He’s a multimedia journalist who has worked at Sinclair Broadcast Group’s WRGB-6 in Schenectady, N.Y., and for Nexstar Media Group’s stations serving the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. He has also been an iHeartRadio radio personality in such markets as Manchester, N.H. and Cape Cod.
In late May, a now-concluded GoFundMe page was set up to help support his “radio dream.” It now appears that Kalani Aaron Bowles‘ desire to own a radio station is coming to fruition.
A resident today of Albany, N.Y., Bowles has established a limited liability company, Sky Radio & Press, that seeks FCC approval to acquire WRSA-AM 1420 in St. Albans, Vt., from Radio Broadcasting Services Inc., led by Jacob Silberberg.
A $25,000 purchase price was agreed to by both parties, and this reflects the station’s license and certain equipment. A lease agreement is being executed that will allow Bowles’ to pay RBS for tower space at a rate of $3,600 per year (payable at $300 per month).
What will the $25,000 get Bowles, aside the WRSA license?
- Harris MW 1A One Kilowatt Transmitter
- Belar Mod Monitor
- Sine Systems RP 8 Relay Panel
- DBX 266 XL Compressor
- Orban Optimod 9100A
A $5,000 deposit has been made by Bowles.
WRSA is a story with a bumpy recent past. A March 2019 proposed acquisition of the station by RBS from Eric and Tiffany Miller’s Radio Sound Company for $150,000 never happened, and in February 2020 the station ended up in RBS’s hands for a token price of $1.
Then, on January 13, 2021, the death of Steven Silberberg died of lung cancer. But, RBS didn’t make the requisite moves it needed to take to indicate a change in ownership for the group of stations following his passing. The solution was the signing of a consent decree with the Commission that saw Northeast pay a $25,000 civil penalty to the U.S. Treasury.
Bowles’ purchase price effectively negates the monetary loss for Jacob Silberberg’s group.
