Meruelo Media has begun operating KPWR-FM in Los Angeles. Merulo is purchasing the Hip Hop station from Emmis for $82.8 million. The format will stay the same and Val Maki will continue to manage the station. In fact, Maki will be the market manager for three stations now: KPWR, Muruelo Media’s KDAY-FM in Los Angeles, and the newly launched Riverside station 93.5 The Wild.
“Combining our three radio brands in one location is our first phase in optimizing our business,” said Otto Padron, President and COO of Meruelo Media. He continued, “This initial move will strengthen our unique and dominant position in the Hip Hop market by maximizing resources to create a real value-proposition for clients. Meruelo Media has the most unique and hyper-local DNA in SOCAL. While most media companies homogenize brands in an effort to consolidate operations, we combine complementary brands in ways that celebrate their differences, creating one of America’s most diverse and effective multimedia platforms. Bringing these powerful Los Angeles brands together is a perfect harmony: Power 106, #1 for HIP HOP for today’s hottest beats, and KDAY as the Classic Hip Hop leader for Back in the Day Hits.”
