Amador Bustos’ Bustos Media is expanding in Tucson with the purchase of Oldies “101.7 The Drive” 830 KDRI Tucson/101.7 K269FV Oro Valley AZ from Fletcher McCusker and Bobby Rich’s Tucson Radio LLC. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

KDRI will join a Bustos Media cluster that includes Conservative Talk “1030 The Voice” KVOI Cortaro, Spanish Rhythmic “Urbana 92.5” K223CI Tucson/KZLZ-HD2, Regional Mexican “La Poderosa 105.3” KZLZ Casas Adobes, and Rhythmic AC “106.3 The Groove” KTGV Oracle. Bustos will begin operating KDRI via LMA on April 1 with their cluster GM Patty Ruiz adding oversight of the station.

McCusker told the Arizona Daily Star, “The biggest challenge we’ve had is that we’re a stand-alone station. Everybody else is a package like Cumulus and iHeart. Even though we’ve risen to No. 2 in the market, we’re not going to get anywhere without a budget.” Ruiz added that no format change is planned for the station and that it’s current airstaff will remain.

Tucson Radio had acquired the former KFLT from Family Life Broadcasting in 2019 for $650,000 with “The Drive” launching in August of that year. Rich serves as Program Director and morning host.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/250435/bustos-media-acquires-tucsons-drive/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2023-03-29)

John Fredericks’ Disruptor Radio LLC purchases Oldies “Westmoreland Gold” 910 WXJX Apolla/98.7 W254CR Latrobe and 1480 WCNS/107.5 W298DH Latrobe PA from Steve Clendenin’s Maryland Media One for $435,000. Fredericks owns or is in the process of acquiring Conservative Talk stations in Atlanta, Norfolk, Philadelphia, and Richmond.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/250259/station-sales-week-of-3-24/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2023-03-24)

3 Towers Broadcasting has purchased Full Service Classic Hits 1050 WTCA/106.1 W291BQ Plymouth IN from Kathy and Jim Bottorff’s Community Service Broadcasting for an undisclosed amount.

3 Towers will begin operating WTCA via Time Brokerage Agreement on April 1 and intend to bring their “Giant FM” brand to the station. The company operates digital news publications in conjunction with each of its radio properties and intends to launch MarshallCountyPost.com alongside WTCA.

The Johnny McCrory and Scott Huber led 3 Towers Broadcasting also owns 1520 WSVX/96.5 W243CL Shelbyville/106.3 W292FH Greenfield and 92.1 WROI Rochester IN, and operates 94.3 WREB Greencastle IN via LMA with a purchase still pending. All operate under the “Giant-FM
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/250079/3-towers-broadcasting-acquires-wtca/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2023-03-21)

Station Sales.
Radio World Inc. sells Silent 1400 WZHR/104.3 W282CC Zephyrhills FL to Ferris Waller’s Walco Enterprises for $150,000. Walco owns the Classic Country/Oldies “Boss Hogg Radio” network across four other AMs in West Central Florida.
The Lola Wagenvoord led Radio World Inc. retains Talk/Standards “Tan Talk” 1340 WTAN Clearwater and 1350 WDCF Dade City FL and Radio Hawaii Inc.’s Talk 1080 KWAI Honolulu HI.
Thaisa Santana’s Trust Investments Group acquires Spanish Christian “Radio Luz” 1160 WRLZ St. Cloud FL from Calvario Church’s Radio Luz Inc. for $600,000.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/249910/station-sales-week-of-3-17-dove-fm-and-family-life-swap-in-pennsylvania/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=radioinsight_daily_2023_03_17&utm_term=2023-03-17

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2023-03-17)

Stations Sales.

Educational Media Foundation makes a rare AM purchase with the acquisition of 780 KJME Fountain/Colorado Springs CO from Timothy Cutforth for $70,000. KJME has carried EMF’s “K-Love” network since March 2022 to feed their 96.5 K243AM Colorado Springs. Cutforth also owns Classic Country 890 KCEG Fountain/105.1 K286CO Colorado Springs.

The Greg Smith led Ellensburg Radio Broadcasting will purchase News/Talk 1240 KXLE and Country 95.3 KXLE-FM Ellensburg WA from Brad Tacher’s KXLE Inc. for $250,000. The deal does not include KXLE’s tower site or the studio building. The seller will remain with the stations under a management agreement.

Augusta Radio Fellowship is buying Cherokee Broadcasting’s three stations in the southwest corner of North Carolina. Augusta Radio Fellowship will pay $550,000 for Oldies “Big 6 Radio” 600 WCVP Murphy, Country/Christian “Pure Country” 95.9 WCVP-FM Robbinsville, and AC 102.7 WCNG Murphy. In a related deal, John Reynolds will donate WCNG translator 101.3 W267BC Blairsville GA to Augusta Radio Fellowship.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/249666/station-sales-week-of-3-10-emf-makes-rare-am-acquisition/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2023-03-10)

Pamal Broadcasting is preparing a format shuffle in Glens Falls NY.
Classic Country “Big Country 107.1” WKBE Corinth is now simulcasting on the former “Fox Sports 97.9” 1230 WMML/W250CC Glens Falls as it begins to redirect listeners to the new frequency.
No word yet on when WKBE will debut its new identity or what it will be. The Classic Country format debuted in August 2020 on the former CHR “107.1 The Point” to create a flanker to sister Country “Froggy 100.3” WFFG-FM Warrensburg two weeks after Loud Media launched “K94.1” WNYV Whitehall.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/249625/big-country-on-the-move-in-glens-falls/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=radioinsight_daily_2023_03_09&utm_term=2023-03-09

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2023-03-09)

Louis ‘Buzz’ Eckelkamp’s East Central Broadcasting is acquiring two St. Louis AMs from various entities controlled by Burt Kaufman.

East Central Broadcasting will pay $210,000 for Sports Betting 920 WGNU and Conservative Talk “Real Talk” 1010 KXEN/100.7 K264CY St. Louis. Not included in the deal is WGNU translator 104.5 K283CI St. Louis nor the land associated with WGNU’s five tower array. The tower site is being sold separately to be redeveloped and the station will file to relocate to a new location via STA. K283CI will continue to rebroadcast WGNU until it is separately sold. An LMA will take effect ahead of closing.

East Central Broadcasting also owns Conservative Talk “Real Talk 93.3” 107.3 KRTK Hermann (whose programming is simulcast on KXEN) and simulcasters KRTE-FM Steelville and 104.3 KVMO Vandalia, and Americana/Classic Rock “101.7 K-Wulf” KWUL Elsberry MO. Eckelkamp’s Broadcast Properties Inc. owns Classic Rock/Americana 1220 KLPW/92.7 K224EZ Union MO in St. Louis’ western suburbs.

A 2019 sale of the two stations to Berry Broadcasting for $650,000 never closed.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/249595/east-central-broadcasting-acquires-pair-of-st-louis-ams/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2023-03-08)

HPL Communications sells 1490 WBTA/100.1 W261CR/106.1 W291DI Batavia NY to James Ernst’s Majic Tones Communications for $425,000. Ernst has served as an account executive at WBTA since 2014.

GEOS Communications will trade 104.5 W283AE Scranton PA to JMJ Communications for 750 WQOR Olyphant/Scranton and 1490 WAZL/100.1 W261DQ Hazleton PA and $80,000. JMJ’s Catholic programming moved to W283AE on February 1 via Times-Shamrock’s 106.9 WEZX-HD4 Scranton, while WQOR began airing GEOS’ Classic Hits “Gem 99 & 100” programming.

Butron Media Corporation will acquire “Ambiente 1030” WGSF Memphis TN from Flinn Broadcasting for $500,000 minus a $30,000 credit for studio repairs. Ivette Butron’s company also owns Regional Mexican “La Jefa 99.3” 1180 WGUE Turrell AR/99.3 W257CY Memphis.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/249043/station-sales-week-of-2-24/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2023-02-24)

The FCC has upheld the cancellation of International Aerospace Solution’s 590 KTHO and 96.1 K241BK South Lake Tahoe CA following an application for review.

The licenses were deleted in November 2021 after failing to respond to multiple FCC inquiries that they were Silent or operating with unauthorized facilities. FCC Field Office personnel and public complaints noted that KTHO went silent in December 2019 after its transmission equipment was deemed abandoned and seized by the tower owner due to nonpayment of rent. The translator was however, noted as being on the air from an unauthorized location originating programming as KTHO was off the air.

In December 2021, IAS admitted it had not been operating the stations from their licensed site but were running from the house of the station’s engineer. They argued that because the owner of the station had Parkinson’s Disease that affected his ability to execute certain tasks including to respond to the Bureau’s inquiries, would assign the licenses to the engineer who was a minority, were affected by the loss of site and advertising revenue due to COVID, loss of the stations would be anti-competitive, they provided safety information responsive to the area’s unique geography, weather, and wildfires, and operating from the unauthorized site did not cause interference and conferred a public benefit by providing local news, weather, and emergency information.

The media bureau dismissed that petition because it relied on arguments it could have timely raised. In the application for review, IAS stated that the bureau should have viewed those new matters merely as delayed responses to its letter of inquiry and not as untimely submissions on reconsideration. The agency responded to the review stating the procedural dismissal of IAS’ reconsideration request was correct as its rules specifically prohibit submission of new facts on reconsideration confirming that KTHO and K241BK expired as a matter of law due to the stations’ extended lack of authorized operations and not as a result of the failure by IAS to respond timely to the LOI and even had IAS presented them in a timely manner as a response to the LOI, it would not have supported reinstatement of the Stations’ licenses.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/248851/fcc-report-2-19-fcc-upholds-ktho-cancellation/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2023-02-19)

Joseph Alex Duvall’s Duvall Media Group will purchase Classic Rock “The Rock of Daytona” 1340 WROD/104.7 W284AV Daytona Beach FL from Miracle Media Group for $350,000. An LMA will take effect on March 1.

Community First Broadcasting acquires News/Talk 1550 KIWA/100.7 K264CW and Classic Hits 105.3 KIWA-FM Sheldon IA from Sheldon Broadcasting Co. for $100,000. The acquisition splits the purchase price as $50,000 for the equipment and vehicles and the other half for the licenses and goodwill. Community First Broadcasting owns stations just to the west of Sheldon in Sioux Center and to the east in Spirit Lake.

Somerset Educational Broadcasting Foundation purchases Silent 1480 WNKW/97.5 W248DI Neon KY from Sunshine Media Group for $10,000. WNKW will join the buyer’s “King of Kings Radio Network” based at 90.5 WTHL Somerset KY.
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/248785/station-sales-week-of-2-17/

Lance Venta, RadioInsight (2023-02-17)