Salem Media to Be Taken Private in $1-Per-Share Deal

Salem Media, Inc. , d/b/a WaterStone. The deal will take Salem Media entirely private. 00 per share, a price that represents approximately a 250% premium over Salem’s recent trading price.

Edward Atsinger III, co-founder and board member of Salem Media, said the Atsinger and Epperson families founded the company. For the last ten years the Atsinger and Epperson families have been looking for a successor that would continue to carry the torch of delivering quality Christian and conservative media into the next generation and beyond, Atsinger stated.

The families met with WaterStone some 24 months ago and believed it was a divine appointment.

David Santrella, Chief Executive Officer of Salem Media, welcomed the alignment with the buyer. “WaterStone understands who we are and why Salem has mattered for over 50 years,” Santrella said. He added that the partnership will accelerate the company’s ability to expand the reach of its mission for years to come.

Richard von Gnechten, Chairman of Salem Media’s Board of Directors and President of WaterStone, emphasized continuity. “This is about building on what makes Salem unique,” von Gnechten said. Salem has spent decades earning the trust of listeners, ministries, advertisers, and audiences by staying true to its mission, he noted, and WaterStone believes deeply in that mission and in the people behind it.

Salem Media operates across radio, digital media, streaming, podcasting, television, and publishing. The acquisition is expected to provide the company with additional strength and long-term stability while creating new opportunities to expand its reach. Hot Air reported that the partnership reflects years of shared vision between the organizations.

Atsinger described the buyer as deeply aligned with the vision the families had when they founded the company. The transaction ends a search that began a decade ago for a steward capable of carrying Salem forward. Both sides expressed confidence that the new ownership structure will secure the company’s strategies for future growth.