SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF. — The FCC has given its blessing to the sale of a radio station that would give a company born out of the former Buckley Broadcasting ownership of a fifth FM radio station in California’s Central Coast.
That means a waiver has been granted to surpass local ownership limits, with the Commission agreeing with efforts led by Wilkinson Barker Knauer partner David Oxenford to demonstrate that one of those FM properties didn’t cover the city of San Luis Obispo or the Five Cities region to the south.
With nary a word, the Commission approved the assignment of authorization request submitted on December 26, 2025 that allows Dimes Media, owned by the Fahnoe Family Trust, to complete its acquisition of Class B KERW-FM 101.3 in Los Osos-Baywood Park, due west of San Luis Obispo.
As RBR+TVBR was first to report, the station will convert from noncommercial to commercial status following its sale from KCRW parent Santa Monica College, which is earning $237,500 from a facility acquired a decade ago as part of a plan to reduce streaming royalties while growing the KCRW brand footprint across Southern California. With listener donations down and government funding ceased over concerns NPR spoken word programming has maintained a liberal and anti-Israel bias, KCRW management has been paring down expenses. This includes saying farewell at the start of 2024 to Morning Becomes Eclectic co-host Anthony Valadez, presaging more cuts at the tastemaker music-driven noncomm. In 2023, KCRW faced a $3 million shortfall; the cessation of federal funds to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting made the station’s somewhat lavish business plan untenable.
With Oxenford assisting Dimes and Brad Deutschat Foster Garvey representing KCRW, getting the Commission to grant the waiver allowing Dimes to acquire KERW saw Dimes asserts that “even with this acquisition, the audience and advertising share of Dimes is far below that of the dominant radio competitor in the market.” That would be American General Media, which was unable to buy the facility today known as KERW in 2016 and presently owns FMs including Country KKJG “K-Jug,” Adult Contemporary KSTT “Coast 104.5,” Classic Rocker KZOZ, and Adult Alternative KKAL “The Krush.”
Indeed, AGM’s ratings and revenue position in San Luis Obispo have been stronger than Dimes Media and its predecessor. But, does that justify a fifth FM, growing the Dimes stable past that of its competitor? “The unique terrain of the San Luis Obispo, Calif., market supports a different ownership analysis, particularly as no Dimes stations provide full market coverage.”
Enter KXDZ-FM 100.5 in Templeton, Calif., which simulcasts unique Classic Adult Alternative KXTZ-FM 95.3 “The Beach,” licensed to Pismo Beach, Calif. KXDZ’s Class A facility boasts a signal that fades when one drives down the Cuesta Grade to San Luis Obispo and points south. As such, KXDZ — in Dimes’ opinion — should not be counted as a San Luis Obispo station, and therefore KERW can be acquired. The FCC agreed.
Dimes also made the argument that its ownership of radio stations in Santa Maria, Calif., that have proven to be very popular and attract listeners in the “Five Cities” region of San Luis Obispo County, which includes Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande. Country KSNI-FM 102.5 was singled out, using Nielsen Audio ratings to substantiate its popularity within the San Luis Obispo market.
Dimes was the only bidder for KERW, and the argument is made in the waiver request that a third-party buyer is unlikely because the FM cannot be operated profitably as a stand-alone station. Notably, Adelman Broadcasting, which owns KTEA-FM and KCJZ-FM in Cambria, did not submit a bid, likely due to financial constraints or disinterest.
Serving as Santa Monica College’s broker is Brett Miller.
The grant, without any comment, marks a stark contrast to the FCC of a decade ago. At the time, El Dorado Broadcasting began the process of selling its stations in San Luis Obispo. AGM could not purchase the property at 101.3 MHz then-known as KSTT-FM. Instead, it acquired the KSTT call letters and intellectual property and moved it to 104.5 MHz, where it resides today. In July 2016, a donation of the property which had temporarily taken the KJRW call letters was put in place, giving it to Santa Monica Cellege.
At the time, KCRW had big ambitions, including a Berlin, Germany FM. Jason Bentley and Anne Litt were key presenters offering listeners artists such as Hozier and Gotye before becoming best-selling acts at Top 40 radio. Then came an administrative change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the more recent loss of Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding.
Now, the lone HD1 home for KCRW’s “Eclectic 24” will soon be ending. For those seeking a left-of-center music hub, locally based NPR Member KCBX and KNBX’s 9am-Noon weekday block and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s KCPR-FM are easily accessible alternatives.
— With reporting from Adam R Jacobson
