The company's history dates back to August 1952, when it was formed as Midwest Radio and Television as a merger of WCCO (AM) and WTCN-TV.
[1] While WTCN radio went to a separate owner, the television station became WCCO-TV.
In the early 1980s, Midwest Radio and Television bought ABC affiliate WFRV-TV in Green Bay and its satellite in Escanaba, Michigan, WJMN-TV (CBS did not initially take an ownership stake in either of those two stations at the time as they had good relations with then-CBS affiliate WBAY-TV) from Orion Broadcasting, which is merging with Cosmos Broadcasting (itself a subsidiary of Liberty Corporation).
MSC became a CBS owned and operated network following its acquisition of WCCO.
Midwest Radio and Television was not associated with Midwest Television, which was run by the estate of August C. Meyer Sr. and former owners of KFMB radio and television in San Diego, California, WCIA in Champaign and WMBD radio and television in Peoria, Illinois, nor Midwest Communications, which also has broadcasting interests in Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, North Dakota and Tennessee.