Griffin Communications buys Tulsa radio stations

Griffin Communications announced Monday the purchase of five Tulsa radio stations from The E.W. Scripps Co. for $12.5 million.

Stations purchased include KFAQ-AM 1170, KHTT-FM 106.9, KVOOFM 98.5, KXBL-FM 99.5 and KBEZ-FM 92.9. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter.

“We are excited to have the Scripps Radio Tulsa group join our team,” Griffin Communications CEO and Chairman David Griffin said. “They are an excellent group of stations with a great team and are a natural fit with our mission of keeping Oklahomans safe, informed and entertained.”

Griffin Communications is a multimedia company based in Oklahoma City. The company owns KWTV-9 and KSBI-9 Plus in Oklahoma City, as well as KOTV-6 and KQCWCW in Tulsa.

Scripps runs a collection of national journalism and content businesses as well as a newsroom in Washington, D.C., and is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The sale is the first in what Scripps expects to be a series of radio sale transactions. The company announced in January its intent to sell all 34 of its radio stations.

“Griffin Communications has a long history of serving Oklahomans through a multiplatform approach to news and entertainment,” Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson said. “We believe our Tulsa radio stations and their employees are a natural fit for Griffin and its vision.”