Western Rockies Radio has been running KDXT-FM Lolo MT, which reaches into Missoula MT from the south and benefits from further coverage from a Missoula-licensed translator. But WRR’s days of paying rent are about to end.
The station, known as The Ranch, brings its Class C3 signal into town on 97.9 MHz with kW @ 417’. The programming is also heard on K296FM 107.9, which has only 20 Watts at its command but beams them over Missoula from 1,584’ HAAT.
The seller is Sheila Callahan & Friends Inc.
WRR is headed by Kent Phillips, Chad Parrish, Pamela Parrish, among others.
The price for the stations will be $288K, with $238K coming in cash and the remaining $50K via promissory note.
The LMA deal is well documented. Here’s a look at the expenses WRR was incurring to operate the duo:
Rent: $6K/month
Revenue sharing: Callahan to receive 50% of all gross annual revenue in excess of $480K
Billing and traffic services: $350/month
Studio rent: $500/month
Rent for Reed Butte sits: $1,200/month
Rent for Dean Stone site: $750/month
WRR also is paying part of the power/phone expense at Reed Butte, for 50% of Callahan’s contract with ratings service Eastlan, and is also chipping in for ASCAP, BMI and SESAC fees.
WRR’s Phillips turned Missoula into a rent-to-own situation. Perhaps he has the same plans in mind in Billings MT, where he is currently operating a four-FM cluster in an LMA.
