By GARRET JAROS/YachatsNews
Silence greeted some Lincoln County radio listeners on New Year’s Day after a longtime broadcast institution folds under financial failure.
After 75 years of operation, Yaquina Bay Communications of Newport and its five remaining stations serving Lincoln City, Newport and Waldport aired for the last time Sunday. The stations are KNPT-AM and KNCU-FM in Newport, KBCH-AM and KCRF-FM in Lincoln City, and KWDP-AM in Waldport. The music formats of the stations ranged from classic rock to adult contemporary and country.
The Federal Communications Commission cancelled the license for a sixth station, KYTE-FM, in June because it was not broadcasting in areas required under its license.
The eight full- and part-time employees of the company learned of the closure and the loss of their jobs in an email this month from owner David Miller, who was in Utah visiting family for the holidays.
Miller and his wife, Linda, own Yaquina Bay Communications and operated the stations out of a two-story 8,000 square foot office and studio on Alder Street in Newport’s Deco district.
“As you all know, the bank foreclosed on us on Tuesday,” Miller said in his Dec. 8 email to staff.
Lincoln County circuit judge Marcia Buckley signed the foreclosure and sale order in August, nearly a year after Oregon Coast Bank filed a foreclosure lawsuit seeking $532,000 for remaining balances on two loans. Miller owed the bank $414,000 in balances and interest from a 2009 loan of $755,000 and $118,000 from a 2016 loan of $110,000 — and did not pay off the balances in October and November 2021 as agreed.
The Oregon Department of Revenue and the Oregon Employment Department also have liens on Miller’s properties, according to the bank’s lawsuit.
Oregon Coast Bank was the only bidder at a sheriff’s sale Dec. 5 on the foreclosed radio station headquarters in Newport and two tower properties.
The bank then sent Miller a letter demanding possession of the properties by Dec. 15, Miller said in his email, but he negotiated allowing the stations to operate until Dec. 31, which will conclude the fiscal year and billing month. He also requested the stations be allowed to broadcast the Oregon Duck Fiesta Bowl game Jan. 1 but did not indicate if that request was granted.
“This means that all of you will be terminated on December 31st,” Miller’s email said. “I am sorry about that, but at this point I have no other choice. I appreciate all that you do for me and these communities we serve. Wish we could have continued.”
Neither Miller nor staff responded to requests for comment.
Miller, 72, told YachatsNews in August that the 2020-22 pandemic devastated his radio station income and the goal was now to retire. “We have 22 grandkids in Utah and Idaho … that’s where my wife wants to be.”
KNPT started in 1948 followed by KYTE. Miller came to Newport as general manager in 1988 and purchased the two stations in the 1990s. He added KCRF and KBCH in Lincoln City, started KNCU and then added KWDP, formerly KORC in Waldport in 2011.
- Garret Jaros is YachatsNews’ full-time reporter and can be reached at GJaros@YachatsNews.com
Heartbreaking
I am heartbroken, too. KORC (KWDP) was pleasing to listen to during my visits to the Oregon Coast years ago. Hopefully, someone with capital can revive these stations, though the FCC seems to have other ideas.
That makes me so sad. I love those stations
Do heartfelt sad.
Sad to see radio stations like that serve a community go bankrupt. Unfortunately folks will have no other option but tune to out of town radio stations for news and information like Portland or Eugene.
If you know of any stations that we can actually receive, please let me know…I bounce between 100.9 The Otter and 97.5 KShell
Get Sirius
Having gotten my start in Broadcasting at KBCH in 1975, this is devastating news not only personally but as a former resident of the area I understand what a blow this will be to the communities of Lincoln County.
I wish it were possible for myself to assist in the acquisition of one or more of the stations to continue the broadcast legacy of the area.
What’s heartbreaking is that this need never have happened if the business had been properly managed.
And terminating your employees via email from out of state? Final cheap shot by Dave Miller.
I agree!
Why pay radio advertising when Facebook and X and others are free. Local businesses are the blame. I own a small tv station in Texas and we are losing money daily. We look at Facebook and see the commercials we produced being run on there…Its sad.
Agree completely. He’s off vacationing and emails his employees that they’ll be terminated? What a bad situation.
Very sad
So sad to see these go. Many of my friends started their careers in this area. Hopefully they will be restored sometime soon. I was down there 1985-1987. A great experience I’ll never forget, Thank you for having me back then. You knew me as “Bob Daniels”
Bob Daniels? Did you ever work in Eau Claire, WI market? I was an acquaintance with him back in late 70’s/early 80’s.
KCRF is still on the air at 5 am on the 1st.
People use free social media to advertise and small radio and TV stations lose their business thus forcing closures. Then people are upset they lost their station to listen to. Such hypocrisy.
So sad to read this … small communities need local radio (and newsprint). It is true that the internet advertisers have taken a toll on revenues for these more traditional media formats.
But it is sad to see so much money spent by the government on frivolous agendas – when money spent to support a small community would provide a valuable and meaningful service. Local media IS community. It will be missed and its affects will be immediate and lasting.
Mr. Miller is a man who loved his stations and purchased all small unwanted stations in our area. His employees knew this was coming. He notified his
employees Dec 31 to confirm what they already knew. Dave is one of most honest up right and caring man that I have had the privilege of knowing in my 82 years of my life.
100.7 The Otter is a great community station under different ownership than Yaquina Bay. They have great music, super morning show and local + cbs news. There are still local radio options.
None of the air talent on The Otter are local
It is really too bad when someone lets a radio property go down like that.
I worked for Dave Miller from 1999-2005 Friday nights and weekends. I now own my own internet media group in Beaverton serving Portland West metro with high school play by play and 2 internet radio stations. Internet is the future of broadcasting
LOL no its not and the onyl reason it survives is that you internet wannabees dont have the costs and legal stuff you must abide by. if your internet station run outy of your bedroom had the costs involved that fcc licensed stations did, you wouldnt last 6 months.
RIP