Multiple Changes At WBLS/WLIB New York

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Standard General’s MediaCo Holding and Emmis have announced multiple changes at their New York operation.

MediaCo had purchased Hip Hop “Hot 97” WQHT and Adult R&B 107.5 WBLS in July 2019. Emmis received $91.5 million in cash, a $5 million note, and a 23.72% stake in the new holding company. As part of that deal, Emmis continued to manage the two stations under a Shared Services Agreement with all employees remaining on their payroll. That part is now coming to an end as Emmis will move management of their remaining New York stations back to Indianapolis.

Multiple Changes At WBLS/WLIB New York - RadioInsight

Standard General’s MediaCo Holding and Emmis have announced multiple changes at their New York operation. MediaCo had purchased Hip Hop “Hot 97” WQHT and Adult R&B 107.5 WBLS in July 2019. Emmis received $91.5 million in cash, a $5 million note, and a 23.72% stake in the new holding company. As...

radioinsight.com

 

[RoddyFreeman]

All Access reported that story differently, stating the management of just WLIB will move to Emmis's Indianapolis cluster. That makes me sad; WLIB for many years in the '60's and '70's was located in Harlem and part of that community.

Eliminating all local programming and carrying shows from American Urban Radio Networks are making it seem the station is just a burden to Emmis. iHeart recently purchased WWRL/1600 for carriage of iHeart's Black Information Network. If what I'm thinking is indeed the case, iHeart would have been better off buying WLIB, whose signal is far superior to WWRL's.