Sub-title: When you C1, you’ve seen them all. In a swap of Country outlets, Midwest Communications’ Bob KBVB-FM is going to Radio Fargo-Moorhead in exchange for Froggy KVOX-FM. The difference in the facilities, other than dial position and format shading, is 3 feet of HAAT.
If nothing else, the deal will cure a rare situation in which one of the companies – MCI – owned KVOX-AM, while the other – RFM – owned what would normally be sister KVOX-FM.
MCI is owned by Duke Wright, RFM by James Ingstad.
KBVB-FM is a Class C1 licensed to Barnesville MN on 95.1 MHz with 100 kW @ 384’.
KVOX-FM is a Class C1 licensed to Moorhead MN on 99.9 MHz with 100 kW @ 381’.
KBVB-FM joins the cluster that was acquired by MCI from Ingstad for $25M in a deal accepted for filing by the FCC 9/20/12. Other stations include KVOX-AM, KFGO-AM, KRWK-FM, WDAY-FM and KMJO-FM.
The RFM cluster was acquired by Larry Wilson’s L&L Broadcasting from Triad Broadcasting in a 12/3/13 $21M multimarket group deal, then excised from that package and sold to Ingstad’s RFM. That deal was filed 5/4/13 and was valued at $9.5M. The other stations in the RFM cluster include KLTA-FM, KPFX-FM, KQWB AM & FM and KBMW-AM.
The deal provides for station employees to conditionally move over to the new owner with their stations, and in the case the new owner does not elect to hire them, the original employer has the right to re-employ them, despite provisions of a 9/18/12 non-compete between the two owners.
Exceptions include the KVOX morning team, described in the contract as John Halverson (Jesse James), Amanda Scheid (Amanda Lea) and Taylor Peterson (Pike). They may be re-hired by MCI and stay in town; they may also be hired by RFM, but they would have to work elsewhere.
Members of the respective management teams are also excepted from the provisions, including Nancy Odney at RFM and Michael Brookes and Jessica Benson at MCI.
