The nation’s dominant Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) radio broadcasting company has expanded again — this time with a deal that gives them a pair of FM radio stations serving the Colorado River market of Yuma, Ariz.
An asset purchase agreement dated September 30 — filed with the FCC on Tuesday due to the federal government shutdown — sees K-LOVE Inc. agree to purchase Country KTTI-FM 95.1 in Yuma and Classic Hits KQSR-FM 100.9 in Yuma.
The seller is the Jason Wolff-led El Dorado Broadcasters, which will pocket $375,000 from the stations’ sale.
An $18,750 deposit has been made and is being made with the seller’s broker of record — Greg Guy of Tideline Partners LLC.
The seller’s legal counsel is Scott Woodworth of Edinger Associates PLLC. Serving as K-Love’s legal counsel, as has been the case for several years, is Paige Fronabarger of Wilkinson Barker Knauer.
Signing off on the deal for K-Love is CEO Thomas Stulz and CFO Matt Reynolds.
The Yuma-El Centro region is one of the nation’s last to not be home to either KLOVE or its Worship Music Air1 noncommercial radio network. At present, Christian-themed radio offerings include Worship Music-focused “Family Friendly” KCFY-FM; a translator for CSN Radio; and a translator for “Your Celebration Network” KNLB-FM.
However, the bigger takeaway is that Yuma, once this transaction closes, will be left with one commercially licensed English-language secular FM: Hot Adult Contemporary KLJZ-FM 93.1. Contemporary Hit Radio sounds can also be heard on Mexicali-licensed XHMOE 90.7, an affiliate of “Los 40” in Mexico.
While the Yuma-El Centro market is united for broadcast TV stations, the 55-mile distance between the two cities makes each locale independent of one another when it comes to radio stations, making local ad sales difficult. Another factor is the high percentage of Spanish-dominant consumers and socioeconomic data favoring neighboring markets such as Palm Springs, Calif., and Phoenix.
