Kelowna

The sale of Kelowna FM radio station K96.3 to interests in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, has been approved by the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

Photo: Contributed

The CRTC approved the sale to Newfoundland Capital Corporation (Newcap) earlier this week.

Newcap, which owns dozens of radio stations, mainly in Newfoundland and Alberta, will soon have control of two radio stations in the Okanagan.

Earlier this month, the CRTC approved the sale of Giant-FM in Penticton to Newcap.

K96.3 General Manager, Dallas Gray, says the sale is expected to close Monday of next week.

"I don't see big changes at this point. Newcap is a large broadcast company that is focused in Eastern Canada and Alberta," says Gray.

"These are their first two stations in BC. They've identified that as a market they want to be in and they came to terms with Great Valley and us."

Gray says staff will remain after the sale and adds he also plans to stay and oversee both stations.

He says the sale will be good for Kelowna airwaves.

"Our company was small, one station and all the resources started and stopped in this building," says Gray.

"I believe it's positive in the sense that we have a very good broadcast company that has the resources to make these radio stations great. K96.3 is a great station already and we can only look to get better."

The sale means there are no locally owned radio stations remaining in the Okanagan.