Block Communications
Block Communications (also known as Blade Communications) is an American privately held holding company of various assets, mainly in the print and broadcast media, based in Toledo, Ohio. The company was founded in 1900 in New York City when Paul Block, a German-Jewish immigrant who came to the United States fifteen years prior, formed an ad representation firm for newspapers. Through the 1910s and 1920s, the Block empire grew to encompass many newspapers on the east coast of the US, however with the Great Depression in the 1930s came the loss of all but three properties: the ad representation firm, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and the Toledo Blade (where Block eventually settled the company upon its purchase in 1927). After Block's death in 1941, his sons took over the company and later his grandchildren (one of whom, Allan Block, is company chairman).
Company holdings
Newspapers
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, online-only)
- The Blade (Toledo, Ohio)
Television
- KTRV Nampa-Boise, Idaho (MyNetworkTV/This TV/MeTV)
- WAND Decatur, Illinois (NBC)
- WDRB Louisville, Kentucky (Fox/Antenna TV; operated by Block property Independence Television along with WMYO)
- WMYO Louisville, Kentucky (MyNetworkTV/Cozi TV)
- WBKI-TV Louisville, Kentucky (CW; owned by L.M. Communications, but operated by Block-owned WDRB/WMYO)
- WFND-LD Findlay, Ohio (Youtoo America/Daystar)
- WLIO Lima, Ohio (NBC)
On November 29, 2008, it was announced that Metro Video Productions, owners of Lima, Ohio low-powered network affiliates WOHL-CA (Fox/MyNetworkTV), WLQP-LP (ABC) and WLMO-LP (CBS), would sell these stations to West Central Ohio Broadcasting, Inc.; one of the company's heads, Allan J. Block, is the chairman of Block Communications, owner of WLIO.[1] Those three stations have since consolidated at WLIO's studios and carry simulcasts of the station's newscasts, with WCOB holding the license interests of the stations.[2]
Cable Systems
- Buckeye CableSystem, Inc. http://www.buckeyecablesystem.com (systems in Toledo, Ohio and Sandusky, Ohio, latter officially known as Erie County Cablevision)
- Buckeye Express (High Speed Internet) http://www.buckeye-express.com
- Buckeye Access (Dial up Internet) http://www.buckeye-access.com
Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC)
- Buckeye TeleSystem, Inc. http://www.buckeyetelesystem.com
Cable Television Networks
- Buckeye Cable Sports Network
- HF100 Toledo, Ohio HomeFinder Channel 100 cable; (Operated by Block property Buckeye Cablevision)
Non-Media Holdings
- Metro Fiber & Cable Construction Company (a Toledo-based contractor of fiber optic installation)
Formerly owned
- WIIC-TV, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (founded by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; now Cox Enterprises-owned WPXI)
- WWSW radio, Pittsburgh (also founded by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; now iHeartMedia-owned WBGG)
- WLFI-TV, Lafayette, Indiana (sold to LIN TV Corporation; now owned by Media General)
- Corporate Protection Services (Sold to Guardian Alarm Co. of Toledo [3] which later was sold to Asset Protection Services, Toledo, Ohio)
- The Monterey County Herald, traded to Scripps in exchange for the Pittsburgh Press; now owned by Digital First Media
- Toledo 5, Toledo, Ohio (CW cable; was operated by Block property Buckeye Cablevision; programming then went to the second sub-channel of WTVG)
