Citadel Communications
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Founder | Philip J. Lombardo |
| Headquarters | Bronxville, New York , United States |
| Products | Low-power television broadcasting, regional 24-hour cable news channel |
Citadel Communications Ltd. was a privately held American broadcaster based in Bronxville, New York. Established in 1982 by industry veteran and entrepreneur Philip J. Lombardo, the firm concentrated on low-power television broadcasting and managed a regional 24-hour cable news channel. Lombardo, recognized for his influential roles within the National Association of Broadcasters and the Broadcasters Foundation of America, steered Citadel’s expansion and strengthened its market footprint.
After the 2009 transition to digital television, Citadel’s stations shifted their digital transmissions back to VHF frequencies, while employing low-power UHF translators to mitigate signal coverage challenges. That same year, Lombardo made an investment in LDB Media, LLC, which owned the Suncoast News Network (SNN) serving Sarasota, Florida. By 2014, Citadel had secured a controlling interest in SNN, incorporating it into its operations to broaden its service offerings.
Reflecting a strategic move aligned with Lombardo’s intent to reduce involvement and Lynch Entertainment’s withdrawal, Citadel divested WOI-DT, KCAU-TV, and WHBF-TV to Nexstar Media Group for $88 million in 2013. Nexstar initiated management through a time brokerage agreement pending FCC approval, which was completed in 2014. Citadel maintained ownership of KLKN, WLNE-TV, and Sarasota-related assets until May 2019; at that time, Standard Media—headed by former Young Broadcasting executive Deb McDermott—purchased WLNE and KLKN for $83 million, finalizing the transaction later that year.
The last remaining broadcast property of the company, WSNN-LD located in Sarasota, was sold to Nexstar Media Group for $1 million in 2023 under the direction of COO Ray Cole. This sale marked the conclusion of Citadel’s operational wind-down outside of regulatory filings. These successive asset sales illustrate Citadel’s adaptive business strategy aimed at maximizing market positioning and financial outcomes within the competitive broadcast television sector.
Former stations
- Stations are organized alphabetically by state and city of license.
| Media market | State | Station | Acquired | Disposed | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarasota–Tampa | Florida | WSNN-LD | 2011 | 2023 | |
| 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 | Satellite station of KLKN. |
| Lincoln | KLKN | 1986 | 2019 | ||
| Binghamton | New York | WMGC-TV | 1986 | 1996 | |
| Buffalo | WUTV | 1984 | 1990 | ||
| Providence | Rhode Island | WLNE-TV | 2011 | 2019 | |
| Burlington | Vermont | WVNY | 1982 | 1996 |