Page radio stations to go dark on Dec 31

[Greg Goodfellow]

I don't get it either. Residents of a small community like that usually treasure their local media outlets. I've visited Page, AZ and remember seeing the station logos around the area, especially The Bandit as the name left an impression. Those stations had high visibility, and we used the website and travel guide as resources for our trip planning. Their shutdown will be a loss to the community and the whole region.

Is there something really special about that tower location that a developer has to build right there and the mayor would greenlight it? Page is a small town with tons of undeveloped land around. It's not Los Angeles. There must be more to the story.

As noted above, who is starting any construction when interest rates continue to climb?

 

[KilowattKat]

The news coverage is for Northern AZ as a whole, but I would hope that they are able to do real time Page specific important info and alerts for the KNAD signal. An emergency situation, like the flooding, that occurred, would KNAU be able to step up to the plate, with the other stations gone?

 

[michael hagerty]

The news coverage is for Northern AZ as a whole, but I would hope that they are able to do real time Page specific important info and alerts for the KNAD signal. An emergency situation, like the flooding, that occurred, would KNAU be able to step up to the plate, with the other stations gone?

KNAU, feeding KNAD from Flagstaff, being in the same county as Page, would have EAS alerts for that area as a matter of course. Follow-up reporting would depend on staffing.

 

[landtuna]

And not to mention that area of AZ is prone to violent summer storms and occasionally gets intense (but short lived) snowfalls. Anyone who has driven those roads knows well how quickly they can isolate the lake area. I noticed just this morning that the overnight temps in the Page area was in the mid to low 20's meaning those roads are subject to icing.

 

[michael hagerty]

Is there something really special about that tower location that a developer has to build right there and the mayor would greenlight it? Page is a small town with tons of undeveloped land around. It's not Los Angeles. There must be more to the story.

I think it helps to look at a satellite map of the property:

Page Police Department · 808 Coppermine Rd, Page, AZ 86040

According to the Broadcasting Yearbook, the founder stuck that stick out there in 1971. 51 years later, it's literally on the next block from people's houses and right in the path of where you'd logically extend that subdivision.

 

[crainbebo]

KXAZ is one of the few stations that can be heard decently at Grand Canyon National Park. I'm sure tourism came back in 2022, but it doesn't help that the lake is at very low levels and it could be a while before it goes back to normal. Lose-lose situation for northern AZ in general. It all started when KNAZ-TV shut its news department down years ago.
I second the poster who said if all else fails, let KTNN buy it out and simulcast AM 660 to the Grand Canyon on 93.3. Perhaps with some type of local presence in Page for the residents and tourists.

And EMF, don't even think about buying them out.

 

[michael hagerty]

KXAZ is one of the few stations that can be heard decently at Grand Canyon National Park. I'm sure tourism came back in 2022, but it doesn't help that the lake is at very low levels and it could be a while before it goes back to normal. Lose-lose situation for northern AZ in general. It all started when KNAZ-TV shut its news department down years ago.
I second the poster who said if all else fails, let KTNN buy it out and simulcast AM 660 to the Grand Canyon on 93.3. Perhaps with some type of local presence in Page for the residents and tourists.

When my wife and I did our Northern Arizona-Utah-Colorado camping trip in 2018, we spent a few days at both Lake Powell and on the Navajo Nation. I had never heard KTNN in the daytime. It's an excellent community station.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

KXAZ is one of the few stations that can be heard decently at Grand Canyon National Park. I'm sure tourism came back in 2022, but it doesn't help that the lake is at very low levels and it could be a while before it goes back to normal.

Despite (roughly) average rains this fall in the southwest, Lake Powell is only 4 feet above the record low levels from April. It was 12 ft higher this date last year, and 58 ft higher this date 2020.

It is very possible they endure the 2023 season with very limited boating on the lake due to the water level being below the boat launches.

 

[DavidEduardo]

I've seen sales before where businesses had funding allocated for capital projects that were in the works or expected expenditures and that $$ went with the business.

I've seldom seen a station sale (particularly in a smaller market) where cash accounts owned by the seller were given to the buyer. If accounts with cash in them are transferred to the buyer, that amount is added to the sale price at closing. There is no "free money".

At closing, generally the new owner has an agreement where they handle accounts receivable and give that previously earned money to the seller less a small percentage for handling receivables. That's the only case where funds are "intermingled".

Separate agreements will exist on prepaid expenses, like property taxes and prepaid rent. If a seller has paid a business license for the year and the sale closes in June, either the license was considered part of the deal or, at closing, the buyer reimburses for the paid portion they are getting.

From that point on the buyer will use accounts set up in advance for things like payroll and expenses.

 

[DavidEduardo]

From the info I was given a couple of years ago, there was no consideration of that. I was told that what you purchased at the time was what you were dealt, and dealing with the city as a landlord of both the AM tower and the office itself, was a huge factor in my deciding not to pursue it.

And one of the "explorable" issues is whether the station or its owner have somehow fallen out of grace with the local government. If there is some kind of hostility or resentment between them, a lot of fences would have to be mended to continue.

 

[Mikey Radio]

I've seldom seen a station sale (particularly in a smaller market) where cash accounts owned by the seller were given to the buyer. If accounts with cash in them are transferred to the buyer, that amount is added to the sale price at closing. There is no "free money".

At closing, generally the new owner has an agreement where they handle accounts receivable and give that previously earned money to the seller less a small percentage for handling receivables. That's the only case where funds are "intermingled".

Separate agreements will exist on prepaid expenses, like property taxes and prepaid rent. If a seller has paid a business license for the year and the sale closes in June, either the license was considered part of the deal or, at closing, the buyer reimburses for the paid portion they are getting.

From that point on the buyer will use accounts set up in advance for things like payroll and expenses.

Not all cases are exactly the same, I guess and not every sale comes with the same "cookie cutter" agreement and/or contract. Sales and the contracts that go with them can sometimes have lots of facets to them and things that are/can be negotiated. Agreed that there is very rarely if ever something that could be considered "free money", but there are things that can be tossed in to sweeten the deal, simplify some parts of the transaction for one party or the other, or agreements that can be made ahead of time and then documented once the buyer does all their homework...Especially if the seller really wants out and the buyer will only sign if certain allowances are made or terms are agreed to, etc.

 

[kwthom]

The AM and associated translator may not be viable, but there sure seems to be the potential for the FM (and associated translators) to survive in some form... perhaps?

 

[GeoffR]

So what is the asking price for KXAZ-FM and KPGE-AM (and the translators) ?

 

[exdjted]

So what is the asking price for KXAZ-FM and KPGE-AM (and the translators) ?

I don't know what she's asking now. I do know what she wanted when it was offered to me by a broker a few years ago. Since it didn't sell for what she wanted then, it will have to be at a substantially reduced price. I don't know what she considers "bankruptcy prices", but now, considering the AM is a non-starter and did have revenue, and with the signals set to go silent, I would guess no more than 1x revenue of KXAZ. She can hold out for more, but the longer they're dark the less someone's going to offer.

 

[michael hagerty]

The AM and associated translator may not be viable, but there sure seems to be the potential for the FM (and associated translators) to survive in some form... perhaps?

My inclination would be to turn in the AM ticket and try to keep the FM on the air. I also did a satellite map on the FM stick and it's actually over the border in Utah.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/37%C2%B000'37.0%22N+111%C2%B040'50.6%22W/@37.010263,-111.7507598,41459m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x97bedddaa5ad09d3!8m2!3d37.010263!4d-111.680722?hl=en

It's a 32-mile drive to Page because you have to drive around some pretty big bluffs---probably 20 miles as the crow flies---but any buyer should look hard into who owns that land and what (if any) guarantees there are that the stick is on solid ground in terms of a lease.

 

[kwthom]

<...>
It's a 32-mile drive to Page because you have to drive around some pretty big bluffs---probably 20 miles as the crow flies---but any buyer should look hard into who owns that land and what (if any) guarantees there are that the stick is on solid ground in terms of a lease.

My two minutes at Kane County, Utah's property assessment pages weren't fruitful, but doesn't look promising.

 

[exdjted]

My inclination would be to turn in the AM ticket and try to keep the FM on the air. I also did a satellite map on the FM stick and it's actually over the border in Utah.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/37%C2%B000'37.0%22N+111%C2%B040'50.6%22W/@37.010263,-111.7507598,41459m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x97bedddaa5ad09d3!8m2!3d37.010263!4d-111.680722?hl=en

It's a 32-mile drive to Page because you have to drive around some pretty big bluffs---probably 20 miles as the crow flies---but any buyer should look hard into who owns that land and what (if any) guarantees there are that the stick is on solid ground in terms of a lease.

The FM tower is owned by Commnet Four Corners out of Castle Rock. I would say as long as the check clears each month, that's good. Also, one of the translators (98.3) is on that same tower. The other translator (100.1) shows as being on a tower owned by Navajo Tribal Utility. She actually owns the AM tower itself, which, of course, is going away since the land underneath is owned by the city of Page.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

@exdjted it sounds like you may be local to the area. Are you a member of the Page, AZ Facebook group? It would be interesting to know if residents are reacting to the news that their radio stations are probably going away.

 

[kwthom]

@exdjted it sounds like you may be local to the area. Are you a member of the Page, AZ Facebook group? It would be interesting to know if residents are reacting to the news that their radio stations are probably going away.

Re-read post #15 in this thread...

 

[kwthom]

Roughly 2.3 days until the end...is there anyone on this forum in the listening area of these stations?