007, then to Nexstar Broadcasting Group in 2011).
Midwest also owned the Midwest Sports Channel, which was originally associated with WCCO-TV. MSC became a CBS owned and operated network following its acquisition of WCCO. In 1999, shortly after CBS was acquired by Viacom, MSC was sold to Fox Sports Net, eventually becoming the current day Fox Sports North, along with later sister network Fox Sports Wisconsin.
Midwest Radio and Television was not associated with Midwest Television, owners of KFMB, KFMB-FM, and KFMB-TV in San Diego, California, nor Midwest Communications, which also has broadcasting interests in Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, North Dakota and Tennessee.
References