John Englebrecht’s Knoxville TN radio cluster includes four owned-and-operated stations and one more that it runs pursuant to terms of an LMA. However, it has struck a deal to spin one of the O&Os to a noncommercial company that runs a religious combo in North Carolina.
The station headed not only out of the cluster, but presumably (although not necessarily) out of the commercial broadcast universe is WRJK-FM Norris TN, one of two Class A stations South Central has been using to broadcast Jack FM in the market.
The buyer is Blue Ridge Broadcasting Company, headed by David Bruce and Jim Kirkland. The Asheville NC-based non-profit owns WFGW-AM and WMIT-FM, both licensed to Black Mountain NC.
The price for the station is $625K cash. The parties are taking one addition step – they are hiring an company to do a fair market appraisal, and that yields a result greater than $625K, South Central will claim the difference as a non-cash charitable contribution to BRBC.
WRJK, as noted, is a Class A. It beams 1.1 kW @ 751’ on 106.7 MHz, covering the city with a north-of-market orientation.
It’s Jack partner (from which it will be separating), WQJK-FM, is also a Class A on 95.7 MHz — it also covers the city, but comes in from the south.
South Central’s other O&Os are AC WJXB-FM, a Class C on 97.5 and Classic Rock WIMZ-FM, a Class C on 103.5. It also operates Alternative WNFZ-FM, a Class A on 94.3 in an LMA with licensee John W. Pirkle.
