Marquee Broadcasting
Marquee Broadcasting, Inc. is an American media company founded in 2013 that owns and operates a portfolio of television and radio stations focused on delivering local news, weather, sports, and community programming across multiple U.S. markets.[1] Headquartered in Salisbury, Maryland, the company was established by Brian Lane and Patricia Lane, with Patricia serving as CEO, making it a family-owned and woman-led enterprise dedicated to serving local communities through affiliations with major networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW, MyNetworkTV, and MeTV.[2][1][3] Since its inception with the acquisition of ABC affiliate WMDT in the Delmarva Peninsula market, Marquee has expanded through strategic purchases, including full-power stations like NBC affiliate WHIZ-TV in Zanesville, Ohio (2022), MeTV affiliate WGTA-TV serving the Atlanta market, and more recently, four stations from Imagicomm Communications in Eureka, California (KIEM-TV/NBC, KVIQ-LD/CBS), and Medford, Oregon (KMVU/FOX, KFBI-LD (MyNetworkTV/Telemundo)) in 2025.[1][4][5][2] In August 2025, Marquee expanded its radio holdings by acquiring five stations and nine translators from Bicoastal Media in Southern Oregon's Medford-Klamath Falls market, including country-formatted KRWQ-FM, classic hits KLDZ-FM, and news-talk KAGO-AM/FM, enhancing its cross-media presence in the region.[6][7] The company's stations have earned national and local awards for journalism and community service, reflecting its commitment to high-quality local content amid a landscape of media consolidation.[2]Company Overview
Founding and Structure
Marquee Broadcasting was established in 2013 as a family-owned private company by Brian Lane, a securities lawyer, and his wife Patricia Lane, an attorney with prior experience in litigation. The company originated from the Lanes' acquisition of their first television station in Salisbury, Maryland, marking the beginning of their venture into broadcast media ownership. As a privately held entity operating in the broadcast television and production industry, Marquee Broadcasting emphasizes a woman-led structure, with Patricia Lane serving as founder, president, and CEO, guiding its operations toward community-focused initiatives.[8][9][10] Headquartered in Salisbury, Maryland, Marquee Broadcasting maintains a lean organizational structure designed to support its portfolio of local stations without the complexities of public ownership. This setup allows for agile decision-making in acquiring and managing broadcast assets, prioritizing operational efficiency in the competitive media landscape. The company's initial business model centered on owning and operating stations that deliver essential local content, reflecting the Lanes' commitment to media as a tool for community engagement rather than expansive corporate expansion.[11][12] At its core, Marquee Broadcasting's mission is to provide news, weather, sports, and entertainment programming to underserved markets through its owned stations, with a particular focus on smaller communities where local involvement can have the greatest impact. This approach underscores the company's dedication to public service broadcasting, fostering connections between stations and their audiences in regions often overlooked by larger media conglomerates. The official website, marqueemedia.tv, serves as the primary contact point for information on the company's holdings and community efforts.[2][13]Ownership and Leadership
Marquee Broadcasting is a privately held, family-owned company founded in 2013 by Patricia Lane and Brian Lane, who serve as its primary owners. As a woman-led enterprise, it emphasizes strategic growth under Patricia Lane's direction while benefiting from the family's hands-on involvement.[2][10] Patricia Lane holds the positions of President and Chief Executive Officer, where she oversees the company's overall strategic direction and integration of its broadcast properties. Brian Lane, a securities lawyer and partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, co-owns the company and supports its financial and legal operations as Chief Financial Officer, contributing to the family's active role in day-to-day management. This family-centric leadership structure fosters close collaboration across the organization.[14][3][10] The company's governance reflects its private status, with no public shareholders, which allows Marquee Broadcasting to prioritize sustained investments in community-oriented initiatives rather than short-term financial gains. Under the Lane family's vision, Marquee is committed to robust local journalism, producing community-focused news and content, and to fostering employee growth through comprehensive benefits and opportunities for talented individuals to join its team.[2][10][15]Historical Development
Initial Acquisitions (2013–2017)
Marquee Broadcasting, founded by Brian and Patricia Lane, entered the television broadcasting industry in 2013 with its inaugural acquisition.[16] In August of that year, the company agreed to purchase ABC affiliate WMDT and its low-power repeater WEVD-LP in the Salisbury, Maryland, market from Delmarva Broadcast Services for $9 million, pending FCC approval.[17] This deal, completed in November 2013, marked Marquee's first foray into owning and operating television stations, establishing a presence in a designated market area (DMA) ranked 148th by Nielsen.[18] Building on this foundation, Marquee expanded southward in 2015 by acquiring independent station WUGA-TV in Toccoa, Georgia, from the University of Georgia for $2.5 million.[19] The transaction, announced in April and closed in July, allowed Marquee to rebrand the station as WGTA-TV and introduce ABC programming to the region, filling a gap in network coverage for northeast Georgia.[20] This purchase extended Marquee's footprint into a smaller rural market, emphasizing opportunities in underserved areas. In 2016, Marquee ventured westward with the acquisition of low-power station KREG-TV in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, from Nexstar Broadcasting Group as part of Nexstar's divestitures to comply with FCC ownership limits ahead of its merger with Media General.[21] The deal, announced in May, integrated KREG-TV as a satellite of the CBS-affiliated KREX-TV in Grand Junction, bolstering Marquee's presence in the expansive Denver DMA (ranked 17th).[22] Marquee's acquisitions culminated in 2017 with the purchase of NBC and CBS dual affiliate WNKY in Bowling Green, Kentucky, from Max Media for $5.6 million.[23] Announced in April and finalized in June, this transaction added a duopoly-like operation in the 181st-ranked DMA, enhancing local news and programming options in south-central Kentucky.[24] Throughout this period, Marquee's strategy centered on acquiring stations in small to mid-sized markets (typically ranked 100th or lower by Nielsen), where it could prioritize robust local news production and community engagement to build viewer loyalty and dominate ratings in less competitive environments.[2] This approach aligned with the company's motto, "because local matters," focusing on markets where personalized broadcasting could drive significant community impact.[10]Expansion and Recent Growth (2018–2025)
In 2018, Marquee Broadcasting expanded its footprint in the Albany, Georgia market by acquiring independent station WSST-TV from Sunbelt-South Telecommunications for an undisclosed amount, followed shortly thereafter by the purchase of CBS affiliate WSWG-TV from Gray Television as part of regulatory divestitures related to Gray's merger with Raycom Media.[25][26] These acquisitions established Marquee's presence with CBS and MyNetworkTV affiliations in southwestern Georgia, enabling consolidated operations to enhance local news and programming delivery.[27] The following year, in October 2019, Marquee acquired MeTV affiliate WPGA-TV and its low-power translator WPGA-LD in Perry, Georgia, from Radio Perry Inc. for $1 million, further strengthening its holdings in central Georgia before divesting the stations to Gray Television in 2023 as part of a separate swap.[28] By 2022, Marquee ventured deeper into Ohio with two key deals: the $10.7 million purchase of WHIZ Media Group in Zanesville, which included NBC affiliate WHIZ-TV and four radio assets (WHIZ-FM, WHIZ-AM and its FM translator, and WZVL-FM), marking an early entry into radio alongside television assets; and the acquisition of the channel 44 license for independent station WTLW (later renamed WLMA) in Lima from American Christian Television Services, allowing Marquee to operate a full-power facility focused on local religious and sports content.[29][30] Marquee's growth accelerated in 2024 through a station swap with Gray Television, finalized in July, in which Marquee gained NBC/CBS affiliates KCWY-DT in Casper, Wyoming; CBS and CW affiliate KGWN-TV in Cheyenne, Wyoming; NBC affiliate KSTF in Scottsbluff, Nebraska; and CBS translator KNEP-LD in Sidney, Nebraska, in exchange for its construction permit for a new station in Utah.[31][32] This transaction marked Marquee's entry into western markets, emphasizing robust local news coverage in underserved rural areas. In 2025, the company continued its westward push with the January announcement—and May closing—of the acquisition of four stations from Imagicomm Communications: NBC/CBS affiliates KIEM-TV and KVIQ-LD in Eureka, California, and FOX affiliate KMVU-DT with Telemundo translator KFBI-LD in Medford, Oregon.[5][33] Later that August, Marquee significantly expanded its radio portfolio by purchasing five stations and nine translators from Bicoastal Media in the Medford-Klamath Falls, Oregon area—including news-talk KMED-FM, country KRWQ-FM, classic hits KLDZ-FM, adult R&B KIFS-FM, and oldies KBXG-FM—announced in August 2025 and closed in October 2025, creating integrated TV-radio clusters to bolster multi-platform local content delivery.[6][34] Over this period, Marquee grew from two television stations in 2013 to more than 20 broadcast properties by late 2025, including a mix of full-power and low-power TV outlets alongside radio stations, with a strategic focus on synergies between television and radio to provide comprehensive local programming in small and mid-sized markets.[35]Current Holdings
Television Stations
Marquee Broadcasting owns and operates television stations across more than 12 designated market areas (DMAs) in the United States, primarily in smaller and midsize markets.[36] These holdings emphasize the production of local news, weather updates, and sports coverage tailored to community needs, often through shared services or duopoly arrangements in select markets.[2] The company's active television stations as of November 2025 are detailed below, including their primary affiliations with the Big Four broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox), as well as independent stations and digital subchannels offering additional programming such as MeTV, CW, and MyNetworkTV. In some markets, Marquee operates additional stations via shared services agreements (SSAs).[2]| Station | Market (DMA) | Primary Affiliations |
|---|---|---|
| KIEM-TV / KVIQ-LD | Eureka, CA | NBC/ION (KIEM-TV), CBS (KVIQ-LD)[37][38] |
| WFXL* / WSST-TV / WSWG | Albany, GA | Fox (WFXL), MyNetworkTV (WSST-TV), CBS (WSWG)[2] |
| WGTA | Toccoa, GA (Atlanta DMA) | Independent[2] |
| KNIN-TV | Boise, ID | Fox[2] |
| WNKY / WNKY-LD / WDNZ-LD | Bowling Green, KY | NBC (WNKY), CBS (WNKY-LD), MeTV (WDNZ-LD)[2] |
| WMDT / WGDV-LD | Salisbury, MD | ABC/CW/MeTV (WMDT), WeatherNation TV (WGDV-LD)[2] |
| WLMA | Lima, OH | Independent[2] |
| WHIZ-TV | Zanesville, OH | NBC/Fox/MyNetworkTV (multicasted)[2] |
| KMVU-DT / KFBI-LD | Medford, OR | Fox (KMVU), CW (KFBI-LD)[5] |
| WNSH-LD | Nashville, TN | Independent[2] |
| WVMY-LD | Parkersburg, WV | Independent[2] |
| KCWY-DT | Casper, WY | NBC[36] |
| KGWN-TV / KNEP / KSTF | Cheyenne, WY / Scottsbluff, NE / Sidney, NE | CBS (KGWN/KSTF), NBC (KNEP)[36] |
| KSWY | Sheridan, WY | Independent (silent)[39] |