He has the same surname as an individual widely known for creating Emmis Communications. This Mr. Smulyan, however, is a former General Manager of a Broken Bow, Okla., radio station who acquired an AM/FM combo in Idabell, Okla., in May 2018.
Six years later, Smulyan is selling the stations — to the owner of that Broken Bow FM.
Class C3 KBEL-FM 96.7 and 1kw Class C KBEL-AM 1240 in Idabell are being sold by KBEL Communications, led by David Smulyan, to JL Radio for $560,000.
“JL” is Jay W. Lindy, and with the FCC’s approval of the transaction will pair KBEL-AM & FM with his KKBI-FM in nearby Broken Bow, a station Smulyan once ran, and KQIB-FM in Idabell.
John C. Trent of Putbrese, Hunsacker & Trent is serving as the legal counsel for the parties. The bill for his services will be split 50/50 between buyer and seller.
The sale of KBEL-AM & FM is a profitable one for David Smulyan, who acquired the stations from Brute Force Radio LLC for $230,000.
Idabell, Okla., is a small community in a Tri-State area that covers portions of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas.
David Smulyan is not related to Jeff Smulyan, the founder and CEO of Emmis.
