Kansas Radio: Rocking M Media Files For Bankruptcy

Four companies associated with Kansas-based Rocking M Media have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, reports The Wichita Eagle. 

“We filed on Saturday, and we are hoping to reorganize,” said Kansas City-based attorney Sharon Stolte, who also has applied to be counsel for the companies. 

“We will sell some of the stations that we find are not profitable, and we will reorganize the debt with the remaining stations.”

The four petitions are for Rocking M Media, Rocking M Media Wichita, Rocking M Radio and Melia Communications, all based in Colby. Stolte said there’s a motion for joint administration of all the cases. She said she can’t say if any of the Wichita stations will be ones to be sold. 

“We haven’t made that determination yet.” The Rocking M companies have faced myriad issues, including numerous lawsuits and some FCC violations. Its Wichita stations have been particularly embroiled in issues, as the The Eagle has reported in recent years. 

In 2019, The Eagle reported that a deal for Wichita’s new Allied Media Partners to acquire Rocking M Media’s six Wichita-area radio stations fell apart, and the stations went off the air for a time. Both companies sued each other over the deal, and the case is set for trial June 3, according to the bankruptcy petition. 

Rocking M Media had to pay a $7,000 civil penalty by Jan. 1 for failure to meet the FCC’s minimum operating requirements. 

CEO Monte Miller’s declaration in the bankruptcy petition tells the story of his family’s long history in media in Kansas, beginning with the Belleville Telescope newspaper in 1900. The family, which is now in its third and fourth generations of media ownership, diversified into other media outlets through the years. Miller and his wife, Doris, formed Rocking M in 2007, with their eldest son, Christopher. The declaration blames Christopher Miller for rapid expansion to a couple dozen stations with a number of ensuing issues. In 2019, the Millers removed their son as president and took what Monte Miller said were steps to save Rocking M Media and put its stations in the better positions they are in today. The declaration says the pandemic has been another blow to the company, but it also says the Millers’ younger son, Quinn, has been able to reduce debt and put the stations on more solid ground with his expertise in the business. 

The declaration also says the Millers continue to try to sell the Wichita stations and sold their own assets to satisfy many debts and that “many of the most pressing issues have been resolved,” include several lawsuits. Monte Miller did not return a call for comment. 

According to the petitions, Rocking M Media has $813,696.35 in assets and $8,496,185.34 in liabilities. Rocking M Wichita has $450,000 in assets and $3,764,794.39 in liabilities. Rocking M Radio has $44,000 in assets and $5,634,734.85 in liabilities. Melia Communications has 40 cents in assets and $4,470,171.87 in liabilities.