Deal Digest: EMF Buys In Three Markets; Relevant Radio Acquires In Indianapolis.
Educational Media Foundation this week finalized a deal that has given it new stations in the Memphis, TN and Jackson, MS markets, while at the same time it has also Education Media Foundation (EMF) has filed a $7 million deal to buy three FM stations in Nashville and one in Honolulu from Salem Media Group. All four carry EMF's contemporary Christian “The Fish” programming. In Nashville, Salem is selling the “Fish” trimulcast of WFFH (94.1), WBOZ (104.9), and WFFI (93.7). In Honolulu, Salem will still own five stations in Honolulu. Edwin and Melinda Martin’s Black Diamond Properties has filed $1.3 million deals to buy country “Red Dirt 96.7” KAGE, AC “Mix 105.1’ KXMX, and gospel KFSW (1650) from Darren Girdner's G2 Media Group in Fort Smith, AR. In El Paso, TX, David Kaufmann and Andrew Frecka's On Earth Media has filed an $800,001 deal to acquire religious KELP (1590) from McClatchey Broadcasting. In Riverside-San Bernardino, CA, Punjabi American Media will acquire ethnic KSPA, Ontario, CA (1510), from Tron Dinh Do's Intelli. Relevant Radio has also acquired religious “Catholic Radio Indy’ll air religious stations in Indianapolis.
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Nashville & Honolulu – Educational Media Foundation has filed a $7 million to buy three FM stations in Nashville and one FM in Honolulu from Salem Media Group. All four carry its contemporary Christian “The Fish” programming. In Nashville, Salem is selling the “Fish” trimulcast of WFFH (94.1), WBOZ (104.9), and WFFI (93.7). In Honolulu it is dealing “95.5 The Fish” KAIM. EMF already owns “K-Love” affiliate WLVU (97.1) in the Nashville market while in Honolulu it owns “K-Love” station KLUU (103.5) and the construction permit for KLHY (91.1). When the sale closes, Salem will exit the Nashville market. It will still own five stations in Honolulu. Broker: Jorgenson Broadcast Brokerage
Fort Smith, AR – Edwin and Melinda Martin’s Black Diamond Properties has filed a $1.3 million deal to buy country “Red Dirt 96.7” KAGE, AC “Mix 105.1” KXMX, and gospel “The Cross” KFSW (1650) from Darren Girdner’s G2 Media Group. The deal also includes two Fort Smith, AR-licensed translator K244FJ at 96.7 FM and K254AM at 98.7 FM.
El Paso, TX – David Kaufmann and Andrew Frecka’s On Earth Media has filed a $800,001 deal to acquire religious KELP (1590) from McClatchey Broadcasting. The deal includes the El Paso, TX-licensed translator K240ER at 95.9 FM. In a related translation, On Earth Media will acquire sister KELP-FM, Mesquite, NM (89.3). The filing shows a promissory note worth $634,744 to be paid over a 16-year period is among the sale’s terms. Another $400,000 will be paid for related real estate. On Earth Media will operate the stations under a time brokerage agreement until closing.
Riverside-San Bernardino, CA – Balwinder Kaur Khalsa and Dilpreet Singh Khalsa’s Punjabi American Media has filed a $100,000 deal to buy ethnic KSPA, Ontario, CA (1510) from Tron Dinh Do’s Intelli. Punjabi American Media will operate the station under a time brokerage agreement until closing. Punjabi Radio already owns stations in the Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton, and Modesto markets. Once the sale closes, Intelli will still own AMs in Dallas, San Jose, and Portland, OR.
Indiana – Relevant Radio has filed a $100,000 deal to buy religious “Catholic Radio Indy” stations WSOM, Franklin, IN (89.5); WSQM, Noblesville, IN (90.9); and WSPM, Cloverdale, IN (89.1) from Inter Mirifica. The sale also includes two translators including the Anderson, IN-licensed W252CY at 98.3 FM and the Lafayette, IN-licensed W232DV at 94.3 FM. The stations will air Relevant Radio’s religious network under a programming agreement prior to closing. Relevant Radio already owns WRDI (95.7) in the South Bend-Elkhart, IN region.
Oregon –The not for profit that operates KXCJ-LP, Cave Junction, OR (105.7) has filed a $10,000 deal to buy the Cave Junction, OR-licensed translator K267AD at 101.3 FM from Steven Porter. The LPFM already relays its station on the translator.
Memphis & Jackson – Educational Media Foundation has closed a $575,000 deal to buy WIVG (96.1) in the Memphis, TN market and WJXN (100.9) in the Jackson, MS form Flinn Broadcasting. Both stations are already airing EMF’s “Air1” contemporary Christian format., Flinn Broadcasting still owns seven stations in the Memphis market including adult standards “Sunny” KHGA/WMPS (103.9/1210), R&B “Hot 107.1” KXHT, WHBQ, adult R&B “Q-107.5” WHBQ-FM, sports WHBQ (560), R&B WMSO (1240), and classic hits “Radio Pig” WOWW (1430).
Texas – First Dallas Media has closed a $27,500 deal to buy KTFB, Riesel, TX (90.3) from East Texas Community Broadcasting. KTFB is a construction permit for a Class C2 FM. First Dallas Media also owns contemporary Christian stations KCBI, Dallas (90.9) and KCBN, Hico, TX (107.7).
Massachusetts – Holy Family Communications has closed a $1,000 deal to buy religious WNEB, Worcester, MA (1230) and religious WESO, Southbridge, MA (970) from Emmanuel Communications. The deal also includes the Southbridge, MA-licensed translator W266DK at 101.1 FM. Holy Family already owns religious stations WPMW (88.5) and WQOM (1060) in the Boston market and WACE (730) in the Springfield, MA market.
Indiana – Radio Punjab has closed a deal to donate WRPU, Anderson, IN (1470) to the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. The deal reverses Radio Pujab’s $129,000 purchase of what was then WGNR from Moody in 2020. The station has been an outlier for Radio Punjab. Not only is WRPU the only station it owned in an unrated market, but it is also the only station it owned that is not on the West Coast or in Texas.