Cumulus, also seeking to end up going private, has just done its own round of spinoffs intended to slim the company’s station roster, and four of those spinoffs involve the OMW coverage area.
In the Youngstown/Warren market, Cumulus is moving standards WSOM/600 Salem and AC WLLF/96.7 Mercer PA “The River” to Stratus Radio LLC. And in the Toledo market, it’s classic rock WXKR/94.5 Port Clinton and top 40 WTWR/98.3 Luna Pier MI “Tower 98-3” headed for Stratus Land.
See any connection here?
Not only are the four stations not the most coveted assets in each Cumulus cluster, they’re all licensed to suburban or even out-of-state outposts. And in one case, with WLLF, it is actually a Western PA station…aiming at Mercer County, along with sister WPIC/790 Sharon PA.
The move involving 19 stations reduces Cumulus’ footprint, so the FCC will look more favorably upon its bid to go private.
Like in other such cases, don’t expect immediate format or personnel changes at any of the staions – at least any linked to the move into the spinoff firm. Though Stratus will be eventually, presumably, charged with finding new buyers for the 19 stations, for now they’ll likely be operated as they have been…and listeners will scarcely know that a new owner will have them…
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