This would be a wise move for the company even if it were not in a dire financial condition. It is rare in radio these days to have a property of any kind, tangible or intangible, appreciate so quickly. The only thing that does is desirable real property.
Mostly, that involves AM transmitter sites in areas that have become redevelopment magnets. Aside from Audacy not owning any AM stations in this market, Phoenix has not seen that come to fruition. This is largely because of the more central location of many of its sticks in older parts of town that are not development hotbeds. KTAR is excluded as a shopping center is built around its AM site. There have been two sites lost or subdivided for development in the last five years (KNUV and KASA).
- KFYI (36th Street and Vineyard) — Area is very agricultural with large-lot homes and working farms.
- KIDR (23rd Avenue and Dobbins) — I can see this in the next 10 years. The site would likely need to be assembled with a neighboring parcel for meaningful development. Now bordered by homes to the north.
- KNAI (3100 W Lower Buckeye) — It's in a landfill. Also across the street from a jail.
- KGME (30th Avenue and Maryland) — Largely midcentury housing stock. Not the highest-demand submarket in town. Would likely have to be residential as it is surrounded by homes on all four sides.
- KKNT with KFNN (Black Mountain Rd at Rough Rider, south of Pinnacle Peak) — On an equestrian site now bordered on two and a half sides by houses. Possible in the medium-run.
- KXXT with KPXQ (75th Avenue and Camelback) — An odd parcel. The former studio/house is now used by another company, and it's not a full corner because a canal runs basically through the intersection. Not the highest-demand growth area; there are other, better parcels very close.
- KDUS with KIHP (Calle Carmen in Guadalupe) — Would be an awkward parcel for industrial uses, but residential would fall in Guadalupe, which is a Hispanic and Pascua Yaqui enclave. It's adjacent to I-10 but with no interstate access for a mile either side.
- KFNX (42nd Street and Carefree Highway) — Way north. On the road to a landfill and surrounded on two sides by desert. I don't think this is a parcel people would want to see developed in that area.
- KNUV (95th Avenue and Jefferson) — Scruffy downtown Tolleson, not subdivision-and-growth Tolleson. You might recall that KNUV was sold without its translator or tower site in 2022. The station then lost the translator to Family Radio. Maricopa County says Amigo Properties still has the stick site but has sold the northern chunk to R & J Utility, owner of a nearby house-office, and the southern part to Rousseau LLC, tied to a farming company with nearby farm holdings.
- KOY (20th Avenue and Buckeye) — This derelict place, once KOY moves, becomes the oldest radio-associated property in the Valley. KPHO started here at 1200 in 1940 (moving to 1230 after NARBA in March 1941). It built the 910 plant in 1949 and then sold this one to a new 1230 licensee. The area is not the greatest.
- KBSZ and KIKO (Baseline Avenue between Idaho and Tomahawk, Apache Junction) — Industrial property and mobile home parks. Wake me up when Superstition Vistas is a thing.
- KXEG — Has no tower site and has spent years in receivership. Might end up back at its old home, which is the longtime site for this facility in a heavy industrial zone at 38th Avenue south of Indian School. This one (and 1580, which is now here) are safe. KQFN uses this site after its big six-tower array in West Mesa fell apart literally years ago; there are soccer fields on it now.
- KSUN and KPHX (38th Street south of Southern Avenue) — A subdivision has gone in to its east, but it's surrounded by farms/nurseries north and west and large-lot homes south. Hard to find a redevelopment case with the way it's situated.
- KAZG — The Lumberyard at 6400 E. Thomas is pretty well insulated from development pressure due to density and parcel shape. Though I notice there's a business called "Strange Audio Devices" over there now...
- KASA is an oddity. The licensed tower site at 15th Lane and Baseline no longer exists. It was claimed by development in the South Mountain area. Now, it's home to a charter school called the Academy of Math and Science. There was an STA for a temp site but it hasn't been renewed. Now the FM translator this nominally feeds has problems, too, thanks to the recent KVVA-KDVA changes. Entravision filed an interference complaint on it. They need another originating facility. If someone dug deep, they'd probably find a lot of problems at this operation, of the type that generate forfeitures. I'll give you one free: every issues and programs list since 2Q 2021 is missing.
