Block Communications

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American media holding company

title: "Block Communications" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["mass-media-companies-of-the-united-states", "television-broadcasting-companies-of-the-united-states", "newspaper-companies-of-the-united-states", "companies-based-in-toledo,-ohio", "mass-media-companies-established-in-1900", "1900-establishments-in-new-york-city", "family-owned-companies-of-the-united-states", "privately-held-companies-based-in-ohio"] description: "American media holding company" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_Communications" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American media holding company ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Block_Communications_Inc_logo.jpg" caption="Logo of Block/Blade Communications"] ::

Block Communications Inc. (also known as Blade Communications) is an American privately held holding company of various assets, mainly in the print and broadcast media, based in Toledo, Ohio. The company was founded in 1900 in New York City when Paul Block, a German-Jewish immigrant who came to the United States in 1885, formed an ad representation firm for newspapers. The Block empire grew to encompass many newspapers on the east coast of the US, however with the Great Depression in the 1930s came the loss of all but three properties: the ad representation firm, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and the Toledo Blade (where Block eventually settled the company upon its purchase in 1927). After Block's death in 1941, his children took over the company. They eventually passed it on to their grandchildren, who continue to operate it to this day. In May 2024, a lawsuit to stop the sale of the company, and over control of it, revealed that Allan Block and John Block each own 25%, while the other 50% is owned by family trusts that benefit family members.{{cite web | title = Lawsuit seeks to stop potential sale of Toledo Blade, Buckeye Broadband | url = https://www.13abc.com/2024/05/08/lawsuit-seeks-stop-potential-sale-toledo-blade-buckeye-broadband/ | date = 2024-06-15 | archiveurl = https://archive.today/20240615083612/https://www.13abc.com/2024/05/08/lawsuit-seeks-stop-potential-sale-toledo-blade-buckeye-broadband/ | archivedate = 2024-06-15 }}{{cite news | title = Ohio Media Executive Allan Block Fired by Family After Lawsuit to Stop Sale | newspaper = Bloomberg | url = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-21/ohio-media-executive-fired-by-family-after-lawsuit-to-stop-sale | date = 2024-05-21 | archiveurl = https://archive.today/20240521010424/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-21/ohio-media-executive-fired-by-family-after-lawsuit-to-stop-sale | archivedate = 2024-05-21 }}

On August 1, 2025, Gray Media announced its planned acquisition of all broadcast television stations owned by Block Communications for $80 million. Gray is hoping for the deal to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2025.

Company holdings

Newspapers

Television

Broadcast

Louisville, Kentucky

Lima/Findlay, Ohio

(*) – Serve as translators for WOHL to expand its coverage across the Lima TV market

Other markets

Cable

Online

  • Buckeye Broadband (formerly Buckeye Cablesystem)
  • MaxxSouth Broadband (Started in 2014 after purchase of Harron Communications LP., added Ripley Video Cable in 2017)
  • Telesystem (formerly Buckeye Telesystem)
  • Block Line Systems (Acquired July 2014 and now a division of Telesystem)

Non-media

  • Metro Fiber & Cable Construction Company (a Toledo-based contractor of fiber optic installation)

Former properties

References

References

  1. (10 May 2024). "Pittsburgh news strike leader reacts to PG co-owner's family lawsuit". Pittsburgh Union Progress.
  2. Miller, Mark K.. (August 1, 2025). "Gray Media Buying Block Stations For $80M".
  3. Keys, Matthew. (August 1, 2025). "Block Communications sells TV stations to Gray Media".
  4. (November 29, 2008). "Phipps flips Lima low-power cluster". Television Business Report.
  5. Sowinski, Greg. (December 2, 2008). "WLIO owner buys Fox affiliate, other stations for $2.4 million". [[The Lima News]].
  6. [https://www.hometownstations.com/site/about.html About us – Hometown Stations.com]
  7. [https://web.archive.org/web/20061004005652/http://buckeyecablesystem.com/ Buckeye Cable]
  8. [https://web.archive.org/web/20061004065011/http://buckeye-express.com/ Buckeye Express]
  9. [https://www.toledoblade.com/Retail/2017/09/07/Block-Communications-to-purchase-Mississippi-cable-provider.html]
  10. [http://www.ttusttelesystem.com]
  11. [https://www.trusttelesystem.com/block-line-systems]
  12. [http://www.telesystem.us/newsroom/press-releases/block-communications-agrees-to-acquire-line-systems/ Block acquires Line Systems - TeleSystem.us]
  13. link. (January 8, 2008)

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mass-media-companies-of-the-united-statestelevision-broadcasting-companies-of-the-united-statesnewspaper-companies-of-the-united-statescompanies-based-in-toledo,-ohiomass-media-companies-established-in-19001900-establishments-in-new-york-cityfamily-owned-companies-of-the-united-statesprivately-held-companies-based-in-ohio