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'{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}} {{Short description|American television station group (1991–2001)}} {{More citations needed|date=February 2013}} {{Infobox company | name = Paramount Stations Group, Inc. | logo = Paramount Stations Group logo.jpg | logo_size = 250px | type = [[Division (business)|Division]] | fate = Folded into the Viacom Television Stations Group in 2001 (later renamed [[CBS Television Stations]] in 2006) | successor = [[CBS News and Stations]] | founded = {{start date and age|1991}} | defunct = {{end date and age|2001}} | hq_location_city = [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]], [[California]] | hq_location_country = US | industry = [[Television]] | owner = | parent = {{ubl|[[Paramount Pictures]]/[[Paramount Communications]] (1991–1995)|[[Viacom (1952–2006)|Viacom]] (1995–2001)}} | predecessor = [[TVX Broadcast Group]] }} '''Paramount Stations Group, Inc.''' (sometimes abbreviated as PSG) was a company that controlled a group of American broadcast television stations. The company existed from 1991 until 2001. ==History== [[Paramount Communications]], the then-parent company of [[Paramount Pictures]], formed the Paramount Stations Group in 1991 after buying out the remaining stake in [[TVX Broadcast Group]] that it did not already own.<ref>{{cite web|title=Paramount acquires TVX group |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/91-OCR/BC-1991-03-04-OCR-Page-0057.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting |page=57 |date=March 4, 1991 |access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Paramount acquires TVX group |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/91-OCR/BC-1991-03-04-OCR-Page-0061.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting |page=61 |date=March 4, 1991 |access-date=January 12, 2019}}</ref> At the time of the transition in 1991, the group consisted of six outlets: [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] affiliates KRRT (now [[KMYS]]) in the [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]] area, [[WLFL|WLFL-TV]] in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], and [[WTXF-TV]] in [[Philadelphia]]; and [[independent station]]s [[KTXA]] in [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]], [[KTXH]] in [[Houston]], and [[WDCA]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] Shortly thereafter, the group began its expansion with its purchase of then-Fox affiliate [[WKBD-TV]] in [[Detroit]] from [[Cox Media Group|Cox Enterprises]] in 1993.<ref>{{cite news|last=Foisie|first=Geoffrey|title=Paramount buys WKBD-TV.|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/93-OCR/BC-1993-06-21-OCR-Page-0012.pdf|periodical=Broadcasting and Cable|page=12|date=June 21, 1993|access-date=January 19, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Detroit Station To Paramount|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/17/business/the-media-business-detroit-station-to-paramount.html|access-date=February 3, 2013|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 17, 1993}}</ref> The [[Viacom (1952–2006)|original incarnation of Viacom]] purchased Paramount in 1993, with the deal closing in March 1994; Viacom's existing group of [[CBS]]- and [[NBC]]-affiliated stations continued to be run separately from the Paramount stations until December 1995, when they were folded into PSG.<ref name="v-viacompsg">{{cite news |last1=Flint |first1=Joe |title=Viacom Group Merged Under Par's Cassara |url=https://variety.com/1995/tv/features/viacom-group-merged-under-par-s-cassara-99123610/ |access-date=March 5, 2023 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=December 18, 1995}}</ref> Viacom also included its part-time LMA with [[WVIT]], that of [[WCCT-TV|WTXX]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Lender|first=Jon|date=June 11, 1993|title=WVIT Leases Time on WTXX as WTIC Protests|work=[[Hartford Courant]]|url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1993-06-11-0000100900-story.html|access-date=October 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809115415/https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1993-06-11-0000100900-story.html|archive-date=August 9, 2020}}</ref> Shortly afterward, Viacom entered into a joint venture with [[Chris-Craft Industries]], which owned several television stations as part of its United Television subsidiary, to launch the [[UPN|United Paramount Network]] (UPN). Four of PSG's original six stations, along with several acquisitions such as [[WSBK-TV]] in [[Boston]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Changing hands. |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/95-OCR/BC-1995-01-02-OCR-Page-0046.pdf |periodical=Broadcasting and Cable |page=46 |date=January 2, 1995 |access-date=January 19, 2019}}</ref> and WTXX in [[Waterbury, Connecticut|Waterbury]], which Viacom operated through a LMA with WVIT,<ref name=":0" /> became charter affiliates of the network when UPN launched in January 1995. PSG sold off three of its original six stations as well; WLFL, KRRT, and WTXF were sold to other companies, with the latter becoming a Fox-owned station. To make up for the loss of its Philadelphia-owned station, PSG acquired Philadelphia independent station WGBS-TV and its call letters were changed to [[WPSG-TV]], and the UPN affiliation was moved there. The company eventually divested itself of the CBS and NBC stations it held and purchased more UPN affiliates as the 1990s continued. Airing since 1992 in Sweden and other European countries, 4 of the group's independent stations began in late December 1993 testing ''Video Games Challenge'', interactive via the phone game show produced by Invisible Cities of Los Angeles and Big Band Productions of Sweden.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Freeman|first1=Mike|title=Games afoot at Paramount|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-14677328.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503133705/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-14677328.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 3, 2016|access-date=February 17, 2016|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=January 3, 1994}}</ref> In February 2000, Paramount Stations Group and [[ACME Communications]] reached an agreement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2000/biz/news/sharing-the-wealth-1117776652/|title = Sharing the wealth|date = February 23, 2000}}</ref> In 2000, PSG acquired Chris-Craft's stake in UPN, shortly thereafter, Chris-Craft exited broadcasting and sold most of its stations to [[News Corporation]]'s [[Fox Television Stations]] unit. PSG was folded the next year after Viacom completed its merger with CBS. The remaining PSG stations were merged with the CBS owned-and-operated stations to form the '''Viacom Television Stations Group'''. Today, that group is called '''[[CBS News and Stations]]'''. == Stations == Stations are arranged alphabetically by state and by [[city of license|community of license]]. {| class="wikitable" |- ! scope="col" | [[City of license]] / [[Media market|Market]] ! scope="col" | Station ! scope="col" | Channel ! scope="col" | Years owned ! scope="col" | Current status |- | [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]]–[[Stockton, California|Stockton]]–[[Modesto, California|Modesto, CA]] ! [[KMAX-TV]] | 31 || 1998–2001 || [[Independent station|Independent]] owned by [[Paramount Global]] |- | rowspan="2" | [[New Britain, Connecticut|New Britain]]–[[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]]–[[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven, CT]] ! [[WVIT]] | 30 || 1995–1997{{efn|name=ViaThe1st}} || [[NBC]] owned-and-operated ([[Owned-and-operated station|O&O]]) |- ! WTXX | 20 || 1995–1997{{efn|WTXX was owned by Counterpoint Communications, but Viacom operated the station through a part-time [[local marketing agreement]].}} ||[[The CW]] affiliate [[WCCT-TV|WCCT]], owned by [[Tegna Inc.]] |- | [[Washington, D.C.]] ! [[WDCA]] | 20 || 1991–2001 || [[MyNetworkTV]] affiliate owned by [[Fox Television Stations]] |- | [[Fort Pierce, Florida|Fort Pierce]]–[[West Palm Beach, Florida|West Palm Beach, FL]] ! [[WTVX]] | 34 || {{nowrap|1997–2001{{efn|name=Straighline}}}} || The CW affiliate owned by [[Sinclair Broadcast Group]] |- | [[Miami]]–[[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale, FL]] ! [[WBFS-TV]] | 33 || 1995–2001 || Independent owned by Paramount Global |- | [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]]–[[Tampa, Florida|Tampa, FL]] ! [[WTOG]] | 44 || 1996–2001 || Independent owned by Paramount Global |- | [[Atlanta|Atlanta, GA]] ! [[WUPA]] | 69 || 1995–2001 || Independent owned by Paramount Global |- | [[Marion, Indiana|Marion]]–[[Indianapolis|Indianapolis, IN]] ! [[WNDY-TV]] | 23 || 1998–2001 || MyNetworkTV affiliate owned by [[Bayou City Broadcasting|Circle City Broadcasting]] |- | [[Hutchinson, Kansas|Hutchinson]]–[[Wichita, Kansas|Wichita, KS]] ! KSCC | 36 || 2001{{efn|KSCC was the only station founded by Viacom. However, Viacom never held control of the station as it was [[Local marketing agreement|LMA'd]] to [[iHeartMedia|Clear Channel Communications]] before it signed on for the first time.}} || MyNetworkTV affiliate [[KMTW]], owned by Mercury Broadcasting Co.{{efn|Operated under [[local marketing agreement|LMA]] by Sinclair Broadcast Group.}} |- | [[Slidell, Louisiana|Slidell]]–[[New Orleans|New Orleans, LA]] ! [[WUPL]] | 54 || 1997–2001 || MyNetworkTV affiliate owned by Tegna Inc. |- | [[Boston|Boston, MA]] ! [[WSBK-TV]] | 38 || 1995–2001 || Independent owned by Paramount Global |- | [[New Bedford, Massachusetts|New Bedford, MA]]–[[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence, RI]] ! [[WLWC]] | 28 || 1997–2001{{efn|name=Straighline}} || [[Court TV]] affiliate owned by Inyo Broadcast Holdings |- | [[Detroit|Detroit, MI]] ! {{nowrap|[[WKBD-TV]]}} | 50 || 1993–2001 || Independent owned by Paramount Global |- | [[St. Louis|St. Louis, MO]] ! [[KMOV]] | 4 || 1995–1997{{efn|name=ViaThe1st}} || CBS affiliate owned by Gray Television |- | [[Albany, New York|Albany]]–[[Schenectady, New York|Schenectady]]–[[Troy, New York|Troy, NY]] ! [[WNYT (TV)|WNYT]] | 13 || 1995–1996{{efn|name=ViaThe1st}} || NBC affiliate owned by [[Hubbard Broadcasting]] |- | [[Rochester, New York|Rochester, NY]] ! [[WHEC-TV]] | 10 || 1995–1996{{efn|name=ViaThe1st}} || NBC affiliate owned by Hubbard Broadcasting |- | [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]–[[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]]–[[Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville, NC]] ! [[WLFL|WLFL-TV]] | 22 || 1991–1994 || The CW affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group |- | [[Chillicothe, Ohio|Chillicothe]]–[[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus, OH]] ! [[WWHO]] | 53 || 1997–2001 || The CW affiliate owned by Manhan Media, Inc.{{efn|name=SinclairSSA}} |- | [[Oklahoma City|Oklahoma City, OK]] ! [[KAUT-TV]] | 43 || 1998–2001 || The CW affiliate owned by [[Nexstar Media Group]] |- | [[Jeannette, Pennsylvania|Jeannette]]–[[Pittsburgh|Pittsburgh, PA]] ! WNPA-TV | 19 || 1998–2001 || Independent [[WPKD]], owned by Paramount Global |- | rowspan="2" | [[Philadelphia|Philadelphia, PA]] ! [[WTXF-TV]] | 29 || 1991–1995 || [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] owned-and-operated (O&O) |- ! [[WPSG]] | 57 || 1995–2001 || Independent owned by Paramount Global |- | [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]]–[[Dallas|Dallas, TX]] ! [[KTXA]] | 21 || 1991–2001 || Independent owned by Paramount Global |- | [[Houston|Houston, TX]] ! [[KTXH]] | 20 || 1991–2001 || MyNetworkTV affiliate owned by Fox Television Stations |- | [[Kerrville, Texas|Kerrville]]–[[San Antonio|San Antonio, TX]] ! KRRT | 35 || 1991–1995 || [[Dabl]] affiliate [[KMYS]], owned by [[Deerfield Media]]{{efn|name=SinclairSSA}} |- | [[Portsmouth, Virginia|Portsmouth]]–[[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]]–[[Newport News, Virginia|Newport News, VA]] ! [[WGNT]] | 27 || 1997–2001 || The CW affiliate owned by the [[E. W. Scripps Company]] |- | rowspan="2" | [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]]–[[Seattle|Seattle, WA]] ! [[KSTW]] | 11 || 1997–2001 || Independent owned by Paramount Global |- ! [[KIRO-TV]] | 7 || 1997 || CBS affiliate owned by [[Cox Media Group]] |} :''This list does not include [[KTLA]] in [[Los Angeles]], [[WTTG]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], WBKB-TV (now [[WBBM-TV]]) in [[Chicago]], [[KCTY (defunct)|KCTY]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], WABD-TV (now [[WNYW]]) in [[New York City]] and WDTV (now [[KDKA-TV]]) in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]]. These stations were owned at least in part by Paramount Pictures decades before the formation of the Paramount Stations Group.'' === Notes === {{notelist|notes= {{efn|name=ViaThe1st|These stations were owned by Viacom prior to its purchase of Paramount Communications (the parent company of Paramount Pictures and the Paramount Stations Group, and was formerly known as [[Gulf and Western Industries|Gulf+Western]]) in 1994; they were not part of PSG prior to December 1995.}} {{efn|name=SinclairSSA|Operated through SSA by Sinclair Broadcast Group.}} {{efn|name=Straighline|WTVX and WLWC were owned by Straightline Communications but operated by Viacom through [[local marketing agreement]]s from 1997 to 2001. Viacom acquired the stations outright in 2001, more than one year after it completed its acquisition of CBS.}} }} == References == {{Reflist}} {{Paramount Global}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Defunct television broadcasting companies of the United States]] [[Category:Paramount Pictures]] [[Category:UPN]] [[Category:Paramount Stations Group]] [[Category:Paramount Global subsidiaries]] [[Category:American companies established in 1991]] [[Category:Mass media companies established in 1991]] [[Category:Mass media companies disestablished in 2001]]'