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Bethany Prayer Center Sells Radio Station for $3.2 Million

Posted on: Tuesday, 12 July 2005, 18:00 CDT

Bethany World Prayer Center has sold its radio station, WQCK, "The Bridge," to Educational Media Foundation, a California nonprofit organization that operates more than 250 stations, for $3.2 million.

The deal, reached in April, closed June 30, according to Radio & Records, a Los Angeles information company serving the radio and music industries.

"We had had the radio station for close to nine years. We had an offer from a very solid Christian company, which was a prerequisite," said Al Crouch, general manager of Touch Broadcasting, Bethany's media arm.

"We prayed about it a lot, and we decided that the money from it could be better used for our missionaries and the Center of Hope."

The center has three locations in the Baton Rouge area, which provide food, clothing and other assistance to alcoholics, drug addicts, unwed mothers and the poor.

Educational Media Foundation is based in Rocklin, Calif. Company officials could not be reached for comment. EMF Broadcasting is probably the biggest player in Christian radio, said Kevin Peterson, Christian editor for Radio & Records.

The market has seen some consolidation, but nothing like the activity from Clear Channel Communications, which has amassed nearly 1,200 stations, or Cumulus Media, which owns around 300 stations, Peterson said.

EMF Broadcasting owns two other FM stations in Louisiana, KSJY in Lafayette and KOUZ in Alexandria, according to Bethany's Web site.

Peterson said EMF doesn't follow any particular buying pattern.

"They go where they can get a frequency that has pretty decent coverage, particularly a city that doesn't have a Christian music station," Peterson said.

EMF has changed The Bridge's format and name to "K-LOVE."

EMF describes the format as "positive and encouraging" Christian music and news. EMF's other Louisiana stations have the same set- up, which Peterson described as more of a soft rock format.

K-LOVE's Web site says the stations' mission is "to effectively communicate the Gospel message to those who don't fully understand it."

The stations do this by playing contemporary Christian music and short educational elements over radio, the Internet and other select targeted media.

Source: Advocate; Baton Rouge, La.

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