The LaRues San Joaquin Broadcasting Co.'s KSTN-AM and FM have been sold to Independence Media Holdings of Dallas, TX. for $24.25 Million. Who would have thought it would happen? Changes, Changes, Changes...What's next for the two stations format wise?
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Surprising Breaking News out of Stockton! Well I'll Be!
- Thread starter RadioStarOne
- Start date
I thought Hell would have froze over before the LaRues would sell both KSTN's. Where did you find out about this info? I know that for the last 10 years, Clear Channel, Citadel, Bustos and Mapleton have all expressed an interest in both KSTN's.Does anyone have any information about this company, INDEPENDENCE MEDIA HOLDINGS? What other stations do they own? What formats are those stations? My guess is that KSTN-FM 107.3 will remain put with their moneymaking REGIONAL MEXICAN format. As for the AM Station, I see 1420 finally abandoning music after almost 60 years (Big Band, MOR, Top 40, Disco, CHR/Rhythmic, and Classic Hits). I wouldn't be surprise if they go ALL SPORTS or some sort of NEWS/TALK? MANCOW maybe history. Maybe retirement for John Hampton, unemployment for Shawn Meade and Vonetta Fox aka MS. VEE. I am assuming both LaRues will continue with their Fresno holdings?RadioStarOne said:
Newsperson responds:
I also met with Robert LaRue in 2006 about just trading or selling the FM. His responce was that "it would be a burden to have a pile of money" and he didn't know what they would do with it (money).
It was not Robert's decesion as it was other family members who wanted the money that were not involved in the station operations. I heard that his Aunt was one of the driving forces to sell.
RadioStarOne; as you see it was not the LaRue's you know that decided to sell the stations. Does this put more light on the subject?
Newsperson
I also met with Robert LaRue in 2006 about just trading or selling the FM. His responce was that "it would be a burden to have a pile of money" and he didn't know what they would do with it (money).
It was not Robert's decesion as it was other family members who wanted the money that were not involved in the station operations. I heard that his Aunt was one of the driving forces to sell.
RadioStarOne; as you see it was not the LaRue's you know that decided to sell the stations. Does this put more light on the subject?
Newsperson
Never worked there, but once when working in Sacramento a couple of friends/co-workers and I called and asked the jock on duty if we could get a quick tour. The place was ancient then, and that was 1978. Huge transmitters that I believe were circa 1940's and antennas in a cow pasture that you had to walk out to in order to take readings. It was something else.
KSTN has a place in history though as one of Bill Drake's early Boss radio stations even before KHJ. I did have a friend, Ed Lambert who I worked with at KROI FM and he got his on-air start at KSTN. I wonder how many deejays got their start at there?
KSTN has a place in history though as one of Bill Drake's early Boss radio stations even before KHJ. I did have a friend, Ed Lambert who I worked with at KROI FM and he got his on-air start at KSTN. I wonder how many deejays got their start at there?
Bryan Simmons said:
A LOT! Especially in this part of the country. KSTN is somewhat un-spoken, but when someone brings it up, it's funny how many people say "You worked there, too?"
It was ancient when I worked there in 2001 as well. Luckily we could do readings in the building, though.
I recall a couple employees creating a "refrigerator" fund to buy a new fridge for the break room. That was about the time I saw the light, and bounced. I can't complain, however, because my aircheck from KSFM got me a morning gig (which eventually led to a PD gig).
The phone call I received from deep inside KSTN World Headquarters (on a secure line, no less) says the deal is 90% done. The driving force reportedly behind the sale is Knox's daughter, Ann Matlow, a New York-based attorney -- I've been hearing that from various sources for months.
Independence Media owns ten other stations (three of which are sale pending) in a variety of markets, the largest being Miami, where they own WOCN/1540, which targets the South Florida Haitian community. They also own a four-station FM cluster in Peoria, Ill., and standalone FMs in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Morgantown, Kent.
Their website is at http://www.indepmedia.com/
DJ
Independence Media owns ten other stations (three of which are sale pending) in a variety of markets, the largest being Miami, where they own WOCN/1540, which targets the South Florida Haitian community. They also own a four-station FM cluster in Peoria, Ill., and standalone FMs in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Morgantown, Kent.
Their website is at http://www.indepmedia.com/
DJ
Rico Garcia said:
Wow, I'm an idiot.
Correction: aircheck from KSTN! I was streaming KSFM when I was posting, and a sweeper musta programmed my sub-conscience.
KSTN Sold!
To be precise, November 27, 1949. KSTN 1420 hasn't been in its prime since the mid 1980's, or about the time KWIN-97.7 switched to CHR. I do have to give Robert LaRue credit for trying to revive KSTN with Local Sports as well as the syndicated MANCOW'S MORNING MADHOUSE. I think it was KNOX himself that let KSTN-1420 get stagnant the last 15 years or so....djj said:
the FM is a BLOW TORCH. Sacramento stations should be shaking in their boots, if they flip formats, it's gonna shake this market up. That station is grandfathered into the bay area as well, but because of the hills, it's blocked. All they need is a booster and they've got the valley, the bay, AND the foothills. That station is worth a lot more than what was paid IMO.
The station barely puts 50 db over Sacramento. With a booster, there could be some improvement in the Bay Area.
The station goes everywhere and penetrates nothing except for San Joaquin and parts of Contra Costa and Alameda counties.
The station goes everywhere and penetrates nothing except for San Joaquin and parts of Contra Costa and Alameda counties.
J
jvparent
Guest
Not to bicker with you, MRK -- but KSTN-FM lights the lamp on my indoor tuner/receiver with just a kitestring antenna....below the dark side of a rather sizeable hill...in south Placer County...
I am obscured from some of the Sacramento area signals at times...KSTN-FM is quite good, unless there's a storm.
I am obscured from some of the Sacramento area signals at times...KSTN-FM is quite good, unless there's a storm.
G
gibby88
Guest
Re: KSTN Sold!
[/quote]I think it was KNOX himself that let KSTN-1420 get stagnant the last 15 years or so....
[/quote]
It was. I don't really know why, I think maybe because it was his baby and since he was old and filthy rich, he didn't need the money, so he ran it the way HE wanted it to be. From all the PSAs we ran when I was there, I wonder if the AM was used as a tax write-off.
Knox was also a bit of a control freak toward the end, he wouldn't hire a duo for the FM morning show because he said something like "eventually they'll want more money...", something to that effect. Some people hated and feared him but I still miss the old guy.
[/quote]I think it was KNOX himself that let KSTN-1420 get stagnant the last 15 years or so....
[/quote]
It was. I don't really know why, I think maybe because it was his baby and since he was old and filthy rich, he didn't need the money, so he ran it the way HE wanted it to be. From all the PSAs we ran when I was there, I wonder if the AM was used as a tax write-off.
Knox was also a bit of a control freak toward the end, he wouldn't hire a duo for the FM morning show because he said something like "eventually they'll want more money...", something to that effect. Some people hated and feared him but I still miss the old guy.
jvparent said:
You do have a point. I've never seen a longley rice map for the station. I'm just guessing at 8100 ERP at 2140 feet above sea level. That's about the same as a class C1 or less. The station transmitter is on the lower peak about 70 miles south/south west of Roseville (South Placer). While you can pick it up virtually everywhere in the area, the station has very little signal density. They could and should replace what is probably a very old antenna system which may improve the signal.
Back in the early 1980's, When KSTN-1420 was doing great as a CHR while its FM was doing so-so ratings at the time, I always wondered why they didn't flip-flopped the stations (CHR going to 107.3 and Spanish going to 1420). Who knows how they would have been if that change would have occured?studiofart said:
Madmansam said:
Yes....All Access and Radio and Records.
On Tuesday (March 25), R&R Online said that it was official. Excerpting:
Dallas-based Independence Media Holdings, LLC, lead by CEO David Jacobs, will pay $24.25 million for San Joaquin Broadcasting Co.’s oldies KSTN-AM and Mexican KSTN-FM, both in Stockton, Calif.
The 8,100-watt FM station’s signal reaches into the Sacramento, San Francisco and Modesto markets were it is rated by Arbitron, according to Greg Guy, the Patrick Communications broker who handled the deal.
Dallas-based Independence Media Holdings, LLC, lead by CEO David Jacobs, will pay $24.25 million for San Joaquin Broadcasting Co.’s oldies KSTN-AM and Mexican KSTN-FM, both in Stockton, Calif.
The 8,100-watt FM station’s signal reaches into the Sacramento, San Francisco and Modesto markets were it is rated by Arbitron, according to Greg Guy, the Patrick Communications broker who handled the deal.
S
Stacy Without An E
Guest
I worked for KSTN-AM ifor about six months in the mid-90's and Knox LaRue couldn't have been more of a gentleman. Both stations were in a structure that resembled an old house from the post-WWII era. The oddest aspect or the studio was the fact that there were windows that actually opened onto the back of the tower of equipment. If someone left the window opened and it rained, the station would have difficult staying on the air.
Also, one summer I was doing the countdown show on Sunday morning and a cow came up the window and started mooing.
I am thankful for my time there because my aircheck allowed me to move on to bigger and better things in my radio career. I'll always have fond (and occasionally hilarious) memories of that place.
Also, one summer I was doing the countdown show on Sunday morning and a cow came up the window and started mooing.
I am thankful for my time there because my aircheck allowed me to move on to bigger and better things in my radio career. I'll always have fond (and occasionally hilarious) memories of that place.
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