Salem Media Group
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.
Public | |
Traded as | NASDAQ: SALM (Class A) Russell Microcap Index component |
ISIN | US7940931048 |
Industry | Mass media Commercial radio broadcasting |
Genre | Radio broadcasting, publishing, internet content provider |
Founders | Stuart Epperson Edward Atsinger III |
Headquarters | 4880 Santa Rosa Road , Camarillo, California |
Revenue | $262.78 million (2018)[1] |
Number of employees | 1,173 (2019) |
Website | salemmedia |
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.
History
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]
Radio stations and licensees
Salem's radio stations are organized into six categories:
- Christian talk and teaching, which consists of programs produced and paid for by local and national ministries, with some stations branded as The Mission or The Word. These stations do not accept commercial advertising;
- Conservative talk, a variant on the News/Talk format, focused around Salem Radio Network's Talk programs (see below). Most of these stations utilize the branding names The Answer or The Patriot, and all accept commercial advertising;
- Contemporary Christian Music, an advertiser-supported format with such stations branded as The Fish;
- Spanish-language Christian talk and/or music, utilizing the branding Radio Luz;
- Business talk, with these stations collectively branded as The Wall Street Business Network;
- and a grouping of other stations not in one of those five 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-1260 | Conservative talk |
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 | |
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 Kentucky, Inc.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
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) | |
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 |
Salem Media of Virginia, Inc.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
Washington, D.C. (Northern Virginia) |
WAVA-780 | Christian talk and teaching |
WRCW-1250 | Conservative talk (simulcasts WWRC) | |
WAVA-FM-100.7 | Christian talk and teaching | |
SCA-Palo Alto, LLC.
Market | Station | Current Format |
---|---|---|
San Francisco - Oakland | KDOW-1220 | Business talk |
Salem Radio Network
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.
- SRN Talk produces general market News/Talk shows featuring nationally syndicated hosts Hugh Hewitt, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Sebastian Gorka, Larry Elder, and Dan Profit. It also produces Christian market programming featuring The Eric Metaxas Show.
- SRN News is a news source for conservative and Christian radio serving over 2,000 affiliates.[16]
- The Salem Music Network has three satellite offerings – Contemporary Christian, Praise and Southern Gospel.
- Salem Media Reps specializes in Christian, family-themed and conservative media, radio, online, print and mobile.
- SRN Satellite Services provides satellite distribution and production services to over 70 organizations and ministries.
The satellite feed for Salem's general market programming can be heard on the CRN Digital Talk Radio Networks, on CRN3.[17]
Salem Publishing
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]
Salem Author Services
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 Español Online
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.
Political activities
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]
References
- "Salem Media Group Company Profile". Craft. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
- "About Us - Salem Media Group". salem.cc.
- "Contemporary Christian Music - Station Formats - Salem Media Group". salem.cc.
- "History - Salem Media Group". salem.cc.
- "SALM acquisition of Twitchy.com". Archived from the original on 2014-03-25.
- Salem rebrands to Salem Media Group – Radio Ink Magazine Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine
- "Salem Communications Corporation renamed to Salem Media Group". Radioandmusic.com. 23 February 2015.
- "Salem Media Group Announces Acquisition of DividendYieldHunter.com". Cision PR Newswire. November 2, 2015. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- "StockInvestor.com - Salem Media Group". salemmedia.com.
- "Salem Media Group Announces Acquisition of DividendInvestor.com".
- "Salem Media Group Announces Acquisition of Mike Turner's Line of Investment Products". Cision PR Newswire. October 27, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- "Salem Media Group Announces Acquisition of Bob Carlson's Retirement Watch Newsletter". Cision PR Newswire. April 4, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- "Welcome Dividend Yield Hunter Readers". Dividend Investor. July 11, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- Wemple, Erik (1 March 2019). "Breitbart alum to resuscitate Human Events". The Washington Post. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
- "Station Lists - Salem Media Group". salemmedia.com.
- "SRN – About Us". November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
- "Salem Radio Network - Salem Media Group". salem.cc.
- Salem Publishing – Salem.cc
- "Xulon Press - Salem Media Group". salemmedia.com.
- "Salem Communications Announces an 8.8% Increase in Second Quarter 2006 Total Revenue - Salem Media Investor Center". investor.salemmedia.com.
- "Stuart Epperson – The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America". Time. February 7, 2005. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
- "A Higher Frequency". Mother Jones. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
External links
- Official website
- Business data for Salem Media Group: