• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Goodbye K-LUV, Hello The Spot (98.7)

Of course, all of this is based on an assumption that EMF has any intent on acquiring another signal in DFW. We have no idea of that is even a certainty.
DFW is one of the biggest evangelical markets in the U.S. Pretty sure EMF wants a presence for K-Love, as they already are here with Air1. Otherwise why would they have (presumably) spent a good chunk of money to wrest the branding away from Audacy?

Those of us in Houston are patiently awaiting to see if EMF is the buyer for KTHT, which would finally get K-Love into another huge evangelical stronghold.
The fact 98.7 went with the “Spot” branding instead of “BIG” tells me either 100.3 or 107.5 will eventually be unloaded. 100.3 would eliminate JACK and open the lane for 98.7 to go full adult hits. 107.5 being sold would likely result in the regional Mexican format going to 100.3, also opening a lane for 98.7 to go full adult hits.
That was the rumor and speculation early this year, and to me it made a lot of sense for all involved. Still could happen. Perhaps EMF wants to thoroughly explore all of its options in the market…93.3?…the Service Broadcasting stations (104.5/105.7)?…KCBI?…any of the Estrella stations (93.7/98.3/106.7)?…before pulling the trigger with Audacy.
 
Those of us in Houston are patiently awaiting to see if EMF is the buyer for KTHT, which would finally get K-Love into another huge evangelical stronghold.

That was the rumor and speculation early this year, and to me it made a lot of sense for all involved. Still could happen. Perhaps EMF wants to thoroughly explore all of its options in the market…93.3?…the Service Broadcasting stations (104.5/105.7)?…KCBI?…any of the Estrella stations (93.7/98.3/106.7)?…before pulling the trigger with Audacy.
KTHT would be interesting if EMF ultimately bought it. Generally, for K-LOVE, the strategy is to get in the market, and eventually get a full market signal. If they did buy KTHT, I wouldn’t expect them to stop shopping around for a full market signal.

Seems to me EMF is planning to enter DFW sooner rather than later and may still be shopping around. I don’t think EMF would go for 93.3 (if it’s even for sale) or the Estrella properties if they think they can get a stronger more centralized stick from Audacy. So many possibilities. As far as Audacy goes, I’m sure the 100.3 signal is worth more than the 107.5 signal - EMF doesn’t mind paying up when they want something, and KJKK is a full class C vs the C1 KMVK, so there’s a bit more “reach” potential for EMF and a little more $ for Audacy. Plus a stronger signal to the north where there’s even more of the evangelical population.

So, the more I think about it, if Audacy wanted to unload an FM, 100.3 would be the best bet and 107.5 wouldn’t have to move. Ending the JACK brand would save a bit in licensing fees and listeners could be sent down the dial to 98.7.
 
That was the rumor and speculation early this year, and to me it made a lot of sense for all involved. Still could happen. Perhaps EMF wants to thoroughly explore all of its options in the market…93.3?…the Service Broadcasting stations (104.5/105.7)?…KCBI?…any of the Estrella stations (93.7/98.3/106.7)?…before pulling the trigger with Audacy.
The Service Broadcasting stations are classic "cash cows" and if they are sold due to the owner's age, they would almost certainly be kept in service to the African American community.

The Estrella signals cover the spectrum of "bad to worse to awful" signal wise. If EMF wants to make an impact with K-Love... and why would they have paid millions for the name otherwise?... they are going to go for a good signal.
 
KTHT would be interesting if EMF ultimately bought it. Generally, for K-LOVE, the strategy is to get in the market, and eventually get a full market signal. If they did buy KTHT, I wouldn’t expect them to stop shopping around for a full market signal.
The ultimate prize for EMF in Houston would be Cumulus standalone KRBE. You would have K-Love and Air1 side by side frequency wise. Of course such a thing happening would be a Richter 10 earthquake hitting the market, and would likely set off a chain reaction of further changes to go along with the impending flips of KROI and KTHT.
So, the more I think about it, if Audacy wanted to unload an FM, 100.3 would be the best bet and 107.5 wouldn’t have to move. Ending the JACK brand would save a bit in licensing fees and listeners could be sent down the dial to 98.7.
Starting to think that myself...more $$$ for Audacy. Might Hope Media Group want 93.3 for Vida Unida?
 
The ultimate prize for EMF in Houston would be Cumulus standalone KRBE. You would have K-Love and Air1 side by side frequency wise. Of course such a thing happening would be a Richter 10 earthquake hitting the market, and would likely set off a chain reaction of further changes to go along with the impending flips of KROI and KTHT.
It would be the deal of the century, that's for sure, but I'm near certain that Cumulus is not ready to give up the cash cow. You guys have several other signals that would certainly satify EMF in a purchase to enter K-Love into the Houston market. 101.1? It's not setting the world on fire, and truthfully not a good strategic fit in the cluster that they operate. 96.5? Better fit in the cluster, but with The Spot already in the Adult Hits lane, a few tweaks to 95.7 could give that audience a new "spot" on the dial to call home. How about 94.5 from iHeart? If iHeart is really committed to active rock, the money gathered from a sale of KTBZ-FM could be used to purchase one of those high powered translators (104.5 comes to mind, remember they leased it a few years back for 104.5 Kiss-FM?), attach it to KPRC, and keep the format available, just with a much smaller footprint. More than likely, you all would just lose the Active rock format on the dial, but I'm just throwing out a scenario (or something against the wall).
Might Hope Media Group want 93.3 for Vida Unida?
You must know something that I don't. Vida Unida has not been making much of an impact in the Spanish language Christian programming lane since its debut, from the numbers I've seen. It's not performing as badly as NGEN was, but not blazing a trail, either. It's fine for leaving the service on the handful of stations that they already own, (I mean what else do they do with those rather abysmal facilities?) but highly unlikely they are going out and purchasing a multimillion dollar signal in Dallas for any product expansion. Remember, Dallas-Fort Worth has just about as many Spanish language religious options on the dial as you do, the difference being that these translators are typically always operated within their licensed parameters.
 
Isn't it amazing how filthy rich EMF is? And all obtained from donations. Money from people on fixed incomes. people who probably could have used it themselves. Meanwhile, these guys are buying up half of the broadcast band (and accelerating the killing of the medium by killing off it's diversity).

Am I the only one who sees a problem with this?
 
Isn't it amazing how filthy rich EMF is?
Hardly. Their fully public financials show that they use every dollar to expand in both radio and the associated outreach programs.
And all obtained from donations. Money from people on fixed incomes. people who probably could have used it themselves. Meanwhile, these guys are buying up half of the broadcast band (and accelerating the killing of the medium by killing off its diversity).
EMF operates at most two stations per market, each with viable and attractive formats. In many markets they have added to diversity, in fact.
Am I the only one who sees a problem with this?
I don’t see it. I see a business where revenue is off by about two_thirds in the last twenty years and where removing stations from the ad market leaves fewer stations to divide available revenue.
 
Those of us in Houston are patiently awaiting to see if EMF is the buyer for KTHT, which would finally get K-Love into another huge evangelical stronghold.

I haven’t been able to find out who the buyer for KTHT is, but I’ve been told by multiple sources that it's not likely to be EMF.
 
DFW is one of the biggest evangelical markets in the U.S. Pretty sure EMF wants a presence for K-Love, as they already are here with Air1. Otherwise why would they have (presumably) spent a good chunk of money to wrest the branding away from Audacy?

Those of us in Houston are patiently awaiting to see if EMF is the buyer for KTHT, which would finally get K-Love into another huge evangelical stronghold.

That was the rumor and speculation early this year, and to me it made a lot of sense for all involved. Still could happen. Perhaps EMF wants to thoroughly explore all of its options in the market…93.3?…the Service Broadcasting stations (104.5/105.7)?…KCBI?…any of the Estrella stations (93.7/98.3/106.7)?…before pulling the trigger with Audacy.

I think we need to remember that EMF is no longer the scrappy upstart, looking to break into new markets any way possible. They are the 800 LB gorilla in the Christian music space and they can pick their spots. They have the resources and time on their side.

I suspect at this point they are only interested in full-market signals that can really move the needle.

Almost certainly they were offered KESN/KVDT when ESPN was shopping it around and they obviously passed. I'm sure they could pick off another of the Estrella's rimshots if they wanted one. I think we will soon learn that EMF is not the buyer of KTHT for similar reasons. I find it very very unlikely that Cumulus unloads 93.3 and that EMF would want that weak signal.

I'm not sure where they go for a full-market signal, but I could see a time in the future when Salem decides they don't have the scale and decides to get out of the Christian music business and focus on spoken word. Or maybe the same for First Dallas Media and KCBI.
 
First Dallas Media could also throw in KCBN Hico, which simulcasts KCBI if they sell to EMF. It covers a rural area but could fill in gaps in coverage.
 
First Dallas Media could also throw in KCBN Hico, which simulcasts KCBI if they sell to EMF. It covers a rural area but could fill in gaps in coverage.
Good point. Religious stations... in fact all listener supported stations... do not depend on "markets" and ratings and the like. They serve a coverage area and try to build up support within the available audience.
 
I haven’t been able to find out who the buyer for KTHT is, but I’ve been told by multiple sources that it's not likely to be EMF.
There's Hope for 97.1. 😉

Looks like I've found my own drum to beat. I've convinced myself that you'll see KSBJ on 97.1 by years end.
 
I picked up on your hint earlier about this on the Houston board. That’s entirely possible, but then they would have both 97.1 and 99.9 that overlap quite a bit.
I took this into consideration. 99.9, along with 92.3 in Livingston would move to Vida Unida. Right next door to one another as you travel up 59 (91.7-92.3), with 99.9 being somewhat of an outlier further up the dial.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom