San Diego’s Station KRMX Sold

SAN DIEGO —  Sandusky Radio confirmed Wednesday that it is selling KRMX-FM (94.9) to Los Angeles-based Anaheim Broadcasting, ending weeks of industry speculation about the fate of the station.

“Yes, there is a signed contract,” said KRMX General Manager Bob Visotcky, who declined to elaborate. Representatives of Sandusky Radio and Anaheim Broadcasting were not available for comment.

The station sold for $10.1 million, officials announced Wednesday. In comparison, the KCBQ AM-FM combo sold for $23.5 million two years ago.

KRMX has been struggling for the past few years. Early this year, Sandusky replaced most of the upper management and installed a new musical format, “The New Mix,” featuring hits of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. He also changed the station name from KKYY to KRMX.

Former KFMB-FM (B100) star Bobby Rich was hired as the morning personality and program director, but he abruptly left the station two weeks ago after a dispute with Visotcky.

The new format brought little progress in the ratings--but the outbreak of the Gulf War probably didn’t help, either. In the most recent ratings book, covering the spring quarter, KRMX had moved up from a 1.1 in the winter to a 1.7 rating among listeners 12 and older, which equals the station’s ratings from the fall, before all the changes were made.

Inside Radio, an industry trade publication, reported Wednesday that there were other suitors for the station and that a deal for it fell apart a few weeks ago. If this sale goes through the financial and federal approvals, Anaheim will probably take over the station in October, Visotcky said.

Anaheim Broadcasting owns KHQT-FM in San Jose and KCAL-FM in Riverside. Sandusky, which has been plagued by financial difficulties, also owns stations in Dallas, Seattle and Phoenix.