Nationwide Communications


Nationwide Communications Inc., originally known as Peoples Broadcasting Corporation, was a media subsidiary of the Nationwide Insurance Company, which operated from 1946 until 1997. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Nationwide Communications owned and operated a variety of radio and television stations across the United States until it sold off all its radio stations to Cincinnati-based Jacor for a reported $620 million, and its television stations to Young Broadcasting. The service division was spun off and became Nationwide Communications Services L.L.C. in 1998.

In 1946, the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation first got into broadcasting through a radio service for farmers on WRFD, Columbus, Ohio, an AM radio station. The Ohio Farm Bureau was dedicated to serving farmers in Ohio, but as its other pursuits were increasingly made available to non-farmers, the Farm Bureau spun off these ventures into a separate corporation. WRFD continued to serve farmers, and indeed, still carries farm programming today under the ownership of Salem Media of Ohio. However, other Farm Bureau stations—most notably WRFD-FM, now known as WNCI—were transferred to this umbrella corporation, known today as the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company & Affiliated Companies. The group of stations became known as Nationwide Communications, after its parent company.
Nationwide Communications owned a total of five television stations, though none in its home market of Columbus, or Ohio. The first television station it owned was KVTV-TV in Sioux City, Iowa, which was sold in 1965 to purchase WATE-TV, Channel 6, Knoxville, Tennessee. The company's second purchase was WXEX-TV, Channel 8, Petersburg, Virginia in 1968, its third station was WBAY-TV, Channel 2, Green Bay, Wisconsin, purchased in 1974, and its fourth station purchase was KITN, Channel 29, in Minneapolis in 1985. Three of the four stations were ABC affiliates ; the fourth was an independent and later a Fox affiliate while under Nationwide's stewardship. Nationwide Communications sold all three of its ABC-affiliated television stations in 1993 to Young Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Adam Young, Incorporated, a TV station advertising representation firm; WFTC was sold to Clear Channel Communications the next year. In November 2013, Young merged with Media General, and then itself was merged with Nexstar Media Group in January 2017. WATE and WRIC are now under that company's ownership, while WBAY was spun-off to Gray Television.
In the early 1970s, Nationwide was awarded a license to operate a UHF television station in Columbus, Ohio, on channel 28, with the assigned call letters WNCI-TV. Nationwide, however, did not complete construction of the television station and its license and construction permit was allowed to lapse. The frequency allocation was ultimately awarded to Commercial Radio Institute, Inc. of Baltimore, Maryland, which began operation of WTTE. WTTE was the second station owned by the company now known as the Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Before ceasing operations, Nationwide Communications was the 16th largest radio group in the United States. Throughout its history, Nationwide owned and operated radio stations in Minnesota, Florida, Ohio, Nevada, Texas, Arizona, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington and California.

List of former assets

Radio Stations

Note: All call letters are listed in chronological order—from the left being the oldest to the right being the most recent—during the time a station was owned by Nationwide. Also, stations signed on and built by Nationwide directly are indicated with a spade.

AM Stations

MarketStationFrequencyYears OwnedSold ToNow
Minneapolis - St. Paul, MNKMJZ / KSGS9501995-1998Jacor - 1998Progressive talk KTNF, owned by JR Broadcasting
San Diego, CA - Tijuana, BCNKCEO10001996-1997North Country Broadcasting - 1997Catholic talk, owned by Immaculate Heart Radio
Las Vegas - Henderson, NVKMJJ / KZAP / KXNO11401985-1996American Radio Systems - 1996CBS Sports Radio O&O KXST, owned by Entercom
Des Moines, IAKSO / KGGO / KDMI14601980s-1990sUnknownSports talk KXNO, owned by iHeartMedia
Orlando, FLWZKD9501982-1983New City Communications - 1983Conservative talk WORL, owned by Salem Media Group
WBJW-AM14401982-1986Alleluia Broadcasting - 1986Spanish variety WPRD, owned by J & V Communications, Inc.
Also repeats on WOTS 1220 in Kissimmee and WSDO 1400 in Sanford.
Columbus, OHWRFD ♠8801947-1974Buckeye Media - 1974Christian talk, owned by Salem Media Group
Columbus, OHWCOL / WFII12301994-1998Jacor - 1998Urban adult contemporary WYTS, owned by IHeartMedia
Also operates a low-power translator at 105.3 FM.
Richmond, VAWLEE14801968-1981UnknownDefunct and off the air, frequency now occupied by
Regional Mexican WTOX owned by TBLC Holdings, LLC

FM Stations

MarketStationFrequencyYears OwnedSold ToNow
Dallas - Fort Worth, TXKEGL97.11996-1998Jacor - 1998Mainstream rock, owned by IHeartMedia
Dallas - Fort Worth, TXKDMX102.91991-1998Jacor - 1998Hot adult contemporary, owned by iHeartMedia
Houston - Galveston, TXKLEF94.51970s and/or 1980sEntercom - 1988Alternative rock KTBZ-FM, owned by iHeartMedia
Seattle - Tacoma, WA - Vancouver, BCKISW99.91987-1996Entercom - 1996Mainstream rock, still owned by Entercom
Phoenix, AZKCHT / KHTC / KGLQ96.91995-1998Jacor - 1998Hot adult contemporary KMXP, owned by iHeartMedia
Phoenix, AZKZZP-FM / KVRY104.71985-1998Jacor - 1998Contemporary hit radio and Top 40 KZZP, owned by iHeartMedia
Minneapolis - St. Paul, MNKMJZ 104.11995-1998Jacor - 1998Adult hits KZJK, owned by Entercom
San Diego, CA - Tijuana, BCNKFSD-FM / KXGL94.11996-1998Jacor - 1998Hot adult contemporary KMYI, owned by iHeartMedia
San Diego, CA - Tijuana, BCNKUPR / KMCG95.71996-1998Jacor - 1998Urban contemporary KSSX, owned by iHeartMedia
Baltimore, MDWPOC93.11974-1998Jacor - 1998Country music, owned by iHeartMedia
Sacramento, CAKZAP / KNCI98.51985-1994EZ Sacramento - 1994Active rock KRXQ, owned by Entercom
Las Vegas - Henderson, NVKLUC-FM98.51985-1995American Radio Systems - 1995Contemporary hit radio and Top 40, owned by Entercom
Orlando, FLWBJW-FM105.11982-1996Chancellor Media - 1996Hot adult contemporary WOMX-FM, owned by Entercom
Cleveland, OHWNCR / WKSW / WGAR-FM99.51970-1998Jacor - 1998Country music, owned by iHeartMedia
Cleveland, OHWMMS100.71996-1998Jacor - 1998Active rock and hot talk, owned by iHeartMedia
Also operates a low-power translator at 99.1 FM.
Cleveland, OHWMJI105.11997-1998Jacor - 1998Classic hits, owned by iHeartMedia
San Jose, CAKWSS94.51985-1991Shamrock Broadcasting - 1991Classic hits KBAY, owned by Alpha Media
Columbus, OHWRFD-FM / WNCI ♠97.91961-1998Jacor - 1998Contemporary hit radio and Top 40, owned by iHeartMedia
Greensboro - Winston-Salem - High Point, NCWKZL107.51981-1991HAPA, Inc. - 1991Mainstream Top 40, owned by Dick Broadcasting
Tucson, AZKRQQ93.71985-1993Prism Radio Networks, L.P. - 1993Top 40, owned by iHeartMedia

Television Stations

Note: All call letters are listed in chronological order—from the left being the oldest to the right being the most recent—during the time a station was owned by Nationwide. Also, stations signed on and built by Nationwide directly are indicated with a diamond.
MarketStationYears OwnedSold ToNow
Minneapolis - St. Paul, MNKITN-TV 291985-1993Clear Channel Communications - 1993MyNetworkTV O&O WFTC, owned by Fox Television Stations
Also operates a full-power satellite station, KFTC channel 29 in Bemidji, along with several translator stations across central and eastern Minnesota.
Columbus, OHWNCI-TV 281970sNever made it to airDefunct and off the air, frequency now occupied by Fox network affiliate WTTE
WTTE is owned by Cunningham Broadcasting and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Richmond - Petersburg, VAWXEX-TV / WRIC-TV 81967-1994Young Broadcasting - 1994ABC network affiliate, owned by Nexstar Media Group
Knoxville, TNWATE-TV 61965-1994Young Broadcasting - 1994ABC network affiliate, owned by Nexstar Media Group
Green Bay - Appleton, WIWBAY-TV 21974-1994Young Broadcasting - 1994ABC network affiliate, owned by Gray Television
Sioux City, IAKVTV 9 ♦1953-1965Forward Communications - 1965ABC network affiliate KCAU-TV, owned by Nexstar Media Group
Also operates a low-power translator, on channel 30.