Adios ShopNBC, hola Univision
KOMO/4 parent reaching out to Hispanic market
By Bill Virgin
PI Report
Source : Seattle PI
First Published: Thursday, June 29, 2006

By BILL VIRGIN
P-I REPORTER

Fisher Communications Inc. made another foray into Spanish-language broadcasting by announcing Wednesday a plan to acquire a Bellevue television station and convert it from a shopping channel to an affiliate of Univision.

Fisher, parent of KOMO/4 in Seattle, said it will buy KWOG-TV from African-American Broadcasting of Bellevue Inc. for $16 million. It now holds a 25 percent stake in the station, and will purchase the remaining 75 percent when the Federal Communications Commission grants approval.

KWOG-TV airs on Channel 51 of the broadcast band, and carries the ShopNBC channel. Fisher plans to convert the station to an affiliate of Spanish-language network Univision. Company officials say they're interested in the growing Hispanic/Latino market in the Pacific Northwest.

Fisher general counsel Judy Endejan said the company hopes to make the switch this fall.

KWOG is licensed to Bellevue although its operations are in SeaTac. Endejan said operational details haven't been worked out.

Affiliation agreements with Univision provide time for local programming, and Endejan said Fisher will look at whether to generate Spanish-language programming of its own.

Last December, Fisher announced a deal with another company to buy a full-power TV station in La Grande, Ore., and a low-power station in Salem, Ore., both Univision affiliates (the Salem station has an application pending to move to the Portland market to provide over-the-air service). That deal also included low-power TV stations and construction permits in Idaho.

Earlier this month Fisher also announced a deal to sell 24 small-market radio stations in Washington and Montana for $33.3 million to Cherry Creek Radio LLC. That deal would leave Fisher with just three radio stations (KOMO-AM, KVI-AM and KPLZ-FM), all in Seattle. In addition to KOMO/4, Fisher owns eight other TV stations in the Northwest and half of another.

Fisher also said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that Chief Financial Officer Rob Bateman is resigning that position effective July 31.

Jodi Colligan, vice president of finance, will be acting chief financial officer.



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P-I reporter Bill Virgin can be reached at 206-448-8319 or billvirgin@seattlepi.com.

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