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Type | Public |
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NASDAQ: SALM (Class A) Russell Microcap Index component | |
Industry | Mass media Commercial radio broadcasting |
Genre | Radio broadcasting, publishing, internet content provider |
Founded | 1980s |
Founders | Stuart Epperson Edward Atsinger III |
Headquarters | 4880 Santa Rosa Road , Camarillo, California United States |
Revenue | $262.78 million (2018)[1] |
Number of employees | 1,173 (2019) |
Website | salemmedia |
Salem Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SALM; formerly Salem Communications Corporation) is an American radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher based in Camarillo, California, targeting audiences interested in Christian values and what it describes as "family-themed content and conservative values."[2] In addition to its radio properties, the company owns Salem Radio Network, which syndicates talk, news and music programing to approximately 2,400 affiliates; Salem Media Representatives, a radio advertising company; Salem Web Network, an Internet provider of Christian content and online streaming with over 100 Christian content and conservative opinion websites; and Salem Publishing, a publisher of Christian themed magazines. Salem owns 117 radio stations in 38 markets, including 60 stations in the top 25 markets and 29 in the top 10, making it tied with CBS Radio for fifth-largest radio broadcaster.[2]FamilyTalk is a Christian-themed talk format on Sirius XM Radio Channel 131. Additionally, Salem owns conservative websites Townhall.com, RedState, Hot Air, and PJ Media, as well as Twitter aggregator Twitchy.
The company was founded by brothers-in-law Stuart Epperson and Edward G. Atsinger III and, unlike many Christian broadcasters, is a for-profit corporation. This allows it to buy stations in the commercial radio band which are often higher-powered than those of the FM non-commercial band, and to accept commercial advertising.
In the early 1980s Atsinger (chief executive officer) and Epperson (chairman of the board) combined their radio assets to create Salem Communications. Beginning with stations in North Carolina and California, Atsinger and Epperson purchased station properties in Boston, San Antonio, New York, San Francisco, Portland, Los Angeles and other markets, converting them to Christian talk stations. In the 1990s, they expanded formats to include contemporary Christian music (with most stations under this format branded as "The Fish"),[3] news talk (branded as "The Answer"), Spanish-language Christian content, and business programming.[4]
Many of Salem's stations are licensed to subsidiaries, organized by geographical area and media cluster as the company has acquired new stations and their previous licensees.
Salem Communications Corp acquired Twitter curation site, Twitchy.com. In January 2014, the Company announced the acquisition of the assets of Eagle Publishing, including Regnery Publishing, Human Events, and RedState, as well as sister companies Eagle Financial Publications and Eagle Wellness.[5]
On February 23, 2015, Salem Communications changed its name to Salem Media Group.[6][7]
In 2015, Salem Media Group expanded their digital platform with acquisitions of several businesses and assets, including DividendYieldHunter.com,[8] Stockinvestor.com;[9] DividendInvestor.com,[10] a Spanish Bible mobile app, along with its related website and Facebook properties; the DailyBible mobile app; the Daily Bible Devotion mobile app; and also Bryan Perry's Newsletters.
In 2016, Salem Media Group continued to expand by acquiring the websites ChristianConcertAlerts.com, Historyonthenet.com and Authentichistory.com; as well as Mike Turner's line of investment products, including TurnerTrends.com;[11] the Retirement Watch newsletter and website, Retirementwatch.com;[12] and the King James Bible mobile application. Salem Media Group also acquired Mill City Press from Hillcrest Publishing Group, Inc.
In July 2017, Salem Media Group merged DividendYieldHunter.com and transferred all content into DividendInvestor.com.[13]
In March 2019, political writer Raheem Kassam and lawyer Will Chamberlain purchased Human Events from Salem Media Group for $300,000.[14]
Salem's radio stations are organized into six categories:
As of 2020, Salem's radio stations and licensees (with stations arranged by state and market served) are:[15]
AM Stations | FM Stations |
Bison Media
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
Colorado Springs | KZNT-1460 | Conservative talk |
KBIQ-102.7 | Christian adult contemporary | |
KGFT-100.7 | Christian talk and teaching | |
Dallas - Fort Worth | KSKY-660 | Conservative talk |
Inspiration Media, Inc.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
Seattle - Tacoma | KGNW-820 | Christian talk and teaching |
KLFE-1590 | Conservative Talk | |
KNTS-1680 | Spanish Christian Contemporary Music |
New Inspiration Broadcasting Co., Inc.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
Los Angeles | KRLA-870 | Conservative talk |
KFSH-FM-95.9 | Contemporary Christian Music | |
KKLA-FM-99.5 | Christian talk and teaching | |
Oxnard - Ventura | KDAR-98.3 | Christian talk and teaching |
Sacramento | KFIA-710 | Christian talk and teaching |
KTKZ-1380 | Conservative talk | |
KKFS-103.9 | Contemporary Christian Music | |
San Diego | KCBQ-1170 | Conservative talk |
KPRZ-1210 | Christian talk and teaching | |
San Francisco - Oakland | KTRB-860 | Conservative talk |
KFAX-1100 | Christian talk and teaching |
Salem Communications Holding Corporation
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
Phoenix | KKNT-960 | Conservative talk |
KXXT-1010 | Christian talk and teaching | |
KPXQ-1360 | Christian talk and teaching | |
Little Rock | KKSP-93.3 | Contemporary Christian Music |
KDIS-FM-99.5 | Christian talk and teaching | |
KDXE-101.1 | Conservative talk | |
Riverside - San Bernardino | KTIE-590 | Conservative talk |
Sacramento | KSAC-FM-105.5 | Business talk |
Washington, D.C. | WWRC-570 | Conservative talk |
WRCW-1250 | Conservative talk (simulcasts WWRC) | |
WAVA-780 | Christian talk and teaching | |
WAVA-FM-100.7 | Christian talk and teaching | |
Miami - Fort Lauderdale | WKAT-1450 | Spanish Variety |
Orlando - Daytona Beach | WORL-950 | Conservative talk |
WTLN-990 | Christian talk and teaching | |
Sarasota - Bradenton | WLSS-930 | Conservative talk |
Tampa - St. Petersburg | WTBN-570 | Christian talk and teaching |
WGUL-860 | Conservative talk | |
WTWD-910 | Christian talk and teaching (simulcasts WTBN) | |
Atlanta | WDWD-590 | Christian talk and teaching |
WGKA-920 | Conservative talk | |
WNIV-970 | Christian talk and teaching | |
WLTA-1400 | Christian talk and teaching (simulcasts WNIV) | |
WFSH-FM-104.7 | Contemporary Christian Music | |
Louisville | WGTK-970 | Conservative talk (sale pending to Word Media Group) |
WFIA-FM-94.7 | Christian talk and teaching (sale pending to Word Media Group) | |
Boston | WEZE-590 | Christian talk and teaching |
Detroit | WDTK-1400 | Conservative talk |
WLQV-1500 | Christian talk and teaching | |
Minneapolis - Saint Paul | KKMS-980 | Christian talk and teaching |
KYCR-1440 | Business talk | |
KDIZ-1570 | Conservative talk | |
Cleveland | WHKW-1220 | Christian talk and teaching |
WHK-1420 | Conservative talk | |
Portland, Oregon | KFIS-104.1 | Contemporary Christian Music |
Philadelphia | WFIL-560 | Christian talk and teaching |
WNTP-990 | Conservative talk | |
Pittsburgh | WPIT-730 | Christian talk and teaching |
WPGP-1250 | Conservative talk | |
WORD-FM-101.5 | Christian talk and teaching | |
Greenville, South Carolina | WGTK-FM-94.5 | Conservative talk |
WLTE-95.9 | Classic Hits (simulcasts WRTH) | |
WRTH-103.3 | Classic Hits | |
Nashville | WFFI-93.7 | Contemporary Christian Music |
WFFH-94.1 | Contemporary Christian Music | |
Houston - Galveston | KNTH-1070 | Conservative talk |
San Antonio | KLUP-930 | Conservative talk |
Inspiration Media of Texas, LLC.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
Dallas - Fort Worth | KTNO-620 | Spanish Christian |
KLTY-94.9 | Contemporary Christian Music | |
KWRD-FM-100.7 | Christian talk and teaching |
Reach Satellite Network, Inc.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
Nashville | WBOZ-104.9 | Contemporary Christian Music |
Salem Media of Massachusetts, LLC.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
Chicago | WYLL-1160 | Christian talk and teaching |
Louisville | WFIA-900 | Christian talk and teaching (sale pending to Word Media Group) |
Boston | WROL-950 | Christian talk and teaching |
Minneapolis - Saint Paul | WWTC-1280 | Conservative talk |
New York City | WMCA-570 | Christian talk and teaching |
Cleveland | WFHM-FM-95.5 | Contemporary Christian Music |
Salem Media of Colorado, Inc.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
Denver - Boulder | KNUS-710 | Conservative talk |
KRKS-990 | Christian talk and teaching | |
KBJD-1650 | Spanish Christian | |
KRKS-FM-100.7 | Christian talk and teaching |
Salem Media of Hawaii, Inc.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
Honolulu | KHNR-690 | Conservative talk |
KGU-760 | Classic Country | |
KHCM-880 | Chinese | |
KAIM-FM-95.5 | Contemporary Christian Music | |
KHCM-FM-97.5 | Country | |
KGU-FM-99.5 | Christian talk and teaching | |
KKOL-FM-107.9 | Classic Hits |
Salem Media of Illinois, LLC.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
Chicago | WIND-560 | Conservative talk |
Houston - Galveston | KKHT-FM-100.7 | Christian talk and teaching |
Salem Media of New York, LLC.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
New York City | WNYM-970 | Conservative talk |
Salem Media of Ohio, Inc.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
Columbus, Ohio | WRFD-880 | Christian talk and teaching |
WTOH-98.9 | Conservative talk |
Salem Media of Oregon, Inc.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
Portland, Oregon | KPDQ-800 | Christian talk and teaching |
KPAM-860 | Conservative talk | |
KDZR-1640 | Conservative talk | |
KRYP-93.1 | Regional Mexican | |
KPDQ-FM-93.9 | Christian talk and teaching |
Salem Media of Texas, Inc.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
San Antonio | KSLR-630 | Christian talk and teaching |
SCA-Palo Alto, LLC.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
San Francisco - Oakland | KDOW-1220 | Business talk |
Salem Radio Network is a satellite radio network serving general market News/Talk stations and Christian-formatted stations through affiliate partnerships serving more than 2,700 radio stations. The five major divisions are SRN Talk, SRN News, Salem Music Network, Salem Media Reps and Vista Media Reps and SRN Satellite Services.
The satellite feed for Salem's general market programming can be heard on the CRN Digital Talk Radio Networks, on CRN3.[17]
Salem's flagship publication, CCM Magazine, was in the Christian music industry for more than 25 years. Salem no longer prints CCM Magazine, but it still exists in an online-only format. Other magazine publications include Singing News Magazine, which discusses happenings involving the Southern gospel community.[18]
Under the umbrella of Salem Author Service are Xulon Press, Mill City Press and the websites Bookprinting.com, Bookediting.com, Publishgreen.com and Libertyhill.com.
Xulon Press is a self-publishing digital publisher of books targeting a Christian audience.[19] They use print on demand technologies that store books electronically and print them only as they are ordered. Xulon was founded by Christian author and publisher Tom Freiling and was acquired by Salem in 2006.[20]
Salem owns a collection of Spanish language sites that provide a variety of Christian and family-friendly resources online. A few of those sites are CristoTarjetas.com; ElsitioCristiano.com; BibliaVida.com and LuzMundial.com.[]
The founders of Salem Communications supports various religious causes. In 2005, Epperson was reported in Time magazine as one of the "25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America".[21] In 2004 he co-chaired "Americans of Faith", a religiously based Republican electoral campaign. Both founders have served on the Council for National Policy. They gave $100,000 to the Bush presidential reelection campaign and $780,000 to the 2000 "California Defense of Marriage Act" (Proposition 22) ballot measure.[22]