Nashville Radio: EMF Picks Location for New HQs

A $220 million-a-year Christian radio and media company that broadcasts nationwide has dialed into Nashville's southern Williamson County as the spot to build a corporate headquarters with 320 jobs.

The Nashville Business-Journal reports Bill Reeves, CEO of Educational Media Foundation, revealed the choice and other details about his organization's upcoming relocation from California at an this week. 

The 40-year-old nonprofit, which Reeves said has $600 million to $700 million of assets, is the parent to Christian radio's K-LOVE, whose morning show now broadcasts from here. The operation is rapidly expanding into film, podcasting, live events and other productions. The Greater Nashville region, particularly Williamson County, already is home to much of the Christian music and entertainment industry, including record labels and publishers.

"We looked at Colorado, Texas and Tennessee. Tennessee, by far, won the day in so many categories," said Reeves, who has lived in Greater Nashville for a couple of decades.

It's at least the fourth headquarters relocation Williamson County has snagged this year, with the other companies coming from Illinois, Aizona and San Diego. Educational Media, in particular, highlights and extends a California exodus that has accelerated and intensified during the pandemic. Educational Media Foundation will be moving from offices outside of Sacramento.

"Believe it or not, guys, we don't badmouth California when we leave. They've been very good to us for 40 years, especially as a nonprofit, believe it or not," Reeves said. "But our employees are not nonprofit, and they need a place where they can afford to live without the burden that is beginning to fall on them."

In an interview, Reeves discussed hiring, his organization's temporary office, and where its permanent home will be. He provided new levels of details that built on the organization's March announcement of its arrival:

• Reeves expects half of his 320 employees in California to relocate. Educational Media Foundation will be hiring for the full range of jobs, from entry-level call center roles to C-suite positions. Other openings include cybersecurity, software development and media production. "We've been a radio company for 40 years, and I'm ready to see us as a full media company in many media outlets," Reeves said.
• The foundation has signed a letter of intent to buy 11 acres in southern Williamson County from Boyle Investment Co. The foundation has hired Nashville's Hastings Architecture Associates to design a 125,000-square-foot office building. Reeves said the exact location will be announced within a couple of months; he described it as being between Franklin and the Maury County line.
• Reeves is giving employees, and his organization, about two-and-a-half years to complete the relocation. "The reason we did that, in part, was because of some of the challenges here and in the area with with housing inventory," said Reeves. "For us, we felt like staging that over a two- to three-year period would be easier on the county and easier on us."