Bonneville to buy, flip KKFR Phoenix to news-talk
May 8, 2006 23:34:39 GMT -5
Post by tico on May 8, 2006 23:34:39 GMT -5
Company to shop format around
Bonneville International has filed a letter of intent to purchase Emmis Communications' CHR/Rhythmic KKFR (Power 92.3)/Phoenix. Upon completion of the purchase, the company plans to drop KKFR's current format in favor of an initial simulcast of News/Talk KTAR/Phoenix. Bonneville President/CEO Bruce Reese said the company hopes to move Power 92.3's format to another frequency and operator to preserve it in the market.
"We're very aware of the popularity Power 92.3 enjoys and of the large listener base it has established," said Reese. "Because we have deep respect for that success, and especially for the station's listeners and employees, we hope to preserve the hip-hop format and will negotiate with other stations and operators — several of whom have already expressed very high levels of interest — to transition KKFR's format to another frequency and preserve it for Phoenix listeners."
The move by Bonneville to expand its News/Talk programming in Phoenix to the FM band follows similar recent moves by the company at both WTOP/Washington and KSL/Salt Lake City, where both stations have added FM signals to the broadcast footprint of their news and information programming as part of the company's previously announced "News On FM" initiative.
Bonneville International has filed a letter of intent to purchase Emmis Communications' CHR/Rhythmic KKFR (Power 92.3)/Phoenix. Upon completion of the purchase, the company plans to drop KKFR's current format in favor of an initial simulcast of News/Talk KTAR/Phoenix. Bonneville President/CEO Bruce Reese said the company hopes to move Power 92.3's format to another frequency and operator to preserve it in the market.
"We're very aware of the popularity Power 92.3 enjoys and of the large listener base it has established," said Reese. "Because we have deep respect for that success, and especially for the station's listeners and employees, we hope to preserve the hip-hop format and will negotiate with other stations and operators — several of whom have already expressed very high levels of interest — to transition KKFR's format to another frequency and preserve it for Phoenix listeners."
The move by Bonneville to expand its News/Talk programming in Phoenix to the FM band follows similar recent moves by the company at both WTOP/Washington and KSL/Salt Lake City, where both stations have added FM signals to the broadcast footprint of their news and information programming as part of the company's previously announced "News On FM" initiative.