Intermountain West Communications Company

Intermountain West Communications Company

Company type	Private
Industry	Telecommunications, mass media
Founded	October 1, 1979 (1979-10-01)
Founder	James E. "Jim" Rogers
Headquarters	Las Vegas , United States
Area served	Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming
Key people	James E. "Jim" Rogers (founder)

Intermountain West Communications Company—previously known as Sunbelt Communications Company—was a privately held American firm specializing in telecommunications and mass media, with its main office located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Established on October 1, 1979, by attorney James E. "Jim" Rogers alongside a group of investors, the enterprise began by acquiring KORK-TV, an NBC-affiliated station in Las Vegas, which was subsequently rebranded as KVBC. Under Rogers' leadership, the company gradually extended its broadcasting footprint to include stations across Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming. In 2008, to better represent its expanded regional operations, Sunbelt Communications adopted the name Intermountain West Communications Company (IWCC). The majority of IWCC’s outlets were NBC affiliates, playing a vital role in the company’s financial performance and industry standing.

On September 3, 2014, IWCC declared the sale of its primary station, KSNV-DT, to Sinclair Broadcast Group for $120 million. Due to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ownership restrictions and Sinclair’s existing duopoly in Las Vegas with KVMY and KVCW, Sinclair rearranged station licenses and programming schedules to meet regulatory requirements. Between 80% and 85% of the transaction proceeds were allocated to the Rogers Educational Foundation to support educational programs throughout Southern Nevada. This divestiture was part of IWCC’s strategic shift in business focus combined with philanthropic commitments.

Following the acquisition, Sinclair conducted a detailed exchange involving signal and call sign swaps between KSNV-DT and KVMY to streamline ownership structure. The original KSNV license was transferred to Howard Stirk Holdings, replicating similar arrangements Sinclair had implemented with other stations such as WCIV. These actions strengthened Sinclair’s market position while ensuring adherence to FCC rules.

IWCC maintained control over two stations until January 9, 2018, when sales of KRNV-DT and KENV-DT were completed after overcoming FCC approval delays. Both were sold to Cunningham Broadcasting—a company affiliated with Sinclair—with Sinclair continuing operational management through joint service agreements. This organizational approach demonstrated effective navigation of regulatory environments while facilitating expansion through subsidiary networks.

Throughout its operational history, IWCC pursued growth by acquiring and divesting broadcast assets under the guidance of founder Jim Rogers. The company’s trajectory highlights notable achievements in broadcast media entrepreneurship and portfolio management within the U.S. television sector.

Former stations

• Stations are organized alphabetically by state and city of license.

Stations formerly owned by Intermountain West Communications Company

Media market	State	Station	Acquisition year	Disposal year	Remarks
Yuma	Arizona	KYMA	1989	2014
Pocatello	Idaho	KPVI	1995	2014
		KFXP	1998	2013
Twin Falls		KXTF	1995	2014
Great Falls	Montana	KBGF-LP	2005	2014	Template:Efn-ua
Havre		KBBJ	2001	2009	Template:Efn-ua
Helena		KMTF	1998	2014
		KTVH	1997	2014
Lewistown		KBAO	2001	2009	Template:Efn-ua
Elko	Nevada	KENV	1997	2018	Template:Efn-ua
Ely		KVNV	2004	2008	Template:Efn-ua
Las Vegas		KSNV	1979	2014
		KVBC-FM	1996	2000
Reno		KRNV	1989	2018
		KRNV-FM	1995	2000
Winnemucca		KWNV	1998	2010	Template:Efn-ua
Santa Fe, New Mexico–Albuquerque, New Mexico	New Mexico	KKTO-TV	1988	1992	Previously called KNMZ-TV prior to 1989.