Julian Sinclair Smith

Julian Sinclair Smith (May 5, 1920 – April 19, 1993) was an American electrical engineer and television executive. He founded the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which grew from a single UHF television station in Baltimore to become one of the largest television broadcasting companies in the United States.

Early life and education Smith was born on May 5, 1920, in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of a grain exporter.

In 1974, Smith sold WFMM-FM and used the proceeds to acquire WPGH-TV in Pittsburgh. Expansion continued with stations in Columbus, Ohio (WTTE), Bloomington, Indiana (WIIB-TV, later WTTV), and St. Petersburg, Florida (WTTA). His son David became CEO in 1988.

Personal life and death Smith married Carolyn Beth Cunningham in 1949. They had four sons: Frederick G. (a dentist and vice president), David D. (executive chairman), J. Duncan (vice president and secretary), and Robert E. (director).

Smith died on April 19, 1993, at his home in Roland Park, Baltimore, at age 72, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

Sinclair Broadcast Group, now Sinclair, Inc., operates nearly 200 television stations across the U.S.