Radio and Television Transactions

A three-year quest to acquire three radio stations in the Mile High State has come to an affirmative conclusion for Bob Richards and his wife, Jeanna. They are now officially the owners of two FMs and an AM with an FM translator.

It's known as the licensee that provides SonLife programming from the Jimmy Swaggart Ministries. Now, it is expanding through the purchase of a digital low-power television station serving Baton Rouge.

Dave Magnum and his Magnum Radio in June signed off on an asset purchase agreement that, upon FCC approval, would give it ownership of a FM and an FM translator in the Wisconsin city of Chippewa Falls. That affirmative nod from the Media Bureau came, and the deal has now closed.

He's known across Western New York as the owner of one of the most successful all-music AM radio stations in the world. In August, he expanded his radio holdings by agreeing to acquire an FM radio station in the city that's his second home. Now, Buddy Shula has closed on the property. A format change is already in the works.

A licensee led by John Devine has agreed to spin a FM translator serving the Georgia city of Augusta. Signing off on the deal for the buyer is the group's Chief Financial Officer, Julie Ziegler.

It's a digital low-power television station that was sold by Enlace Christian Television to Craig Ruark in 2021. Earlier this year, it was resold to an entity led by Scott Centers. Now, Centers is selling the property again, a deal that will bring it to its four licensee in under 24 months. It comes concurrent to another Southern Nevada spin for Centers.

Since 2019, a 6kw Class A FM to the northeast of Hattiesburg, Miss., has been operated by an enterprise led by James Harold Heathcock Jr. Now, Heathcock is moving forward with his initial intent of purchasing the property and its Class D AM sibling.

Miami's "Vibe 92.7" has found an audience with a 64-watt LPFM facility that can barely reach Doral, where the Radio Masters Sales Summit begins tomorrow following today's sessions for Independent Broadcasters Association (IBA) members.  Now, "Vibe," which boasts a HD2 offering, is being spun to a new owner.

The town of Branson, Mo., has been welcoming visitors and country music buffs for years, and there's been a low-power TV station dedicated to this audience operated by longtime local broadcaster Earls Family Broadcasting available for viewing. Could this soon change, as Earls has decided to sell the LPTV property? It's not likely.

Sharon Springs, Kan., is a small town due east of the Colorado state line along historic U.S. Highway 40. Serving this tiny agricultural community is a 180-watt FM translator on the noncommercial band. Soon, it will be in the hands of a growing religious broadcasting entity.

In the resort town of Jackson, Wyoming, a low-power TV station is being sold. The buyer is an intriguing one, and suggests Spanish-language television is coming to the community.

A Class C1 100kw FM radio station offering a mix of Christian Talk and Teaching and "the best music this side of heaven" will soon be making a bit of a programming change. Instead of offering "Life"-affirming offerings in English, it will provide listeners in Miami-Dade and northern Monroe Counties "estudias de la Vida."

It offers what it calls "schizoelectic radio" and claims to have a national streaming audio audience. Alas, that appears to be not enough to save "Jive Radio" on a broadcast facility using a Class C3 signal to cover a portion of the Columbia River Gorge due east of Portland, Ore.

Nearly six years ago, Zoe Communications acquired a group of radio stations from Red Rock Radio Corp. Now, a spin is being consummated.

Donald W. Curtis is widely known across the Carolinas for his Raleigh-based Curtis Media Group, a marketing company powered by some 62 AM and FM radio stations. Pending FCC approval, you can add an FM to that stable of signals.