Connoisseur Media has agreed to sell the KBAY 94.5 FM signal in San Jose to K-Love. The $2 million deal preserves the KBAY brand while transferring the frequency.
What We Know: Connoisseur Media will sell the 94.5 FM signal licensed to Gilroy, California, to K-Love for $2 million. The transaction is subject to approval by the Federal Communications Commission and is expected to close in early fall. However, the sale doesn’t include the KBAY call letters, intellectual property, or its current country format. Instead, Connoisseur will retain those assets while continuing to operate in the San Jose market alongside KEZR-FM. The company said the transaction aligns with its strategy to refine its portfolio following its acquisitions of Alpha Media stations last September and Bonneville’s San Francisco properties last month. Meanwhile, K-Love plans to use the 94.5 FM signal to expand its Christian radio presence in San Jose.
What They Said: “We were approached about selling our frequency to K-Love, Inc. who want to expand their Christian offerings in the San Jose market with the addition of the 94.5 FM frequency. We found a way to do that but retain our KBAY-FM country format. Stay tuned!” -Connoisseur Media CEO/founder Jeff Warshaw
What Remains Unclear: Connoisseur hasn’t explained where or how the KBAY country format will continue after the frequency changes hands. Likewise, K-Love hasn’t detailed its programming plans or timeline beyond the anticipated closing.
What It Means: The agreement gives K-Love a stronger Bay Area signal while allowing Connoisseur to monetize an asset without abandoning the KBAY brand. As a result, the transaction highlights the company’s continued effort to reshape its Bay Area portfolio following recent acquisitions and could foreshadow additional strategic moves in the market.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.