Salem Media Group


Salem Media Group, Inc. 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." 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. 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.

History

In the early 1980s Atsinger and Epperson 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, news talk, Spanish-language Christian content, and business programming.
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.
On February 23, 2015, Salem Communications changed its name to Salem Media Group.
In 2015, Salem Media Group expanded their digital platform with acquisitions of several businesses and assets, including DividendYieldHunter.com, Stockinvestor.com; DividendInvestor.com, 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; the Retirement Watch newsletter and website, Retirementwatch.com; 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.
In March 2019, political writer Raheem Kassam and lawyer Will Chamberlain purchased Human Events from Salem Media Group for $300,000.

Radio stations and licensees

Salem's radio stations are organized into six categories:
As of 2020, Salem's radio stations and licensees are:
Bison Media
MarketStationCurrent Format
Colorado SpringsKZNT-1460Conservative talk
Colorado SpringsKBIQ-102.7Christian adult contemporary
Colorado SpringsKGFT-100.7Christian talk and teaching
Dallas - Fort WorthKSKY-660Conservative talk

Inspiration Media, Inc.
MarketStationCurrent Format
Seattle - TacomaKGNW-820Christian talk and teaching
Seattle - TacomaKLFE-1590Conservative Talk
Seattle - TacomaKNTS-1680Spanish Christian Contemporary Music

New Inspiration Broadcasting Co., Inc.
MarketStationCurrent Format
Los AngelesKRLA-870Conservative talk
Los AngelesKFSH-FM-95.9Contemporary Christian Music
Los AngelesKKLA-FM-99.5Christian talk and teaching
Oxnard - VenturaKDAR-98.3Christian talk and teaching
SacramentoKFIA-710Christian talk and teaching
SacramentoKTKZ-1380Conservative talk
SacramentoKKFS-103.9Contemporary Christian Music
San DiegoKCBQ-1170Conservative talk
San DiegoKPRZ-1210Christian talk and teaching
San Francisco - OaklandKTRB-860Conservative talk
San Francisco - OaklandKFAX-1100Christian talk and teaching

Salem Communications Holding Corporation
MarketStationCurrent Format
PhoenixKKNT-960Conservative talk
PhoenixKXXT-1010Christian talk and teaching
PhoenixKPXQ-1360Christian talk and teaching
Little RockKKSP-93.3Contemporary Christian Music
Little RockKDIS-FM-99.5Christian talk and teaching
Little RockKDXE-101.1Conservative talk
Riverside - San BernardinoKTIE-590Conservative talk
SacramentoKSAC-FM-105.5Business talk
Washington, D.C.WWRC-1260Conservative talk
Miami - Fort LauderdaleWKAT-1450Spanish Variety
Orlando - Daytona BeachWORL-950Conservative talk
Orlando - Daytona BeachWTLN-990Christian talk and teaching
Orlando - Daytona BeachWBZW-1520Business talk
Sarasota - BradentonWLSS-930Conservative talk
Tampa - St. PetersburgWTBN-570Christian talk and teaching
Tampa - St. PetersburgWGUL-860Conservative talk
Tampa - St. PetersburgWTWD-910Christian talk and teaching
AtlantaWDWD-590Christian talk and teaching
AtlantaWGKA-920Conservative talk
AtlantaWNIV-970Christian talk and teaching
AtlantaWLTA-1400Christian talk and teaching
AtlantaWFSH-FM-104.7Contemporary Christian Music
BostonWEZE-590Christian talk and teaching
DetroitWDTK-1400Conservative talk
DetroitWLQV-1500Christian talk and teaching
Minneapolis - Saint PaulKKMS-980Christian talk and teaching
Minneapolis - Saint PaulKYCR-1440Business talk
Minneapolis - Saint PaulKDIZ-1570Conservative talk
ClevelandWHKW-1220Christian talk and teaching
ClevelandWHK-1420Conservative talk
Portland, OregonKFIS-104.1Contemporary Christian Music
PhiladelphiaWFIL-560Christian talk and teaching
PhiladelphiaWNTP-990Conservative talk
PittsburghWPIT-730Christian talk and teaching
PittsburghWPGP-1250Conservative talk
PittsburghWORD-FM-101.5Christian talk and teaching
Greenville, South CarolinaWGTK-FM-94.5Conservative talk
Greenville, South CarolinaWLTE-95.9Classic Hits
Greenville, South CarolinaWRTH-103.3Classic Hits
NashvilleWFFI-93.7Contemporary Christian Music
NashvilleWFFH-94.1Contemporary Christian Music
Houston - GalvestonKNTH-1070Conservative talk
San AntonioKLUP-930Conservative talk

Inspiration Media of Texas, LLC.
MarketStationCurrent Format
Dallas - Fort WorthKTNO-620Spanish Christian
Dallas - Fort WorthKLTY-94.9Contemporary Christian Music
Dallas - Fort WorthKWRD-FM-100.7Christian talk and teaching

Reach Satellite Network, Inc.
MarketStationCurrent Format
NashvilleWBOZ-104.9Contemporary Christian Music

Salem Media of Massachusetts, LLC.
MarketStationCurrent Format
ChicagoWYLL-1160Christian talk and teaching
LouisvilleWFIA-900Christian talk and teaching
BostonWROL-950Christian talk and teaching
Minneapolis - Saint PaulWWTC-1280Conservative talk
New York CityWMCA-570Christian talk and teaching
ClevelandWFHM-FM-95.5Contemporary Christian Music

Salem Media of Colorado, Inc.
MarketStationCurrent Format
Denver - BoulderKNUS-710Conservative talk
Denver - BoulderKRKS-990Christian talk and teaching
Denver - BoulderKBJD-1650Spanish Christian
Denver - BoulderKRKS-FM-100.7Christian talk and teaching

Salem Media of Hawaii, Inc.
MarketStationCurrent Format
HonoluluKHNR-690Conservative talk
HonoluluKGU-760Classic Country
HonoluluKHCM-880Chinese
HonoluluKAIM-FM-95.5Contemporary Christian Music
HonoluluKHCM-FM-97.5Country
HonoluluKGU-FM-99.5Christian talk and teaching
HonoluluKKOL-FM-107.9Classic Hits

Salem Media of Illinois, LLC.
MarketStationCurrent Format
ChicagoWIND-560Conservative talk
Houston - GalvestonKKHT-FM-100.7Christian talk and teaching

Salem Media of Kentucky, Inc.
MarketStationCurrent Format
LouisvilleWGTK-970Conservative talk
LouisvilleWFIA-FM-94.7Christian talk and teaching

Salem Media of New York, LLC.
MarketStationCurrent Format
New York CityWNYM-970Conservative talk

Salem Media of Ohio, Inc.
MarketStationCurrent Format
Columbus, OhioWRFD-880Christian talk and teaching
Columbus, OhioWTOH-98.9Conservative talk

Salem Media of Oregon, Inc.
MarketStationCurrent Format
Portland, OregonKPDQ-800Christian talk and teaching
Portland, OregonKPAM-860Conservative talk
Portland, OregonKDZR-1640Conservative talk
Portland, OregonKRYP-93.1Regional Mexican
Portland, OregonKPDQ-FM-93.9Christian talk and teaching

Salem Media of Texas, Inc.
MarketStationCurrent Format
San AntonioKSLR-630Christian talk and teaching

Salem Media of Virginia, Inc.
MarketStationCurrent Format
Washington, D.C.
WAVA-780Christian talk and teaching
Washington, D.C.
WRCW-1250Conservative talk
Washington, D.C.
WAVA-FM-100.7Christian talk and teaching

SCA-Palo Alto, LLC.
MarketStationCurrent Format
San Francisco - OaklandKDOW-1220Business 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.
The satellite feed for Salem's general market programming can be heard on the CRN Digital Talk Radio Networks, on CRN3.

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.

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. 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.

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". 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" ballot measure.