The Marks Group


The Marks Group is a Maryland-based operator of radio and television stations in small markets in the United States. Founded by Stephen A. Marks, the company holds two television properties.

History

Marks entered the broadcast ownership business in 1983 when he acquired 51 percent of Thunder Bay Broadcasting, which owned WBKB-TV, the only television station in Alpena, Michigan. Marks, a native of Maryland, had previously worked as a copywriter at WINX in Rockville, Maryland, before being employed by the Mutual Broadcasting System.
Marks acquired KXGN radio and television in Glendive, Montana, in 1990. KXGN-TV, like WBKB-TV in Alpena, was the only TV station in its town, a fact Marks liked as it could then command all television advertising revenue in the market. This transaction, as well as the purchase of Glendive FM station KDZN in 1995, required waivers on account of the financial condition of the small-market stations. Further Montana broadcast properties were added with the 1995 purchase of KYUS-TV in Miles City and the 1996 acquisition of KIKC-AM-FM in Forsyth.
In 2003 Marks acquired WBKP and WBUP, together serving the Marquette, Michigan, television market. Added in 2015 were four stations owned by Heartland Communications in Iron River, Michigan, and Park Falls, Wisconsin.
Stephen Marks died on May 11, 2022, at the age of 72. His widow Mary and family began selling the broadcast properties in 2023. GSB Broadcasting acquired WOWZ-FM in Accomac, Virginia, which it already was programming, in April, while the Park Falls stations went to Civic Media in a deal announced in June. In September, Morgan Murphy Media acquired the Michigan broadcasting properties—WBKB-TV, WBKP, WBUP, and the Houghton and Iron River radio stations—for $13.375 million. The Montana and North Dakota radio stations were sold to Andrew Sturlaugson's P&A Media for $850,000 in February 2024, leaving only KXGN-TV and KYUS-TV in the Marks Group; Sturlaugson had been the operations manager for the Glendive stations.
In July 2025, the Marks Group announced that they would sell their last two stations to Montana State University for $375,000; the remainder of KXGN-TV and KYUS-TV's value will be credited as a donation.

Former stations

City of licenseStateStationPurchasedSoldNotes
AlpenaMichiganWBKB-TV19832023
CalumetMichiganWBKP20032023
HoughtonMichiganWCCY20112023
HoughtonMichiganWHKB20112023
HoughtonMichiganWOLV20112023
Iron RiverMichiganWFER20152023
Iron RiverMichiganWIKB-FM20152023
IshpemingMichiganWBUP20032023
ForsythMontanaKIKC19962024
ForsythMontanaKIKC-FM19962024
GlendiveMontanaKDZN19952024
GlendiveMontanaKXGN19902024
GlendiveMontanaKXGN-TV19902025
Miles CityMontanaKMTA20062024
Miles CityMontanaKYUS-FM20062024
Miles CityMontanaKYUS-TV19952025
SidneyMontanaKGCX**20042024
BelfieldNorth DakotaKXDI**20132024
WillistonNorth DakotaKDSR20022024
WillistonNorth DakotaKXWI**20142024
AccomacVirginiaWOWZ-FM19982023
Park FallsWisconsinWCQM20152023
Park FallsWisconsinWPFP20152023