based in suburban Detroit, for $160 million. Raycom bought Aflac's broadcast division of five TV stations in August 1996, using, in part, a loan from the RSA. The three groups merged to form Raycom Media. John Hayes initially headed up the company until 2001.

In 1998, Raycom took a 35% stake in Worldnow, an internet publishing provider for broadcast media.^:2 That same year, Raycom purchased Malrite Communications, owner of five stations: two Puerto Rico stations