Fifteen years ago, Emmis Communications agreed to a partnership with Virginia-based Sinclair Telecable to acquire six radio stations in the Texas state capital for $105 million.
This deal gave Emmis a 50.1% controlling interest in the stations, with Sinclair Telecable taking the remaining 49.9%.
Now, Sinclair Telecable has invested nearly $1 million in an FM translator with nearly full market coverage.
What do Sinclair Telecable and Emmis have in mind?
Whatever they have planned has been in the works for three months.
On March 15, an Asset Purchase Agreement was forged between Sinclair Telecable and Wyoming-based GHS Inc. that allows it to purchase K246BD at 97.1 MHz in Sunset Valley, Tex.
K246BD is an excellent 99-watt facility, with a signal contour that encircles most of the greater Austin market. This fact did not go unnoticed by GHS: It has pocketed $903,000 for the sale of the translator to Sinclair Telecable.
A Form 314 filing of the APA was made with the FCC on Monday (6/18), making the transaction official.
A $301,000 deposit has been made to GHS by Sinclair Telecable, a Norfolk-based entity led by Robert Sinclair. It is not related in any way to Sinclair Broadcast Group, the company that seeks to complete its merger with Tribune Media.
The legal counsel in this transaction is Mark N. Lipp of Fletcher Heald & Hildreth.
At present, the translator is home to “Fiesta 97.1,” serving the Spanish-speaking Hispanic community in Austin as a rebroadcast partner of Class A KTXX-FM 104.9 HD2.
Consider the fiesta finito — Emmis and Sinclair own and operate Regional Mexican KLZT-FM 107.1 “La Z” in Austin, and its the market leader among Spanish-language properties.
According to the FCC filing made Monday, K246BD will rebroadcast an HD signal associated with Adult Alternative KGSR-FM 93.3.
But, that’s all we know at press time.
According to an HD Radio online guide of stations serving Austin, KGSR’s HD2 signal offers country music; it had been a local Radio Disney affiliate. The HD3 signal is devoted to Heavy Metal music and is branded “No Control.”
Could it be KLBJ-AM 590, the storied former KTBC owned by “Lady Bird” Johnson from 1943-1973? That’s not likely, as KLBJ already uses K259AJ at 99.7 MHz to serve Austin’s FM listeners.
KGSR PD Emily McIntosh did not return RBR+TVBR‘s call seeking comment by our 4pm Eastern deadline.
As such, the use of the near $1 million translator being acquired by Sinclair Telecable is as-yet unknown — except to those involved with its eventual launch.
