| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcast Television Television Production |
| Founded | 1982; 43 years ago (1982) |
| Defunct | 2023 (2023) |
| Fate | Last remaining station sold toNexstar Media Group |
| Headquarters | Bronxville, New York |
Area served |  United States (Southeast) |
Key people | Philip J. Lombardo (founder/CEO) Ray Cole (president/COO) Jeffrey Lombardo (vice president) |
| Products | Broadcast television |
| Website | www.citadelltd.com |
Citadel Communications Ltd. was an American private broadcasting company. It was based inBronxville, New York and most recently owned 1low-power television station on which it operated a regional24-hourcable news channel. The company was founded in 1982 by formerNational Association of Broadcasters joint board chairman and current Broadcasters Foundation of America chairman Phil Lombardo.[1]
Upon completion of theDigital TV transition in2009, Citadel's stations at that time returned their digital broadcasts to their former analog channel assignments in theVHF spectrum. As a result of poor propagation characteristics for digital TV in the VHF bands, these stations now operate low-power digital fill-intranslators in theUHF band to improve coverage in theircommunities of license. See the digital TV section on theWHBF-TV entry for further information on the Citadel stations' post-transition digital signals.
In February 2009, Phil Lombardo became an investing partner in LDB Media, LLC., owners of theSuncoast News Network, a regional cable news channel inSarasota, Florida.[2] In January 2014, Lombardo and Citadel purchased a majority interest in the company.[3] As a result, Citadel took over broadcast operations of SNN and integrated the channel with its other stations.
On September 16, 2013, Citadel announced that it would sellWOI-DT,KCAU-TV, andWHBF-TV to theNexstar Broadcasting Group for $88 million. Nexstar immediately took over the stations' operations through atime brokerage agreement.[4] The deal followed Phil Lombardo's decision to "slow down," as well as a desire by Lynch Entertainment to divest its investments in WOI and WHBF. Citadel continued to ownKLKN,WLNE-TV, and its Sarasota properties.[5] On March 5, 2014, theFederal Communications Commission approved the sale of these stations to Nexstar outright and the deal was completed on March 13.
On May 16, 2019, it was announced thatStandard Media, led by formerYoung Broadcasting andMedia General executive Deb McDermott, would acquire Citadel's WLNE and KLKN for $83 million.[6] The sale was completed on September 5.[7][8]
On May 19, 2023, Citadel Communications COO Ray Cole announced that WSNN-LD would be sold toNexstar Media Group (owner of localNBC affiliateWFLA-TV andMyNetworkTV affiliate (nowCWO&O)WTTA in theTampa Bay Area) for $1 million.[9][10] The sale was completed on July 20, completing the wind-down of its operations outside remaining SEC and IRS disclosures.[11]
| Media market | State | Station | Purchased | Sold | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarasota–Tampa | Florida | WSNN-LD | 2011 | 2023 | [11][12] |
| Rock Island | Illinois | WHBF-TV | 1987 | 2014 | |
| Ames–Des Moines | Iowa | WOI-DT | 1994 | 2014 | |
| Sioux City | KCAU-TV | 1985 | 2014 | ||
| Albion | Nebraska | KLKE | 1996 | 2003 | [a] |
| Lincoln | KLKN | 1986 | 2019 | ||
| Binghamton | New York | WMGC-TV | 1986 | 1996 | |
| Buffalo | WUTV | 1984 | 1990 | ||
| Providence | Rhode Island | WLNE-TV | 2011 | 2019 | [13] |
| Burlington | Vermont | WVNY | 1982 | 1996 |