Alpha Media

Alpha Broadcasting was founded in 2009 in Portland, Oregon by Larry Wilson, arising from the sale of stations formerly a part of the CBS Radio Portland cluster with those of Rose City Radio.

On April 17, 2014, L&L Broadcasting announced that it has agreed to merge with Alpha, while purchasing the stations of Main Line Broadcasting. The combined entity became known as Alpha Media.{{cite web|url=http://www.alphabroadcasting.com/l-l-broadcasting-alpha-broadcasting-agree-to-merge-and-become-alpha-media/ |title=L&L Broadcasting and Alpha Broadcasting Agree To Merge and Become Alpha Media |date=17 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140418220717/http://www.alphabroadcasting.com/l-l-broadcasting-alpha-broadcasting-agree-to-merge-and-become-alpha-media/ |archive-date=18 April 2014 }}

The broadcasting group was sometimes referred to as Live and Local.

L&L was formed in 2012 to buy all but two of the radio stations of Triad Broadcasting for $21 million; the deal, involving 32 stations in 5 radio markets, closed in May 2013, and transfer was finalized in June 2013. L&L immediately arranged for the 6 stations in the Fargo, North Dakota market to be sold to Jim Ingstad.{{cite news | url = http://www.radioinfo.com/2013/05/02/thursday-may-2-2013/ | title = Thursday, May 2, 2013 | date = 2013-05-02 | access-date = 2013-08-18 | work = Radio Info | publisher = Radio Info, Inc. | location = Longmeadow, Massachusetts | archive-date = 2016-03-05 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305103930/http://www.radioinfo.com/2013/05/02/thursday-may-2-2013/ | url-status = dead }}

In August 2013, L&L arranged to buy, from YMF Media (Yucaipa Companies and Earvin "Magic" Johnson),{{cite web | url = http://rbr.com/a-look-inside-ymf-media/ |title=A look inside YMF Media | date = May 2, 2012 | work = Radio & Television Business Report | publisher = Streamline RBR, Inc. | location = Woodbridge, Virginia | access-date = 2013-08-20 }} the six stations formerly owned by Inner City Broadcasting in the Jackson, Mississippi radio market.{{cite news | url = http://www.insideradio.com/article.asp?id=2675857&spid=32061 | title = L&L Broadcasting adds to its map. | work = Inside Radio | location = Littleton, New Hampshire | publisher = M Street Corporation | date = August 18, 2013 | access-date = 2013-08-18 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130819043234/http://www.insideradio.com/article.asp?id=2675857&spid=32061 | archive-date = 2013-08-19 | url-status = dead }}

In September, 2013, L&L definitively agreed to purchase an additional 5 stations in Columbia, South Carolina from YMF Media.{{cite news |url=http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/122329/l-l-broadcasting-to-purchase-ymf-media-in-columbia/ | title = L & L Broadcasting To Purchase YMF Media In Columbia, SC

|date=2013-09-16 | access-date = 2013-09-16 | work = All Access | publisher = All Access Music Group | location = Los Angeles, California }}

On April 17, 2014, L&L Broadcasting announced that it has agreed to merge with Alpha Broadcasting, while purchasing the stations of Main Line Broadcasting.

File:Alpha Media Gurnee Mills Studio.jpg studios of Alpha Media's stations serving Kenosha, Wisconsin and the North Shore suburbs of Chicago.]]

On October 10, 2014, Alpha Media announced that it will be purchasing the remaining stations owned by Buckley Broadcasting in Bakersfield and Merced, California. These were the last stations remaining to be divested by Buckley, which had begun to sell off its radio assets in 2008.{{cite web|url=http://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=b14154|title=Alpha Media to Purchase Buckley California Outlets|date=10 October 2014}} The purchase of the Buckley stations was consummated on December 31, 2014, at a price of $5.8 million.

On January 1, 2015, Alpha Media began an LMA on the Access.1 stations in Shreveport, Louisiana and Tyler/Longview, Texas. The purchase was consummated on April 14, 2015, at a price of $13.75 million. Effective February 1, 2017 Alpha transferred control of KFRO to a new owner, and returned operation of KCUL-FM, and KSYR to Access.1.

Effective May 1, 2015, Alpha Media acquired four stations and a translator in the Fredericksburg, Virginia market from The Free Lance-Star, at a price of $8.1 million.

On August 17, 2015, Alpha Media announced it was purchasing Palm Springs, California radio stations KDES-FM and KPSI-FM ("Mix 100.5"). While the purchase price was not originally announced,{{cite web|url=http://www.desertsun.com/story/money/business/2015/08/17/rr-broadcasting-alpha-media-kdes-mix/31882125/|title=RR Broadcasting to sell KDES 98.5 and MIX 100.5|date=17 August 2015}} the transaction was consummated on December 29, 2015 at a price of $3 million.

On February 25, 2016, Alpha Media acquired Digity, LLC for $264 million, adding 116 stations in 26 markets to its portfolio for a total of 251.{{Cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/93286/alpha-media-acquires-digity/|title=Alpha Media/Digity Sale Price & Details|date=2015-08-12|work=RadioInsight|access-date=2018-05-28|language=en-US}}{{cite web|url=https://radioink.com/2016/02/25/alpha-closes-digity-deal/|title=Alpha Closes Digity Deal|work=RadioInk|date=2016-02-25|access-date=2018-05-28}}

In September 2017, Alpha Media announced that it would sell its clusters in Savannah, Kinston/New Bern/Jacksonville, and Myrtle Beach, to Dick Broadcasting Corporation for $19.5 million. Dick assumed control of the stations under local marketing agreements shortly afterward. However, the sale of the Savannah, Georgia stations will not be filed with the FCC until August 2019, with Dick operating them under an LMA for the time being.{{cite web|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/119582/dick-broadcasting-acquires-three-markets-alpha-media/|title=Dick Broadcasting Acquires Three Markets From Alpha Media|last=Venta|first=Lance|work=RadioInsight|date=2017-09-05|access-date=2017-09-06}} The sale, at a price of $5,000,000, was consummated on December 1, 2022.

On January 24, 2021, Alpha Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, blaming several factors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the decision. The company had plans to shed most of its debt and restructure agreements with its lenders.{{Cite web |date=26 January 2021 |title=Alpha Media files Chapter 11 |url=https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/alpha-media-files-chapter-11-62300883 |access-date=1 August 2024 |website=S&P Global |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=25 January 2021 |title=To Reduce Big Debt Burden, Alpha Media Files For Bankruptcy |url=https://rbr.com/alpha-media-files-for-bankruptcy/ |access-date=1 August 2024 |website=Radio + Television Business Report |language=en}}

Starting in May 2024, Alpha Media began laying off on-air personalities in several of its markets, starting with a round of cuts at stations in Farmington/Festus and Moberly, Missouri."Alpha Media makes big Missouri Cuts," Radio Insight, May 7, 2024. Accessed 05-23-2024. [https://radioinsight.com/headlines/268399/alpha-media-makes-big-missouri-cuts/#:~:text=Alpha%20Media%20has%20made%20significant%20cuts%20in%20at,Mark%20Toti%20and%20KREI%20morning%20host%20Louie%20Seiberlich.] Later in the month, stations in Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota were also targeted for layoffs of on-air personnel. A social media post by a former on-air personality at one of the affected stations in Brookings, South Dakota, stated that the Alpha Media stations where the former personalities were employed "would be switching from local programming to national syndication." Another described this as "destroying anything that is unique and of value for local listeners and instead providing things they can already get from many other sources."Johnson, Eric, "Company that owns Austin radio stations lays off on-air personalities, part of sweeping move," Austin Daily Herald, May 23, 2024. Accessed 05-23-2024. [https://www.austindailyherald.com/2024/05/company-that-owns-austin-radio-stations-lays-off-on-air-personalities-part-of-sweeping-move/]

In May 2025, Connoisseur Media announced its intent to acquire Alpha Media.{{Cite web |last=Coats |first=Cameron |date=2025-05-05 |title=Alpha Media to Join Connoisseur Media in Landmark Group Merger |url=https://radioink.com/2025/05/05/alpha-media-to-join-connoisseur-media-in-landmark-group-merger/ |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Radio Ink |language=en-US}}

Alpha Media owns the Skype Live Studio (formerly known as The Bing Lounge) in Portland and The Alamo Lounge in San Antonio, Texas.{{Cite web |title=Alpha Media {{!}} On-Air. On-Site. On-Demand |url=https://www.alphamediausa.com/ |access-date=2023-04-26 |website=Alpha Media {{!}} On-Air. On-Site. On-Demand |language=en-US}}

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• {{Official website|http://www.alphamediausa.com/}}

{{Alpha Media}}

Category:Mass media companies established in 2014

Category:2014 establishments in Oregon

Category:Companies based in Portland, Oregon

Category:Radio broadcasting companies of the United States

Category:Alpha Media radio stations

Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021