Public Radio Station Buys Christian Station for Millions

When I saw the news in the Dallas Observer that a public radio group (North Texas Public Broadcasting) had acquired a non-commercial FM frequency near Dallas, Texas, I was really really worried that a college had sold off yet another frequency for some quick cash. Luckily (for college radio) that was not the case, and in a surprising turn of events the financially struggling Christian talk station "The Truth" (owned by Covenant Educational Media) cashed in by trading 91.7 FM for $18 million.

Public station KERA plans to operate an all-music adult alternative format public radio station on that frequency starting in the fall. According to an interview with KERA's Senior VP of Marketing Deborah Johnson on the Dallas Observer blog Unfair Park, the station format will be informed by the likes of KEXP, WXPN, and The Current, all well-respected music-oriented public radio stations.