Media Business
Local Group Buys Three Missoula Radio Stations
The new proprietors of the Trail, Fresh and Jack FM say the time is right for local ownership.
By Jonathan Weber, 12-18-09
Bucking a long-standing trend that has seen radio station ownership nationwide consolidate into handful of large chains, a troika of Missoula media entrepreneurs have acquired the Trail 103.3 and two other local radio stations.
The stations have been run since 2006 by Salt Lake City-based Simmons Media, but Simmons decided not to renew its operating lease on the stations, and the lease will now expire at the end of this year. The new ownership group includes Kevin Terry, a radio engineer and programmer and the original founder and owner of the stations; Ross Rademacher, former owner of the Maverick Group, a Hamilton-based marketing agency; and Becky Smith, a long-time Missoula media operator with experience in radio, print and online. In addition, Dave Cowan, who was responsible for creating the hugely successful programming format for the Trail, has returned to the station group as director of programming.
“Radio in Missoula is a vital part of our community and it is important that our stations reflect what makes Western Montana unique and special,” said Rademacher. “We are excited to be taking over the ownership and operations of the Trail 103.3, Fresh 104.5 and Jack 105.9. In this digital age and changing economic climate, we will be able to provide our listeners and our advertisers top notch programming and advertising expertise.”
Radio station ownership around the country has been in flux since the late 1990s, when a change in the federal laws on media ownership allowed chains to own multiple stations in one market, and raised the limit on the total number of stations that would be owned by one group. In Missoula, the leading national chain, Clear Channel Communications, acquired a number of local properties. But Clear Channel two years ago began selling off pieces of its empire as its financial mode faltered, and the six former Missoula Clear Channel stations are now owned by a regional chain, Gap West Broadcasting.
The Trail 103.3, Fresh 104.5 and what is now Jack FM 105.9 were launched in 2005, after Terry won the licenses for the frequencies in a Federal Communications Commission auction. The Trail, with its eclectic, rock-oriented programming, extensive playlist and strong local voice, was an immediate hit with listeners, and has emerged as one of the top commercial station in Missoula.
The original operating agreement for the stations didn’t work out as well, however, and Simmons took over in 2006. The company quickly converted the much-discussed “progressive talk” format at 105.9 to Jack FM, a fast-growing syndicated music programming format. Rod Harsell, longtime sales manager at the Missoula Independent, replaced Cowan as general manager, but left earlier this year.
The new owners hope that local ownership, and original local programming on the Trail and Fresh, will help them stand out in a crowded market that now includes 17 stations. The rise of big radio chains has meant a rise in highly formulaic programming, with even news broadcasts sometimes originating from thousands of miles a way. That in turn has alienated many radio listeners, who can now opt for satellite radio or Internet radio or an iPod rather than searching for a new broadcast channel.
If Terry and Smith and Rademacher can change that dynamic with strong local programming, that bodes well not only for Missoula radio listerners, but for radio operators everywhere.
Wow! what a great concept. I know with Becky Smith as one of the leaders, this will be a very successful local business. She has alot of experience with owning businesses and is a pillar of strength in our community.
Comment By Binky Griptight, 12-18-09Do JackFM computers need microphones? I guess it is a local computer.
Comment By horst, 12-18-09Lets just hope these small guys can stay in the ballgame long enough to get advertisers...
Comment By Dave Cowan, 12-19-09Thanks for the kind words, Jonathan. There were many people responsible for the initial and the continued success of the Trail (and our other stations)...It's nice to be thought of in that group.
Comment By Elke Govertsen, 12-19-09I think this is very exciting. Congrats and keep up the good work.
Elke Govertsen
http://www.mamalode.com
This is wonderful news. Having worked for the few remaining local media outlets (The Indy and NewWest.net, currently at Vanns.com) over the past 9+ years, I am delighted to hear that the Trail 103.3 and it's group will go back to local ownership.
Personal experience with Smith and Rademacher only encourage my impression of this new ownership group. They are successful, honest and driven people to work with.
This is a good thing for Missoula Radio, Missoula media and local listeners.
YEEHHAW!!!!!! Awesome news!!!! We need to support local folks now more than ever. Advertise locally, help locally, buy locally, spend locally, listen locally. Let's KEEP BUILDING OUR OWN UNIQUE BRAND OF "LOCAL WARMING" IN OUR OWN LOCAL WARM WAY.
Comment By Antilaura, 12-20-09PS: The Trail ROCKS!!!!!!!
Comment By Anonymous, 12-21-09I hate to burst the bubble here, but there's already a locally owned group called Mountain Broadcasting. They have LIVE, LOCAL deejays on ALL DAY LONG. Not canned deejays who also have to sell to be able to be on the air. To hire someone again that took the place into the red, then did the same at another local outlet for which he was fired and then went on to be fired from another station after that is sad. It shows what a horrific state all of corporate radio and now, sadly, local radio is in. Good luck, you'll need it.
Comment By Andrew Karlsen, 12-21-09Nice to see more locally owned and controlled media around here. The bumbling incompetence of clear channel and then crap er gapwest has made lots of local radio unlistenable.
I think the locally controlled stations will do a better job of including useful content in their broadcasts.
I wish they would buy up AM 930 and give us back some progressive talk!
Comment By WolfBite, 12-22-09I love the coward who posted as anonymous, sound like youve been fired a few times yourself....or perhaps you just couldnt hack it in this competetive world and quit....then...wait...you had a great idea after reading about some one elses success,
you chose to become a successfully bitter anonymous blog poster....hurray ....you have arrived!
I shall call you Chicken George
have a nice day Madam or Sir
I sincerely hope the local owners will find their success by differentiating the Trail from all the corporate FM stations. If you can break free of the typical repetitive programming, I personally would listen much more. I live out of town so listening to the morning show helps me feel more connected to what's going on in town. Robert's calm & professional on air demeanor is a welcome alternative to the zoo type morning shows that plague the FM dial.
Raised on rock, I would love to hear much much more guitar driven rock-n-roll with a smattering of blues, reggae, folk, country/southern rock, bluegrass, newgrass & motown. I really crave new ROCK & to me, most of the new stuff is, well, "soft". I love to be surprised to hear a "B Side" & I love being turned on to new or unfamiliar tunes by old familiar artists.
Good luck to all of you and thanks for giving listeners a chance to opine on programming.
Anonymous??? If you give me 5 guesses I could probably tell you who wrote that, maybe only 3 would suffice. Although it is true Mountain Broadcasting is locally owned, the story is about a GROUP of radio stations that have become locally owned. Last time I checked, Mountain Broadcasting didn't fair so well in the Duopoly Game. As a matter of fact they sold one of their properties off to another group of local investors, who will be lucky to survive 2010.
Kudos to Mountain Broadcasting for 102.5 and it's many years of success as a locally owned radio group.
And your attacks on the fellow who was fired from one job and another goes to show that there's a reason CORPORATE radio is a horrible thing. I know for a fact, he's a dedicated worker and a brilliant individual, and when the Trail 103.3 went on the air, it certainly wasn't his fault for it going in the red. If you want to blame anybody on the initial failure of that entity, blame the thousands of people who want "progressive talk" in this town but won't put their money up to support it. I'm guessing you're one of those people. Sorry to tell ya, not even Obama can get you progressive radio and have someone else pay for it.
Take your bitterness somewhere else and let's celebrate the fact that corporate radio has another chink in it's armor.