Radio companies agree
to swap local stations

Cox Radio Inc. and Salem Communications Corp. said yesterday they will swap several Honolulu radio stations.

Cox agreed to purchase KGMZ-FM 107.9, an oldies station, from Florida-based Honolulu Broadcasting Inc. for $6.6 million. It had been operating the station under a joint sales agreement with the owner. Cox will then swap KGMZ for KHNR-AM 650 and KHCM-AM 940, belonging to Salem.

"We're keeping 'Oldies' just like it is," said T.J. Malievsky, Salem vice president and general manager of its Hawaii stations. Malievsky said Salem will retain the KHNR and KHCM call letters, meaning Cox will have to seek new call letters from the Federal Communications Commission.

KHNR's conservative news-talk format is currently simulcast on recent Salem acquisition KHNR-FM 97.5. KHCM airs country music.

Cox is likely to decide the formats of the AM stations next month, Vice President and General Manager Mike Kelly said.

"Next year we will start to convert our radio stations to digital," Kelly said of Cox's plans for its stations across the country. "When you convert AMs to digital you improve things ... digital AM frequencies sound pretty good, from what I'm told."