It is a transaction that sees Tucson-based Kalil & Co. serve as the exclusive broker, and it will give the Sage Weil-led Civic Media a bigger group of radio stations — and an expanded presence in the Midwest that goes beyond Wisconsin.
As first reported by Streamline Publishing’s Radio Ink early Wednesday, Civic Media has agreements with Pritchard Broadcasting Corp., Titan Broadcasting and Galesburg Broadcasting Company that will allow it to acquire their Iowa and Illinois radio assets.
A filing is being made with the FCC that includes details including the price Civic Media is paying the three licensees.
As Kalil & Co. sees it, the three entities represent “a legacy of locally focused radio broadcasting in the Midwest, with a longstanding commitment to serving their communities through trusted news, sports, community engagement, and locally relevant programming across their station portfolios.”
For Civic Media, the Wisconsin-based operator that first gained national recognition for its build-out of a progressive talk radio network in the home of the Badgers, Brewers, Bucks and Packers and also owns radio stations in Minnesota and Michigan.
The package covers 13 stations across southeast Iowa and west central Illinois.
In Burlington, Iowa, Civic Media will be acquiring heritage Hot Adult Contemporary KGRS-FM “Mix 107.3,” long-known nationally for its former longtime personality and programmer “Cosmo Leone”; KKMI-FM 93.5; KDMG-FM “Big Country 103.1”; and KBUR-AM 1490 and its 99.3 MHz FM translator.
In Fort Madison, Iowa, KBKB-AM 1360 and its FM translator at 104.5 MHz and KBKB-FM “101.7 The Bull” are going to Civic Media.
In New London, Iowa, KHDK-FM “Hot 97.3” is being acquired.
In Dallas City, Ill., WQKQ “KQ92” will become a Civic Media station.
In Galesburg, Ill., WAAG-FM, WGIL-AM and its FM translator at 93.7 MHz, WLSR-FM “92.7 The Laser,” and WZIE “Z106.1” are being purchased.
Lastly, WKAY-FM “105.3 KFM” in Knoxville, Ill., is part of the transaction.
“Across our footprint, we are committed to covering the stories most relevant to the markets we serve,” Weil, Civic Media’s CEO, said in a prepared statement. “We believe radio plays a crucial role in our local communities and we look forward to supporting the teams at Titan Broadcasting, Pritchard Broadcasting Corporation, and Galesburg Broadcasting Company in fulfilling that role.”
This deal is the latest in a string of recent acquisitions for Sage Weil, and this one involves the Pritchard family. Titan Broadcasting has been owned by John C. “LJ” Pritchard since 2007. Pritchard Broadcasting Corporation and Galesburg Broadcasting Company were owned and operated by John T. Pritchard until his death in August 2026.
In December, it agreed to buy WNOV-AM 860 in Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Courier newspaper. In March, the company, led by CEO Sage Weil, formally took ownership of WZTI-AM 1290 in Greenfield, WI, and two FM translators from the Milwaukee Radio Alliance for $465,000. Last month, Civic Media agreed to buy NRG Media’s four-station Cedar Rapids-Waterloo cluster through Cedar Basin Media.
In an interview Tuesday with Tri States Public Radio, Galesburg stations GM Roger Lundeen said, “While we are sad to see the end of the Pritchard family’s long-standing media legacy in Galesburg, joining Civic Media brings valuable resources for our team and a shared commitment to our local community. We look forward to investing in Galesburg, strengthening our commitment to local information, community involvement, and helping the businesses we serve grow and succeed.”
— Additional reporting by Cameron Coats
