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An Orange-based radio station is one step closer to moving to Midlothian.

The FCC last week gave its consent on a proposal to move country station WJMA-FM's license there, giving the community of about 12,000 its first station airing local news coverage. The move is expected to become final Aug. 18.

Last fall, North Carolina-based Joyner Radio Inc. announced plans to buy adult standards station WCVA-AM and country station WCUL-FM in Culpeper from Culpeper Broadcasting Corp. That deal has been completed.

It then planned to swap those two stations to Orange-based Piedmont Communications Inc. for WJMA.

The FCC held a public comment period on the deal. No comments were filed.

Now the stations will undergo a "finality" 40-day period before the switch is officially approved, said Thomas Joyner, president of Joyner Radio in Cary, N.C.

The companies say the deal has been slowed by the FCC's recent decision to ease media ownership rules. The change requires new paperwork, which is taking longer to move through the system, said John Schick, president of Piedmont Communications.

Schick said both companies expect the deal to close "with no problem."

Joyner said his company is pursuing a construction permit and hopes the station will be ready to move to Midlothian, just southwest of Richmond, in six to eight months.

Joyner said he's not certain whether WJMA will continue airing country music once it moves.

"When we get to Midlothian, we'll run a survey to determine what the people want," he said this week during a telephone interview. "Frankly, we haven't looked that far ahead."

Meanwhile, Piedmont has been operating Joyner's WCUL and WCVA in Culpeper under an agreement until the purchase can be finalized. Piedmont also operates oldies station WVCV-AM in Orange and is buying country music station WLSA-FM in Louisa from Mid-Virginia Broadcasting Corp.

Schick said he, too, will decide which formats to consider when the dust settles. As it is now, Piedmont would be operating two country music stations in the area, which would be competing for the same listeners. But that will likely change, he said.

"There's a lot of overlap of listenership. We don't need that. We need to offer people some choice," Schick said. "Certainly, there will continue to be a country station in this market run by us. The question is which one."