The owner of several northeastern Iowa radio stations is adding two more stations to the group.
Wennes Communications Stations announced Wednesday that it will buy KDEC-FM/100.5 (Decorah) and KDEC/1240 (Decorah) from Bob and Colleen Holtan’s Decorah Broadcasting. The deal also includes the construction permit for K235CT/94.9 (Decorah), which will relay KDEC.
An asset purchase agreement filed with the FCC lists the purchase price as $1.2 million.
KDEC-FM carries an Adult Alternative format, which would be unusual for a small town except for the fact that Decorah is home to Luther College. The AM station carries Oldies and shares time with Luther’s KWLC/1240.
Wennes’ existing stations include Classic Hits-formatted KVIK/104.7 (Decorah), “Bluff Country 103.5” (KNEI-FM Waukon), and Adult Contemporary outlet “99.1 The River” (KMRV/1160 Waukon and K256CS Waukon).
A press release said no staff changes are planned.
“By combining talent, services, and excellent equipment, the overall sound and delivery of music, news, sports and informational programming will be taken to the next quality level of excellence and effectiveness,” President and majority owner Greg Wennes said in a news release.
The Holtans retain a majority interest in a pair of radio stations in Marshalltown. (Note: this item originally stated incorrectly that the Holtans held a minority interest in the Marshalltown stations, which was true until an ownership change last year.)
KDEC and KWLC are in one of the last AM time-sharing arrangements in the nation. KDEC uses the frequency during the day on weekdays, while KWLC is on the air weekday evenings and on the weekend.
KWLC’s license dates to 1926 and KDEC was licensed in 1947 after KWLC reduced its broadcast schedule.
Five years ago, the FCC granted Luther a construction permit for a low-power FM station that would have replaced KWLC, but the station was not built by the 2017 deadline.
FCC rules may allow KDEC to continue originating programming on its new FM translator signal even when KWLC is using the AM frequency.
KNEI-FM recently applied for a construction permit to move its transmitter just north of the Iowa-Minnesota border. It would remain a class C2 facility (using 26kW at 210m above average terrain) but would rimshot La Crosse while retaining coverage of Waukon and Decorah.
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