As of today, Educational Media Foundation’s signature Christian Contemporary Music (CCM)-formatted KLOVE network can be heard between Indianapolis and Kokomo, Ind., to the north, via WIKL-FM 101.7 in Elwood.
Now, EMF is agreeing to add a future FM that will allow it to better serve a city with a name likely best known for a song from The Beach Boys. But, could it become an Air1 home?
EMF, the second-largest licensee of FM radio stations behind iHeartMedia, has agreed to purchase the construction permit for a forthcoming FM in Kokomo from an organization that agreed to acquire the facility just 11 months ago.
That would be the future WSSZ-FM 88.3 in Kokomo, a Class A facility with a transmitter due west of Kokomo, near Judson, Ind.
With John C. Trent of Putbrese Hunsaker & Trent serving as counsel, The Power Foundation is spinning the off-air CP to EMF for $30,000. A 10% escrow deposit has been made by EMF, which again is represented by Paige Fronabarger and David Oxenford of Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP.
Signing off on the deal is recently installed EMF CEO Todd Woods.
EMF has until December 21, 2024 to build the future WSSZ, which could either expand KLOVE’s coverage or instead add the EMF-owned Worship Music network Air1. The closest member station to Kokomo is WQME-FM 98.7 in Anderson, Ind., a Class A with limited signal penetration of the city.
The Power Foundation became the licensee of WSSZ after it agreed in July 2022 to a cash-fueled swap with Olivet Nazarene University. That transaction gave ONU WEGN-FM 88.7 in Kankakee, Ill., while The Power Foundation got in return the future WSSZ along with $128,000.
TFP made a token payment of $10 to get WSSZ as part of that 2022 swap.
