Flagship (broadcasting)
In broadcasting, a flagship (also known as a flagship station or key station) is the broadcast station which originates a television network, or a particular radio or television program that plays a key role in the branding of and consumer loyalty to a network or station. This includes both direct network feeds and broadcast syndication, but generally not backhauls. Not all networks or shows have a flagship station, as some originate from a dedicated radio or television studio.
The term derives from the naval custom where the commanding officer of a group of naval ships would fly a distinguishing flag. In common parlance, "flagship" is now used to mean the most important or leading member of a group, hence its various uses in broadcasting. The term flagship station is primarily used in TV and radio in the United States, Canada, and the Philippines (though it is seldomly used), while the term key station (キー局, kī kyoku) is primarily used in TV in Japan (and formerly in the United States).
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In the United States, the term "flagship station" may also be used in the broadcasting industry to refer to a station which is co-located with the headquarters of its station group and considered the company's most important station (such a station may or may not be affiliated with one of the major networks). For example, WDIV-TV in Detroit, affiliated with NBC, is the flagship station of Graham Media Group; and WGN-TV in Chicago was the flagship station of Tribune Broadcasting until it was purchased by Nexstar Media Group in 2019.
In essence, a flagship can be located in the market where the station's owner is headquartered, or in the largest market where that owner operates. For example, WSB-TV in Atlanta is the flagship of Cox Media Group, because Cox's headquarters is located in a suburb of that city. However, Cox owns WFXT in Boston, which is larger than Atlanta. The same can be said for TEGNA who lists three of its properties as its flagship stations (WXIA-TV in Atlanta, WUSA in Washington, D.C., and KUSA in Denver), but also owns WFAA in Dallas, which is larger than Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Denver in terms of Media market. Likewise, prior to merging with Gannett in 2013, WFAA served as the flagship station for Belo, as its headquarters were located in Dallas. KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh served as the flagship station for New York City-based Westinghouse Broadcasting for decades as its parent company was Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse Electric Corporation; ironically, KDKA-TV lost its flagship status due to Westinghouse acquiring CBS, as opposed to another company acquiring Westinghouse.
The same also can be said for Nexstar listed two of the stations as flagships, one cited was WYOU-TV in Scranton, which Perry Sook said it was the flagship, the other listed was KDAF-TV in Dallas, which became its flagship after its acquisition of Tribune Media in 2019, the latter partially is located in a suburb of that city and also owns and operates several stations larger than Dallas, such as WPIX-TV in New York, KTLA in Los Angeles, WGN-TV in Chicago and WPHL-TV in Philadelphia.[12][13] Shortly after its acquisition of Young Broadcasting by Media General in 2013, WRIC-TV in Richmond become one of the two flagship stations of the Media General group prior to the 2017 acquisition by Nexstar, the other flagship was WFLA in Tampa Bay, which was always the television flagship of the group.[14] The same can even be said for Scripps, which listed WCPO-TV in Cincinnati as the flagship, but also owned Ion Media, which is several times larger than Cincinnati themselves.[15] Even the same can be said for Sinclair Broadcast Group, which listed WBFF-TV in Baltimore and WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., listed as the flagship stations of the group.[16]
The term is also used for stations that operate satellite stations in other cities. For example, KSNW in Wichita, Kansas is the flagship station of the Kansas State Network, a chain of NBC affiliates serving western and central Kansas as well as border areas of Nebraska.
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