91.5 FM Has a New Owner?

Everyone was surprised the day Homeboyz Radio 91.5 FM shifted base abruptly on the 26th of January 2012.

The shift also seemed to catch the occupant of the frequency they were shifting to, sister station Uptown 91.1 FM, off guard as they wrote their last update through G Money on Facebook:

We share your disappointment in Uptown 91.1fm going off air. The Uptown team worked tirelessly over 2 years to bring you the best mixes, dj’s and dancehall music. Going off air, for us, has been the hardest thing ever. The reality is that as much as you may want to hate on HBR for taking the frequency, if there was no HBR, Uptown wouldn’t have existed in the first place. They have been the realest Big Brother station, paying our bills, when the radio industry didn’t believe in us, or our music.

Read the full statement here >>

Homeboyz Radio (now 91.1 FM) attributed the move to ‘technical hitches’ as representative Alph Rabar stated that the move was to get ‘a clearer signal and go broader in reach’.

Other speculators however said that a business deal had gone sour between radio owners the Rabar brothers and the frequency owner, Sir Henry. This resulted in the station being ‘kicked out’ of the frequency and HB Radio having no option but to nudge out Uptown FM.

Sources now say that the frequency 91.5 has now been bought over by the family of one politician, Henry Kosgey. Interestingly, the family also runs the other young urban Barclays Plaza based station, One FM 97.1FM.

Its an interesting trend we are seeing as politicians begin to take over local media outlets. What’s your take on this?