FCC Chairman Brendan Carr chose a clear, blue-sky North Carolina spring day to travel to the top of a nearly 2,000-foot broadcast tower.

This was not the chair’s first rodeo — he also went to the top of the KELO(TV) tower in South Dakota last July and he has expressed his enjoyment of scaling such structures in the past. Carr used this latest opportunity, which included a live TV hit from the top of the eastern North Carolina broadcast site, to praise the efforts of America’s tower crews, including the one that aided him with his April ascent.

“It’s tower crews like this who maintain these structures; they are the reason why people receive these signals,” Carr told WCTI(TV). He said that there are roughly 20,000 tower climbers nationwide who support broadcast sites, along with towers for wireless communications and other services.

He shared a video on his X account:

Carr utilized a hydraulic hoist for the majority of the ascent before climbing the final 100 feet by hand, according to WCTI. The round trip took several hours.

The tower, located just west of New Bern, stands approximately 1,966 feet tall. In addition to serving WCTI, WYDO(TV) and WUNM(TV), it is home to 95.1 WRNS(FM), a Class C, 100,000-watt station licensed to Kinston.

According to Wikipedia, the structure ranks among the tallest towers in the United States.

The climb comes while crews are in the middle of a major maintenance project to replace the guy wires that stabilize the tower, according to WCTI. As a result of the work, WRNS said on its Facebook page that the station was off the air for several hours on April 6.

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A fire early Tuesday morning destroyed the transmission building for a 50,000-watt FM station and its colocated AM signal on the Delmarva peninsula.

103.3 WESR(FM), “The Shore,” is licensed to Onley-Onancock, Va., and serves Virginia’s Eastern Shore region.

It broadcasts from a tower site in Tasley that is also home to its sister AM station, the country-formatted 1330 WESR(AM), and its 105.7 FM translator. As of Wednesday, the three signals were off the air.

The Tasley Volunteer Fire Company arrived after receiving a call for a fire at the station’s tower site and reported the structure was fully involved, according to WBOC(TV).

According to station owner Charlie Russell, both the AM and FM can be heard again via their online streams, and Russell said that the station is working to secure a backup transmitter, with the hopes of returning to the air soon.

He expressed gratitude to the emergency services that arrived quickly on scene.

The AM signal goes back to 1958 from the Accomack County tower site, according to its FCC license record. The 103.3 FM signal signed on 10 years later.

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A local radio group based in Grand Island, Neb., has closed on its purchase of five NRG Media central Nebraska radio stations and one FM translator.

The buyer, Usher Media Group, originally announced the deal in November, and it includes signals in Kearney, Hastings and Grand Island.

Usher Media also acquired the operations of the website news portal centralnebraskatoday.com.

According to the companies’ filing with the FCC, the purchase of the five stations and one associated FM translator was $3.75 million.

Usher Media is headed by the Grand Island-based Alan Usher. As a result of the deal, Usher and his wife, Joanna, divested their shares in Legacy Communications, an eight-station cluster also based in Grand Island.

In February, Usher announced it had also acquired NRG Media’s five Omaha stations.

NRG Media is an Iowa-based company headed by Mary Quass. NRG owns approximately 30 other radio stations across Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Wisconsin, but it has been divesting its radio properties, as Radio World has reported.

Kalil & Co., Inc. was the broker for this transaction.

The stations involved in the deal are listed below:

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The National Association of Broadcasters announced that Carrie Healey has been named vice president of communications. 

According to a release, Healey will serve as NAB’s primary spokesperson and media relations strategist to advance radio and TV policy priorities before Congress and the Federal Communications Commission.

She succeeds Alex Siciliano, who moved on as NAB’s senior vice president of communications earlier this year.

Healey will report to Michelle Lehman, its chief of staff and executive vice president of public affairs, and she will lead its press team that includes Grace Whaley, NAB’s director of communications and social media, and Judianne Meredith, its communications coordinator.

Healey most recently served as a client engagement lead at PR firm Purple Strategies, where she developed communications strategies for advocacy and public affairs campaigns on behalf of clients across a range of issues.

She also brings media industry experience to NAB from her roles at AOL, The Grio and MS NOW — formerly MSNBC.

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Equipment provider Broadcast Supply Worldwide has a new partnership with infrastructure manufacturer Lawo.

“BSW will bring Lawo’s advanced radio production and broadcast infrastructure solutions to stations across the United States, including integrated packages built around Lawo’s IP-based workflow technology,” it said in the announcement.

“The offering combines Lawo’s engineering expertise with BSW’s decades of broadcast experience, system design support, and customer service.”

BSW also introduced Lawo crystal Radio Solution Packages, “which bundle pre-configuration, remote commissioning and ongoing support to help broadcasters deploy modern IP-based studio environments quickly and efficiently.”

The announcement was made by Bryan Seeley, president/CEO of BSW, and Christian Schniering, Lawo director of business development for radio.

Info: https://bswusa.com/lawo-at-bsw

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A longtime full-power home for classical music on Cape Cod will soon be K-Love’s first entry on the peninsula.

The Christian radio network will purchase 50 kW Class B 107.5 WFCC(FM), “Cape Classical 107.5,” licensed to Chatham. 

The deal is for $362,000, according to its FCC filing, and it is pending commission approval. 

WFCC is owned by Cape Cod Broadcasting Media, also known as Sandab Communications, which also owns 99.9 WQRC(FM), 103.9 WKPE(FM) and 104.7 WOCN(FM) on the Cape.

Kitty Dukakis, the wife of Massachusetts governor and then-presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, threw on the switch for the signal for WFCC in March 1987, according to a Barnstable Patriot commentary by original owner Joseph Ryan.

WFCC operated under First Class Communications — hence the calls — and the station has prominently featured classical music since.

Sandab Communications purchased the signal from Charles River Broadcasting in 2007. 

It marks K-Love’s first signal on Cape Cod. The network also owns and is heard on Class A 91.1 WTKL(FM) in New Bedford, Mass., to the west.

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Two radio stations in the Last Frontier’s largest city helped raise more than $100,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The “Music Cares for St. Jude Kids” radiothon, held March 19–20 on Connoisseur Media’s 104.1 KBRJ(FM) and 106.5 KWHL(FM), featured hosts from both Anchorage stations and plenty of on-air listener interaction.

104.1 “K-Bear” has been performing the radiothon annually dating back to 1997.

The stations relayed Alaska patient family experiences, according to a release. Local businesses also chipped in with contributions.

In all, the Anchorage FMs collected approximately $101,000 to help St. Jude advance research and treatment for pediatric catastrophic illnesses.

Connoisseur commended Anchorage listeners and said the radiothon was an example of the influence of local radio personalities and radio’s ability to drive audience engagement into action.

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After selling off quite a few of its midwest stations it acquired in the big deal with Alpha Media last year, Connoisseur Media announced Tuesday it is growing its presence in Nebraska’s capital city.

Connoisseur agreed to purchase NRG Media’s stations in Lincoln, Neb. The transaction is pending FCC approval and it is expected to close in the summer, according to a release.

The stations involved are 1400 KLIN(AM) and its 99.3 FM translator, 98.1 KFGE(FM), 105.3 KLNC(FM), 107.3 KBBK(FM) and its HD2 translator on 94.5 FM.

Connoisseur already owns four other full-power stations in the market, including 92.9 KTGL(FM), 96.9 KZKX(FM), 104.1 KIBZ(FM) and 106.3 KFRX(FM). Those stations came over in its Alpha Media deal that closed in September. 

The total number of properties — 11 — would put the company over market ownership subcaps. As a result, RBR+TVBR reported that Connoisseur will be filing for a waiver with the FCC to keep its stations in Lincoln.

In a release, Connoisseur said the purchase is another step in its efforts to refine its portfolio by strengthening its presence in “priority markets.”

NRG Media, meanwhile, also recently sold off its Wisconsin properties. 

Kalil & Co. was the broker for this transaction. Connoisseur Media had legal representation by Wilkinson Barker Knauer.

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Connoisseur Media continues to spin off some of the stations it acquired last year, this time finding another homegrown buyer for four of its Kansas properties.

The company announced Monday that it has agreed to sell its Topeka stations to the northeast Kansas-based MSC Radio Group.

The deal for 98.5 KSAJ(FM), 106.9 KTPK(FM) and 580/94.5 WIBW(AM/FM) is pending FCC approval and is expected to close early this summer, according to a release. Terms were not disclosed.

The four Topeka properties came to Connoisseur through its acquisition of Alpha Media’s stations last year.

Connoisseur CEO Jeff Warshaw called the latest deal an important step in executing the company’s post-acquisition strategy, allowing it to focus resources on “key growth markets.”

We’ve also covered the company’s spinoffs in South Dakota and Minnesota.

Kanzaland

Buyer MSC Radio Group’s six stations along the Kansas/Nebraska border include 103.9 KNZA(FM), as well as 96.9 KOZA(FM), 101.3 KLZA(FM), 92.1 KMZA(FM), 1230 KTNC(AM) and 93.7 KAIR(FM).

“As the only radio group operating in Topeka, our focus will be on serving and engaging listeners, supporting local businesses, and strengthening community partnerships,” MSC President Justin Fluke said in the release.

Fluke grew up in Medicine Lodge, Kan., and began his career as KNZA’s sports director in 2001. His role evolved into sales, management and ultimately ownership, leading him to become president of KNZA Radio Group in 2022.

The stations since rebranded as MSC Radio Group, with a particular focus on live high school game broadcasts. Approximately 30 of its 40 employees are involved in live sports coverage, according to MSC’s website.

Last year, Fluke was named the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association Media Person of the Year.

Greg Guy of Tideline Partners served as the broker representing MSC Radio. Connoisseur was represented by Wilkinson Barker Knauer, while KNZA/MSC Radio Group was represented by Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth.

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Connoisseur Media announced that it has agreed to sell five of its South Dakota stations to a group headed by a manager who has been with two of the stations for more than 30 years.

The five stations will be purchased by Brookings Radio LLC, which is led by Cami Powers. She has been part of KBRK(AM/FM) since 1994.

“The Brookings market did not fit into the long-term vision we set out for Connoisseur,” Jeff Warshaw, founder and CEO of Connoisseur Media, said in a release.

Warshaw explained that the company searched for local operators to purchase the stations, only to realize the suitable operators in the market were already working for Connoisseur.

The deal is pending Federal Communications Commission approval, and is expected to close in early summer, according to the release. Terms were not available.

Alpha Media acquired the five Brookings-area stations in 2015, according to FCC records. Connoisseur, subsequently, purchased Alpha’s holdings last year.

Homegrown

Powers began her career in sales at the Brookings pair in sales, and she rose to station manager by 2000.

In 2004, nearby KKQQ(FM), KJJO(AM) and KDBX(FM) were added to the Brookings group, and Powers became market manager.

Chad Hogie, who has been the stations’ business manager since 2015, as well as Powers’ husband, Derrick, are also part of the new Brookings Radio management team, according to the release.

Connoisseur was represented by Wilkinson Barker Knauer in the agreement, while Brookings Radio was represented by attorney Jared Gass.

[Related: “Connoisseur Finalizes Sales in Minnesota, South Dakota and Missouri”]

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A tower that is home to three Spokane, Wash., AM radio stations, in use since 1936, was dismantled this past weekend.

The Moran Prairie site is shared by 920 KXLY(AM), 700 KXLX(AM) and 630 KTRW(AM) via a triplexing system, which Scott Fybush detailed in a 2013 profile. According to a site history written by Spokane radio historian Bill Harms, the tower dates back to the early days of AM broadcasting.

The 439-foot historic tower was brought down piece by piece by a helicopter on Saturday morning, according to sister station KXLY(TV). The station said that the land is now expected to be redeveloped into apartments and a shopping center.

KXLY(TV) captured footage of the helicopter taking down the landmark in a surrounding area that is now highly residential.

In January, QueenB Radio, KXLY’s owner, filed for Special Temporary Authority with the FCC to move the three stations to the 360-foot east tower, located at the same site and built in 2003.

KXLY’s engineering team told us that it had been preparing for the last year to move all operations to the smaller, directional antenna.

According to the STA, that 2003 tower had previously only been used for KXLX’s nighttime operations.

History

KXLY is the original tenant of the “big” tower. In 1936, when it moved to the site from downtown Spokane, it still had the calls KFPY.

630 AM began diplexing at the tower in 1998, according to Fybush. 700 AM moved there five years later, which precipitated the need for the east tower.

As cited by Harms, in the book “Early Days of Spokane Radio,” George Langford shared details of the site during a 1980 conversation with Thorwald O. Jorgenson. Langford, who served as the chief engineer of KFPY and KXLY from 1929 to 1972, noted that KFPY was a pioneer in antenna technology:

“KFPY was one of the first stations to use a high-efficiency vertical antenna,” Langford noted. “Due to its high performance, several other stations also changed [their setups] based on the demonstrated performance of the KFPY radiation pattern, which comprised a 460-foot tower and a well-designed counterpoise-ground system.”

The transmitter was housed in an Art Deco type building, also built in 1936, and we believe the building is still there — for now.

In 2004, KXLY increased its daytime power to 20 kW non-directional from the big tower, while remaining licensed for 5 kW at night.

Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

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NRG Media has filed an application with the FCC to sell its Wisconsin stations to Midwest Communications.

The deal is for $2.5 million, according to documents filed with the commission. The broker for the sale, Kalil & Co., announced the transfer.

As a result of the agreement, Midwest has also filed a local ownership rule waiver request with the FCC, as the 10 full-power stations in the Wausau-Stevens Point market it would own exceeds the six-station limit for a market of its size.

The properties involved in the deal are eight FMs — six of which are 100 kW ERP signals — two AMs and two FM translators in the communities of Minocqua, Rhinelander, Wisconsin Rapids, Wausau, Whiting, Marshfield and Antigo.

NRG owns approximately 30 other stations across Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska.

“We are proud of the great broadcasters in Wisconsin that we have proudly worked with and are happy they will continue serving Wisconsin with WRIG,” Mary Quass, NRG’s CEO, said in a release.

Waiver request

Midwest Communications is a Wisconsin-based corporation headed by Peter Tanz. The company owns approximately 80 other stations across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin. 

It was among the radio groups we reported on in January that is in favor of relaxing ownership caps. Midwest maintained that sentiment in its waiver request.

“FCC Chairman (Brendan) Carr has recognized that the commission’s broadcast ownership rules have at least partially contributed to radio’s inability to scale to compete with the digital giants,” Midwest wrote in the waiver filing.

The company also made the case that because WBCV and its existing properties of WRIG(AM), WSAU(FM) and WOZZ(FM) provide limited coverage to the Wausau market, they should not be considered full-market competitors.

The stations involved in the deal are listed below:

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Local Radio Networks has announced the acquisition of Radio Workflow, an AI-driven broadcast software platform.

The companies said the acquisition creates a solution for both radio programming and back-end office operations, promising owners the time to focus on growing their revenue. The Radio Workflow name will stay as part of the acquisition, a spokesperson said.

Terms of the deal were not available.

LRN provides 24/7 music formats to approximately 875 stations, offering what it describes as “maximum localization of content and control.”

Those formats include “Jack FM,” Scott Shannon’s “True Oldies Channel” and Christian FM’s “Today’s Christian Music.”

Radio Workflow offers cloud-based management, traffic, billing, sales and an AI-powered production platform to approximately 700 radio clients, including Traffic-as-a-Service.

Steve Swick, CEO of Local Radio Networks, said in a release that the result is a solution designed by middle-market radio leaders “who understand the unique demands of small- and medium-market radio owners.”

Fletcher Ford, Radio Workflow’s co-founder, will continue working to build and develop partnerships with clients as the combined company’s chief revenue officer, the release said. Shane Zammit, Radio Workflow’s co-founder and chief information officer, will continue to lead Radio Workflow’s “technological evolution and long-term strategy.”

LRN said it plans to grow, not reduce staff, and it looks to build on the foundation with solutions and services to help radio stations stay competitive and profitable in an ever-changing media landscape.

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Crawford Broadcasting has filed for silent status for two of its Birmingham, Ala., market full-power signals and an associated FM translator while the company explores more sustainable financial options.

The simulcast, known as “Alabama’s God and Country Station“— Class A Christian talk 92.5 WYDE(FM), licensed to Cordova, and 1260 WYDE(AM), licensed to Birmingham, along with its associated 96.9 FM translator — filed for silent Special Temporary Authority with the FCC on Monday.

According to the STAs, while the stations are silent, Crawford seeks “viable and sustainable programming sales options” for the trio of signals. Crawford had no further comment outside of the STA filings.

In February, Crawford rearranged its Birmingham-area translators, pairing 96.9 with WYDE while shifting 95.3 W237EK(FM) to simulcast 850 WXJC, its “Truth 101.1” southern gospel format, which is also heard on 101.1 WXJC(FM).

Crawford also operates Christian adult contemporary 93.7 WDJC(FM) in Birmingham.

The 5 kW WYDE(AM) attempted all-digital HD Radio beginning in 2023 with the MA3 mode. Crawford announced a return to hybrid (analog-plus-digital) last June, citing the need to make its programming available once again to a broader audience.

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The post In Alabama, Crawford’s WYDE(AM/FM) Goes Silent appeared first on Radio World.

Connoisseur Media has closed on deals involving several of its stations.

In transactions brokered by Arizona-based Kalil & Co., Connoisseur closed the sale of KJAM(AM/FM) to South Dakota-based Christensen Broadcasting. In Madison, S.D., 1390 KJAM(AM) operates at 1390, while the 33 kW ERP 103.1 KJAM(FM) broadcasts on 103.1.

Across the state line in Minnesota, Christensen also closed on the acquisition of 101.1 KLQL(FM) and KQAD(AM) in Luverne. The community is located in the southwest corner of Minnesota. KLQL is a 100 kW ERP Class C1 FM signal.

The deals were announced in November. Christensen will pay $425,000 for the four stations, according to RadioInsight. The company was set to negotiate new tower leases with Vertical Bridge ahead of the closing.

Meanwhile, Carter Media closed on the sale of Connoisseur stations in multiple Missouri communities. RadioInsight reported that Carter Media will pay $400,000 for 15 stations and two translators. That deal was also announced in November.

We’ve listed the Missouri stations involved in the table below:

Connoisseur made waves in the industry last year with its acquisition of Alpha Media’s stations, bringing its total number of stations across the U.S. to more than 200 and placing it among the top 10 U.S. media companies by radio station ownership.

It has continued to restructure its offerings, including its addition of several properties in San Francisco.

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The DTS Autostage Broadcaster Portal has expanded its market coverage across the U.S.

Parent company Xperi announced that the analytics portal has added 52 U.S. markets, bringing the number of markets with access to in-vehicle metrics to approximately 300.

The portal provides radio stations access to data analytics. The additional markets bring data from approximately 3,000 new stations and 162,000 additional in-vehicle listeners, Xperi said in a release.

“Some of these markets haven’t had access to actionable measurements of listener behavior in a long time,” Juan Galdamez, Xperi’s senior director of broadcast strategy and business development, said in the release.

The company said these types of metrics — including audience data by station, time of day, market, rank and geography in their core markets — were previously available only via streaming solutions.

The portal also includes capabilities such as hourly flow and geographic heat maps.

As Xperi revealed during its announcement of the company’s 2025 financial results, DTS Autostage now reaches approximately 14 million vehicles.

[Related: “From Estimates to Evidence: Measurement Evolves”]

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