A Class A FM offering Country music as “Froggy” to a big college town, and its Top 40-formatted Class A FM sibling focused on Clarksburg and Fairmont, W. Va., are being sold. The buyer? It’s the broadcast station ownership group led by James Kail.
LHTC Media of West Virginia has struck a deal with Nicholas Galli-led Burbach of WV that will give it, pending FCC approval, ownership of WHTI “Hot 105.7” in Salem, W. Va., and WGYE-FM 102.7 in Mannington, W. Va. — plus FM translator W280FF at 103.9 MHz in Morgantown, W. Va., which are “Froggy.”
A $190,000 purchase price has been agreed upon. At closing, full payment minus a monthly TBA fee and upfront payment is due. A trade schedule agreement is also in effect, with a $25,000 threshold.
Once the transaction is complete, Hot and Froggy will bring LHTC Media’s brands in the Morgantown-Fairmont-Clarksburg region to five, as it already owns Sports Talk WMMN-AM 920 and WRLF-FM 94.3 in Fairmont (plus FM translator W239CM at 95.7 MHz in Morgantown); Adult Hits WBKE-AM 1490 in Fairmont and FM translator W252EF in Morgantown, branded as “Buzz 98.3”; and WZST-FM 100.9 “JACK FM” in Morgantown.
LHTC acquired the four fully licensed stations in October 2016 in a transaction brokered by Kalil & Co. In that deal, LHTC paid $700,000 to Spectrum Radio Fairmont LLC.
LHTC Media is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Laurel Highland Total Communications, a local phone/internet/cable TV services provider.
For the seller, “Froggy 92.7” — WGIE-FM — will continue, minus its simulcast partners.
