Punjab Shift Puts A Sacramento-area AM In New Ownership

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In May 2018, a pair of AM radio stations serving the Pacific Northwest’s largest market with Punjabi programming targeting South Asians were sold for $850,000, leaving properties in Bakersfield, Fresno, and Sacramento.


Say goodbye to the station covering the Golden State’s capital.

Akal Broadcasting Co., the Fresno-based operation led by Charanjit Smith, is selling KRPU-AM 1210 in the Sacramento suburb of Rocklin, Calif.

The buyer is the locally based DABAJ LLC, led by Ranjit Bajwa.

This suggests that South Asian programming will be retained on the Class B with a most unique broadcast operation. By day, KRPU uses 6 towers to put a 5kw signal over the region. At night, it switches to a different tower, and cuts its output to 500 watts.

KRPU is best-heard on Sacramento’s east side and north to Chico.

DABAJ is paying $1.4 million for KRPU, and has wired $840,000 to the seller. The escrow payment is $50,000.

The remainder will be represented via a Promissory Note of $560,000, in favor of XL Media.

That’s the entity that acquired KZIZ-AM & KKDZ-AM in Seattle, plus K263BJ, in May 2018 from Akal.

DABAJ’s legal counsel in this deal is the Law Office of Dennis J. Kelly.