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WKBF-AM radio sold to Hispanic broadcasters

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By David Burke | Thursday, June 19, 2008 |

WKBF-AM (1270) has new owners, but for the first time in numerous format changes for the Quad-City radio stalwart, it will not be as noticeable to listeners.

The station has signed on as “La Jefa,” Spanish for the female boss. It continues a format of Hispanic music.

Victoria and Emilio Duran of Clarion, Iowa, calling themselves La Jefa Latino Broadcasting, purchased the station for $680,000 from Wisconsin broadcaster Randy Melchert’s company, Quad-Cities Media.

“We’ve had several different parties make offers to us, but this group was able to put together the best offer,” said Melchert, who is running for a state legislative seat in Wisconsin.

The paperwork was filed this week with the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, he said, and it will be about two to three months before the sale is officially approved and

completed.

“La Jefa” began broadcasting earlier this month with Spanish-language music. Eventually, Emilio Duran said, local programming may be added.

“Our plans are for Latino music and to just be here doing business,” he said.

The couple previously was involved with Des Moines radio station KBGG-AM, “La Ley,” before it switched formats to sports talk earlier this year.

“The opportunity to buy this came up,” Duran said. “I like music a lot. For the longest time, we wanted to find a radio

station.”

Melchert announced in April that the station was for sale. In its 83-year history, the station has had a large number of formats.

In this decade alone, it has gone from a pop standards format to classic country to liberal talk radio to Christian music and talk to Spanish-language music to Spanish-language religious programming.

In October 2006, Melchert purchased the station from Mercury Broadcasting, which leased the operation of it to Clear Channel Communications’ Quad-City Radio Group. FCC regulations forced the sales of WKBF and its sister station, the former WHTS-FM (98.9).

David Burke can be contacted at

(563) 383-2400 or dburke@qctimes.com.

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