Media entrepreneur Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group said it has purchased Honolulu, Hawaii television station KITV from SJL Broadcasting for $30 million.
The station, KITV-ABC 4, also rebroadcasts its programming outside of metropolitan Honolulu — including KHVO-ABC 13 in Hilo and KMAU-ABC 12 in Wailuku — to cover all of the Hawaiian islands.
With this deal, Allen Media now has 16 TV stations affiliated with a Big-Four network in 12 markets. Also included in the KITV deal is carriage of 4 digital cable networks: MeTV, Hawaii TV, Start TV, and Heroes & Icons, as well as a Washington, D.C.-based news bureau and correspondent.
Allen Media purchased its first stations -- Bayou City Broadcasting, which owned four broadcast properties in Evansville, Indiana and Lafayette, Louisiana -- for $165 million in July 2019. That deal was followed by the purchase of 11 broadcast properties from USA Television Holdings and USA Television Mid-America Holdings in February 2020 for $305 million. In August 2019, Allen was a minority partner with Sinclair Broadcast Group in its purchase of 21 regional sports networks from The Walt Disney Co.
"Over the past year we've invested over $500 million to acquire best-in-class, top-tier, broadcast network affiliates," Allen said in a press release. "We plan to invest approximately ten billion dollars to acquire more ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox television stations over the next two years with the goal of being the largest broadcast television group in America."
SJL Broadcasting is a privately owned broadcasting company owned and operated by brothers Brian Lilly and Kevin Lilly.
"SJL is proud of the commitment of our KITV family to serve the Hawaiian community," said SJL Broadcasting CEO, Brian Lilly in a press release. "Allen Media Group recognizes the investment in news and will build on our success."
