The owner of KCPW in Salt Lake City intends to sell the station next month, according to an auction notice released Friday.
The notice from a managing partner for Patrick Communications, a media brokerage firm, says aspiring bidders should submit required documents by Oct. 4. The station is owned by Wasatch Public Media.
The sale would include the station’s license, as well as assets for which Wasatch seeks at least $350,000. If it receives more than one qualified bid, an auction will be held Oct. 9. The sale would occur within five days after a bid is accepted.
Employees at KCPW could not be reached for comment.
The station has faced financial challenges on several occasions since it spun off from KPCW in Park City, Utah, in 2008. In 2011, Wasatch was in danger of defaulting on the $1.8 million loan it took out to buy the station. Three years later, KCPW risked going off the air until it was able to raise enough money to pay overdue programming fees. It restructured its long-term debt in 2017.
The station’s website lists no financial documents dated since 2017, and a recent filing is not available through the IRS’ site. KCPW does not receive a CPB Community Service Grant. The station airs mainly news and talk programming.