Update 11/4: “IQ 106.9” signed off at midnight last night and soon-after the station returned to the air as Christian AC “K-Love“. EMF has moved the WKVP call letters from its 89.5 Cherry Hill, NJ to 106.9. 89.5 is now WYPA and will soon shift to EMF’s Christian CHR “Air-1” network.
Update 8/13: The sale of WWIQ has been filed with the FCC. EMF will pay Merlin Media $20,250,000 for the station.
Original Report 8/7: EMF Broadcasting has purchased Conservative Talk “IQ 106.9” WWIQ Camden/Philadelphia from Merlin Media. No price has been disclosed.
Upon completion of the sale, EMF will flip the station to Christian AC “K-Love“. There will be no LMA prior to closing.
Merlin Media acquired what was then WKDN from Family Radio in December 2011 for $22.5 Million and flipped to Conservative Talk in April 2012. The station replaced its last local programming with syndication last month. The sale will leave Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Glenn Beck seeking new affiliates in Philadelphia.
EMF’s “K-Love” currently airs on 1900 watt rimshot 89.5 WKVP Cherry Hill, NJ.
The following letter was sent out to WWIQ listeners and advertisers:
At the end of April last year, WWIQ made its first on-air presence in Philadelphia. Nearly 16 months later, I have the uncomfortable and poignant task of letting the staff, our clients and advertisers and our listeners know that Merlin Media has accepted an offer from EMF (Educational Media Foundation) to purchase the station and the 106.9 signal. Over the next few months, IQ106.9 will continue to run its broadcast and daily operations will continue as usual until the final closing between the two companies. I am sure we will get tons of reaction from the community and the ratings will likely reach an all-time high. I appreciate everyone involved in the station and wish EMF the very best success in launching their new format in Philadelphia.
Lou Pickney 
Tommy 
K.M. Richards 
EMF is a savvy company that has made some very well-timed and calculated purchases in recent years. It will be interesting to see how much it ends up paying for WWIQ.
I strongly doubt it will be for more than the $22.5 Million Merlin paid for it. And if it is at a serious discount then how did CBS or Greater Media not come up with it?
Did Merlin manage to make the necessary engineering upgrades to improve the 106.9 signal that were referenced in the article about its purchase from Family Radio? EMF is known for sniffing out good deals — its purchase of WABB-FM in Mobile was one of the great heists in recent media history.
This station is nothing but a 38000 watt translator with a main studio over 2000 miles away you gotta love the fcc.
I’m getting tired of EMF buying up stations left and right and then using their blanket main studio waiver to operate them on the cheap.
Not saying I’m prejudiced against religious broadcasters, but even Salem has to keep studios in their cities of license.