Do Christian operators have any interest in for-sale Clear Channel stations?

[collegeDJ86]

With all of the small market signals Clear Channel is selling, are there any Christian radio companies interested in purchasing?

Networks like K-Love, Air1, Way-FM, CSN, and AFR are all non-commercial, so if they were interested in some of the stations, would they not have to reclassify them? I'm pretty sure this isn't impossible; I know K-Love and Air1 at least have full power signals in the commercial band.

Then, there is Salem which regularly operates in the commercial band with their Fish stations and their Today's Christian Music feed.

Could we see local Christian owners get involved in some of these areas maybe?

Discuss...

 

[74WIXYGrad]

I figure the small market stations will go for big bucks, so how would a supposed non-com justify such a purchase. And in our area, CollegeDJ(you're in Wadsworth, I'm in Rittman) I think with the K-Love translator, the Fish, and WCRF/WVML our area is well covered by contemporary music in one form or another. I address this in one of my blog entries this week
http://wixygrad.blogspot.com/2006/11/some-loose-ends-and-observations.html
This will be the second article.

Also covered by Ohio Media Watch
http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com/2006/11/new-station-in-wooster-well-sort-of.html

My blog a general subject blog. You will get more of the specifics on OMW.

 

[xmusicmatt]

EMF has bought Commerical licenses and turned them Non Commerical... so I could see them doing it if the price was right. (448 stations on sale that where not previously on sale, who would pass it up if the price was right)

I could also see some of the smaller owners get into the play if the price is right, as discussed over on the Cleveland board, I could see CVCO going after some of the smaller market Ohio stations for their "river network"

 

[gr8oldies]

EMF could get some of the "collateral damage" from the CC sales, more than likely if group A wants to buy CC properties but may have too many, one gets spun off to EMF so as not to be competition for ad dollars.

 

[William_Yeager]

How many of these will be in markets adjoining larger markets? Those are the ones I could see EMF purchasing (like Clear Channel's Frankfort, KY cluster for example, which could allow EMF to realign its Lexington-area properties).

 

[kirkiefan]

If Radio Maria in Alexandria,LA had the chance to expand on a large scale..the time would be NOW! They just opened up a 1kw FM repeater in Western Ohio this past summer at an abandoned microwave relay tower and the possibility of additional full power AMs and FMs would be a plus.They can do it on a wing and a prayer...almost literally. (Yes Father Duane I am praying!)


http://www.radiomaria.us

 

[justalurker]

Watch for WBFN-AM Battle Creek Michigan, a Clear Channel station, to be sold to WUFN-FM Albion Michigan. WUFN already simulcasts on one AM daytimer to extend it's coverage. WBFN is a 24/7 station in an area where WUFN has filed for translator licenses. A regular station beats a translator any day (especially since the translator request is mutually exclusive with other requests and isn't likely to be available soon). (And the WBFN calls fit right in!)

Probably a few others around the country that will be snatched up for a decent price.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Most ministries lack the money to pay CC's prices. It is a shame - most markets are sadly underserved by Christian radio - having only dull boring tired preaching and hymn stations.

 

[majicjim]

Most ministries lack the money to pay CC's prices. It is a shame - most markets are sadly underserved by Christian radio - having only dull boring tired preaching and hymn stations.

How sad(and how greedy)on CC's part. Radio Maria is looking for an FM station in Dayton,Ohio...they currently operate WHJM 88.7 in Botkins(licensed to Anna) which doesn't reach Dayton though they do quite well in the Northern Miami Valey.
CC wants to sell two of their FMs...but which ones??? but knowing how CC operates,they wouldn't cut RM any slack by dropping down the selling price and that's sad too.

99.9 WLQT(the former U.D.-owned WVUD) would be perfect for Radio Maria to set up shop in Dayton at the U.D. campus (University of Dayton is a Marian instutution which includes a library of artifacts and a "Mary Page" on the net which offers a vast history on the Mother of Christ.) Plus Fran Franchina does a live program from U.D. for RM.

http://www.marypage.org

Since WULM-AM in Springfield is up for sale,that might serve as an option for Radio Maria to reach the lower portion of the Miami Valley.

 

[gr8oldies]

I don't see much in the way of options for Radio Maria in Dayton..certainly any thought that Lite 99.9 is going to sell and drop a format that makes a kazillion dollars is a pipedream. WULM could be a good option, there is a Catholic station on 1270 out of Marysville. Unless U.D. wants to get rid of their student station on 98.1 and 99.5 which also doesn't seem likely.

 

[kirkiefan]

I don't see much in the way of options for Radio Maria in Dayton..certainly any thought that Lite 99.9 is going to sell and drop a format that makes a kazillion dollars is a pipedream. WULM could be a good option, there is a Catholic station on 1270 out of Marysville. Unless U.D. wants to get rid of their student station on 98.1 and 99.5 which also doesn't seem likely.

What makes RM unique is that it is proabably the first fulltime Catholic radio network since it started up in Italy in 1983. EWTN started out as a TV-only operation about 26 years ago. Mother Angelica was inspired by CBN (and the now defunct PTL)when they got up and going in the 70s. EWTN eventually ventured into radio in the 1990s and recently on WUCO "St. Gabriel Radio" as of a year or two ago. Emmanuelle Ferrario founded RM and was inspired by Pope John Paul II's 1987 sermon asking for a new evangelization so he took RM up to the next plateau when he started building stations outside of Italy which eventualy formed the World Family of Radio Maria. Mary Pyper in Beavercreek coordinates RM's Anna/Botkins station.

http://www.radiomaria.org (World Family based out of Italy)
http://www.radiomaria.us (US operations based in Alexandria,LA)

 

[sloux]

EMF has bought Commerical licenses and turned them Non Commerical... so I could see them doing it if the price was right. (448 stations on sale that where not previously on sale, who would pass it up if the price was right)

As I understand it, the license is not reclassified as non-commercial; anything above 92 MHz is by definition a commercial license. The trustee/owner of a commercial frequency can always choose to not air commercials, as EMF does by virtue of the fact the network signal feeds among its outlets a majority of stations below 92 MHz which are by definition educational and non-commercial. Conversely its 501c(3) status would not be affected by commercial sales, as long as those commercials only aired on commercial frequencies within its network. Philisophically, the network is committed to a non-commercial approach it would seem, for simplicity, for maximizing its message, and to have the community buy-in to the work of the Gospel.

 

[neutralobserver]

As I understand it, the license is not reclassified as non-commercial; anything above 92 MHz is by definition a commercial license.

Matt has it right....stations in the "commercial" band can definitely choose to have a noncommercial license, not just not run commercials.