It’s not every radio station that can claim to have had movie superstar Clint Eastwood behind its mic – but KRML-AM can make that claim. The station, which had a featured role in “Play Misty for Me,” has fallen on troubled times but now has a new owner on the way who will save its format and try to restore it to health.
The Monterey County Bank was shopping the station, and according to a report in local newspaper The Herald, was asking for $350K. The actual price that will be paid by Scot McKay has not been disclosed.
According to The Herald, an unnamed national radio group was kicking the tires at the station, and considering it as a possible home for a Country format.
Conversations with Eastwood were the genesis of McKay’s pursuit of the station, and Eastwood congratulated him on the announcement. He said, “I am very excited Scot McKay has bought KRML and will keep it going. Carmel deserves to have this wonderful station that will continue to feature great music.”
McKay said, “I invite the local arts and business community to join me in this exciting undertaking as I focus on getting KRML back on its feet playing great music, while supporting Carmel & Monterey Peninsula tourism & events.”
The station is taking a page from the noncommercial world, seeking underwriters to help fund it. It even offers an underwriting opportunity for citizens who have no particular business to advertise. For $500, they will become a full-day sponsor, with hourly thank-you announcements, induction into the station’s hall of fame, dinner for two at a local restaurant, wine from a local winery, a coffee mug and chocolate. Citizens can also underwrite an hour for $50, of course earning a much lighter thank you package in return.
KRML is a Class D on 1410 kHz with 500 W-D and 16 W-N. It’s in the Monterey-Salinas Arbitron market, and gets its signal into Monterey and most of Salinas during the day, and maintains a signal over Monterey while losing primary coverage of Salinas when it powers down at night.
