Tuesday, "April 17,1984 business Fairbanks station sold for $2 million By JIM ERICKSON Daily News business reporter Alaska 13 Corp. owns television stations in the state’s three largest cities with the acquisi tion Sunday of a Fairbanks station for $2 million. ; Alaska 13 is buying KTTU-TV, the NBC affiliate in Fairbanks, from its Seattle-based owner. The company already owns .KIMO-TV, Channel 13 in Anchorage and KJUD-TV in Juneau. “This makes us the largest television net work. in the state,” said Duane Triplett, president of Alaska 13. “We can now reach 80 percent of the people.” KTTU was purchased from Zaser-Longston Inc. of.Bellevue, Wash., a company that also owns KTUU-TV, Channel 2 in Anchorage. : Jessica Longston, president of Zaser-Longs- ton, said she sold the station because. Alaska 13 holds a permit to build a third commercial station in Fairbanks. KTTU couldn’t have withstood the competi tion from another station in Fairbanks, she said. The station hasn’t earned a profit yet, she said.' . “I thought that for the best interests of the whole community, there should be. two strong stations rather than. three weak ones,” she said. KTVF-TV, a CBS affiliate, also broad casts from Fairbanks. '. She said her company.has no plans to sell KTUU in Anchorage*/. Triplett said the addition of KTTU to the Alaska News Network: will enable Anchorage viewers of KIMO “to see more news from Fairbanks and the Interior; ” . “I believe we are a very divided state, and it needs to get more information and more: understanding of the different areas, and now we’ll be able to do that.”. Zaser-Longston bought KTTU and KTUU from Midnight Sun Broadcasters in 1981. That year, Midnight Sun sold its seven radio and television stations, located in Anchorage, Ju neau, Fairbanks and Ketchikan. Chuck Brownlow, general manager for KTTU, said company officials realized when they purchased the station it would take several years to make a profit. The station was understaffed, underequipped and re quired substantial investment, he said. KTUU was sharing staff with Fairbanks radio station KFAR-AM in 1981, which was sold to another company. Zaser-Longston had to sink $750,000 into the station so it could stand alone, Brownlow said. .. KTTU recently spent another $25,000 on satellite receiving equipment to let the station broadcast NBC shows the same day they air in the Lower 48, he said. “In no way, shape or form was this a fire Sale,” he said. Zaser-Longston originally wanted to buy only the Anchorage station but could get it only by buying KTTU, too. The purchase by Alaska 13 must be ap proved by the Federal Communications Com mission. Triplett said approval is expected sometime in July . The station’s call letters will be changed to KATN, Triplett said. A mix of ABC and NBC network shows will be aired..