Heartland Media

Heartland Media, LLC is an American media company that owns television stations in smaller markets in the United States. The company is based in Atlanta, Georgia and operates as a joint venture with MSouth Equity Partners under the business name USA Television Holdings. The company is run by Bob Prather, a former CEO of Gray Television, whose philosophy of station acquisitions, acquired during his time at Gray, is centered on "acquiring No. 1-rated stations, Big Four affiliates with strong local news operations targeting university towns and state capitols that are deeply ingrained in the fabric of their communities".

Heartland Media made its first acquisition in 2013, when it acquired NBC affiliate WKTV in Utica, New York from Smith Media, which was the company's remaining television property. This was followed by the 2014 acquisition of Oregon-based Chambers Communications Corporation and its stations, KEZI in Eugene and KDRV in Medford, as well as the latter's satellite station in Klamath Falls, KDKF. Later that year, Heartland also acquired NBC affiliate WTVA in Tupelo, Mississippi, along with WTVA's shared services agreement with West Point-based Fox affiliate WLOV-TV (owned by Coastal Television).

In 2015, Heartland would acquire CBS affiliate KHSL-TV in Chico, California from GOCOM Media, LLC, in a deal that also concurrently saw the station's LMA partner, NBC affiliate KNVN, sold by K4 Media Holdings to Maxair Media, LLC, with KHSL selling up to 15 percent of KNVN's advertising time.

On August 26, 2016, Heartland agreed to acquire ABC affiliate WAAY-TV in Huntsville, Alabama from Calkins Media as that company is selling the rest of its television stations to Raycom Media, who already owns WAFF in the market.

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