Radio station changes owners, format

WJKE airing contemporary Christian music after half-million dollar deal

MALTA, N.Y. » Local radio station WJKE (101.3 FM) is sounding a bit different these days, as it is under new ownership.

Formerly known as The Jockey, the station was recently sold for approximately $500,000 by Empire Broadcasting Corp. to the California-based, nonprofit Educational Media Foundation. The new owner operates hun- dreds of radio stations around the country, including WYKV (94.5 FM) in Albany.

The 35-year- old, fast- growing organization’s new acquisition joins its network of K-LOVE stations, featuring a format of contemporary Christian music. K-LOVE’s mission is to create compelling media that inspires and encourages listeners to have a meaningful relationship with Christ. All K-LOVE stations share the same format and air personalities, with some local announcements mixed in on specific stations for different audiences.

After operating the Albany station for about a decade, Educational Media Foundation’s vice president of signal development, Joe Miller, said it has been wellreceived. When the organization had a chance to extend its coverage farther north with 101.3 FM, leadership decided to do it so K-LOVE could better serve the area, Miller said.

Empire Broadcasting Corp. President Joe Reilly explained the decision to sell The Jockeyresulted from an unexpected phone call.

“This came out of the blue, and it was a nice offer,” he said, “and the board voted to accept it.”

The Jockey, which first went on the air in the 1990s, was sold and then repurchased and relaunched by Empire Broadcasting in 2011.

“The Jockey just never materi- alized as we had hoped,” he said. “We enjoyed very much the support that we did get from Saratoga. We fell reluctantly, but that’s part of life.”

Empire Broadcasting still owns and operates WAIX (106.1 FM The X), which is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to the city of Troy, as well WABY (900 AM) and WPTR (1240 AM).

To K-LOVE’s potential new listeners at 101.3 FM, Miller said Educational Media Foundation is pleased to be on their local airwaves.

“We invite people to listen and see what they think,” he said.

More information about KLOVE is available online at www. klove.com.