NRG Sells Omaha Radio Group to Usher Media
Usher Media has announced plans to buy most of NRG Media’s radio group in Omaha as NRG sells another station to a separate buyer.
According to a news release issued Feb. 2, Usher will purchase “Sweet 98.5” (KQKQ Council Bluffs), “Power 106.9” (KOPW Plattsmouth), “Yacht Rock 1180” (KZOT Bellevue), News/Talker KOIL/1290 (Omaha), and Sports-formatted “1620 The Zone” (KOZN Bellevue). The purchase price was not immediately announced and the deal has not yet been filed with the FCC as of Monday evening
The news release said Usher will prioritize local programming, community engagement, and partnerships with businesses.
Usher Media LLC is also in the process of buying five stations in the Tri-Cities from NRG.
As reported separately, NRG is also selling “101.9 The Keg” (KOOO La Vista) to Nebraska Public Media. It sold KMMQ/1020 (Plattsmouth) to Muñoz Media last year.
NRG retains a group in Lincoln as well as stations in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
Other commercial radio groups in Omaha include Flood Communications, iHeartMedia, SummitMedia, and Walnut Radio.
Coloff Sells Three Iowa Radio Stations to Area Buyer
Coloff Media is selling its stations in Charles City and New Hampton to a buyer from the area with no other broadcast holdings.
The deal filed with the FCC on Jan. 28 calls for Achen Becker Media LLC to pay $1.15 million for KCHA-FM/95.9 (Charles City), KCHA/1580 (Charles City), KCHA translator K277DM/103.3 (Charles City), and KCZE/95.1 (New Hampton).
Coloff Media and James Coloff retain ten other radio stations in Cedar Falls-Waterloo, Manchester, Maquoketa, Mason City, and Forest City.
KCHA-FM carries an Adult Contemporary format, KCHA runs Oldies, and KCZE is a Country station.
FCC Monitor
The FCC has again upheld its dismissal of Holy Mother Mary’s application for a new low-power FM station in Cascade. The FCC initially rejected the application because it conflicted with the allotment for a future station on 98.7 in Asbury. It gave Holy Mother Mary a chance to amend the application to specify an adjacent frequency, which would constitute a minor change. The applicant sought a change to 98.3 and requested waivers of minimum power and spacing requirements, also presenting an alternative plan of moving to 93.5, which would constitute a major change. The FCC rejected the waiver requests and also rejected the major change, which FCC rules do not allow after the filing window has closed. Holy Mother Mary then filed a second petition referencing a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that gave federal agencies the authority to interpret statutes that are “silent or ambiguous with respect to the specific issue.” In its latest dismissal, FCC Audio Division Chief Albert Shuldiner says the court decision does not apply to this situation because the agency “did not eliminate or change the LPFM minor amendment rule, which remains in full force and effect.”
K-Love’s KQKL/95.3 (Keokuk) reports that it returned to the air at full power of 100kW on Jan. 17. It had previously reported going off the air Dec. 21 due to transmitter failure.
Minnesota
Leighton Radio’s K254CM/98.7 (Winona) and K268DJ/101.5 (Winona) submitted license to cover applications indicating they have completed new facilities at sister station KRIV-FM’s tower just over the border in Wisconsin. K254CM now transmits with 130W, relaying KWNO/1230, while K268DJ/101.5 transmits with 170W and relays KHWK/1380. Both had previously transmitted from the KGSL/95.3 tower in Winona, which collapsed last November.
FCC Monitor
KM Communications of Independence’s KQMG/1220 and KQMG-FM/95.3 (Independence) have both requested special temporary authority to remain silent. The stations’ filings state they left the air Sept. 30 due to problems with power to the site. KQMG-FM had just returned to the air last August after a previous period of silence.
Edge Spectrum’s K31PP-D (Sioux City) applied to move to channel 23 with 15kW.
FCC Monitor: One FM Returns To Air, Two Others Go Silent
Iowa
American Christian Radio’s KPVL/89.1 (Postville) returned to the air on Jan. 9. A listener in the area reports it is carrying VCY America.
St. Gabriel Communications’ KQBV/88.5 (Adel) reports that it left the air Jan. 6 due to the loss of its transmitter site. KQBV had carried Iowa Catholic Radio, which can also be heard in the area on KIHS/105.5 (Perry-Des Moines).
Minnesota
iHeartMedia’s KFAN/1270 (Rochester) has requested special temporary authority to operate at reduced power at night due to a failure in the system that switches between daytime and nighttime antenna patterns. Normally 5kW day and 1kW night, KFAN has requested to use 250 Watts at night with the daytime pattern.
Weekly Log: Sinclair Switches Provider of Des Moines Newscast
Hearst CBS affiliate KCCI/8 (Des Moines) is now supplying a 9 p.m. newscast for Sinclair FOX affiliate KDSM/17, replacing Nexstar NBC affiliate WHO-DT/13 in producing the newscast. As noted a few weeks ago, WHO-DT has continued the 9 p.m. newscast as a streaming-only program. The change marks an expansion of a 9 p.m. newscast that had already been airing for years on KCCI’s MeTV channel.
Nexstar NBC affiliate WHO-DT/13 (Des Moines) has promoted Katie Kaplan to 4 p.m. anchor.
Yacht Rock Docks on Omaha AM Station after “Santa” Stunt
An Omaha AM radio station has debuted a new Light Classic Hits format after seven weeks stunting with Christmas music as “Santa Baby.”
NRG Media’s KZOT/1180 (Bellevue-Omaha) became “Yacht Rock 1180” on Jan. 2. The playlist features Light Rock hits of the 1970s and ‘80s.
The new format competes partly with Walnut Radio’s “Boomer Radio,” heard on KIBM/1490 (Omaha), KOBM-FM/97.3 (Blair), and several FM translators.
Since 2012, KZOT had run syndicated Sports Talk in tandem with co-owned “The Zone” (KOZN/1620 Bellevue-Omaha), which continues with Sports Talk.
NRG’s other stations in the market carry Conservative Talk, Sports, Hot Adult Contemporary, Classic Hits, and Hip-Hop/R&B formats.
KZOT transmits with 25kW daytime and 1kW nighttime, using different directional patterns day and night. It does not have an FM translator.