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By JOYCE CHRISTIE Staff WriterKTTI-FM and KBLU-AM will soon be out of bankruptcy limbo if regulators approve a proposed sale of the two Yuma radio stations.Commonwealth Broadcasting has taken over operation of the stations under a local marketing agreement pending approval of the sale by Federal Communications Commission. Commonwealth Broadcasting bid $1.36 million for KTT1 and KBLU during an auction held April 20 by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, said Dex Allen, managing partner.The agreement went into effect June 1.If the sale is approved, that will make three Yuma radio stations owned by Commonwealth Broadcasting. The company also owns KYJT-FM, which it opened as ICYXI in 1986.K'lTl and KBLU have been in bankruptcy for over a year as a result of financial difficulties of their owner, UNO Broadcasting, Allen explained. He added that both are good stations and doing well. He said he sees Yuma asa growing market and is happy to become abigger part of it by acquiring KTTl andKBLU.KYJT features classic rock ’n’ roll while KTTI plays country music. KBLU, Yuma’s oldest station, plays rock 'n* roll oldies.The three stations arejbeing managed by Keith Lewis, general manager for KYJT.Lewis said it isn’t a stretch for him to now be taging a country music station, having ed with local bands for a number of years.Before the local marketing agreement went into effect, KTTI and KBLU had been under the management of trustee Howard Simon of Coopers and Lybrand, Phoenix.Allen said the pending sale is not affecting employees of KTTI and KBLU, who have all been hired by Commonwealth Broadcasting.One change, however, is that early-morning KBLU listeners no longer can tune in to George Gatley’s agriculture news program from 5 to 6 a.m. Monday through Saturday. The show, as well as Gatley’s syndicated Western Agri-Radio Network, had been pro-duced for 18 years at the joint KBLU-KTTI studios at 1329 4th Ave.Gatley has moved production of the Western Agri-Radio Network to 1700 1st Ave.,Suite 214. The network is carried by 20 radio affiliates in Arizona and California. It may be heard locally in four segments from 6 to 6 a.m. weekdays on KEZC.Allen said an offer was made to Gatley to stay, but he decided to move on.Gatley said he’d had a “gentlemen’s agreement” with UNO Broadcasting, but with the pending change of ownership decided it was time to incorporate the network and move on.In addition, he said, Jim Stowe, licensee holder for KEZC, was highly interested in carrying agriculture news.KBLU and KTTI were purchased in 1989 by UNO Broadcasting Corp., which also owned two radio stations in Joliet, 111., two in Topeka, Kan., and two in Bcumont, Texas. The company was formed by Robert J. Tezak, who struck it rich with the popular card game UNO. The Phoenix millionaire also ventured into professional auto racing.Tezak currently is serving a prison sentence for federal arson and obstruction-of-justice charges. He filed for bankruptcy in 1994.
Newspaper Details
Yuma Sun
Yuma, Arizona, US
Sun, Jun 11, 1995
Page 23
Full Page
Clipped by
Sammi B.
NA 03 Dec 2019
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