Gap Broadcasting to Acquire Texarkana Stations for $300K

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, October 16, 2026 | 3:15pm CT

Gap Broadcasting

George Laughlin's Gap Broadcasting has reached an agreement to acquire six radio stations and five FM translators serving the Texarkana, TX-AR market from BTC USA Holdings Management and Frontier Media for $300,000. The properties are being sold through a court-supervised receivership involving the financially troubled broadcasters.

According to FCC filings, Gap Broadcasting signed an asset purchase agreement on September 29 with FTI Consulting Canada, the court-appointed receiver for BTC USA Holdings Management and Frontier Media. The transaction is subject to approval by the FCC and bankruptcy courts in the United States and Canada.

The stations included in the transaction are Country KBYB-FM (101.7 Hot FM) in Hope, AR, and KTTY-FM (105.1) in New Boston, TX; Urban AC KTOY-FM (104.7) in Texarkana, AR; and Conservative Talk KTFS-FM (107.1 The Patriot) in Texarkana, AR.

The acquisition also includes Sports KCMC-AM (740 The Fan) and KTFS-AM (940 ESPN), both licensed to Texarkana, TX.

Five FM translators are part of the agreement: K257FY (99.3), K254AS (98.7 Real Country), K288FI (105.5 Hits 105), K290CP (105.9 ESPN) and K300DW (107.9 The Fan). The translators provide additional FM coverage for the group's AM stations and HD Radio subchannels.

Under a separate Time Brokerage Agreement (TBA), Gap began operating the stations on October 1, 2026. The agreement calls for monthly payments of $5,000 in brokerage fees, along with an estimated $24,101 in operating expenses, bringing the combined monthly obligation to $29,101.

The TBA also provides that the $5,000 monthly brokerage payments will be credited against the purchase price at closing. Gap made an initial payment of $59,101, which included the first month's brokerage fee, operating expenses and a $30,000 security deposit that also serves as the purchase deposit.

The operating expense reimbursements cover staffing, utilities, music licensing, insurance, tower rental and programming costs, including fees associated with Bobby Bones and ESPN.

The sale stems from financial proceedings involving BTC USA Holdings Management and Frontier Media. A Canadian court appointed FTI Consulting Canada as receiver in February 2025, with the receivership subsequently recognized through Chapter 15 proceedings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

The asset purchase agreement provides for the transfer of the stations' FCC licenses, broadcast equipment, certain real estate, intellectual property and other operating assets. The transaction is structured to transfer the properties free of existing liens and claims, subject to specified assumed liabilities.

An engineering study submitted with the transaction concludes that the proposed ownership arrangement complies with FCC local radio ownership limits. The study identifies a 31-station market using the FCC's contour-overlap methodology.

Laughlin previously operated Gap Broadcasting, which owned more than 100 radio stations before selling its holdings to Townsquare Media in 2010. He also serves as CEO of Dallas-based syndication company YEA Media Group.

The acquisition marks Laughlin's return to radio station ownership under the Gap Broadcasting name, with a group of properties serving the Texarkana market across multiple programming formats.