Gladwin Communications

Gladwin Communications is a Detroit-based company that owns television stations. The company was founded in 1940 by E. Wilford Gladwin, who originally wanted a company to own his radio empire in the Detroit-Windsor area. The company now owns several TV stations throughout the midwest.

Radio Roots
In 1935, 26-year old Elijah Wilford Gladwin bought his first radio station, WDMI 620 of Detroit. The station was on the verge of folding and needed better ownership, so the young Gladwin, who began his radio career at 17 as a disc jockey, bought the station. He would buy much more stations eventually, even constructing one in Windsor, and by 1939, Gladwin would have 14 stations, 8 in Detroit, 4 in Windsor, and 2 in areas by Detroit. In 1940, Gladwin bought his 15th station, WYJ 1200 of Detroit, and formed The Gladwin Broadcasting Company. The GBC would stay at 15 stations until 1944, when 6 stations folded during the war. 7 more stations would fold the following year. By 1946, GBC had only 4 stations left. Gladwin would sell all of the stations to rival Blackburn Radio. The GBC was doomed, until Gladwin had an idea. Television. Gladwin thought that he could start a TV business in the area, so in 1947, WDMI-TV, channel 8, was the first GBC TV station. Although Gladwin couldn't start as much TV stations in the area as much as he did with radio stations, the company chose to expand their boundaries.

The Great TV Expansion
In 1949, Gladwin got a license to build a TV station in Cleveland, OH. The station would go on the air in 1950 as WBKE, channel 5. Gladwin would get more licenses as well. In 1952, WRCE, channel 3 would hit the airwaves in Indianapolis. This would be followed by WWC-TV, channel 2 in Chicago in 1954, WISC, channel 11 in Milwaukee in 1956, KMZO 6 in St. Louis and WPRA 4 in Peoria in 1958, and WCNI-TV 9 in Cincinnati in 1959. All of the stations were independent and aired various programming.

The 60s Kick In
Coming Soon!