Walla Walla University’s Christian AC “Positive Life Radio” network will expand to Portland with a pair of acquisitions.
Walla Walla University will purchase 104.5 KXXP White Salmon WA from A. Wray Fitch’s Jackman Holding Company for $750,000 and 104.5 K283BL Portland from Way Media for $700,000. The group will lease 96.3 KKWA-HD4 to feed K283BL. “Positive Life Radio” is based at the university’s 91.3 KGTS College Place WA and airs on a network of signals in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Tied with the Portland expansion, Growing Christian Foundation’s pending acquisition 90.5 KGIO Astoria OR will also join the network around the same time.
KXXP currently is programmed by Bustos Media as Spanish Rhythmic “Urbana 104.5” via LMA. Bustos had agreed to purchase the station in April 2021 for $700,000. That acquisition had not been granted by the FCC and was withdrawn in conjunction with this deal. KXXP had also downgraded earlier this year from a Class C1 with 4.9kW/963m to 500 watts from the same antenna in cooperation with the United States Forest Service to eliminate potential interference issues at the Mount Defiance tower site. That move eliminated KXXP’s ability to serve Portland and allowed the translator K283BL to continue operating.
Positive Life Radio announced a major expansion purchase today. Walla Walla University, parent organization of PLR has filed with the FCC to purchase KXXP, White Salmon, WA and translator K283BL Portland, OR, both on 104.5 FM in the greater Portland area. When put together, these signals will more than quadruple the amount of people the network will cover, or about 2.2 million people
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Positive Life Radio is purchasing the translator from Way FM, who served Portland with it for several years, before station KXXP signed on and bumped the translator. Way went on to purchase KKWA in the Portland market. Positive Life Radio is purchasing KXXP from Jackman Holding Company, LLC. The two signals will be synchronized to complement each other.
“Our radio ministry is a unique blend of professional management and air talent along with Walla Walla University students who are gaining valuable experience in on-air, production and marketing,” said General Manager Chris Gilbreth. “For those graduates who continue in the communications field, they will now have the benefit of working in a large market media ministry while getting their degree.”Both purchases are subject to FCC approval and there are facility changes and upgrades to work through. PLR plans to begin broadcasting in Portland in late May to early June.
At about the same time, Positive Life Radio will be adding coverage in the Astoria, Oregon area. This brings coverage to one of Portland’s favorite places to play, the northern Oregon Coast and the beaches of southwest Washington. Growing Christian Foundation, a long-time affiliate partner of Positive Life Radio is purchasing KGIO Astoria, OR with the intent to carry Positive Life Radio programming to complement the Portland expansion.Positive Life Radio is a regional network of non-commercial Christian Adult Contemporary music stations serving the Pacific Northwest, based at Walla Walla University in College Place, Washington.
This story first appeared on radioinsight.com