Mini-Mogul of the Airwaves : Despite Snags, Executive Hopes to Add KNJO-FM to Group’s Holdings

Ira Barmak, a Beverly Hills entertainment executive whose projects have included producing a remake of a classic war film and a horror movie about an ax-wielding Santa Claus, heads an investor group negotiating to buy Thousand Oaks radio station KNJO-FM for $1.6 million in cash and notes.

A similar investor group already owns the only other radio station in the Conejo Valley, KMDY-AM of Thousand Oaks, whose all-comedy format was launched by Barmak two years ago.

Some snags, however, appeared to develop in negotiations for KNJO late last week. Jack Feldmann, one of the station’s owners, stressed that the two sides do not have a signed agreement and that he “can’t be all that sure that one will be signed.”

Barmak acknowledged that he and Feldmann argued over terms of the proposed purchase on Friday but said his group has reached a preliminary agreement and signed a letter of intent to buy the station. He said he rejected Feldmann’s request for additional considerations, which he wouldn’t specify except to say that they do not involve more money.

Agreement Expected

Nevertheless, Barmak said, his group, which includes actor-director Michael Douglas, hopes to conclude negotiations this week. If a final agreement is reached, he said, the Federal Communications Commission would have to approve the sale, which probably would take 30 to 45 days.

KNJO is owned by Thousand Oaks Radio Corp., a subsidiary of Encino-based Palomar Broadcasters Corp., whose primary owners are Feldmann and radio executive Art Hogan. They bought the station for about $800,000 in 1980.

Barmak said buying KNJO would allow him to consolidate the staffs of the two Thousand Oaks stations. Barmak, Douglas and nine other investors bought KMDY for about $750,000 two years ago, when its call letters were KGOE-AM.

The general partner of KMDY through his Ira Barmak Enterprises, Barmak converted the station into what was then one of three comedy-format stations in the country, playing recordings of such comics as Richard Pryor, Rodney Dangerfield, George Carlin and W. C. Fields. He said he believes KMDY (for KoMeDY) is the only one still broadcasting comedy exclusively.

Controversial Movie

A Cornell-educated physician turned movie producer, Barmak is probably best known for the controversy he was involved in during late 1984 when his Christmas-theme horror picture, “Silent Night, Deadly Night,” was released. Tri-Star Pictures withdrew the film shortly after it was released after receiving complaints from people who were upset that it featured a slasher dressed as Santa Claus.

Barmak recently produced “Ordinary Heroes,” a remake of the 1945 picture “Pride of the Marines,” which is due for release in November and stars Richard Dean Anderson and Valerie Bertinelli. He said he also is wrapping up a picture filmed in Rome called “Hotel Colonial,” starring Robert Duvall, John Savage and Rachel Ward.

KMDY, Barmak said, just turned profitable this year. He said that, despite KMDY’s success, he does not plan to change KNJO’s “adult-contemporary” format to comedy. He added that he has promised to retain KNJO’s 13 employees and will be consolidating the two stations’ operations as well as staffs.

Barmak said KNJO is profitable and that the combined revenue of the two stations would exceed $1 million.

Competing With L.A. Stations

David Loe, president of KVEN-AM/KHAY-FM in Ventura, said $1.6 million is in line with the prices paid for stations in markets such as KNJO’s. He said Thousand Oaks is a difficult market because it competes with large Los Angeles-based stations. But he added that combining the KNJO and KMDY should be a good business move, partly because the stations would no longer compete for advertisers.

“They were kind of at each other’s throats for a while,” Loe said.

Barmak said it is difficult to determine how many people listen to the two stations, making it hard to attract national advertisers. The Arbitron ratings, which stations buy to show advertisers, measure Los Angeles and Ventura counties as separate markets.

“We sit right on the cusp of the two counties,” Barmak said. “If you measure Ventura County, you only get half of our listeners, and, if you measure Los Angeles, you only get half of our listeners. We’d have to commission a separate study, which is very expensive.”