Radio and Television Transactions

In October 2017, the future of classical music on the FM dial in the Salt Lake City market was put into question when Brigham Young University revealed a major consolidation effort set for completion in July 2018. As part of this effort, the school said it would "consolidate" its SiriusXM-exclusive BYUradio by simulcasting it on a Class C facility that is the home of “Classical 89.” Now, instead of seeing Mozart and Bach disappear, the format is being saved.

An Omaha-based broadcaster known largely for its NewsChannel Nebraska network of low-power TV stations across the Cornhusker State and a big regional Mexican station serving the two biggest population centers in the state is saying goodbye to a silent FM translator. It's one of two deals involving 250-watt microstations on a quiet Wednesday for TRANSACTIONS TODAY, following Tuesday's news that Sinclair Broadcast Group is selling several TV stations to four different entities while retaining WPIX-11 in New York.

A Class C3 FM serving an area east of the Springfield, Mo., area -- and the town where a fallen tower claimed the life of Steve LeMay -- is trading hands. The buyer is a foundation known for its 2014 creation of the Pulse Channel, described as a format aimed at teens and young adults who are looking "for music they like without all of the negative social messages" found in mainstream pop hits.

A 1kw AM radio station serving the first capital of New York since 1939 has finally obtained an FM signal for its programming. This gives this recently reinvented radio station a new platform for its community-focused mix of music, sports, news and even foreign-language programming.

Officially a part of the Buffalo television market, Olean and nearby Bradford, Pa., comprise a market that stands on its own due to terrain and distance. Among the companies actively competing in Olean are Bruce Mittman and Jim Leven's Community Broadcasters and the Jeff Andrulonis-led Colonial Media + Entertainment. Mittman and Leven will now be positioning their Olean stations against a new competitor. 

With the second of two big weekends of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival set to begin Friday (4/20), it may seem a bit of surprise to know that Mike Novak may be celebrating about something involving the Coachella Valley. While we suspect he's not attending the huge live music event, he's likely rejoicing over his entity's latest acquisition -- a Class A right in the heart of this part of Southern California.

Is it the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Are brokers golfing following a busy 2018 NAB Show in Las Vegas? Whatever it may be, the number of asset purchase agreements filed in the last several days with the FCC may rival the number of fans actually in attendance on April 1 at Comerica Park: There aren't many to talk about. In TRANSACTIONS TODAY, the focus is on Special Temporary Authority (STA) requests.

On March 1 TRANSACTIONS TODAY told you about the purchase of a Class A FM between Ardmore, Okla., and Oklahoma City for $125,000. Now, the entity that acquired that station is buying another FM in Oklahoma. This deal is filled with "love," and will see the commercial-band FM go into the hands of a religious non-profit organization. Also in TRANSACTIONS TODAY: The price is revealed in Tuesday's purchase of a Philadelphia AM.

Is the 2018 NAB Show hangover still in progress? Are dealmakers talking but not filing Form 314s with the FCC? Whatever it is, it sure is quiet at the Commission with respect to new Asset Purchase Agreement approval requests. There have been no new filings so far this week, with a closing and an STA application the lone items up for discussion in TRANSACTIONS TODAY from RBR+TVBR.

A religious broadcaster active in the "Michiana" region of the Midwest comprised of some friends of Christian radio has become a new friend of Gerard Media. That's because this small-market broadcaster has just made a deal that gives its two AM talk stations some AM revitalization.

In the Colorado ski resorts of Aspen and Snowmass is an entity doing business as "Aspen 82."  In the lone item up for discussion in TRANSACTIONS TODAY presented by RBR+TVBR, it has just acquired a dormant LPTV in one of those slope-filled cities.

Blame it on the red eye? Many of the top communications lawyers and most of the industry's leading brokers arrived home from the 2018 NAB Show in Las Vegas on Thursday. This could explain why two translator deals are the lone subject of conversation in TRANSACTIONS TODAY from RBR+TVBR for April 12.

It must be cold in the Traverse City, Mich., area. Or, it's a colloquially endearing term for how Michigan looks when stenciled on a piece of paper. "The Mitten" is the moniker given to a Class A facility licensed to Thompsonville, Mich., that is being sold from a buyer and seller with similar names. In the end, this station will be 100% controlled by John Yob.

Between Mason City, Iowa and Rochester, Minn. is a town that's home to "Classic Country Legends," airing on a Class B AM owned and operated by a local broadcast company. That's about to change: A North Dakota-based nonprofit entity is acquiring the facility. It's our top transaction in TRANSACTIONS TODAY from RBR+TVBR.

In an age where institutions of higher learning are opting to sell their FM radio stations, there's one school that is actually adding another facility to its stable. And, it's getting an AM sibling as part of the just-announced deal that saw Kalil & Co. serve as the exclusive broker. Meanwhile, TRANSACTIONS TODAY now knows how much Ingstad Radio Washington is pocketing from its Stephens Media Group deal in Washington announced April 3.