Bonten Media Group


Bonten Media Group was a New York City-based owner of television broadcast stations in the United States. It was formed by Randall D. Bongarten and Diamond Castle Holdings in November 2006. Its first acquisition was 14 stations from Bluestone Television, founded by Sandy DiPasquale and Providence Equity Partners on May 31, 2007. Bluestone had acquired the same stations from Lamco Communications in 2004. On January 1, 2008, Bonten entered into an agreement with Esteem Broadcasting to provide services to the Fox affiliates in the Greenville-New Bern market, in addition to WEMT in the Tri-Cities area of Northeastern Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia, bringing the number of stations which Bonten Media Group owns or provides services up to 16 from 13.
On April 21, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced its intent to purchase the Bonten stations for $240 million. The deal came immediately following the re-instatement of the "UHF discount", which reduces the calculated "reach" of a station for the purposes of national ownership limits if it broadcasts on a UHF channel. The sale was approved on June 30, and the sale was completed on September 1.

Former Bonten Media-owned stations

Stations are arranged in alphabetical order by state and city of license.
City of license / MarketStationChannel
TV 		Years ownedCurrent ownership status
Redding - Chico -
Paradise, California		KRCR-TV7 2007–2017ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Redding - Chico -
Paradise, California		KXVU-LP172012–2017Antenna TV affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Redding - Chico -
Paradise, California		KCVU20 2012–2017 1Fox affiliate owned by Cunningham Broadcasting
Redding - Chico -
Paradise, California		KRVU-LD21 2012–2017MyNetworkTV affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Redding - Chico -
Paradise, California		KZVU-LD
'		22 2012–2017MyNetworkTV affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Redding - Chico -
Paradise, California		KUCO-LP272012–2017Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Redding - Chico -
Paradise, California		KKTF-LD30 2012–2017UniMás affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Arcata - Eureka, CaliforniaKAEF-TV
'		23 2007–2017ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Arcata - Eureka, CaliforniaKBVU
'		28 2012–2017 1Fox affiliate owned by Cunningham Broadcasting
Arcata - Eureka, CaliforniaKECA-LD29 2012–2017The CW affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Arcata - Eureka, CaliforniaKEUV-LP312012–2017Univision affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Missoula, MontanaKECI-TV13 2007–2017NBC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Kalispell, MontanaKCFW-TV
'		9 2007–2017NBC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Butte, MontanaKTVM-TV
'		6 2007–2017NBC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Bozeman, MontanaKDBZ-CD
'		42 2007–2017NBC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Greenville - New Bern -
Morehead City, North Carolina		WFXI8 2007–2017 1defunct, station signed-off in 2017.
Greenville - New Bern -
Morehead City, North Carolina		WYDO
'		14 2007–2017 1Fox affiliate owned by Cunningham Broadcasting
Greenville - New Bern -
Morehead City, North Carolina		WCTI-TV12 2007–2017ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Abilene, TexasKTXS-TV12 2007–2017ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Abilene, TexasKTES-LD40 2007–2017MeTV affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
San Angelo, TexasKTXE-LD
'		38 2007–2017ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Bristol, Virginia - Greeneville -
Johnson City -Kingsport, Tennessee		WCYB-TV5 2007–2017NBC affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
Bristol, Virginia - Greeneville -
Johnson City -Kingsport, Tennessee		WEMT39 2007–2017 1Fox affiliate owned by Cunningham Broadcasting

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