A former radio station owner in Austin-Albert Lea, Minn., is getting back into the business with the purchase of Connoisseur Media’s four stations in the market.
Greg Jensen’s Hometown Broadcasting of Austin and Albert Lea LLC is buying Adult Contemporary station “94.9 The Breeze” (KCPI Albert Lea), “US Country 99.9” (KAUS-FM Austin), Oldies station KATE/1450 (Albert Lea), and News/Talker KAUS/1480 (Austin).
The sale price is $150,000, according to an asset purchase agreement filed with the FCC on Sept. 17.
Hometown previously owned Classic Rocker KQPR/96.1 (Austin), which it sold to D&Z Media in 2018, and the Austin Daily Herald reports that Jensen was part of a group that owned KATE and KCPI in the 1990s.
KAUS-FM’s 100kW signal also rimshots Rochester, Owatonna, and Mason City, and several stations from those cities also reach Austin and Albert Lea.
The sale continues a trend of Connoisseur selling off groups in unrated markets that it acquired as part of its purchase of Alpha Media.
“The Austin and Albert Lea market area was not a market where we felt Connoisseur could make a meaningful difference with the focus and approach we bring to radio,” said Jeff Warshaw, Founder and CEO of Connoisseur Media, said in a news release. “When we reach that conclusion, we look for strong local operators who can take the stations forward and continue serving the communities. We have been talking with Greg Jensen for some time and have been impressed by his commitment to the community and his desire to return to radio. We believe he is the right person to lead these stations into their next chapter.”
Jensen said, “We look forward to serving our communities and surrounding areas with hometown ideas, local broadcasting and a commitment to being an active part of the communities we serve. We also look forward to hearing from our listeners and community members and building these stations together.”
Connoisseur has previously sold stations in Luverne, Minn. and Brookings, Madison, and Watertown in South Dakota. It has also taken stations in two Iowa markets off the air. Conversely, it is seeking to expand in the rated market of Lincoln, Neb.
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