The FCC this week granted the transfer of KFMB-AM 760 kHz and KFMB-FM 100.7 MHz to Local Media San Diego from TEGNA. Local Media paid $5-million for the two stations to complement their Mexico-licensed LMAs XHTZ 90.3, XETRA 91.1, and XHRM 92.5. The stations will all be operated from their Sorrento Mesa studio headquarters. 

Meanwhile, iHeartMedia has begun an LMA to operate KFMB-AM and as of this writing has been simulcasting KOGO-AM on 760 kHz. It’s been reported by various sources that Local Media of San Diego has immediately sold KFMB-AM to iHeartMedia for a yet-to-be-disclosed price. 

There have been talks about KOGO multiplexing its signal on the KFMB towers in Santee, and this would be a logical step in that direction. iHeart can own and operate all three outlets without exceeding FCC limits on local ownership: KOGO 600 kHz, KFMB, and KLSD 1360 kHz. 

The KFMB radio stations will have to change call letters as part of the transfer deals. 

Longtime San Diego audio-video systems engineer Steve Sagady passed away February 21, 2020. 

Sagady designed and oversaw the implementation of an impressive list of projects through his years with TV Magic. He led the design and buildout of the XETV “Fox 6” new studio facility in San Diego in 1999. The system featured the first implementation of an all-digital newsroom. When an internal ESPN project stalled, he took over to design the ESPN Los Angeles studios at Staples Center, and later the Network Operations Center at the Trinity Broadcast Network in Santa Ana. 

When TV Magic closed, he teamed up with Bob Anderson, formerly with XETV and TV Magic, and built several municipal council room A/V systems that were remotely controlled by their company PDI. He designed the TV master control room of the Gila River Indian Community in Chandler, Arizona. 

Sagady started his career as an engineer at a sound recording studio in Santa Barbara. 

I had the fortune to work with Steve at TV Magic for two years and got to observe his ability to concentrate and design complex systems with astounding attention to detail. 

Steve was dogged by health problems through much of his adult life, and he succumbed to a heart infection in mid-February. 

Steve will be missed by those of us who loved and admired him. 

iHeartMedia, TEGNA, and Entercom have each released a number of San Diego employees in January in order to reduce their count and expenses. iHeartMedia conducted a huge, nationwide, layoff earlier in the month. The migration of listeners to an almost infinite variety of online streaming sources has put the free over-the-air radio advertising industry in a slow decline. One media observer in upstate New York noted its local iHeart market group had more radio stations than on-air employees. More programming is coming from syndicated sources outside any given market. 

TEGNA told its KFMB-AM-FM employees they would have their jobs only until February 7 (with the exception of the sales department). Engineering Supervisor Steve Cilurzo, who has been maintaining their radio division equipment, was spared due to his role in TV engineering down the hall. TEGNA sold KFMB-AM and -FM to Local Media San Diego, operators of XHITZ “Z90”, XETRA “91X” , and XHRM “Magic” 92.5, but the employees were not invited to move as a group to the new owners. LMSD will have to change call letters and begin paying for a lease for tower and transmitter space. Included in the layoffs were morning show personalities Chris Cantore and Meryl Klemow, as well as Robin Roth, Rick Lawrence, Brent Winterble, Mike Slater and Mark Larson. 

iHeartMedia in San Diego laid-off IT specialist Casey Frink and Engineer Drew Hougan. Casey had been there for a total of five years. Drew Hougan was in the market two years, previously with Nexgen (now RCS), the iHeart subsidiary that produces the automation that runs its stations. On the on-air talent side, Coe Lewis, Nina “Ruth 66″ Reeba and Jim McInnes of KGB Radio, Chris Merrill of talk radio station KOGO, Chris “Qui West” of Jam’n 95.7 and Steve Kramer of Channel 93.3 all lost their jobs. 

At Entercom, Bob Bolinger lost his job as Senior VP and Market Manager. A.J. Machado and Sara Perry, co-hosts of the A.J. and Sara Morning Show on KXST Sunny 98.1 were given notice on Jan. 22. Dana DiDonato and Jayson Prim of the morning show on KBZT Alt 94.9 were also sent walking.