Midcontinent Communications
Encyclopedia
Midcontinent Communications is a regional cable provider, providing a triple play
service of cable television
, cable modem
Internet
service, and cable telephone service for both North Dakota
and South Dakota
, along with several communities in western Minnesota
. Their business-class service also provides direct fiber-optic cable services via leased data circuits for larger companies.
Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
and operated as a joint venture
between Midcontinent Media and Comcast
, the company, also known as "Midco" provides their services to 200 communities both urban and rural, and serves an area containing nearly 200,000 customers.
in 1931 as the Welworth Theater Company, an operator of movie theaters. The company remained in that business until the 1990s, when it sold its theaters to various chains, including Carmike Cinemas
. In 1952, it bought the Midcontinent Broadcasting Company, owner of KELO-AM-FM
in Sioux Falls; the company name changed to Midcontinent Media. The company also bought the construction permit for South Dakota's first television station, KELO-TV
, which took to the air in 1953. Midcontinent purchased several other radio and television stations, but began exiting broadcasting in the 1990s (with KELO-TV and its satellites sold off to Young Broadcasting
), selling off the last of its radio holdings in 2004.
Midco diversified and extended its reach into other areas of the Upper Midwest
, providing telephone and cable TV in rural parts of its service area, starting in the 1960s. In 1999, Midcontinent Media and AT&T Broadband
(formerly known as TCI
) merged their cable operations in the Dakotas, Minnesota
and Nebraska
into Midcontinent Communications, a joint venture between both companies. The partnership continued after Comcast's purchase of AT&T Broadband.
In the fall of 2008, Charter Communications
announced that it planned to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. On October 14, 2008, an article appeared in the Fairmont, Minnesota
Sentinel, reporting that Charter
was selling parts of their system to Midcontinent Communications, including its Bemidji, Minnesota
and International Falls, Minnesota
offices. Starting February 1, 2009 Midcontinent Communications took over some Charter's cable system in Minnesota including Balaton
, Bemidji, Canby
, Ely
, Fairmont
, International Falls, Littlefork, Sherburn
, and surrounding communities. Other areas in Minnesota sold to Comcast
.
Midco previously provided paging service, starting in 1985, but sold its paging services to another South Dakota company, Vantek Communications, in 2004. Today, the former paging service is known as Midco Connections, a national leader in outsourced customer service specializing in catalog orders and after hours message service. Midco Connections now employs over 300 people in Sioux Falls.
called Midco Sports Network (formerly MC23 until August 2010) exclusive to their service, mainly over channel 26 or 27 on all Midcontinent systems, along with an additional digital sports tier spot for system continuity, an HD version of the network, and some additional overflow channels, which broadcast University of South Dakota
and South Dakota State University
sports, carries Fighting Sioux Sports Network
's broadcasts of University of North Dakota
sports, along with many other smaller colleges in the Dakotas and Minnesota. During hours without sports programming Midco Sports Net carries ReelzChannel. Before the network launched, FSSN
's broadcasts of UND sports were seen on Midco Sports Net's predecessor MC23, carried on channel 23 on most Midcontinent systems.
Triple play (telecommunications)
In telecommunications, triple play service is a marketing term for the provisioning of two bandwidth-intensive services, high-speed Internet access and television, and a less bandwidth-demanding service, telephone, over a single broadband connection. Triple play focuses on a combined business...
service of cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
, cable modem
Cable modem
A cable modem is a type of network bridge and modem that provides bi-directional data communication via radio frequency channels on a HFC and RFoG infrastructure. Cable modems are primarily used to deliver broadband Internet access in the form of cable Internet, taking advantage of the high...
Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
service, and cable telephone service for both North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
and South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, along with several communities in western Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Their business-class service also provides direct fiber-optic cable services via leased data circuits for larger companies.
Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
and operated as a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
between Midcontinent Media and Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
, the company, also known as "Midco" provides their services to 200 communities both urban and rural, and serves an area containing nearly 200,000 customers.
History
Midcontinent Media was originally founded in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
in 1931 as the Welworth Theater Company, an operator of movie theaters. The company remained in that business until the 1990s, when it sold its theaters to various chains, including Carmike Cinemas
Carmike Cinemas
Carmike Cinemas Inc. is a motion picture exhibitor headquartered in Columbus, Georgia in the United States of America. As of December 31, 2010 it operates or has an interest in 239 theaters with 2,236 screens in 35 states, making it the fourth largest theatre company in the United States.Carmike...
. In 1952, it bought the Midcontinent Broadcasting Company, owner of KELO-AM-FM
KELO-FM
KELO-FM is a radio station in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, airing an adult contemporary music format. KELO-FM was one of the first FM radio stations in South Dakota. It broadcasts from KELO-TV's 2000 foot tower. The station is owned by Backyard Broadcasting, and it airs Delilah's syndicated show in...
in Sioux Falls; the company name changed to Midcontinent Media. The company also bought the construction permit for South Dakota's first television station, KELO-TV
KELO-TV
KELO is the CBS affiliate television station in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, broadcasting on digital channel 11. South Dakotans pronounce its call letters as a homonym of "hello"...
, which took to the air in 1953. Midcontinent purchased several other radio and television stations, but began exiting broadcasting in the 1990s (with KELO-TV and its satellites sold off to Young Broadcasting
Young Broadcasting
New Young Broadcasting Holding Co, Inc. is an owner of 14 television stations in 11 United States media markets. The company was formerly known as Young Broadcasting Inc. and was the outgrowth of the ad representation/invest firm Adam Young, Inc. which was founded in 1944 by Adam Young and is...
), selling off the last of its radio holdings in 2004.
Midco diversified and extended its reach into other areas of the Upper Midwest
Upper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the midwest. Although there are no uniformly agreed-upon boundaries, the region is most commonly used to refer to the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and...
, providing telephone and cable TV in rural parts of its service area, starting in the 1960s. In 1999, Midcontinent Media and AT&T Broadband
AT&T Broadband
AT&T Broadband was the name of AT&T's cable operations, which were composed of the assets of TCI and MediaOne, Prime Cable, as well as two Comcast cable systems AT&T acquired later in a system swap. Formed in 1999, AT&T Broadband was the largest provider of cable television services...
(formerly known as TCI
Tele-Communications Inc.
Tele-Communications, Inc. or TCI was a cable television provider in the United States, for much of its history controlled by Bob Magness and John Malone....
) merged their cable operations in the Dakotas, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
into Midcontinent Communications, a joint venture between both companies. The partnership continued after Comcast's purchase of AT&T Broadband.
In the fall of 2008, Charter Communications
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
announced that it planned to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. On October 14, 2008, an article appeared in the Fairmont, Minnesota
Fairmont, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,889 people and 2,962 families residing in the city. The population density was 747.5 people per square mile . There were 5,036 housing units at an average density of 345.7 per square mile...
Sentinel, reporting that Charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
was selling parts of their system to Midcontinent Communications, including its Bemidji, Minnesota
Bemidji, Minnesota
Bemidji is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was at 13,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beltrami County. Bemidji is the most major city in North Central Minnesota and the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth,...
and International Falls, Minnesota
International Falls, Minnesota
International Falls is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 6,424 at the 2010 census....
offices. Starting February 1, 2009 Midcontinent Communications took over some Charter's cable system in Minnesota including Balaton
Balaton, Minnesota
Balaton is a city in Lyon County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 643 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
, Bemidji, Canby
Canby, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there are 1,903 people, 842 households, and 453 families residing in the city. The population density is 876.5 people per square mile . There are 918 housing units at an average density of 422.8 per square mile...
, Ely
Ely, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,724 people, 1,912 households, and 916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,369.5 people per square mile . There were 1,912 housing units at an average density of 703.2 per square mile...
, Fairmont
Fairmont, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,889 people and 2,962 families residing in the city. The population density was 747.5 people per square mile . There were 5,036 housing units at an average density of 345.7 per square mile...
, International Falls, Littlefork, Sherburn
Sherburn, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,082 people, 484 households, and 285 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,220.6 people per square mile . There were 535 housing units at an average density of 603.5 per square mile...
, and surrounding communities. Other areas in Minnesota sold to Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
.
Midco previously provided paging service, starting in 1985, but sold its paging services to another South Dakota company, Vantek Communications, in 2004. Today, the former paging service is known as Midco Connections, a national leader in outsourced customer service specializing in catalog orders and after hours message service. Midco Connections now employs over 300 people in Sioux Falls.
Midco Sports Network
Midcontinent offers a regional sports networkRegional sports network
In the United States of America and Canada, a regional sports network, or RSN, is a cable television station that presents sports programming to a local market. The most important programming on an RSN consists of live broadcasts of professional and college sporting events, as those games generate...
called Midco Sports Network (formerly MC23 until August 2010) exclusive to their service, mainly over channel 26 or 27 on all Midcontinent systems, along with an additional digital sports tier spot for system continuity, an HD version of the network, and some additional overflow channels, which broadcast University of South Dakota
University of South Dakota
The University of South Dakota ', the state’s oldest university, was founded in 1862 and classes began in 1882. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school and law school. USD is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, and its current...
and South Dakota State University
South Dakota State University
South Dakota State University is the largest university in the U.S. state of South Dakota, located in Brookings. A public land-grant university and sun grant college, founded under the provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act, SDSU offers programs of study required by, or harmonious to, this Act...
sports, carries Fighting Sioux Sports Network
Fighting Sioux Sports Network
The Fighting Sioux Sports Network is a local cable channel operated in Grand Forks, North Dakota by the University of North Dakota in conjunction with WDAZ-TV also based in Grand Forks...
's broadcasts of University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
sports, along with many other smaller colleges in the Dakotas and Minnesota. During hours without sports programming Midco Sports Net carries ReelzChannel. Before the network launched, FSSN
Fighting Sioux Sports Network
The Fighting Sioux Sports Network is a local cable channel operated in Grand Forks, North Dakota by the University of North Dakota in conjunction with WDAZ-TV also based in Grand Forks...
's broadcasts of UND sports were seen on Midco Sports Net's predecessor MC23, carried on channel 23 on most Midcontinent systems.