Connoisseur Media has ceased operations at four radio stations serving Grinnell and Newton, marking another round of closures following the company’s acquisition of former Alpha Media properties.
The stations that went off the air include AC station KGRN-AM 1410 in Grinnell, Country station KCOB-AM 1280 and KCOB-FM 95.9 in Newton, and Hot AC station KRTI-FM 106.7, branded as “Energy 106.7.” The company also shut down the local MyIowaInfo.com news portal.
The closures come just months after Connoisseur Media ended operations at two Fairfield stations in April as the company continues to streamline its portfolio and evaluate markets acquired from Alpha Media in 2025.
Staffing at the Grinnell and Newton stations had already been reduced significantly following Alpha Media layoffs in May 2024. KRTI had attempted to rebuild its local presence by relaunching a morning show in August 2024 featuring former Production Director Joe Swanson and former morning co-host and account executive Sarah Jorges.
According to former Content Director and morning host Jaime Grout, Station Manager Ron McCarthy and Lynn Miller were among the remaining employees affected by the shutdown.
Listeners in the Grinnell and Newton area continue to have access to numerous radio stations from the nearby Des Moines market, which serves much of central Iowa.
