Townsquare Media has withdrawn an application to transfer a rural southern Minnesota AM radio station to a local non-profit group.
According to an asset purchase agreement filed with the FCC in early April, Bluff Country Community Radio LLC would have paid Townsquare $100,000 for KFIL/1060 (Preston). The agreement said Townsquare would have retained the right to programs and programming material, advertising contracts, and advertiser/customer lists.
However, the application to transfer the license was withdrawn on May 13 with a short statement saying, “Townsquare License, LLC no longer wants to pursue this transaction.”
The proposed sale had followed Townsquare’s recent closure of the longtime studio in Preston that had been used by KFIL and KFIL-FM/103.1 (Chatfield), with KFIL-FM now co-located with Townsquare’s Rochester group. KFIL-FM was not included in the now-withdrawn sale.
KFIL/1060 broadcasts with 1kW non-directional daytime only, primarily serving Fillmore County but also providing a strong signal to Stewartville and Cresco, Iowa.
The AM station’s lineup includes Polka/Old Time music in morning drive, AgriTalk and syndicated conservative talk in the midday and afternoon hours, and a rebroadcast of KFIL-FM’s “True Country” format evenings and weekends.
Fliers posted in Preston and a website, which remains active, had been collecting donations for the effort. The website touts KFIL as a source of local news, farm markets, community events, high school sports, and holiday concerts.
The FCC filing says Bluff Country Community Radio LLC’s directors are Ryan Corwin, Luke Lonien, and Ilene Edwards, with each holding a third of the votes.
This article was originally posted on April 5 and was updated on May 19.