[Ccarc] broadcast sale (from chronicle-tribune.com )

[psnider at pwrtc.com]

Local radio stations sold
No changes planned yet, officials say

BY BARRY WILLIAM WALSH
bwalsh at chronicle-tribune.com

Four Marion radio stations and three in Kokomo owned by Mid-America Radio
Group are being sold.

The sale will transfer ownership of Marion radio stations WBAT, WCJC, WMRI
and WXXC as well as Kokomo stations WIOU, WZWZ and WMYK to Vox
Communications, which has its primary corporate office in Wellesely, Mass.
The deal is expected to be completed by March 1, 2008. Terms of the sale
were not announced.



The decision to sell was made public Wednesday by David Keister, owner of
Mid-America.

Despite the transfer of ownership, David Poehler, vice president of
Mid-America, said listeners will not be able to tell a difference when the
change occurs.

"I don't anticipate any changes," Poehler said. "You will never be able to
tell a hiccup on the air. We will make changes from Mid-America to Vox
Communications, and you'll never be able to tell we made the change."

Keister said he had been talking about the sale since early spring and
said it was a decision to help him simplify his life.

"It just seemed like in simplifying my life that it was time to divest of
those stations," he said. "Vox seemed like a good fit because they operate
in smaller locations."

Upon the completion of the sale Keister will still own 12 radio stations,
and he noted listeners would still be able to hear their radio favorites.

"You are still going to hear Jim Brunner," he said. "At the meeting with
the staff yesterday they were assured that the stations are well run and
(Vox Communications isn't) anticipating any major kind of changes."

Poehler emphasized the positive.

"People have the perception that change is bad," he said. "Change can be
good. It's encouraging to see that somebody from out of state looks at
this community and can see that there can be prosperity in the market
place."

For Keister, who has owned radio stations in Marion since 1988, the
decision to sell is bittersweet.

"I've made many friends, particularly in the radio stations, working
closely with Dave Poehler," he said. "I'm going to continue to be their
friends but we'll miss them on a business basis."

Poehler also noted listeners should expect to hear the same quality radio
they have come to expect, but noted nothing stays the same forever.

"I know there aren't going to be any changes of the on-air product at any
of the radio stations at this time," Poehler said. "I don't want to say
that everything is as is forever. I think in any good business I think
everything is up for review. Any good businesses will come in and
strategically look at what best fits for community and what fits best for
the business."

According to its Web site, Vox Communications started in 2005. The company
specializes in small- and medium-sized market clusters.

Before the local purchases, Vox owned stations in the Berkshires of
Western Massachusetts, Harrisonburg, Va., and in the Florida Keys.

Vox also has a management consultant agreement to operate the stations in
Corpus Christi, Texas.



Originally published October 25, 2007

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