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KDOB: Other local TV stations filed petition against transactionContinued from B1Owens said the reason she had to file bankruptcy after being on the air less than a year was the combination of “a lack of enough initial capital and the fact getting the station operational took longer than anticipated.”The bankruptcy petition showed Owens’ liabilities to be $1.5 million greater than her assets.Because the station was in financial trouble, her brother, KUZZ Radio owner Buck Owens, could offer to buy the station. If the television station hadn’t been in bankruptcy, the country music star would have been in violation of Federal Communication Commission rules of “one-to-a-market.” This generally prohibits common ownership of a television station and radio station in the same market.His financial offer resulted in cries of conspiracy.‘‘Bankruptcy is nothing pretty to go through,” Owens said of her court battles. “I lost a lot of my own money in the station.”Burnham Broadcasting, a limited partnership licensee of KBAK-TV Channel 29; KGET-TV Channel 17, and Pappas Telecasting Inc., licensee of KMPH-TV Channel 26 filed petitions to deny the assignment application. The petitions alleged Dorothy Owens did not sever her business relationships with Buck Owens Productions in accordance with the condition placed on the construction permit for KDOB-TV.There also were allegations the Buck Owens Building was constructed with plans to house the television station and that an advance agreement had been made for the trading of advertising time between Buck Owens Productions and Dorothy Owens Broadcasting.The Federal Communications Commission ruling on the transfer of license stated the commission found the contentions “to be purely speculative.”All that remains in the transfer is dealing with the bankruptcy court, but Buck Owens said funds already have been sent to the bankruptcy attorney to take care of existing debts. The $4.5 million dollar offer to buy the station covered each debt 100 percent.Because of all of the legal complications, Dorothy Owens did not commit to purchasing many new programs for the station’s fall schedule, opting to go to the programming vaults for such titles as “Cannon” and “Bonanza.”“I just didn’t want to buy a lot of new programs because of my financial situation,” Owens said of her decision.How much money Buck Owens will be able to put into the station was not revealed. In fact, neither the past nor present owner could discuss too much of the station’s future because the final paperwork had just been finished.“I don’t have a wish list of things I want to do,” Buck Owens said. “What I want is for the station to continue its commitment to the community.”He would not say if that meant the addition of local news, a change in format or the moving of the station facilities from its current Oildale location. When asked aboutthe station’s call letters, Buck Owens said that was another matter that wouldn’t even be considered until much later. He stressed that it was just too early to talk about such matters.There won’t be a change of leaders, as Dorothy Owens will continue to serve as general manager of the station. At the independent station, work was continuing as normal Monday and no change of personnel had been made.“After she has put so many years of work into this place and knows the station so well, there was really no thought of anyone else,” Buck Owens said of his sister’s continuing with the station.He smiled and added, “She has been working 18 hours a day. and now it will be 20.”Best known for his musical abilities, Buck Owens has become vested in the radio world through 25 years of holdings in Bakersfield and Phoenix. He brings 20 years of experience performing on television to the job.
Newspaper Details
Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield, California, US
Tue, Nov 13, 1990
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Sammi B.
NA 15 Apr 2024
Other Publications Near Bakersfield, California
The Berkshire County Eagle
Southern Californian and Kern Weekly Courier
The Weekly Californian
Kern County Californian
Daily Californian
