License renewal season coming up

[ftballfan]

For radio stations in Michigan, licenses expire on October 1, 2020. Unlike in past cycles, I could see at least one station deciding to turn in their license for cancellation.

In the Northern Michigan market (including some outlying areas), there are several stations with uncertain futures, including the following:
750 WARD Petoskey
92.3 WBNZ Frankfort
92.5 WFDX Atlanta (and its translator in Petoskey)
98.9 WKLZ Petoskey
99.3 WQAN Beulah
100.1 WOUF Bear Lake
101.9 WLDR Traverse City
102.7 WMOM Pentwater
105.5 WSRJ Honor
106.7 WSRT Gaylord

There are four possibilities for each of these licenses IMHO:
1. Sell to another commercial broadcaster
2. Sell to a noncommercial broadcaster
3. Remain silent with occasional broadcasts to maintain the license
4. Turn in the license to the FCC for cancellation (most likely license cancellations are WARD, WOUF, and WMOM)

[ftballfan]

My personal predictions for each (which border on pipe dreams in some cases):
750 WARD - License cancelled (it would've been much more valuable if it had landed a translator in the most recent translator window)
92.3 WBNZ - Sold to Synergy Media to simulcast 1450 WKLA and its 92.7 translator
92.5 WFDX - Sold to Relevant Radio
98.9 WKLZ - Sold to Midwestern, who moves WBCM to 98.9 (spinning off 93.5 to WLJN)
99.3 WQAN - Sold to WLJN, who simulcasts Fuel FM on this
100.1 WOUF - License cancelled (it should've been cancelled years ago)
101.9 WLDR - Sold to IPR, with IPR News moving from 91.5 (91.5 gets spun off to the Promise FM)
102.7 WMOM - Sold to CMU (which makes more sense considering CMU's purchase of 94.3) [I could see a CMU/Synergy swap with WKLA moving to 102.7 and CMU going to 96.3 or 98.7 (if the latter were to happen, WLDN would go to 96.3), which puts a slightly better signal into Manistee than 96.3; also, I think 102.7 could move to the WKZC tower (where WKLA-FM broadcast from when it was on 106.3) and still be properly spaced to WRVM]
105.5 WSRJ - Sold to Relevant Radio
106.7 WSRT - Sold to Black Diamond, who moves WWSS to 106.7 (spinning off 95.3 to a noncommercial broadcaster)

[Colonel Flagg]

I think you mean a "crack pipe" dream.

[BigFreq]

My personal predictions for each (which border on pipe dreams in some cases):
750 WARD - License cancelled (it would've been much more valuable if it had landed a translator in the most recent translator window)
92.3 WBNZ - Sold to Synergy Media to simulcast 1450 WKLA and its 92.7 translator
92.5 WFDX - Sold to Relevant Radio
98.9 WKLZ - Sold to Midwestern, who moves WBCM to 98.9 (spinning off 93.5 to WLJN)
99.3 WQAN - Sold to WLJN, who simulcasts Fuel FM on this
100.1 WOUF - License cancelled (it should've been cancelled years ago)
101.9 WLDR - Sold to IPR, with IPR News moving from 91.5 (91.5 gets spun off to the Promise FM)
102.7 WMOM - Sold to CMU (which makes more sense considering CMU's purchase of 94.3) [I could see a CMU/Synergy swap with WKLA moving to 102.7 and CMU going to 96.3 or 98.7 (if the latter were to happen, WLDN would go to 96.3), which puts a slightly better signal into Manistee than 96.3; also, I think 102.7 could move to the WKZC tower (where WKLA-FM broadcast from when it was on 106.3) and still be properly spaced to WRVM]
105.5 WSRJ - Sold to Relevant Radio
106.7 WSRT - Sold to Black Diamond, who moves WWSS to 106.7 (spinning off 95.3 to a noncommercial broadcaster)

I realize recreational is legal, but whatever you're smoking goes beyond that! Yes, pipe dreams. I don't think Henderson sells anything to anyone, but could run the risk of renewal not being granted; given the present state of those three signals and the recent Notice of Violation. Midwestern isn't buying KLZ; otherwise they might been already doing the backend deal for that, and not announcing the sale of KLT just yet -- until they had a buyer on the hook for a spinoff. I suspect Black Diamond was hoping to buy KLT/KLZ, but would have wanted time needed to spinoff signals and NBI wasn't willing to wait for that to happen. WMOM is another one at risk of non-renewal, given the timing of everything. Ironically, as it pertains to Black Diamond, 92.5 might actually be a better simulcast partner for The Bear than 106.7, as they need a northern audience that 98.1 doesn't deliver. 106.7's signal, while affording a large central footprint, isn't as dominant into Cheboygan, where Black Diamond has to maintain, a strong presence for that station, as much of its revenue is derived from that area.