The Marks Group is a Maryland-based operator of radio and television stations in small markets in the United States. Founded by Stephen A. Marks (1950–2022), the company holds 14 radio stations and five television properties.
History
Marks entered the broadcast ownership business in 1983 when he acquired 51 percent of Thunder Bay Broadcasting, which owned WBKB-TV, the only television station in Alpena, Michigan. Marks, a native of Maryland, had previously worked as a copywriter at WINX in Rockville, Maryland, before being employed by the Mutual Broadcasting System.[1]
Marks acquired KXGN radio and television in Glendive, Montana, in 1990. KXGN-TV, like WBKB-TV in Alpena, was the only TV station in its town, a fact Marks liked as it could then command all television advertising revenue in the market.[2][3] This transaction, as well as the purchase of Glendive FM station KDZN in 1995, required waivers on account of the financial condition of the small-market stations.[4] Further Montana broadcast properties were added with the 1995 purchase of KYUS-TV in Miles City[5] and the 1996 acquisition of KIKC-AM-FM in Forsyth.[6]
Stephen Marks died on May 11, 2022, at the age of 72.[1][9] His widow Mary and family began selling the broadcast properties in 2023. GSB Broadcasting acquired WOWZ-FM in Accomac, Virginia, which it already was programming, in April,[10] while the Park Falls stations went to Civic Media in a deal announced in June.[11] In September, Morgan Murphy Media acquired the Michigan broadcasting properties—WBKB-TV, WBKP, WBUP, and the Houghton and Iron River radio stations—for $13.375 million.[12]
Stations
At the time of Marks's death in 2022, the company owned these stations:
