KSAM has already had K-Star as a direct competitor in the past. Recall that during the KVST-KUST simulcast days the 99.7 transmitter was located near (and licensed to) Huntsville, while the old 103.7 facility was located near Conroe.
Note that 99.7 will return to being a Huntsville COL, while a side deal with KAFR changes that station's COL from Conroe to Willis. I would think KAFR got some "incentive" from KVST in order to agree to the deal; perhaps to be put towards a purchase of 91.7?
Ah yes, Frog, but never with power such as this. The facility wasn't even a tenth of what's proposed for it now, last time it was licensed and broadcasting from Huntsville. It competed, sure, but now it'll do so with 5x the power of KSAM. This proposal will cover as much, if not more, land surface than what that KUST/KVST simulcast once did. I'll admit a bit of surprise that Amato pulled this nice upgrade for K-Star off, given that The Fox in Bryan is right next door on 99-5. It'll sure kill any hopes and aspirations iHeart may have had in giving KNFX any type of reclassification into the C class itself down the road. I just can't fathom KVST as a C3. It's been the lil' country station from Conroe for a lot of years now. Kind of hate to see it bid farewell to Houston.
I'll note your note, and point out that in the application, it lists KYOK as a licensed service to Conroe. It is, but that puppy's hightailing it out of Conroe too. Maybe a nice donation to the American Family Association did indeed convince them to "move" KAFR, then again, maybe they wanted to be neighborly and let him simply pay the filing fees for the COL change and move forward as KAFR Willis. I guess we'll never know.
Of course, that leads me to ask the question that's been rattling around my head for the last two weeks. With a deal such as this, where one operator puts a little incentive in another's pocket for a quick call or COL change, to accommodate their own goals, who's asleep at the wheel over at 397 North Beltway 8, having not already called the Villarreal brothers to make a deal with Liberman for those sacred KCOH calls that are suddenly available to them? Wouldn't THAT be a feather in the cap of a one Dr. Jesse Dunn?
