MISHAWAKA — Gray Television, the Atlanta-based company that reached a deal in September to buy Mishawaka-based Schurz Communications’ broadcasting properties, announced Tuesday it will flip the Schurz radio stations to another company.

At the closing of the Gray-Schurz transaction, Schurz will transfer its South Bend-area radio stations to Mid-West Family Broadcast Group. The local WSBT Radio Group consists of WSBT-FM (96.1), WSBT-AM (960), WNSN-FM (Sunny 101.5), WHFB-FM (New Country 99.9) and WZOC-FM (Z94.3).

Mid-West, based in Madison, Wis., owns stations in Illinois, Michigan and Missouri as well as Wisconsin. Its Michigan properties include WSJM-FM (94.9), WSJM-AM (1400), WIRX-FM (Rock 107), WYTZ-FM (97.5 Y-Country), WCSY-FM (SuperHits 103.7) and WCXT-FM (98.3 The Coast) in southwest Michigan.

“We couldn’t be more pleased that WSBT Radio Group is being purchased by Mid-West Family Broadcasting,” Sally Brown, president and general manager at WSBT, wrote in an e-mail.

“We’re very familiar with them since they’ve owned and operated radio stations in the northern counties of our coverage area for several decades,” Brown said. “Since they’re local, they understand and appreciate our community — and they’re tried-and-true radio broadcasters who have a strong passion for this wonderful business.”

Schurz’s radio stations in Lafayette, Ind., will be transferred to Neuhoff Communications, and its stations in Rapid City, S.D., will be transferred to The HomeSlice Group.

Gray announced Sept. 14 that it would pay $442.5 million for Schurz’s seven TV stations and 13 radio stations.

The three radio broadcasters will pay Schurz $16 million for the radio station assets. Those proceeds will reduce the amount that Gray owes Schurz.

“We originally intended to acquire and operate the Schurz radio stations for the long-term,” Kevin Latek, Gray’s senior vice president for business affairs, said in a statement. “In recent weeks, it became clear that experienced radio broadcasters could better lead these successful radio stations into the future than we could hope to accomplish.”

Gray previously found another buyer for WSBT-TV as well, because the company already owns WNDU-TV in the South Bend market. Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcast Group will be WSBT-TV’s new owner.

The Gray-Schurz transaction, which requires Federal Communications Commission approval, is expected to close later this year or early in 2016.

Schurz Communications, a family-owned company, also owns the South Bend Tribune. The company started in 1872 with the Tribune, expanded into radio in 1922 and then television, with WSBT-TV, in 1951.

Source: South Bend Tribune