COWLES CLOSES ON TWO CALIFORNIA DUOPOLIES

The Cowles Publishing Co. has closed on its purchase of four TV stations—two duopolies—from Newport Television.

Terms were not disclosed.

The deal includes two full-power CBS affiliates—KCOY Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo, Calif. (DMA 122) and KION Monterey-Salinas, Calif. (DMA 124)—along with companion low-power stations in each of the markets—KKFX-CA, the Fox affiliate in San Luis Obispo, and KMUV-LP, the Telemundo affiliate in Monterey.

Cowles, a Spokane, Wash.-based company headed by Elizabeth Cowles, also owns KHQ Spokane and KNDO/KNDU Yakima-Pasco-Richland-Kennewick, Wash. All are NBC affiliates.

Cowles also owns The Spokesman-Review, Spokane’s dominant newspaper.

Newport Television is the company that Providence Equity created to manage the TV station group it purchased from Clear Channel Communications last year for $1.2 billion. It is run by Sandy DiPasquale.

Providence Equity had agreed to sell the four stations to Cowles even before closing on the purchase of the stations from Clear Channel.

Kalil & Co. represented Providence in the transaction; CobbCorp, the buyer.