A Class A FM playing country music’s greatest hits, serving such Michigan towns as St. Helen and Skidway Lake, in August found itself in a tussle over its future ownership.
A family trust filed an objection with the FCC against the station’s transfer from its licensee to a new 50/50 partnership driven by the station’s manager. “Misrepresentations” were noted by the trust.
A Court Order has negated the deal proposed in August, handing this FM to a receiver — the owner of an AM in Statesville, N.C.
According to an August 2 filing with the Commission, Charles Cobb engineered a deal that would have transferred WBMI-FM 105.5 in West Branch, Mich., from CF Broadcasting to
“WBMI 105,” a newly formed entity with ownership split between Cobb and Michael Fleming.
According to Cobb and Fleming, this was a corporate reorganization that involves “no substantial change in the beneficial ownership,” with WBMI shifting from a limited liability company to a general partnership.
Not so, says the Warner Family Trust, and on Oct. 23 the FCC issued a letter requesting further information from CF Broadcasting. It responded to the Commission’s letter on or about Nov. 14.
The Warner Family had until Dec. 26 to respond, and the matter remains pending with the Media Bureau. As such, the FCC ordered control of WBMI to a third-party court-appointed receiver, Mark Sanger.
Sanger is the owner of Iredell Broadcasting, licensee of WSIC-AM 1400 and two FM translators in Statesville, N.C.
He replaces Steve Coston; there is no explanation as to the change.
A State of Michigan Circuit Court is deciding the matter, which stems from a 2011 agreement allowing Fleming and Cobb to acquire WBMI from Peggy Warner. Warner gained ownership of WBMI in April 2008, nearly three years after unsuccessfully attempting to land its license.
WBMI has had a turbulent history, falling silent in the early 1990s and again in late 2000.
