FCC Nixes Townsquare Media's Radio Deal

The Federal Communications Commission has rejected Townsquare Media's plan to acquire 12 stations in Yakima and the Tri-Cities from rival New Northwest Broadcasters for $6 million.

In a document filed Friday according to a story by Mai Hoang at The Yakima Herald-Republic, the FCC took issue with Townsquare Media's plans to retain half the stations it would own under the deal and put the rest into a trust, which would be run by a third-party trustee and eventually sold to another company.

"We have never allowed a station owner to use a divestiture trust to re-shuffle its radio station portfolio as proposed here," the commission wrote. "This aspect of the proposed transaction presents even greater concerns about the competitive impact of these small radio markets.

Under the proposed deal, Townsquare Media would retain three of its current stations in Yakima -- country station KDBL-FM, news radio station KIT-AM and rock station KATS-FM. It would also retain three Yakima stations currently owned by New Northwest Broadcasters -- country station KXDD-FM, adult hits station KRSE-FM and ESPN affiliate KJOX-AM.

Townsquare Media planned to spin off the rest of its current Yakima stations -- top 40 station KFFM-FM, variety hits station KQMY-FM and country station KUTI-AM -- along with three New Northwest Broadcasters stations -- oldies station KARY-FM, news radio station KBBO-AM and contemporary hit music station KHHK-FM -- into the trust.

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