Julian Sinclair Smith

Julian Sinclair Smith
BornMay 5, 1920 (1920-05-05)[1][2]
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
DiedApril 19, 1993 (1993-04-20) (aged 72)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Alma materJohns Hopkins University (B.S., Electrical Engineering)
Occupation(s)Electrical engineer
Television executive
Known forFounding Sinclair Broadcast Group
SpouseCarolyn Beth Cunningham
Children4, including David

Julian Sinclair Smith (May 5, 1920 – April 19, 1993) was an American electrical engineer and television executive. He was the founder of the Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Early life

Smith was born in 1920 in Baltimore, the son of a grain exporter.[3] He received his electrical engineering degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1952.[3]

Career

In 1958, Smith, an electrical engineer, along with a group of shareholders, formed the Commercial Radio Institute, a broadcasting trade school in Baltimore, Maryland. Commercial Radio Institute later applied to build an FM radio station,[4] which would eventually become known as Sinclair Broadcast Group. In 1971, his company obtained a UHF license[5] and he set up a single local television station; namely, Baltimore, Maryland's WBFF-TV.[6][7] In 1986, he and his family incorporated Sinclair Broadcast Group, decided upon by his sons, as a namesake and his legacy for the company.[8]

Personal life and death

Smith married Carolyn Beth Cunningham. They had four sons, including David, who became CEO of the Sinclair Broadcast Group in 1988.

Smith died in 1993, at the age of 72, after suffering from Parkinson's disease.[3][8] As of December 2016, his four sons are the majority shareholders of Sinclair Broadcast Group.[9]

References

  1. ^ U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
  2. ^ U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
  3. ^ a b c Ettlin, David Michael (20 April 1993). "Julian Sinclair Smith, TV pioneer". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  4. ^ "For The Record: New Fm Stations" (PDF). Broadcasting Magazine, accessed via americanradiohistory.com. April 21, 1958. p. 122. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  5. ^ Klinenberg, Eric (2007). Fighting for Air: The Battle to Control America's Media. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company. p. 01. ISBN 978-1-4299-2360-6.
  6. ^ De La Merced, Michael J. (3 May 2017). "Fox's Unfamiliar but Powerful Television Rival: Sinclair". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  7. ^ "History: 1970s". Sinclair Broadcast Group. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Renovated 'Radiation Lab' Lobby Will Honor Julian Sinclair Smith" (Press release). Johns Hopkins University. 1 May 1996. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
  9. ^ Farhi, Paul (23 December 2016). "How a giant TV company helped Trump's campaign". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 July 2017.


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