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more details on James Crystal

From Tom Taylor today.

At the Chapter 11 auction of four James Crystal stations, the “credit bid” won.
It usually does, as it did in the recent Fredericksburg auction involving the Free Lance-Star radio and newspaper assets. In fact, major creditor Atalaya Capital was the only bidder at the March 3 auction involving three AMs in Florida and one in Texas held by James Crystal. Here’s the status update Mark Jorgenson of Jorgenson Broadcast Brokerage gives to NOW – “James Crystal Inc., the debtor-in-possession, is still the licensee for all the stations (WMEN, WFTL, WFLL in South Florida and KBXD in Dallas). But it will soon be filing a request with the FCC for transfer for all the licenses to a new company owned by me.” At the moment, Jorgenson’s new company is operating the quartet under an LMA with the licensee. The February 12 NOW Newsletter said “a year has passed since the Chapter 11 reorganization filing, and the auction is set by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida.” That’s what transpired on March 3. The stations are talk WFTL West Palm Beach (850), brokered-ethnic WFLL Ft. Lauderdale (1400), “640 Sports” WMEN Royal Palm Beach – and out in the Metroplex, gospel KBXD Dallas (1480).

It’s “a new day” for two West Palm stations, says WMEN sports talker Sid Rosenberg.
More about the James Crystal story, where it’s “a new day” because of Palm Beach Broadcasting beginning a new relationship with WMEN and sister WFTL – but it’s not an LMA, remember. Sid posts on Facebook that today, April 1, “is a new day for my brothers and sisters at 640 Sports [WMEN] and [talk] 850 WFTL...Some are enjoying benefits of a big-time company for the first time in their careers.” (Rosenberg’s worked at stations like CBS-owned all-sports “Fan” WFAN New York/660.) He goes on to “personally thank Palm Beach Broadcasting for their enthusiasm and commitment in this partnership endeavor.” Going back to Mark Jorgenson, here’s a clearer understanding of the underlying business situation. He says “In West Palm Beach, I have hired Palm Beach Broadcasting to provide some services for WMEN and WFTL.” But he emphasizes that “It is not an LMA and it only involves two of the four AM stations.” Not brokered-ethnic WFLL Ft. Lauderdale/1400 or gospel KBXD Dallas/1480.

Anyone know what the difference between an LMA and "some services" are?
Also, if I'm not mistaken, Palm Beach Broadcasting is part of Digity Media which owns quite a number of stations.
http://www.palmbeach-broadcasting.com/
http://www.digity.me/
 
Here’s the status update Mark Jorgenson of Jorgenson Broadcast Brokerage gives to NOW – “James Crystal Inc., the debtor-in-possession, is still the licensee for all the stations (WMEN, WFTL, WFLL in South Florida and KBXD in Dallas). But it will soon be filing a request with the FCC for transfer for all the licenses to a new company owned by me.” At the moment, Jorgenson’s new company is operating the quartet under an LMA with the licensee.

Going back to Mark Jorgenson, here’s a clearer understanding of the underlying business situation. He says “In West Palm Beach, I have hired Palm Beach Broadcasting to provide some services for WMEN and WFTL.” But he emphasizes that “It is not an LMA and it only involves two of the four AM stations.” Not brokered-ethnic WFLL Ft. Lauderdale/1400 or gospel KBXD Dallas/1480.

One thing I noticed as I listen to “The South Florida Morning News” on WFTL is that they dropped NBC 6 (WTVJ Miami) in favor of CBS 12 (WPEC West Palm Beach) for weather updates (provided by Chris Farrell).
 
Maybe they have decided to concentrate on their actual county Palm Beach instead of going for Miami. If so I think that's a good move!
 
Price For James Crystal Radio Stations In Bankruptcy Sale: $5.5 Million

From All Access:

Price For James Crystal Radio Stations In Bankruptcy Sale: $5.5 Million

The licenses of News-Talk WFTL-A/WEST PALM BEACH, Sports WMEN-A/ROYAL PALM BEACH, FL, Brazilian Religion WFLL-A (NOSSA RADIO 1400)/FORT LAUDERDALE, and Religion/Brokered KBXD-A/DALLAS have been sold by JCE LICENSES, L.L.C./JAMES CRYSTAL LICENSES, LLC to broker MARK JORGENSON's ACM JCE IV B LLC in the bankruptcy auction of JAMES CRYSTAL RADIO assets for $5.5 million.

Are there plans to put WFLL AM 1400 back on the air (as in, on a tower)? Wire strung above a church parking lot doesn't cut it.

What about the studios? Will it be consolidated with the West Palm Beach studios?
 
Any changes in their weekday programming? I enjoyed Rich Stevens from 9 to Noon. I can't stand listening to Herman Cain. Did they need a live clearance? He was running delayed at night, where he still remains. Rich is wasted in that two hour news block in the morning. When I visited South Florida I'd switch between Rich and Rick Sanchez on WIOD. Removing Rich made my choice easy.
 
http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/a...-for-james-crystal-radio-stations-in-bankrupt

Price for the group (4 stations) turned out to be $5.5 million.

From Tom Taylor: $5.5 million is the credit bid amount that wins the four AMs belonging to James Crystal Inc. Atalaya Capital was the creditor and after making the credit bid – the only bid at the March 3 Chapter 11 bankruptcy auction, as you read here on April 1 – it assigns the licenses to “ACM JCE IV B LLC.” That’s run by broker Mark Jorgenson. The three South Florida stations are talk WFTL West Palm Beach (850), “640 Sports WMEN Royal Palm Beach,” brokered-ethnic WFLL Ft. Lauderdale/1400 and gospel KBXD Dallas/1480. As NOW reported, Jorgenson’s company began LMAing the stations ahead of the takeover, and then cut a service-supply deal with Palm Beach Broadcasting for WFTL and WMEN. Coincidentally, Jorgenson’s also serving as a way-station for a couple of other AMs in Dallas with connections to Atalaya, in a separate deal –
 
I was listening to “The South Florida Morning News” when Rich Stevens, addressing the wet weather, told listeners to be careful driving on I-95 because he and host Karen Curtis are “heading north on I-95 for a meeting.”

Hmm…

Could they be moving to the studios in West Palm Beach?
 
It was announced during "The Sid Rosenberg Show" (on WMEN "640 Sports") that Rich Stevens, who was in Sid's studio streaming the show on Periscope, will return on Monday, May 11, 2015 at 10am with "The Rich Stevens Show" on 850 WFTL.

Twitter - Rich Stevens
 
Rich will still be doing the last two hours of the morning news and then the 10AM hour,which I hope will be like his old 9 to Noon show. There are two people I haven't heard of doing 11 to Noon starting Monday. An hour show with two hosts? Seems a bit rushed, and why? Glad they removed Herman Cain, at least from 10 to Noon. Bad ratings?
 
Rich will still be doing the last two hours of the morning news and then the 10AM hour,which I hope will be like his old 9 to Noon show. There are two people I haven't heard of doing 11 to Noon starting Monday. An hour show with two hosts? Seems a bit rushed, and why? Glad they removed Herman Cain, at least from 10 to Noon. Bad ratings?

Who are these two hosts? I do not recall hearing about it in the morning show.
 
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It was on WFTL's facebook page this week. Don't remember the names.

Its Sunny 107.9 morning show team of Jennifer Ross and Bill Adams going over to WFTL after their WRMF shift to do an hour long talk show.
 
Rich Stevens announced on "The South Florida Morning News" that WFTL/WMEN are moving to new studios. It looks like they may remain in northern Broward.
 
This just in from All Access:
Broker MARK JORGENSON's ACM JCE IV B LLC has closed on the acquisition of the licenses of News-Talk WFTL-A/WEST PALM BEACH, Sports WMEN-A/ROYAL PALM BEACH, FL, Brazilian Religion WFLL-A (NOSSA RADIO 1400)/FORT LAUDERDALE, and Religion/Brokered KBXD-A/DALLAS from JCE LICENSES, L.L.C./JAMES CRYSTAL LICENSES, LLC in the bankruptcy auction of JAMES CRYSTAL RADIO assets for $5.5 million.

http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/141357/zell-expands-wbeb-board-takes-majority
 
This just in from All Access:
Broker MARK JORGENSON's ACM JCE IV B LLC has closed on the acquisition of the licenses of News-Talk WFTL-A/WEST PALM BEACH, Sports WMEN-A/ROYAL PALM BEACH, FL, Brazilian Religion WFLL-A (NOSSA RADIO 1400)/FORT LAUDERDALE, and Religion/Brokered KBXD-A/DALLAS from JCE LICENSES, L.L.C./JAMES CRYSTAL LICENSES, LLC in the bankruptcy auction of JAMES CRYSTAL RADIO assets for $5.5 million.

All Access

Now that Jorgenson has acquired the licenses are there any plans to place WFLL AM 1400 on a tower?
 
For those who don't know MARK JORGENSON is the son of Wallace Jorgenson a Jefferson-Pilot Broadcasting executive. It will be interesting to see what he does with the stations. Now we know what they are worth, $5.5 million....or are they?
 
Rich Stevens announced during his morning Periscope stream that the new studios will be in West Palm Beach.

So much for remaining in northern Broward.
 
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