KIST To Continue Progressive Talk

Clear Channel Communications/Citicasters has unloaded several small stations in the VERY upscale Santa Barbara, CA market. Most interesting of these is little KIST-AM, a 650-watt station which is popular at the UC Santa Barbara something like 10 miles to the west (it feels north, but it's west... look it up).

Good news is that KIST will keep the progressive talk format for now, under a Local Marketing Agreement. The buyer has spun off KIST and AM conservative talker KTMS to a nonprofit consortium which will continue the LMAs at both stations. KTMS, the old Thomas Moore Storke station (and HE was a Democrat), drops from 5 kW to 500 watts at night. Before moving its tower site, it was known as The Voice of the Goleta Slough.

More at Liberal Talk Radio blog.