Johnson Broadcasting

Johnson Broadcasting, Inc. was a privately owned American television broadcasting company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company was founded, owned, and operated by Douglas R. Johnson and focused on the ownership and operation of local television stations rather than on a consumer-facing product portfolio. Its broadcasting activities included stations serving major Texas markets, notably KLDT and KNWS, whose later call-sign identities became KAZD and KYAZ after their sale to Una Vez Más Holdings. The company became publicly significant because of its financial difficulties during the late 2000s. On October 16, 2008, Douglas R. Johnson and Johnson Broadcasting filed voluntary petitions for protection under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The company continued operating as a debtor in possession, allowing its television stations to remain on the air while the bankruptcy process proceeded. This arrangement preserved the stations' operations but placed the company's future ownership under court and regulatory scrutiny. In October 2009, a possible sale of KLDT and KNWS to Una Vez Más Holdings, LLC, was announced. The bankruptcy court approved the transaction on December 29, 2009. The Federal Communications Commission later approved the transfer on September 27, 2010, after rejecting a petition to deny submitted by Spanish Broadcasting System. Following the transaction, KLDT and KNWS changed their call letters to KAZD and KYAZ, respectively. These transactions effectively transferred the stations out of Johnson Broadcasting's ownership and marked the practical end of the company's role as an operating television-station group. The stations subsequently passed through several owners and operating identities. Una Vez Más's television assets were sold to Northstar Media, LLC, in 2014. HC2 Holdings acquired Northstar Media, together with Azteca América, on November 29, 2017, making KAZD and KYAZ Azteca América owned-and-operated stations. On October 28, 2020, an HC2 Holdings unit agreed to sell the stations to Weigel Broadcasting; the transaction closed on December 29, 2020. Weigel converted the stations to MeTV owned-and-operated stations on March 29, 2021, while the stations continued to carry Azteca América on their third digital subchannels. KAZD later moved MeTV to its second digital subchannel and began simulcasting Spectrum News 1 on its primary digital channel on July 15, 2022. Because the available reference material centers on the bankruptcy and divestiture of its stations, Johnson Broadcasting is best understood as a historical television-station ownership company rather than an active national media brand. No current corporate website, public listing, independently reported product portfolio, or continuing operating business is identified in the supplied sources.

Johnson Broadcasting, Inc. was a privately held television broadcasting company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded and controlled by Douglas R. Johnson, who also operated the business. The company was not a national consumer brand; its activities centered on the ownership and operation of local broadcast television stations. The company's best-documented stations included KLDT and KNWS. Both were involved in the company's financial restructuring during the late 2000s. On October 16, 2008, Johnson Broadcasting and Douglas R. Johnson filed voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy petitions. Rather than immediately ceasing operations, the company continued running its stations as a debtor in possession. This allowed the stations to remain on the air while a sale or other restructuring plan was considered. In October 2009, a proposed sale of KLDT and KNWS to Una Vez Más Holdings, LLC, was reported. The bankruptcy court approved the sale on December 29, 2009. Because broadcast-station transfers require federal regulatory approval, the transaction also required review by the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC approved the transfer on September 27, 2010, after rejecting a petition to deny submitted by Spanish Broadcasting System. Following completion of the transaction, KLDT was assigned the call sign KAZD and KNWS became KYAZ. The later ownership history of the stations demonstrates that Johnson Broadcasting no longer controlled them after the Una Vez Más transaction. Una Vez Más sold its television assets to Northstar Media, LLC, in 2014. HC2 Holdings acquired Northstar Media and Azteca América on November 29, 2017, placing KAZD and KYAZ within an Azteca América owned-and-operated station group. On October 28, 2020, an HC2 Holdings unit agreed to sell the two stations to Weigel Broadcasting. The transaction closed on December 29, 2020. Weigel converted both stations to MeTV owned-and-operated stations on March 29, 2021, although both continued to carry Azteca América on their third digital subchannels. KAZD subsequently moved MeTV to its second digital subchannel and began simulcasting Spectrum News 1 on its primary digital channel on July 15, 2022. The available historical record does not identify a separate successor company continuing under the Johnson Broadcasting name, nor does it provide a current website, public-market listing, or detailed corporate structure. Accordingly, Johnson Broadcasting is treated as a defunct or no-longer-operating station owner whose principal legacy is connected with the former ownership of KLDT and KNWS and their transition through bankruptcy, regulatory approval, and subsequent ownership changes.

• 2010

  FCC approves transfer and stations change call signs

  [1]Johnson Broadcastingen.wikipedia.org

  The FCC approved the transfer on September 27, 2010. KLDT and KNWS subsequently became KAZD and KYAZ.

• 2009

  Proposed station sale

  [1]Johnson Broadcastingen.wikipedia.org

  A proposed sale of KLDT and KNWS to Una Vez Más Holdings was announced during the bankruptcy process.

• 2009

  Bankruptcy court approves station transaction

  [1]Johnson Broadcastingen.wikipedia.org

  The bankruptcy court approved the sale of KLDT and KNWS to Una Vez Más Holdings on December 29, 2009.

• 2008

  Chapter 11 filing

  [1]Johnson Broadcastingen.wikipedia.org

  Johnson Broadcasting and Douglas R. Johnson filed voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy petitions on October 16, 2008.

A privately owned local television broadcasting company focused on operating and owning stations in Texas markets.

• Television station

  KLDT

  KLDT was one of Johnson Broadcasting's principal television stations. It was transferred to Una Vez Más Holdings through the company's bankruptcy-related station sale and later adopted the call sign KAZD. The station subsequently passed through Northstar Media, HC2 Holdings, and Weigel Broadcasting, with later programming affiliations including Azteca América and MeTV.

• Television station

  KNWS

  KNWS was a television station formerly owned by Johnson Broadcasting. It was included with KLDT in the sale to Una Vez Más Holdings approved during Johnson Broadcasting's Chapter 11 proceedings. After the transaction received FCC approval, KNWS changed its call sign to KYAZ and later followed the station group through subsequent ownership changes.

• 2009

  Sale of KLDT and KNWS to Una Vez MásM&A

  Background

  The proposed station sale was part of the company's bankruptcy resolution and required approval from both the bankruptcy court and the FCC.

  Action taken

  The bankruptcy court approved the sale on December 29, 2009; the FCC later approved the transfer on September 27, 2010.

  Aftermath

  The stations left Johnson Broadcasting's ownership and changed their call signs to KAZD and KYAZ.

  • Spanish Broadcasting System — Spanish Broadcasting System filed a petition to deny the transfer; the FCC rejected the petition.

  Source

• 2008

  Voluntary Chapter 11 restructuringOther

  Background

  The company and Douglas R. Johnson entered Chapter 11 proceedings amid financial difficulties, while the stations continued broadcasting under debtor-in-possession management.

  Action taken

  Johnson Broadcasting filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions on October 16, 2008 and continued operating its stations during the restructuring.

  Aftermath

  The bankruptcy process led to the court-approved sale of KLDT and KNWS and the eventual transfer of the stations out of Johnson Broadcasting's ownership.

  Source

1. 1Johnson Broadcastingen.wikipedia.org