Landmark Media Enterprises - Former Properties

Former Properties

Landmark's predecessor, Norfolk Newspapers, first entered broadcasting in 1930, when it bought Virginia's oldest radio station, WTAR. It later added Virginia's second television station (and Hampton Roads' first), WTAR-TV (now WTKR) and an FM station (now WVKL). It acquired WFMY-TV in Greensboro as part of its purchase of the Greensboro papers in 1965. However, FCC crossownership rules forced Landmark to sell off WFMY in 1976 and WTAR-TV in 1981. Under the rule, Landmark could not own both a newspaper and a television station in those markets. Landmark also used to own a minority share of the Washingtonian Magazine, until its rights were traded to Eleanor Merrill, widow of publisher Philip Merrill, in a trade for full ownership of the Annapolis Capital newspaper.

In December, 2001, Landmark announced the closing of its wholly owned subsidiary, Church Impressions, LLC, based in Greenville, North Carolina, a publisher of church directories, portraits, and other print and web media products.

Landmark owned the hobby publisher Antique Trader Publications until its sale to Krause Publications in 1999.

Landmark owned Chicago magazine until it was sold to Primedia in 1995. In addition, Landmark was a former owner of KNTV in San Jose, California (now an NBC owned-and-operated station, serving the San Francisco Bay Area media market).

During Landmark's twelve-year ownership of the station (which lasted from 1978 to 1990), KNTV (affiliated with ABC and serving the Monterey / Salinas media market at the time) was its only station that was not an affiliate of the CBS network. Landmark also briefly owned WDBJ-TV in Roanoke, but was forced to sell it immediately due to FCC Restrictions.

On September 19, 2007, it was announced that Continental Broadband (CB), a Landmark Communications (Landmark Media Enterprises) company, sold its South Florida business unit, WebUnited, to Host.net, the leading provider of data center (colocation) and managed network services in Florida.

On May 15, 2009, it was announced that CB sold its Chicago business unit, ANET, to Cogent Communications, a global Internet service provider. On January 23, 2010, it was announced that CB sold its Richmond Business Unit, NET Telcos, to Cavalier Telephone, a full-service provider of telecommunications solutions.

On January 3, 2008, it was reported that the entire Landmark Communications company may be for sale.

Landmark's best-known media outlet was The Weather Channel based in Atlanta, Georgia. In early 2008 Landmark Communications announced it was exploring the option to sell all its holdings. Two separate investment banks, JPMorgan Chase and Lehman Brothers, were hired to help with the sale of The Weather Channel and the newspapers.

In July 2008, the company announced the $3.5 Billion sale of The Weather Channel properties, including its share of The Weather Network and MétéoMédia, to NBC Universal, and the private equity firms Blackstone Group and Bain Capital. Landmark and NBC Universal completed the sale on September 12, 2008. Additionally, on July 14, it was announced that WTVF in Nashville, Tennessee would be sold to Bonten Media Group.

In October 2008, the company announced that it was suspending the sale of most of its properties, citing the ongoing credit crisis, with the exception of The Virginian-Pilot newspaper.

In addition to The Weather Channel, Landmark sold the following weather properties:

• weather.com
• Weather Services International