Salem Broadcasting has paid $10,000 for WKDL-AM (1250) Warrenton, Va., which is located just a smidgeon down the dial from its current property WWRC-AM Washington, D.C., at 1260. Salem has a construction permit to hike the daytime power at 1260 from 5,000 watts to 25,000 watts, remaining at 5,000 watts at night. Meanwhile, WKDL has a CP filed to drop daytime power from 5,000 watts to 3,000, with nighttime power rising a bit, from 32 watts to 125 watts.

To complicate the matter further, DCRTV.com explains that Metro Radio (broker/station owner Bruce Houston) is WKDL’s seller for $10,000—however, Salem is actually “buying the right” to acquire WKDL from Christopher Roth.

In the end, Salem helps itself with the closer-in 1260 signal of flagship WWRC, which carries the conservative talk lineup of Salem Radio Network. Until now, 1250 in Warrenton had been simulcasting the talk lineup of WTNT-AM (730) Alexandria, Va. (730).

This is not the first time that Salem has purchased a station for re-engineering purposes: It bought WAMD, Aberdeen, Md., to improve its New York-market WNYM, also at 970. It would not be surprising if Warrenton’s 1250 eventually goes away completely.