The Taft Broadcasting Company, also known as Taft Television and Radio Company, Incorporated, was an American media conglomerate based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The company is rooted in the family of William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States. William Howard's half-brother, Peter Rawson Taft II, purchased the Cincinnati Times-Star newspaper in 1879; its later publishers included Peter's son Hulbert Taft Sr., and grandson Hulbert Taft Jr.
The company is notable for having been the owner of such major media and entertainment properties as Hanna-Barbera Productions, Worldvision Enterprises, Ruby-Spears Productions, KECO Entertainment and many television and radio stations. It also owned 50% of CIC Video's Australian operations, CIC-Taft Home Video.
The company went through a huge reorganization period starting in the late 1980s with its acquisition by Carl Lindner, Jr. to become Great American Broadcasting. Shortly after filing for bankruptcy in 1993, it became Citicasters and was in 1999, acquired by Clear Channel Communications. Taft — as Citicasters — is still incorporated as a holding company within Clear Channel.
Famous quotes containing the words taft and/or broadcasting:
“It does seem strange that the only place in the government which I would have liked to fill myself I am forced to give to another.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“We spend all day broadcasting on the radio and TV telling people back home what’s happening here. And we learn what’s happening here by spending all day monitoring the radio and TV broadcasts from back home.”
—P.J. (Patrick Jake)