High Desert Bishop: Morning talent buys KIBS/KBOV

[michael hagerty]

Meet Sonya, New Owner of KIBS/KBOV

“I absolutely love Bishop, the Owens Valley, everything. You know, from Lone Pine up to Bridgeport. This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever lived,” says new station owner, Sony…

www.kibskbov.com

Sonya is only the fifth owner in KBOV’s 71-year history, and I believe the fifth in KIBS’ 40-year history.

I began my career at KBOV (then KIBS) in 1971, and helped put KIBS (then KIOQ) on the air in 1974.

 

[davideduardo]

I wish her good fortune and much success!

 

[xkxrx]

Any idea what she paid for the stations?

 

[michael hagerty]

I wish her good fortune and much success!

They have been, for most of their existences, well-run radio stations. The AM was bought from the founders in 1969 by an absentee owner who ran it into the ground, but when the late John Young (formerly with KPOL, Los Angeles) bought it in 1976, he brought it back from the near-dead.

The FM was started on a shoestring in October of 1974, and struggled with finances until Young bought it in 1984.

Since then, Young and his successors, Steve Miller and Lauren Brandt, have done a terrific job keeping the stations local and staffed with actual human beings.

 

[michael hagerty]

Any idea what she paid for the stations?

The only article I have seen is the one I posted, from the stations themselves. @DavidEduardo , does Broadcasting or whatever it's called now still publish transactions?

 

[exdjted]

The only article I have seen is the one I posted, from the stations themselves. @DavidEduardo , does Broadcasting or whatever it's called now still publish transactions?

According to the transfer application, the purchase price was $550,000.

 

[michael hagerty]

According to the transfer application, the purchase price was $550,000.

You can spend more on a house in Bishop these days.

Bishop CA Real Estate - Bishop CA Homes For Sale | Zillow

Zillow has 47 homes for sale in Bishop CA. View listing photos, review sales history, and use our detailed real estate filters to find the perfect place.

www.zillow.com

Something in my memory (increasingly less reliable) says Steve and Lauren bought in 2004---20 years ago---for a bit over a million. Could be wrong. If anyone can track that down...

 

[davideduardo]

The only article I have seen is the one I posted, from the stations themselves. @DavidEduardo , does Broadcasting or whatever it's called now still publish transactions?

I don't subscribe to B&C or whatever it is called. Little or no radio news, and lots of ads for syndicated TV shows.

 

[michael hagerty]

Something in my memory (increasingly less reliable) says Steve and Lauren bought in 2004---20 years ago---for a bit over a million. Could be wrong. If anyone can track that down...

Or I could do it my ownself, using the fabulously handy WorldRadioHistory site.





So---Steve and Lauren had it for 20 years. And if exdjted's info is right, the stations went for 57% of the price they sold at in 2004.

 

[K.M. Richards]

And if exdjted's info is right, the stations went for 57% of the price they sold at in 2004.

At this rate, I might be able to afford to buy a station for what's in the petty cash box before long ... 😜

 

[exdjted]

And if exdjted's info is right, the stations went for 57% of the price they sold at in 2004.

Taken from the FCC application filed 4/2/2024.

 

[michael hagerty]

Taken from the FCC application filed 4/2/2024.

Thanks for this, exdjted! Absolutely official.

The details are interesting too---$55,000 on execution of the sale agreement, another $70,000 at closing.

Near the end of the PDF, there's an amortization table---apparently the new owner will pay over ten years. Looks like about $4,000 a month to pay the remaining $425,000, principal and interest.

 

[exdjted]

At this rate, I might be able to afford to buy a station for what's in the petty cash box before long ... 😜

We found $4 in loose change in my sock drawer when we packed up and moved houses. I might be able to find a Class A in my neck of the woods with that...

 

[michael hagerty]

Meet Sonya, New Owner of KIBS/KBOV

“I absolutely love Bishop, the Owens Valley, everything. You know, from Lone Pine up to Bridgeport. This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever lived,” says new station owner, Sony…

www.kibskbov.com

Sonya is only the fifth owner in KBOV’s 71-year history, and I believe the fifth in KIBS’ 40-year history.

I began my career at KBOV (then KIBS) in 1971, and helped put KIBS (then KIOQ) on the air in 1974.

Math is hard. The FM turns 50 this year, not 40.

 

[MandalorianTaz]

There was a translator in the middle of the band rebroadcasting KIBS , you can hear it very well on the 395 between Lone Pine and the volcano. I believe it was located North of Lone Pine airport. it was off the air last week . Anyone know anything about it?

 

[michael hagerty]

There was a translator in the middle of the band rebroadcasting KIBS , you can hear it very well on the 395 between Lone Pine and the volcano. I believe it was located North of Lone Pine airport. it was off the air last week . Anyone know anything about it?

Not specifically. I believe they have a series of translators plus the main signal at 100.7 covering 395 from Lone Pine to Bridgeport.

 

[KMan]

Not specifically. I believe they have a series of translators plus the main signal at 100.7 covering 395 from Lone Pine to Bridgeport.

I was in a gas station in Bishop at 10PM a few nights ago and was happy to hear a music station segue right into the ABC Hourly Newscast. Such a throwback to formats of the past.

 

[K.M. Richards]

I believe they have a series of translators plus the main signal at 100.7 covering 395 from Lone Pine to Bridgeport.

Four. From Michi's site, links will take you to each translator's page there, with predicted contour maps:

1.​	K221DR	​	ROUND MOUNTAIN NV
2.​	K272AE	​	HAWTHORNE NV
3.​	K285EH	​	MINA, ETC. NV
4.​	K269AV	​	TONOPAH & GOLDFIELD NV

And this is the page for the main KIBS facilities.

 

[michael hagerty]

I was in a gas station in Bishop at 10PM a few nights ago and was happy to hear a music station segue right into the ABC Hourly Newscast. Such a throwback to formats of the past.

When I worked at both stations (the AM and FM were owned separately) in the early 70s, they signed off at 10. That was a 7-day a week thing for the FM. The AM actually went off the air at 7 on Sundays.

In '72, one year into my career, I convinced the AM's GM to let me stay on until Midnight on Friday and Saturday nights, which I used to play album rock (the missing piece of the station's block programming).

 

[crainbebo]

The interesting part about KIBS is they have translators in nearby Nevada. KSRW and KRHV don't. Lack of interest, I would guess. And the fact that the Tonopah and Hawthorne residents are likely listening to SiriusXM.