Salem to Purchase Florida Radio Stations

Camarillo-based Christian and family themed communications company Salem Communications Corp. is buying WGUL-AM (860 AM), in Dunedin, Fla., and WLSS-AM (930 AM), in Sarasota, Fla., for $9.5 million. The seller is WGUL-FM Inc. Salem expects to operate the stations in its news talk format. Salem currently owns two other Tampa stations, WTBN-AM 570 and 910. Once all pending transactions close, Salem will own 106 radio stations, including 67 stations in 24 of the top 25 markets. Salem also owns Salem Radio Network, which syndicates talk, news and music programming to more than 1,900 affiliated radio stations; Salem Radio Representatives, a national sales group; Salem Web Network, an Internet provider of Christian content and online stream; and Salem Publishing, a publisher of Christian-themed magazines.