Charlotte's contemporary Christian station sold

Charlotte’s contemporary Christian radio station WRCM-FM (“New Life” 91.9) is to be taken over by a California religious broadcaster under an agreement announced Monday.

Columbia International University, which holds the license for WRCM and sister-station WMHK-FM (89.7) in Columbia, said it agreed to transfer the stations to Educational Media Foundation, a Rocklin, Calif., non-profit which operates the K-LOVE Radio Network serving about 450 stations across the country. Price of the transaction: $10.5 million.

WRCM's entire staff of nine will be laid off  later this fall as will seven in Columbia and the stations will carry the K-LOVE syndicated programming, said Joe Paulo, "New Life" general manager.

Columbia began operating WRCM in 1993 as a non-profit station dependent on donations from listeners. Earlier this year, Columbia added a transmitter for the station, WRZM at 88.3 FM, in Boiling Springs.

“K-LOVE has partnered with and been supportive of WMHK, WRCM, and WRZM for years and has seen their impact in the communities they serve,” Educational Media president Mike Novak said in a statement. “We look forward to working hard to continue the tradition, while bringing what we have to offer to listeners throughout the Carolinas.”

In the Charlotte area, K-LOVE also broadcasts its nationally syndicated format on WWLV-FM (94.1) in Lexington.