IRVING, Texas, October 18, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Salem Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SALM) today announced that it has reached an agreement to purchase the assets of two Miami radio stations. In a transaction with Fenix Broadcasting Corporation and co-ownership WRHC Broadcasting Corporation, Salem will purchase the assets of WWFE AM 670 and its FM translator on 103.1 (W276DV) as well as WRHC AM 1550 and its FM translator on 98.7 ( W254DV). The stations are currently broadcasting formats in Spanish, and Salem intends to continue broadcasting in Spanish after the shutdown.
Salem Media Executive Chairman Edward Atsinger commented, “From the earliest days of this nation, its voices of freedom have spoken loudly and been heard. This is one of the reasons why we are a real democracy, not a totalitarian regime. At a time when Voices of Freedom in Spanish-language programming is under threat, it is our duty to step up and serve the South Florida audience. For more than four decades, Salem Media Group has provided a platform for conservative voices on air, and now online and in print. Now, we will do the same for the South Florida Spanish-speaking community as we add the leading Spanish-speaking voices of freedom to our programming. The recent passing of Fenix Broadcasting President and Founder Jorge Rodriguez , Sr. makes this effort even more timely as we work to build on the broadcasting legacy that he and his wife Ana and son Jorge, Jr. have created. Jorge Sr.’s passionate fight for freedom defined his operation of WWFE AM 670 ‘La Poderosa’ and WRHC AM 1550 ‘Cadena Azul.’ We are grateful to be entrusted with these legendary stations as a platform for our new conservative Spanish-language programming.”
Salem has a long history in Spanish broadcasting beginning in 1984 in New York with WNYM AM 1380, which was sold out in the late 1980s and remains in the Spanish format today. Currently, Salem has Spanish-language radio stations in Dallas – KLTY FM 94.9 HD2 and Translator FM 102.5 (Spanish Contemporary Christian Music) and KTNO AM 620 (Spanish Christian Teaching and Conversation), in Portland – KRYP FM 93 ,1 “El Rey” (Mexican regional), and in Denver – KBJD AM 1650 (Spanish Christian teaching and discourses).
Ana Rodriguez of Fenix Broadcasting commented, “Jorge, Sr. left us before his job was complete, but it gives me comfort that before his passing, he and I had agreed that Salem Media Group shared his vision of providing a focus on conservative Spanish-language programming in Miami Parting ways with our stations isn’t easy, but Jorge, Jr. and I have more confidence in the deal because of Salem Media Group’s track record as a platform for conservative ideals.
With over 100 owned-and-operated radio stations and over 3,100 network-affiliated stations, Salem Media Group reaches over 11 million radio listeners. Salem’s lineup includes leading conservative freedom voices, such as Hugh Hewitt, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Charlie Kirk, Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Dinesh D’Souza, Brandon Tatum and others. Salem Media’s news and opinion websites, including Townhall.com and Redstate.com, and its digital apps average 30 million monthly visits and 80 million page views per month. Its publishing subsidiaries, including Regnery Publishing, have published 42 bestsellers over the past 10 years. Salem Media is now proud to add the Spanish voices of freedom from South Florida to this lineup.
The transaction has been filed with the FCC and both parties expect to close in early 2023.
See the source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221014005552/en/
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