Fairfield’s radio stations — Classic 96 KKFD-FM and KMCD 1570 — may be back on the airwaves within two to three weeks, after station manager Steve Smith appeared before the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors on Monday, April 20th with news about efforts to bring the stations back under local ownership.
The stations went dark on March 31st of this year after Connoisseur Media, which had acquired the stations through Alpha Media in September 2025, decided to divest all of its small market and rural stations. Smith, who has worked at the stations since 1997, has spent the past year searching for a buyer and said he has now found one — a group based out of central Illinois from Danville. The principal owner of that group, David Brown, actually worked at the Fairfield stations before leaving in June of 1997 — just two months before Smith himself started.
“I’ve been working for a year trying to find a buyer, and now I have one,” Smith told the board. “I think there will be an offer made this week, get the stations purchased, probably back on the air within the next two to three weeks.”
Smith outlined three options for tower space as the new ownership group moves forward. The first and preferred option would be to renegotiate the existing tower lease, which is set to expire in October, and remain at the current location. The second option would be to purchase the towers outright from Crown Castle. The third option — which Smith described as the least preferred but still viable — would be to lease space on the Jefferson County’s 500-foot tower located by the Walton Club, at an estimated height of 360 to 380 feet, well below the four antennas at the top of the tower.
Smith assured the board that placing equipment on the county tower would cause no interference with any of the county’s radio communications, noting that the county operates around 145 to 147 MHz while the radio stations broadcast at 95 to 96 MHz. He noted that a small equipment building would need to be constructed at the site and that the county would receive a lease payment for the tower footage.
Supervisor Lee Dimmitt expressed strong support for getting the stations back on the air, while noting a few practical considerations. “I’m all for getting our radio station back up and running,” Dimmitt said. He asked that any tower use agreement include verification of insurance and Smith noted that tower climbing would be handled by licensed and bonded contracted crews. Dimmitt also raised a potential complication — that while the county owns the tower and the building, the city may own the ground the tower sits on, which could require an additional conversation with the city. Smith said he was confident that could be worked out.
Assistant County Attorney Ed Kelly, who was also present, raised the question of Federal Aviation Administration involvement given the tower height. Smith confirmed that the tower is already lit and that the stations would be positioned well below the top, meaning no increase in height and no anticipated FAA concerns. He added that an FCC review would still be required to ensure the signal does not interfere with other radio stations if the transmission site changes.
Smith also shared that the incoming ownership group is fully committed to bringing the station back to life with a complete staff. “They’re fully committed to come back in and hire news, sports, and salespeople,” Smith said. He also mentioned the possibility of moving the station’s physical location from its current site to somewhere on the lower level of the square or elsewhere downtown.
The board unanimously approved a motion by Dimmitt to allow tower use as the third option, contingent on it not interfering with emergency communications if the other two options fall through.
Photo by A.J. Roe.
