Goodbye K-LUV, Hello The Spot (98.7)

[lanceventa]

There was always an IP transfer agreement regarding a trademark in the WTSS/WLFP sale that is supposed to close tomorrow. Because that part was redacted from the filing submitted to the FCC as it was not related to the license transfer, it wasn't known what that would entail officially until this change.

EMF isn't getting a station in Dallas immediately, but they will now own the rights to their "K-Love" brand in the market for when they do.

 

[Ryan Williams]

Fun fact: the "98.7" is not the same font as the 95.7 in The Spot logos (see how the 7s are different?).
Or maybe that's something only someone who designed the original logo would notice. 🤣
View attachment 5113

I prefer the original. The white provides a cleaner, crisper look and the overly large “point” in the frequency is a playful foreshadowing of the “spot” in the “o”. But maybe the designer of the revision wanted to highlight there was only one spot.

 

[Mediafrog+]

EMF isn't getting a station in Dallas immediately, but they will now own the rights to their "K-Love" brand in the market for when they do.

Is the KLUV call part of the IP transfer? I would think so, but perhaps that won’t actually happen until EMF has a deal in place for a DFW station that could immediately pick up the call. Of course EMF could simply park the call elsewhere.

Pretty clear that EMF is serious about getting its K-Love brand into DFW. Here in Houston we’re still waiting to see if EMF is the yet-to-be-revealed buyer for KTHT. They’re already nibbling at the fringes with the recent purchase of KXXF in B/PA.

 

[Kent]

Is the KLUV call part of the IP transfer?

Not sure about the long-term, but The Spot is currently ID'ing as “KLUV Dallas/Ft. Worth“ quietly in the :50 stopset.

 

[MarkW]

Cumulus just unloaded an underperforming FM in Detroit. I could see 93.3 or even 96.7 going to EMF (much more likely 93.3). I could also see Audacy unloading 107.5 or 103.7.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Cumulus just unloaded an underperforming FM in Detroit. I could see 93.3 or even 96.7 going to EMF (much more likely 93.3). I could also see Audacy unloading 107.5 or 103.7.

I agree that 93.3 is the most likely acquisition for EMF. I don’t think Cumulus would want to mess with The Ticket, which is having huge success right now.

I suppose the bigger Audacy deal could still happen (with 107.5 going to EMF) but you would think that would have been part of this current IP sale.

Still a possibility of one of the Service Broadcasting stations being a target, should Hyman Childs decide to cash out. And I still wonder about KCBI.

 

[MarkW]

Great point regarding the Service Broadcasting stations. I had not thought of that.

 

[sox fan matt]

I wouldn’t expect them to mess with the ticket it’s number one and practically all the demos

 

[sox fan matt]

So who are we going after in ratings?

 

[Mediafrog+]

I’m sure EMF has salivated over the WRR 101.1 facility in the past, but that situation has been resolved for the foreseeable future.

 

[RadioRonnie285]

whats stopping another radio station from using the K Love name in DFW.

 

[Mediafrog+]

whats stopping another radio station from using the K Love name in DFW.

Because EMF now holds the rights to the name in the market, even though they are not using them yet.

Univision has the rights to the K-Love brand here in Houston, though they haven’t used it on-air in years. Speculation is rampant that EMF will strike a deal for use of the name for a possible Houston acquisition.

 

[Ryan Williams]

whats stopping another radio station from using the K Love name in DFW.

It's a registered service mark with the USPTO. I did a deeper dive on it a few years ago...

Search serial number 75687060.

"Registration limited to the area comprising the following counties in Texas; Cooke County; Jack County; Wise County; Denton County; Collin County; Fannin County; Lamar County; Red River County; Hunt County; Delta County; Hopkins County; Palo Pinto County; Parker Tarrant County; Dallas County; Rockwell County; Kaufman County; Rains County; Van Zandt County; Erath County; Hood County; Johnson County; Ellis County; Henderson County; Comanche County; Hamilton County; Bosque County; Somervell County; Hill County; Navarro County; Freestone County; and Anderson County pursuant to Concurrent Use Proceeding 94002217. "

Worth noting that this service mark was transferred to "Audacy Atlas" on March 30th of this year. Audacy Atlas is their subsidiary that is selling off things (ostensibly for tax purposes). So this has been underway for some time.

The assignment of the service mark to EMF doesn't seem to have hit the records yet.

 

[Ryan Williams]

Still a possibility of one of the Service Broadcasting stations being a target, should Hyman Childs decide to cash out. And I still wonder about KCBI.

My understanding is that Radio One has tried for years (decades?) to buy out Hymen only to be turned down. I imagine there is a standing offer, especially with Radio Ones recent push to scale up local clusters.

 

[Ryan Williams]

My understanding is that Radio One has tried for years (decades?) to buy out Hymen only to be turned down. I imagine there is a standing offer, especially with Radio Ones recent push to scale up local clusters.

Real time follow up: I did a Google search to make sure I spelled Hymen's name correctly and this was one of the top results. I had not seen this link before and i do not know if the site it credible, but it is interesting nonetheless... Hymen Childs is ready to retire… reportedly will sell KKDA & KRNB-Dallas to Radio One – THE URBAN BUZZ

 

[Rusty Muck]

Is the KLUV call part of the IP transfer? I would think so, but perhaps that won’t actually happen until EMF has a deal in place for a DFW station that could immediately pick up the call. Of course EMF could simply park the call elsewhere.

There’s nothing stopping EMF from renaming KLVR 91.9 Santa Rosa (the original “K-Love”) as KLUV and moving the KLVR calls elsewhere… even to a possible DFW purchase?

It’s purely a hypothetical but yeah.

Not sure about the long-term, but The Spot is currently ID'ing as “KLUV Dallas/Ft. Worth“ quietly in the :50 stopset.

This rebrand happened in advance of the sales actually closing, chances are the FCC’s LMS will show a replacement call sign reserved for KLUV in the next day or so.

 

[101tm]

JACK and The Spot will not co-exist long IMO. This almost seems like a pre-emptive move where something happens to 100.3 (sold? Another station sold and it moves there as previously mentioned?). The playlist on JACK could then be folded in to 98.7 and it could segue in to variety hits with the “Spot” branding. That seems to me why they wouldn’t want use BIG as in Phoenix and Philadelphia. Just my opinion…plus the licensing fees would no longer be needed for JACK.

The playlist looks older leaning than KKHH, or even Audacy’s very forward thinking WOGL. Not much from the 90s. JACK is of course a factor there.

That’s one cheap looking logo!

 

[Ryan Williams]

Not sure about the long-term, but The Spot is currently ID'ing as “KLUV Dallas/Ft. Worth“ quietly in the :50 stopset.

At 10:10 AM this morning I just heard a liner that said "98.7 K-Luv". Apparently the entire imaging library has not yet been purged.

 

[Kent]

The playlist looks older leaning than KKHH, or even Audacy’s very forward thinking WOGL. Not much from the 90s. JACK is of course a factor there.

The official word is that this is not a format change but a reimaging.

The official word, of course, is official until the higher ups decide it’s not. So, take that statement however you wish.

 

[101tm]

The official word is that this is not a format change but a reimaging.

The official word, of course, is official until the higher ups decide it’s not. So, take that statement however you wish.

Agree, this would be a nice playlist for The Spot in Houston to have since there is no sort of classic hits station in the market. However, Audacy would probably rather run with what KKHH has considering the playlist is able to be slightly more recent (no JACK up the dial). When Audacy re-branded KOOL in Phoenix to BIG 94.5, there were no playlist changes whatsoever. The approach in Philadelphia seems to be an outlier compared to their other stations that are in the format.