On July 1, 2020, a management and programming agreement was reached that allowed a Class A Classic Hits station serving the tiny towns of Twisp and Winthrop to greatly expand its reach in Eastern Washington.
Now, the station that has been the simulcast partner is seeing a change in control within its ownership, FCC documents show.
The station that is seeing an internal change in control is KEYG-FM 98.5 in Grand Coulee, Wash., just south of the famed dam.
That’s the station that until now has been licensed to Wheeler Broadcasting, led by 49% interest holder and GM Mark Wheeler.
With the Commission’s blessing, ownership in the company will be consolidated, with two family members taking the shares from three others.
As a result, Verl Wheeler’s 36% ownership, Nilufer Wheeler’s 2% ownership, and Scott Baker’s 5% ownership is disappearing. Mark Wheeler will now hold 47% interest, while Tonya Baker, the wife of Scott Baker and Mark’s sister, will now serve as the 50% interest holder in Wheeler Broadcasting.
The 3% ownership in the company held by Kelly Alford remains unchanged.
What does this mean for listeners of “SUNNY FM” on KEYG, pursuant to the July 2021 agreement to simulcast Resort Radio LLC’s KCSY-FM 106.3 in Twisp, Wash.? The ownership structure changes are likely transparent, as Mark Wheeler joined the Sunny sales team in 2021.
At the time, Mark Wheeler said, “We’ve been trying to put together a deal for many years to maximize the impact and synergies of our stations, but the timing never worked out. Resort Radio GM/Partner David Herald and his experienced long-time partners, Kent Phillips and David Bauer, have built SUNNY FM into a strong local brand. The consolidation of our stations will give them even a stronger presence in the market.”
