Bonten Media Group

Bonten Media Group, LLC
Company typePrivate
Limited liability company
IndustryBroadcast Television
Predecessor14 stations from Bluestone Television
FoundedNovember 2006 (2006-11)
FoundersRandall D. Bongarten
Diamond Castle Holdings
DefunctSeptember 1, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-09-01)
FateAcquired by Sinclair
SuccessorSinclair Broadcast Group
HeadquartersEmpire State Building,
New York, New York
,
USA
ParentDiamond Castle Holdings

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 (who would later form Newport Television) on May 31, 2007.[1][2] Bluestone had acquired the same stations from Lamco Communications in 2004.[3] On January 1, 2008, Bonten entered into an agreement with Esteem Broadcasting to provide services to the Fox affiliates (WFXI/WYDO) 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.[4] The sale was approved on June 30,[5] and the sale was completed on September 1.[6][7][8][9]

  1. ^ DiPasquale moving Wichita business to Kansas City, Wichita Business Journal, August 3, 2007, Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  2. ^ BlueStone Television to Acquire Lamco Communications, BusinessWire.com, January 14, 2014, Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  3. ^ Former KWCH owner buys 12 stations, makes Wichita base, Wichita Business Journal, January 25, 2004, Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  4. ^ "Sinclair Buying Bonten Stations For $240M". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  5. ^ FCC Approves Sinclair-Bonten Deal, Broadcasting & Cable, June 30, 2017, Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  6. ^ Sinclair Closes On Acquisition Of Bonten Media Group Holdings, Inc., Sinclair Broadcast Group, September 5, 2017, Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  7. ^ Consummation Notice, CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  8. ^ Consummation Notice, CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved September 6, 2017.
  9. ^ Consummation Notice, CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved September 6, 2017.