The Marks Group

The Marks Group is a Maryland-based operator of radio and television stations in small markets in the United States. Founded by Stephen A. Marks (1950–2022), the company holds 14 radio stations and five television properties.

History

Marks entered the broadcast ownership business in 1983 when he acquired 51 percent of Thunder Bay Broadcasting, which owned WBKB-TV, the only television station in Alpena, Michigan. Marks, a native of Maryland, had previously worked as a copywriter at WINX in Rockville, Maryland, before being employed by the Mutual Broadcasting System.^[1]

Marks acquired KXGN radio and television in Glendive, Montana, in 1990. KXGN-TV, like WBKB-TV in Alpena, was the only TV station in its town, a fact Marks liked as it could then command all television advertising revenue in the market.^[2][3] This transaction, as well as the purchase of Glendive FM station KDZN in 1995, required waivers on account of the financial condition of the small-market stations.^[4] Further Montana broadcast properties were added with the 1995 purchase of KYUS-TV in Miles City^[5] and the 1996 acquisition of KIKC-AM-FM in Forsyth.^[6]

In 2003 Marks acquired WBKP and WBUP, together serving the Marquette, Michigan, television market.^[7] Added in 2015 were four stations owned by Heartland Communications in Iron River, Michigan, and Park Falls, Wisconsin.^[8]

Stephen Marks died on May 11, 2022, at the age of 72.^[1][9] His widow Mary and family began selling the broadcast properties in 2023. GSB Broadcasting acquired WOWZ-FM in Accomac, Virginia, which it already was programming, in April,^[10] while the Park Falls stations went to Civic Media in a deal announced in June.^[11] In September, Morgan Murphy Media acquired the Michigan broadcasting properties—WBKB-TV, WBKP, WBUP, and the Houghton and Iron River radio stations—for $13.375 million.^[12] The Montana and North Dakota radio stations were sold to Andrew Sturlaugson's P&A Media for $850,000 in February 2024,^[13] leaving only KXGN-TV and KYUS-TV in the Marks Group; Sturlaugson had been the operations manager for the Glendive stations.^[14]

In July 2025, the Marks Group announced that they would sell their last two stations to Montana State University (who own Montana PBS) for $375,000;^[15] the remainder of KXGN-TV and KYUS-TV's value will be credited as a donation.^[16]

Stations

At the time of Marks's death in 2022, the company owned these stations:

Currently owned

Television

• KXGN-TV channel 5, Glendive, Montana (CBS/MTN)
• KYUS-TV channel 3, Miles City, Montana (NBC, rebroadcasts Billings' KULR-TV, a station owned by Cowles Company)

Formerly owned

Television

• WBKB-TV channel 11, Alpena, Michigan (CBS on 11.1; NBC on 11.2; ABC on 11.3; Fox on 11.4; sold to Morgan Murphy Media in September 2023)
• WBKP channel 5, Calumet/Marquette, Michigan (The CW; sold to Morgan Murphy Media in September 2023)
• WBUP channel 10, Ishpeming/Marquette, Michigan (ABC; sold to Morgan Murphy Media in September 2023)

Radio

Michigan

(All sold to Morgan Murphy Media in September 2023)

• WCCY 1400 AM - Houghton
• WFER 1230 AM - Iron River
• WHKB 102.3 FM - Houghton
• WIKB-FM 99.1 FM - Iron River
• WOLV 97.7 FM - Houghton

Montana

(All sold to P&A Media in February 2024)

• KDZN 96.5 FM - Glendive
• KGCX 93.1 FM - Sidney
• KIKC 1250 AM - Forsyth
• KIKC-FM 101.3 FM - Forsyth
• KMTA 1050 AM - Miles City
• KXGN 1400 AM - Glendive
• KYUS-FM 92.3 FM - Miles City

North Dakota

(All sold to P&A Media in February 2024)

• KDSR 101.1 FM - Williston
• KXDI 93.9 FM - Belfield
• KXWI 98.5 FM - Williston

Virginia

• WOWZ-FM 99.3 FM - Accomac (Time brokered to GSB Media; sold to GSB in April 2023)

Wisconsin

(All sold to Civic Media in June 2023)

• WCQM 98.3 FM - Park Falls
• WPFP 980 AM - Park Falls