Radio Deals

Educational Media Foundation has closed on the purchase of a Class C3 facility that is set to drop its Classic Rock format for a nationally distributed Christian Contemporary Music format.

On Friday (5/26), RBR + TVBR reported the filing of two Form 315 submissions to the FCC on behalf of two public universities in Tennessee. It's a necessary step a noncommercial broadcast operation must take when an entire board of trustees is replaced. Now, a third Volunteer State institution has seen a wholesale board shift, affecting a Class A in the city of Cookeville.

The FCC has been asked to grant approval for the transfer of control of a Volunteer State public university's stations from its present board to an entirely new board of trustees. It's a good reminder for other noncomms that may see a 100% voting change in their leadership board.

Along Interstate 20 between Atlanta and Augusta, Ga., is the town of Crawfordville. That's where a Class A station is trading hands. Interestingly, there's a small connection to a deal filed two days ago with the FCC, and it involves someone with the surname Beasley.

Pass the pierogis and Zywiec! Feel free to add some salsa and a michelada, too. That's because Univision Radio has just sold a Class A on the north side of Chicago to the Polish National Alliance. The facility is presently a simulcast partner to another Class A in Chicagoland, and that facility is set for a move that brings it closer to The Loop.

In October 2016, Flood Communications of Omaha agreed to assume control of a low-power TV station in Sioux City, Iowa, for which he had only partial ownership interest. An FCC filing made Wednesday formalizes how much money company owner Mike Flood is paying for full control of the facility.

In the Sunshine State, a Class A FM and Class D AM with an FM translator use the branding "I AM Country." Soon, the Class A FM won't be Country. But, that's OK—it's a "joyful" change, as the facility has been sold to the operator of the Christian Full Service network "The JOY FM." The proceeds will likely be used to fund another deal that sees this seller acquire a facility from John Caracciolo's JVC Broadcasting.

To the majority of individuals in the broadcast media world, the name Caroline Beasley and that of her family members found in various executive positions across Beasley Media Group are household names. Yet, there's another Beasley in radio ownership, and it is this Beasley who has decided to sell an AM/FM combo in the Peach State.

There were no new transactions posted by the Commission on Tuesday, May 23. However, there were several Broadcast Actions as of May 18 posted in the day's Public Notice, and we've provided them for you.

For a generation of broadcasters, the late Cecil Heftel helped bring Top 40 radio some of its earliest success. Later, he helped build some of the nation's top Spanish-language AMs and FMs, including properties in L.A. overseen by his son, Richard Heftel. Now, the Heftel family is coming back to the radio business. We spoke with Heftel on his re-entry into radio, and how a huge bedding retailer is to thank for his rescue of a group of stations long associated with Howard Anderson.

Craig L. Fox, who owns radio stations in Central New York through various companies, has had a rocky relationship with the FCC. Fox’s run as an owner has been bumpy, and last year via consent decree forked over thousands of dollars to the FCC for attempting to skirt market ownership sub-caps. The latest news from the Commission regarding Mr. Fox, however, focuses on a transaction: Fox’s Cram Communications is selling the Syracuse market’s home of FOX Sports Radio.

A Class A FM station to the south of Louisville, Ky., is changing hands. It's a choice being made by Choice Radio Central Corp., and it's selected a locally based buyer to take on a station that bills itself "Bardstown's Radio Home."

It's official: The radio broadcasting company formed by Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder has sold a D.C.-area AM for just over $2 million. The deal, which saw Greg Guy of Patrick Communications serve as the broker, concludes the spins Red Zebra sought to conduct. The company will now focus on another AM for ESPN Radio coverage in the National Capital Region. Who's the buyer? Look to Camarillo, Calif., and across the river to Rosslyn, Va.

A Class C2 FM covering a stretch of the Mississippi River from Burlington, Iowa, to Hannibal, Mo., is trading hands. The seller is one of the biggest buyers of FM stations seen in recent months, and it had acquired the station in January 2016 for $500,000. Now, it’s handing it off to a buyer who has a similar mission to the seller, which is selling the station at a loss.

When it comes to notice of violations or a Notice of Apparent Liability from the FCC, Arizona-based Cortaro Broadcasting Corp. has become all-too familiar with their not-so-welcomed receipt. Eleven years ago, it was charged with willfully and repeatedly failing to maintain a complete public inspection file. Now, it has been given a warning that two antenna structures it owns are non-compliant.