Bonneville is changing Star 102.7 to KSL-FM

Bonneville International said Friday it will discontinue its Star 102.7 radio broadcast as of Tuesday, replacing the contemporary music format with a simulcast of its flagship KSL Newsradio 1160 AM broadcast.

The move will result in some job reductions, though Bonneville spokesman Craig Haslam said Friday it is too early to say exactly how many workers will be affected.

Currently, the radio station has 16 full-time employees, including on-air hosts, sales personnel and other workers.

"At this point, we just don't know," Haslam said. "There are those who will be assimilated into other, similar capacities at other stations, but we don't have exact numbers yet."

Bonneville owns five radio stations in Utah, including KRSP Arrow 103.5, KSFI FM 100 and KUTR AM 820, along with Star 102.7 and KSL 1160. Nationwide, Bonneville owns and operates 38 radio stations.

The company said the move "comes after careful evaluation of its Salt Lake broadcasting market and is designed to capitalize on well-established strengths and a long tradition of broadcasting excellence established by KSL Newsradio."

The 102.7 KQMB call sign will be changed to KSL-FM, the company said.

"We are in the news and information business, and adding an FM signal — which traditionally has been popular with radio listeners — for our KSL Newsradio programming now allows us to serve our listeners in yet another way," Chris Redgrave, Bonneville vice president and general manager, said in a prepared statement.

Salt Lake-based Bonneville International Corp. and the Deseret Morning News are owned by Deseret Management Corp., a holding company for businesses affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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