OMW hears that a buyer has been found for the two Beacon Broadcasting stations in Ohio, and that a prospective buyer is lining up for the remaining Pennsylvania-based Beacon stations.
Pittsburgh-based broker Ray H. Rosenblum announced today that Beacon’s WANR/1570 Warren and daytime sister WRTK/1540 Niles are being sold to Whiplash Radio, LLC, a company owned by husband-and-wife team Chris and Kathy Lash.
Chris Lash currently operates non-comm community station WYNS/89.3 “Hybrid FM” in Waynesville, outside Dayton in Southwest Ohio. WYNS and Cincinnati-market WMWX/88.9 Miamitown are owned by Bill Spry’s Spryex Communications.
In addition to operating the Waynesville station for Spry, Lash also does morning drive. He has operated or owned other stations in Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
Lash and his wife picked up both WANR and WRTK, and associated real estate, for $50,000. The stations are currently operating as a sports simulcast (“Fox Sports Radio 1540 and 1570”).
Rosenblum’s release notes that negotiations continue with another buyer for the remaining Beacon stations, now-mainly-AC WEXC/107.1 “C107.1” Greenville PA, and classic country simulcast WGRP/940 Greenville and WLOA/1470 Farrell PA.
The Beacon stations went on the block after the death of Beacon patriarch Harold Glunt in January of this year, and are currently under the oversight of Glunt’s son (and executor of the estate) Dennis Glunt.
The release from Mr. Rosenblum is below…
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NEWS RELEASE August 16, 2010
Sale Announced Of 2 Beacon Broadcasting Radio Stations
In Warren/Youngstown, Ohio
Dennis Glunt, the Executor for the estate of the late Harold Glunt has announced that the 2 Beacon Broadcasting, Inc. radio stations in Warren/Youngstown, OH have been sold to Whiplash Radio, LLC of Waynesville, OH, subject to the approval of the Federal Communications Commission.
According to Media Broker Ray H. Rosenblum of Pittsburgh, PA, WANR(AM-1570) in Warren, OH and WRTK(AM-1540) in Niles, OH have been sold for a total of $50,000, including real estate. The stations are currently simulcasting a sports talk format.
The principal owners of the buyer, Whiplash Radio, are Christopher and Kathy Lash of Waynesville, OH, where they operate WYNS(FM-89.3). During the past 25 years Mr. Lash has owned and operated radio stations in Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
Mr. Rosenblum noted that negotiations are continuing with another prospective buyer for the sale of the remaining Beacon stations in Pennsylvania. They are
WGRP(AM-940) and WEXC(FM-107.1) both in Greenville, PA; and WLOA(AM-1470) in Farrell, PA. All 5 stations are in the Youngstown, OH market.
Harold Glunt, the principal owner of Beacon Broadcasting, died on January 25th. The Executor of his estate is his son, Dennis Glunt.
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Considering that WRTK and WANR were listed for $400,000, getting ONLY $50,000 is eye-popping. Of course, with the deficiencies both stations had (heck, ALL of the Glunt stations have signal deficiencies), there was no way that they were ever worth $400,000.