Jump to content

Cowles Company

From Alfawiki
The Cowles Company
Company typePrivate
IndustryMedia conglomerate
Founded1894; 132 years ago (1894)
FounderWilliam H. Cowles
Headquarters
Spokane
,
United States
Area served
United States (primarily Spokane, Washington and Montana)
Key people
William Stacey Cowles (publisher), Elizabeth A. Cowles (chairwoman), Rob Curley (editor)
ProductsNewspapers, television broadcasting, manufacturing, real estate, insurance, marketing, financial services
OwnerCowles family
Websitewww.cowlescompany.com

The Cowles Company is a privately owned American media conglomerate based in Spokane, Washington. Established in 1894 by William H. Cowles, it operates The Spokesman-Review, Spokane’s primary newspaper, and was the proprietor of the Spokane Daily Chronicle until its discontinuation in 1992. The firm has diversified beyond publishing into manufacturing, television broadcasting, as well as real estate, insurance, marketing, and financial services sectors, embodying a comprehensive business strategy aimed at strengthening its regional market presence.

William Stacey Cowles, the current publisher of The Spokesman-Review and great-grandson of the founder, continues the family legacy as the fourth generation at the helm. His sister, Elizabeth A. Cowles, holds the position of chairwoman within the parent organization. Editorial responsibilities are overseen by editor Rob Curley.

History

At age 24, William H. Cowles arrived in Spokane to serve as business manager for the Spokesman, bringing experience from his role as a police reporter at the Chicago Tribune and connections through his father, treasurer Alfred Cowles Sr.. He eventually gained full ownership of the Spokesman, merged it with its competitor Review in 1893 to create The Spokesman-Review, and acquired the Spokane Chronicle in 1897.

Despite personal adversity—including reliance on an artificial leg—Cowles demonstrated astute leadership that secured dominance over Spokane’s newspaper market by emphasizing thorough local coverage and endorsing Republican viewpoints editorially. This strategy increased readership and regional sway, although its resistance to initiatives like the Grand Coulee Dam and New Deal programs attracted national scrutiny, including disapproval from President Harry Truman.

Upon William H. Cowles’s passing in 1946, control transitioned to William H. Cowles Jr., who entrusted more editorial authority to managing editor James Bracken. The family’s leadership continued with William H. Cowles III taking on publisher responsibilities later on.

The company’s historic Review Building—a ten-story Romanesque edifice completed in 1891—is emblematic of its enduring role in Spokane’s media landscape and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.

Television

Cowles’ television assets concentrate on two NBC-affiliated stations serving eastern Washington: its flagship KHQ-TV in Spokane—established by Cowles as Washington’s second television station—and KNDO in Yakima, along with its semi-satellite KNDU licensed to Richland serving the Tri-Cities area.

In 2007, Cowles announced plans to acquire two CBS affiliates from Newport Television for $41 million: KCOY-TV, covering Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo, and KION-TV in Monterey, California. KION also broadcasted The CW via a digital subchannel. The purchase included a management agreement for Fox affiliate KCBA (Salinas-Monterey-Santa Cruz) and acquisition of two low-power stations: Fox’s KKFX-CA in San Luis Obispo and Telemundo’s KMUV-LP in Monterey. This expansion extended Cowles’ reach into California’s Central Coast markets and diversified its portfolio of services. The transaction was completed in May 2008.

In September 2013, News-Press & Gazette Company acquired KION-TV, KMUV-LP, and KKFX-CA from Cowles; however, Cowles retained ownership of KCOY-TV under a shared services agreement to enhance operational efficiency. The Local Marketing Agreement concerning KCBA concluded in December 2013 when Entravision Communications took over its operations.

Also during 2013, Cowles purchased Max Media’s Montana television group for $18 million, broadening its national broadcasting footprint. This acquisition was finalized in November.

In October 2022, Cowles unified all station news broadcasts under the brand NonStop Local, positioning its channels as integrated multi-platform news providers to strengthen market influence and competitive positioning.

Current

(**) - denotes a station originally established and launched by Cowles.

Cowles Montana Media Company

City of license / Market Station Channel
TV (RF) 		Owned since Affiliation
Billings, MT KULR-TV 8 (11) 2013 NBC
Miles City, MT KYUS-TVTemplate:Efn-ua 3 (3) [lower-alpha 1] NBC
Butte, MT KWYB 18 (19) 2013
Bozeman, MT KWYB-LDTemplate:Efn-ua 18 (19) 2013
  • ABC
  • Fox (DT2)
Great Falls, MT KFBB-TV 5 (8) 2013
  • ABC
  • Fox (DT2)
Helena, MT KHBB-LDTemplate:Efn-ua 21 (21) 2013
  • ABC
  • Fox (DT2)
Missoula, MT KTMF 23 (23) 2013
  • ABC
  • Fox (DT2)
Kalispell, MT KTMF-LDTemplate:Efn-ua 42 (42) 2013
  • ABC
  • Fox (DT2)

KHQ, Incorporated

City of license / Market Station Channel
TV (RF) 		Owned since Affiliation
Spokane, WA KHQ-TV** 6 (15) 1952
Yakima, WA KNDO 23 (16) 1999
  • NBC
  • SWX (DT2)
Richland, WA KNDUTemplate:Efn-ua 25 (26) 1999
  • NBC
  • SWX (DT2)

Former

Market Station Channel Years owned Current status
(Monterey–Salinas), CA (KMUV-LP) 11 2008–2013 Telemundo affiliate currently owned by News-Press & Gazette Company
(KCBA) 35 2008–2013[lower-alpha 2] Fox affiliate now owned by Seal Rock Broadcasters; operated by Entravision Communications.
(KION-TV) 46 2008–2013 CBS affiliate under ownership of News-Press & Gazette Company
(Santa Barbara–Santa Maria–San Luis Obispo), CA (KCOY-TV) 12 2008–2015[lower-alpha 3] Telemundo affiliate owned by VistaWest Media; SSA with News-Press & Gazette.
KKFX-CA 24 2008–2013 Fox affiliate KKFX-CD owned by News-Press & Gazette Company

Other affiliations

Cowles family

The Cowles family from Spokane traces its lineage back to Elizabeth (1827–1910) and Sarah Hutchinson (1837–1884) of Cayuga County, New York, who married brothers Alfred Cowles Sr. and Edwin Cowles from Cleveland, Ohio. Edwin was the publisher of the Cleveland Leader, while Alfred held a one-third ownership in the Chicago Tribune.

Among prominent family members are feminist educator Betsy Mix Cowles, who was the paternal aunt of Alfred and Edwin, along with Edwin’s sons Alfred and Eugene, recognized for their pioneering work in electric arc smelting used in aluminum production. Alfred Cowles III, grandson of Alfred Sr., established the Cowles Commission for Research in Economics following the Great Depression.

The Spokane branch of the Cowles family is distantly connected to the Cowles families of Des Moines, Iowa and Minneapolis, Minnesota, proprietors of Cowles Media Company. Both branches descend from early New England settlers Hannah Bushoup and John Cowles dating back to the 17th century.

Alfred Cowles and Sarah Frances Hutchinson had four offspring: Edwin (born 1861), Alfred Jr. (1865–1939), Sarah Frances (1862–1920), and William Hutchinson (1866–1947). William became a leading newspaper publisher in Spokane, Washington, married Harriet Bowen Cheney, and is the grandfather of William H. Cowles III.[1]

External links


Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "lower-alpha", but no corresponding <references group="lower-alpha"/> tag was found

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PSBJ
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Cowles_Company&oldid=7470"