Just wanted you guys to hear it from me before you read it in the Trade Pubs over the next few days.
-JW
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Joshua Wilkey, President of WilkeySouth Media Brokers, made a return to station ownership last week, announcing his acquisition of three radio stations. Wilkey’s new company, Cumberland OmniMedia, LLC, has agreed to acquire three stations located in southeastern Kentucky. The stations, WXJB(FM), WFXY(AM) and WANO(AM), are licensed to Harrogate TN, Middlesboro KY and Pineville KY respectively, and currently broadcast from studios in downtown Middlesboro.
Wilkey is acquiring the stations from the Estate of Warren A. Pursifull for $900,000. Wilkey has reached an agreement to immediately divest WXJB(FM) to Ron Merideth’s M&M Broadcasting. WXJB(FM) was recently granted rulemaking to allow it to change it’s city of license to Halls, TN, just north of Knoxville. Merideth will operate WXJB as a local station in his hometown of Clinton, TN, where he currently owns and operates WYSH(AM).
Mr. Wilkey will relocate to Middlesboro, where he will oversee operations at the stations. Additionally, he will continue to serve as President of WilkeySouth Media Brokers, a firm based in Asheville, North Carolina with additional offices in five southeastern cities.
After closing of the sale, Cumberland OmniMedia plans a major capital improvement effort for WFXY and WANO. The company has retained Joshua Pierce of the Charlotte-based broadcast engineering firm MediaTech USA to facilitate the improvements. The stations will employ new transmitters from Broadcast Electronics, and new processors will be supplied by Omnia.
Jeremy “Beau” Farmer, current General Manager of the stations, will add VP stripes and continue to oversee day-to-day operations. Dave Solomon of Charleston-based Digital Audio Tracks has been retained to provide imaging services for WFXY and WANO. Currently, WFXY programs a Hot AC format, while WANO programs Oldies. Formats are expected to be retained, with the addition of stronger local programming. Larry Poster, current News Director, will retain his position, as will Sam Turner, current Sports Director. Dave Manis will continue to serve as Production Director.
Wilkey left media ownership four years ago in order to devote more time to the brokerage business. After a successful launch of WilkeySouth, he began to look for an opportunity to return to small-market ownership. The acquisition of the Pursifull stations marks the beginning of what is expected to be a string of small-market acquisitions over the next few years.
WilkeySouth Media Brokers served as the exclusive Broker in the transaction between Cumberland OmniMedia and the Pursifull family, as well as in the spinoff of WXJB to M & M Broadcasting.
-JW
______________________________________________
Joshua Wilkey, President of WilkeySouth Media Brokers, made a return to station ownership last week, announcing his acquisition of three radio stations. Wilkey’s new company, Cumberland OmniMedia, LLC, has agreed to acquire three stations located in southeastern Kentucky. The stations, WXJB(FM), WFXY(AM) and WANO(AM), are licensed to Harrogate TN, Middlesboro KY and Pineville KY respectively, and currently broadcast from studios in downtown Middlesboro.
Wilkey is acquiring the stations from the Estate of Warren A. Pursifull for $900,000. Wilkey has reached an agreement to immediately divest WXJB(FM) to Ron Merideth’s M&M Broadcasting. WXJB(FM) was recently granted rulemaking to allow it to change it’s city of license to Halls, TN, just north of Knoxville. Merideth will operate WXJB as a local station in his hometown of Clinton, TN, where he currently owns and operates WYSH(AM).
Mr. Wilkey will relocate to Middlesboro, where he will oversee operations at the stations. Additionally, he will continue to serve as President of WilkeySouth Media Brokers, a firm based in Asheville, North Carolina with additional offices in five southeastern cities.
After closing of the sale, Cumberland OmniMedia plans a major capital improvement effort for WFXY and WANO. The company has retained Joshua Pierce of the Charlotte-based broadcast engineering firm MediaTech USA to facilitate the improvements. The stations will employ new transmitters from Broadcast Electronics, and new processors will be supplied by Omnia.
Jeremy “Beau” Farmer, current General Manager of the stations, will add VP stripes and continue to oversee day-to-day operations. Dave Solomon of Charleston-based Digital Audio Tracks has been retained to provide imaging services for WFXY and WANO. Currently, WFXY programs a Hot AC format, while WANO programs Oldies. Formats are expected to be retained, with the addition of stronger local programming. Larry Poster, current News Director, will retain his position, as will Sam Turner, current Sports Director. Dave Manis will continue to serve as Production Director.
Wilkey left media ownership four years ago in order to devote more time to the brokerage business. After a successful launch of WilkeySouth, he began to look for an opportunity to return to small-market ownership. The acquisition of the Pursifull stations marks the beginning of what is expected to be a string of small-market acquisitions over the next few years.
WilkeySouth Media Brokers served as the exclusive Broker in the transaction between Cumberland OmniMedia and the Pursifull family, as well as in the spinoff of WXJB to M & M Broadcasting.