Soon, the city’s two radio stations that still consider Austin their home will have new owners.

Wednesday, March 29, 2000

Soon, the city’s two radio stations that still consider Austin their home will have new owners.

KAUS’ AM and FM stations will be sold to a group based in Lincoln, Neb., once the transfer receives approval of the Federal Communications Commission.

The transaction will prove to be good for businesses that advertise on area radio because with two stations in the group in Albert Lea, it will be an easier media purchase for those advertisers. However, while there is strength in group ownership on a local basis, it also causes concern. The four stations to be owned by Three Eagles Communications in Austin and Albert Lea lessens the local voice on the air. Surely, some operations will be combined between KAUS-AM and FM and KATE and KCPI in Albert Lea.

Owning a group of stations in one market can be a challenge. While the voice of the stations is less diversified, the owners look to making each station unique in its own right to capture a share of advertising dollars.

Locally, KAUS-AM offers news and information to area residents, while KAUS-FM offers country music. That could easily change under the new owners, however, that certainly would not be decided until the stations change hands. You can bet that the new owners will be studying the stations’ formats in an effort to make their investment pay off.

One local station, KNFX-AM, while licensed to Austin, became a Rochester-based station. Only the transmitter remains in the Austin area. The only way you know it’s still technically an Austin station is the dual-city ID – "Austin-Rochester" – heard at the top of each hour on the station. Other than that, its operations moved 40 miles to the northwest.

Hopefully, KAUS’ two stations will retain the Austin flavor that area listeners have savored. But while station owners look to expand the reach of their stations by catering to larger populations, the station owners have to ensure that their local listeners aren’t lost in the radio dial shuffle.

Austin has a wonderful diversity of media and the region needs to continue to be served by that unique mix. We hope that while KAUS’ current owners have served the area quite well, the new owners share in that vision.