Radio Luz Dallas coming to an end

[SomeRadioGuy]

The spanish to english translation from their facbeook page:

**Lights Out: End of Radio Light**
Dear Radio Light family,
With hearts full of sadness but also of gratitude, we announce that next October 31, after almost 4 decades of broadcasting hope and faith, Radio Luz will come to an end. This journey has been a blessing, and each one of you has been an integral part of this mission.
We want to express our most sincere thanks to all the ministries, churches, organizations and businesses who have joined us on this journey. Your support has been a beacon of light in the darkness, and together we have shared God's love through the radio waves.
To our beloved audience, thank you for allowing us to be part of your lives. Your prayers, testimonies and faithfulness have inspired us to press forward every day. Though this chapter closes, we know that the message of love and hope we shared will continue to resonate in your hearts.
With love and gratitude,
The Radio Luz Team

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[Ryan Williams]

Four decades? I thought this was a relatively recent Salem-run operation. Did they buy an existing format?

I wonder what is next for 620 AM and 102.5 FM, they may not necessarily stay paired.

 

[txchipk]

If I recall correctly, the present "Radio Luz" moved from 1440 when Salem spun it off in 2019 to Relevant Radio. It carried the "Radio Luz" name there. Salem began operating then-KTNO 1440 in late 2011. It was running a Spanish religious format before then as "Radio Vida" as part of the then-Mortenson cluster of KHVN 970/KGGR 1040/KNAX 1630. Before that, KTNO was part of the Univision cluster until the mid or late 1990s.

Maybe they are counting decades -- 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s -- to get to "4 decades" as opposed to 40 years???

 

[txchipk]

I wonder what is next for 620 AM and 102.5 FM, they may not necessarily stay paired.

Purely speculation, but I wonder if they have a deal to sell the 620 frequency. Salem continues to unload assets -- selling 22 tower sites this week being the latest. They sold off KLTY and other contemporary Christian outlets to K-Love and sold off other radio properties last year. So, it wouldn't be a surprise if they sold off another station...

 

[Mediafrog+]

Purely speculation, but I wonder if they have a deal to sell the 620 frequency. Salem continues to unload assets -- selling 22 tower sites this week being the latest.

It was Saga Communications that sold the 22 sites, not Salem.

Saga Sells 22 Tower Sites For $10.7 Million

Saga Communications has completed the sale of 22 tower sites to GTC Uno LLC for approximately $10.7 million. Saga will

radioinsight.com

Nonetheless, I would keep an eye on a sale of 620. I have no idea who would want it.

 

[lanceventa]

KTNO is Salem's last in house programmed Spanish Christian station. Its former fellow "Radio Luz" 1650 KBJD Denver has been leased to a third party for a couple years and they flipped "Radio Oasis" in Miami in June. Salem Shuffles Miami AM Programming

Salem is emphasizing that it is a Conservative Media company now as opposed to a Christian one. It wouldn't surprise me to see KWRD's programming moved to 620 for 100.7 to either eventually become The Answer or that be the signal sold.

 

[txchipk]

It was Saga Communications that sold the 22 sites, not Salem.

Oops...misread that in my feed. Thanks for the correction....

Saga Sells 22 Tower Sites For $10.7 Million

Saga Communications has completed the sale of 22 tower sites to GTC Uno LLC for approximately $10.7 million. Saga will

radioinsight.com

Nonetheless, I would keep an eye on a sale of 620. I have no idea who would want it.

 

[Mediafrog+]

It wouldn't surprise me to see KWRD's programming moved to 620 for 100.7 to either eventually become The Answer or that be the signal sold.

More likely that 100.7 would be sold, though the “Word” format fits with the evangelical demographics in the northern parts of the DFW urban sprawl.

We could eventually hear either Vida Unida or Radio Nueva Vida on 100.7 in DFW as Hope Media Group and K-Love Inc. would likely have interest in snapping up the current KWRD.

 

[lanceventa]

We could eventually hear either Vida Unida or Radio Nueva Vida on 100.7 in DFW as Hope Media Group and K-Love Inc. would likely have interest in snapping up the current KWRD.

Not likely. Hope is apparently not in acquisition mode at the moment and K-Love is not looking to purchase stations for Radio Nueva Vida.

Prior to the sale of KLTY with the other Christian ACs to K-Love, I had heard that ERFET, the owners of KVNE in Tyler, had been making an attempt to acquire KWRD. Not sure if that's still in the works or not.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Not likely. Hope is apparently not in acquisition mode at the moment and K-Love is not looking to purchase stations for Radio Nueva Vida.

That is somewhat surprising as you would think they would want to expand the Vida Unida network in a large Hispanic market.

Why would K-Love bring Radio Nueva Vida under its wing and not expand the coverage? Odd.

Prior to the sale of KLTY with the other Christian ACs to K-Love, I had heard that ERFET, the owners of KVNE in Tyler, had been making an attempt to acquire KWRD. Not sure if that's still in the works or not.

I would think ERFET’s Fuzión format would be a likely candidate for 100.7, especially if VU and RNV don’t happen soon. I have wondered if ERFET has kicked the tires on KFNC in Houston to expand the format there.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Nerdy side note, back when 620 what Radio Disney KMKI, I ended up finding its public file. I was at the Montfort drive facility of ABC RAdio picking up some gear with a friend the last night the facility was in operation. The only thing left was a talk show whos producer operated from a studio in the basement. All the music formats had already left. I was wondering around the 2nd floor just looking at whatever and found the KMKI public file in the filing cabinet in a 2nd floor office.

 

[ted chittenden]

It'd probably be impossible because of both the Moore, OK signal on 640 and lack of interest in another AM in the area, but I would love to see the 620 signal move back to Wichita Falls. From my perspective, Dallas already has too many AM signals serving it.

 

[Ryan Williams]

It'd probably be impossible because of both the Moore, OK signal on 640 and lack of interest in another AM in the area, but I would love to see the 620 signal move back to Wichita Falls. From my perspective, Dallas already has too many AM signals serving it.

620 would not be moved to Plano today were it still in Wichita Falls and there is 0.0% it is going back there now that it is set in DFW. There really aren't new AM move-ins. There is some combining multiple stations in high-land value areas or some directional antenna simplification, but very little moving-in.

DFW does have a lot of stations, but the market population is 7,210,400. Wichita Falls isn't even a ranked radio market. Wichita County has just over 100k. Per capita DFW is very UNDERSERVED relative to The Falls.

 

[davideduardo]

If I recall correctly, the present "Radio Luz" moved from 1440 when Salem spun it off in 2019 to Relevant Radio. It carried the "Radio Luz" name there. Salem began operating then-KTNO 1440 in late 2011. It was running a Spanish religious format before then as "Radio Vida" as part of the then-Mortenson cluster of KHVN 970/KGGR 1040/KNAX 1630. Before that, KTNO was part of the Univision cluster until the mid or late 1990s

Univision Radio did not exist until 2004 when UVN completed the purchase of HBC. And HBC did not exist until 1999, when Heftel and Tichenor merged under the "guidance" of Clear Channel, a minority interest holder.

 

[charles1234]

What format will they put in it’s place?

 

[txchipk]

Univision Radio did not exist until 2004 when UVN completed the purchase of HBC. And HBC did not exist until 1999, when Heftel and Tichenor merged under the "guidance" of Clear Channel, a minority interest holder.

I should have said ..."KTNO was part of what would become the Univision cluster..." In the 1990s, it was a clustermate to 1270 and the 99.1, 106.7 (now 107.1), and 107.9 rimshots, simulcasting the FM signals at a couple of points. 1440 was spun off in the late 1990s. 1270 and 99.1 spun off to LMN in 2022.

 

[Kent]

It'd probably be impossible because of both the Moore, OK signal on 640 and lack of interest in another AM in the area, but I would love to see the 620 signal move back to Wichita Falls. From my perspective, Dallas already has too many AM signals serving it.

Thinking about that is somewhat cute, but it won’t happen. KWFT was an asset to the local Wichita Falls community, and it had a commitment to public service and news that was far bigger than its market size. It was a true full service station. The effort to replace it after it went away was a cheap imitation and ultimately ended up moving into Dallas itself.

In the early 90’s when the idea of moving 620 into the Metroplex started, KLUR was making the lion’s share of the money, and everyone else was fighting for the crumbs. Even last year, Cumulus would seem to have concluded the market had too many stations. Two companies own almost all of the commercial stations, and at least one of them was still struggling despite owning KLUR.

Not that DFW is much of an AM market. It really hasn’t been since the two major metro counties were combined in the mid-70’s. 620 also doesn’t cover the entire market with a listenable signal 24/7. It has more value, however, than it would in Wichita Falls, even if it would get better numbers in the Falls.

 

[Kent]

I should have said ..."KTNO was part of what would become the Univision cluster..." In the 1990s, it was a clustermate to 1270 and the 99.1, 106.7 (now 107.1), and 107.9 rimshots, simulcasting the FM signals at a couple of points. 1440 was spun off in the late 1990s. 1270 and 99.1 spun off to LMN in 2022.

KTNO started on 1540 in the early 90’s when Tejano was hot, which is why the KTNO calls. It was previously Christian KSGB and KSVZ “K-Saves.” I can’t remember exactly when it switched to Spanish-religion, but I don’t seem to remember Tejano lasting long there. I know it was Spanish-religion when I worked at Park Row and Bowen in the summer of ‘96 as I remember driving by its office and studio in Dalworthington Gardens on my way home from work sometimes.

Seems like it switched to KPAD “Personal Achievement Radio” in either late ‘96 or ‘97, and the religious format and calls moved to 1440.

 

[txchipk]

KTNO started on 1540 in the early 90’s when Tejano was hot, which is why the KTNO calls. It was previously Christian KSGB and KSVZ “K-Saves.” I can’t remember exactly when it switched to Spanish-religion, but I don’t seem to remember Tejano lasting long there. I know it was Spanish-religion when I worked at Park Row and Bowen in the summer of ‘96 as I remember driving by its office and studio in Dalworthington Gardens on my way home from work sometimes.

Seems like it switched to KPAD “Personal Achievement Radio” in either late ‘96 or ‘97, and the religious format and calls moved to 1440.

I was referring to 1440 in my previous posts since this thread is about the current KTNO at 620 coming to an end and the "4 decades" timeline. The present day 620 KTNO calls and format moved from 1440, which has the KTNO calls for 20+ years. The Spanish religious format now at 620 existed under a couple of names on KTNO 1440 starting in the late 1990s.

In the 1990s, 1440 still had its original KDNT calls until sold and it became KICI, for the simulcast of the "Kick" Tejano format that moved around its newly co-owned 99.1/106.7/107.9 rimshots (those FMs routinely cycled through the "Amor," "Estereo Latino," and other brands). The KTNO calls came to 1440 in 1997 after 1540 had those calls for a couple of years.

 

[Kent]

I was referring to 1440 in my previous posts since this thread is about the current KTNO at 620 coming to an end and the "4 decades" timeline. The present day 620 KTNO calls and format moved from 1440, which has the KTNO calls for 20+ years. The Spanish religious format now at 620 existed under a couple of names on KTNO 1440 starting in the late 1990s.

If it had been running the same format for forty plus years, it would have had to be including the time at 1540. Having said that, I think it was ‘92 or ‘93 when it ditched Tejano for religion. I seem to remember K-Saves and KSGB having an occasional program in Spanish, but they were mostly English-language religious programming. I don’t remember any Spanish religion stations in DFW prior to 1540, but that doesn’t mean the market couldn’t have had one.

In the 1990s, 1440 still had its original KDNT calls until sold and it became KICI, for the simulcast of the "Kick" Tejano format that moved around its newly co-owned 99.1/106.7/107.9 rimshots (those FMs routinely cycled through the "Amor," "Estereo Latino," and other brands). The KTNO calls came to 1440 in 1997 after 1540 had those calls for a couple of years.

I want to say 1540 switched to Tejano in ‘92 and dumped it about a year later. I remember KDNT having those calls until Rodriguez bought it for Kick FM. Seems like it was talk near the end of KDNT’s run, but, again, I rarely listened to it.