The proposed sale of KFUO-FM St. Louis to Gateway Creative Broadcasting, which would bring an end to classical music on radio in the market, has another prominent objector – Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO).
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Bond has indicated that he will ask the FCC to conduct an inquiry into the sale.
The newspaper said he fired off a note to the Musicians’ Council of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, a group which also opposes the transaction, saying, “…I understand your concerns. In response to your request, I have asked the Federal Communications Commission to initiate a Congressional inquiry into this matter. I look forward to notifying you of the outcome of their inquiry.”
Bond follows in the footsteps of US Reps John Shimkus (R-IL) and Lacy Clay (D-MO), who took to the floor of the House of Representatives to speak out against the transaction.
Although the protesters seem to understand that there is no hope of getting the FCC to intervene over a potential format change, many believe there were irregularities in how the deal was struck in the first place, including lack of candor on the buyer’s part in regards to its capacity to finance the transaction at the time the deal was struck.
