The sale price for KFWB to Universal Media Access was $8 million and not $15 million as originally reported.
When the sale to UMA closes expect a South Asian targeted format on KFWB. Desi980AM.com was registered by an employee of Mercury Capital Partners and would join similarly branded stations run by the company in San Jose and Seattle.
Original Report 1/6: The KFWB License Trust has sold Sports “980 The Beast” KFWB Los Angeles to Universal Media Access for $15 million.
Also doing business as Principle Broadcasting, the Mercury Capital Partners owned company operates time-brokered stations in San Jose, Boston, Long Island and Seattle. Universal Media Access intends to begin operating KFWB in February, which will lead to the end of the Sports format on the station and likely necessitate the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and MLS’ Los Angeles Galaxy to find a new flagship station.
KFWB has been held by the KFWB License Trust since 2010 after the FCC
forced CBS to let go of one of its stations following the 2002 purchase of KCAL-TV putting the company over the ownership limit for the market. KFWB dropped its longtime News (and Talk) format for Sports in August 2014.
The question is whether or not a brokered format can work in the Los Angeles market.
Not a question at all. Brokered programming always makes money.
You give us several hundred dollars, and we’ll give you 22 minutes. KFWB News/Brokerage 98.