I'm not sure there is all that much overlap between the KHCB and K-Love/Air1 audiences. I bet the donor bases look even more different.
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January numbers are here
- Thread starter Mediafrog+
- Start date
Yep, calling all religious formats by the same name is sort of like listing Spanish language stations as having the "Spanish format".
We don’t know the specifics of the supposed sale. Perhaps it includes the right to continue to feed K223CW; maybe that deal remains in place even if the nominal originating station comes under new ownership.
There may be more going on with the translator. Stay tuned.😉
Let’s not go down the rabbit hole of the translator’s “legality” again, it will just get the thread shut down.🫢
This does raise a thought: If KFNC is sold to a religious group that changes it to non-comm status, I believe it would then be legal for K223CW to extend coverage beyond 97.5’s primary contour, assuming it was fed over the air…or even further, would the translator now operate as any non-comm translator would regardless of location (I am thinking off all the translators EMF operates.)
Not yet.😶🤐
KHCB isn’t going anywhere. They’ve been around for 62 years and have turned down many offers for the 105.7 signal. There was a time when KHCB-FM could have sold for over $100M stick value.
Very little similarity between the audience of KHCB and that of KSBJ and K-Love. KHCB has endured 42 years of KSBJ’s market presence and still seems to be going strong…look at their large network of stations.
Doubtful. Salem has stations in the Top Ten markets and want to keep it that way. If they sell off any properties, it would be smaller markets well before any of the Top Ten. KKHT is doing very well financially. Salem would not be interested in KFNC. Many have tried to buy KHCB for many years. They are not interested in selling it. Who knows, as anything can happen.
I just want to add that EMF’s translators in Beaumont and Conroe are fed over the air
Chuck, just a heads up: I’ve found KKHT running with very low audio levels on numerous occasions recently. Not always an issue, but often enough that perhaps the feed should be checked. Not sure if it is tied to specific programs or is a broader problem. Is that new transmitter on the air yet?
And a smart decision given the 97.5 signal issues. Now that the weather has warmed up tropo interference from KWTX and KFTX is starting to affect KFNC again.
KHCB is not a station that I listen to, but I admire the dedication to their mission and ideals. And remember it is a flagship for a wider network.
I was hoping that would happen. During extreme tropos when 96.9 and 97.3 are wiping out the HD signal I’m sure it’d be fine if they’re rebroadcasting the 97.1 analog briefly. If they stick to 103.7 they should make KXAI and KHJK perfectly in sync.
There is enough of an overlap among the now 3 major players in Houston Christian radio to result in donations for each of them to diminish. If VCY enters the market, and I believe that is a matter of when instead of if, the available money to each ministry will further fragment. Yes, the demographics of HCB and KSBJ/K-Love are different, but the money available from the general consumer to be donated is not. Where a donor might have previously sent an equally proportioned offering to both KSBJ and HCB to help further and expand each ministry, because as you know, that's the primary goal, those same donations are now subject to being split amongst the three. That results in a percentage less coming in for all.
We don't, you are right. We do know, however, that any attempt to sell K223CW as a part of a KFNC/KGOW divestiture will be met with intense scrutiny and several raised eyebrows. Maybe radioislife can provide a bit more insight into the relationship between David Gow and Sara Franco, as he has mentioned previously that there is a connection that more than just a simple lease of the translator to expand the ESPN line-up to a more reliable signal within the city limits.
This theory may just get put to the test, Mediafrog. My assumption is that VCY will likely be the next owner of KFNC, if it is to be sold. Neither KSBJ, EMF, nor Salem have a use for 97.5, so if it is to become a religious non-commercial station next, VCY looks to be the only group left standing. That is, unless La Promesa would be looking to bring their Spanish language ministry to the Houston area to compliment KSHJ. 97.5 is certainly in the right part of the market demographically for their Spanish language ministry to be successful.
They turned down many offers in the past, but we are in a different time now. The clock continues to tick on being able to get the Word out to nonbelievers while they still can. While I agree with your point that the ministry itself isn't in any way abandoning Houston-Galveston, what's to say they can't find a suitable partner to pull off a facility trade that would also net them a nice cash infusion that can be put towards further acquisitions in areas HCB isn't currently available, while also keeping the programming OTA in Houston? 105.7 remains a big money stick, on par with all the rest of the Senior Road facilities. It won't fetch $100 million, but would certainly give them a good enough of a substantial return to buy an in market signal in most of the areas around the region where they don't currently have a presence. As you correctly stated, the ministry continues to expand, albeit somewhat slowly. As an example from my own neck of the woods, I'm certain HCB would like to have a better presence in Tyler-Longview than just a measly translator at East Mountain and KHCJ way over in Jefferson.
Have my doubts on this ever happening, Frog. EMF has owned 88.7 in Kilgore since 2007 and has yet to bring the digital broadcast back to the signal.
Has KHJK ever returned to HD? I recall Cumulus setting up HD on 103.7 when they purchased it from Ben Amato and moved it to the new tower.
Nope. I personally hope it doesn’t come back to kind of protect the LPFMs on 103.5 to the west. I still don’t understand why they keep the HD for 97.1 off though. I’m sure they’d like to bring K-LOVE 2000’s and Radio Nueva Vida to Houston.
Remember that HCB has multistate reach, so bigger potential donor base. EMF is national as we all know, but so is Hope Media Group through its ownership of WAY-FM, so lots of potential money there.
Perhaps; I had thought they would have gone after 97.1, but didn’t. VCY might wait to see what happens with the rumored sale of the TelevisaUnivision or Estrella Media radio groups, and whether a better signal could be plucked away. I would rather have 93.3 than 97.5, for instance.
Agree that 97.5 would be better suited for a Spanish language format; have wondered if EMF associated Radio Nueva Vida would be a possibility.
No way no how, HTX. 91.5 is a far superior facility to 93.5. It also is extremely complimentary to the Caldwell facility at 91.9. KDVY reaches further to the north, of course, but KHML reaches far more potential ears within its own contour. There is a lot of open land and rather small towns inside of 93.5's reach, while 91.5 reaches right up to the front doorstep of B/CS. At some point, I expect to see KDVY move over to Radio Amistad as the Spanish speaking population continues to grow in the area it serves.
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KALD already covers B/CS. 91.5 reaches those small towns to the south and west of Madisonville. Where as 93.5 covers Crockett and Palestine better. Would be nice to see one of them be different
Again, let’s not forget that EMF programs to people and not markets. Since they are not ad supported, it does not matter if the people in a particular market are covered by one big central signal or several suburban signals that, together, cover most of the people.
That was my point in response to HTX, David. There's a better chance of a snowball falling in the fiery pit than there is of HCB ever considering selling off KHML before they would KDVY. KHML reaches far more people. Cattle do not listen to the radio, and KDVY covers many more heads than it does human ears.
It was my understanding, at least in the mid-1980s, that KHCB did not solicit donations on the air. Is that still the case?
Unless something has changed recently, the answer is yes. They operate through grants and unsolicited donations.
Edit to add: Houston Christian Broadcasters | Houston, TX | Cause IQ
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