XPost: alt.radio.broadcasting

RadioInsight

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Townsquare Sets Missoula And Tri-Cities Spinoffs

Posted: 25 Mar 2022 02:00 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221973/townsquare-sets-missoula-and-tri-cities-spinoffs/


Townsquare Media has submitted its $18.75 million acquisition of Cherry
Creek Media to the FCC revealing which stations it will divest in Missoula
MT and Kennewick/Richland/Pasco WA.

Anderson Radio Broadcasting will acquire the licenses of CHR Now 106.7 KXDR Pinesdale and Sports 1340 KYLT Missoula from Cherry Creek and CHR 107.5
Zoo-FM KENR Superior and News/Talk 1240 KLYQ Hamilton MT from Townsquare. Anderson will add those stations to their AC 99.3 The River KQEZ St. Regis.

Legacy Broadcasting will acquire the license of AC Max 98.7 KHKM Hamilton
from Cherry Creek.

Missoula Community Radio, which operates LPFM 105.5 KFGM-LP Missoula, will acquire Alternative Alt 101.5 KAMM Frenchtown from Townsquare. The LPFM
will need to be divested.

Following the consummation of the deal, Townsquare will retain the licenses
of Country 93.3 Eagle Country KGGL Missoula, Country 94.9 KYSS-FM Missoula, Rock 96.3 The Blaze KBAZ Hamilton, Classic Rock Z100 KZOQ-FM Missoula, Conservative Talk 930/99.7 KMPT East Missoula, News/Talk 1290 KGVO/98.3
K252FP Missoula, Sports Griz Sports 1450/92.7 KGRZ/K224AA and KHKMs
simulcaster 96.9 K245AP Missoula.

In Kennewick/Richland/Pasco, Cherry Creek Regional Mexican La Super 92.5
KZHR Dayton and Townsquare CHR 97.5 Kiss-FM KOLW Basin City will be placed
in a divestiture trust. The company will retain 97 Rock 97.1 KXRX Walla
Walla, Hot AC 98.3 The Key KEYW Pasco, Country 102.7 KORD-FM Richland, AC
Mix 105.3 KONA-FM Kennewick, News/Talk 610 KONA Kennewick-Richland-Pasco, News/Talk 870 KFLD/98.7 K254DP Pasco and the Pacific Northwest AG Network.

As the divestitures have not been finalized, the terms have not been
disclosed. Townsquare requested that the six Missoula stations set for divestiture be placed in the trust should the planned sales fail to close.

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Rock 100.5 Atlanta Adds Elliot In The Morning

Posted: 25 Mar 2022 12:09 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221981/rock-100-5-atlanta-adds-elliot-in-the-morning/


Cumulus Medias Rock 100.5 WNNX College Park/Atlanta will add Elliot In The Morning starting Monday, March 28.

Based at iHeartMedia Alternative DC 101 WWDC Washington DC since 1999,
Elliot In The Morning also airs on Audacys Alt 96.5 KRBZ Kansas City and
Alt 102.1 WRXL Richmond VA. Segal had previously co-hosted mornings at Z100 WHTZ New York with Elvis Duran after producing morning shows in Houston,
Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York.

Elliot In The Morning fills the slot on WNNX created by the move of morning hosts Southside Steve Rickman and Axel Lowe to afternoons earlier this
year. In addition to Segal, the show features co-host Diane Stupar, who
has been with Elliot since he arrived in Washington, and producers Tyler
Molnar and Krysten Warnes.

Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that Rock 100.5/WNNX-FM, Atlanta’s only Rock station, is adding the “Elliot In The Morning” show to its all-star lineup. Hosted by Elliot Segal, “Elliot in the Morning” can be heard on Rock 100.5 from 5:44am-10:00am Monday through Friday, starting
Monday, March 28th.

In a career spanning more than three decades, Segal’s love of radio took
him from his hometown of Houston out west to Los Angeles and across the
country to New York. In 1999, he lit the on-air lamp in Washington, D.C.,
where he first broadcast the “Elliot in the Morning” show alongside co-host Diane Stupar. The show’s focus has always remained the same: connecting
with listeners. Whether it’s to newsmakers via interviews or just to
everyday people who are making life interesting, “Elliot in the Morning” wants to talk about it all with its listeners.

Sean Shannon, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Atlanta, said: “We’re beyond excited to bring Elliot in the Morning to Atlanta. Elliot and his team’s ability to engage listeners with funny, relatable content is exactly what we were looking for to complete our all-star weekday lineup.”

Axel Lowe, Program Director, Rock 100.5/WNNX-FM, said: “Its everything we were looking for in a morning show: topical, edgy, and extremely funny.
Were excited to have Elliot in the Morning on Rock 100.5!”

Segal said: “I’m very excited to be joining Cumulus on Rock 100.5 in Atlanta. Thanks to Sean Shannon and Dave Milner. After spending time with
them in Atlanta and talking about my style of syndication and their vision
for WNNX, we all decided it was the right fit. Also, thank you to Brian Philips. Any opportunity to work with, and for, Brian is a rare opportunity that only makes you a better disc jockey or broadcaster. There is plenty of work ahead, but I look forward to getting started making Atlanta part of
the EITM network.”

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Christmas Music Continues On In Chattanooga & Gainesville

Posted: 25 Mar 2022 12:00 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221978/christmas-music-continues-on-in-chattanooga-gainesville/


Over three months have past since Christmas, but on March 25, 2022 two
stations have been continuously running Christmas music continuously.

The Radio By Grace owned 92.7 W224AZ Chattanooga TN fed via Brewer Media
Groups 95.3 WALV-HD4 Ooltewah switched to Christmas music in October 2021
after its LMA to Sabatino Cuppelli’s Conservative Talk Nooga Radio came to
an end. Cuppelli, who uses the on-air name Mike Steel, immediately moved
the brand to Destiny Life Resources 96.9 WVMG-LP Chattanooga.

Hitmaker Music Groups 1230 WGGG/92.1 W221DX Gainesville FL has also
continued running Christmas music since the end of the holiday season.
Anthony Bucher’s group acquired those stations and Silent 1230 WMOP Ocala
in September 2020, but earlier this week the FCC rejected an Application
For Review from UOBN Broadcasting Network seeking to revoke the sale on
racial discrimination claims. UOBN claimed that seller Florida SportsTalk
Inc. reneged on its option to buy the stations on racial grounds, while the seller stated that UOBN failed to pursue a contract about entering into an
to broker and purchase the stations.

This is the second year in a row that weve seen Christmas music continue
into March, but never this late. In 2021, SummitMedia kept stunting on
100.9 WJSR Lakeside/Richmond VA until March 4, when it launched Classic
Hits Awesome 100.9.

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Musics Most Forgettable Five Years?

Posted: 25 Mar 2022 11:00 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/blogs/221756/musics-most-forgettable-five-years/


What if radio walked away from the not-so-golden years 2015-19?

Earlier this week, I received a tip that Alternative KROQ Los Angeles had
done just that. It didn’t quite pan out. When I looked at a log, KROQ was still playing a dozen songs from those years, totaling 16 spins over the
course of the day—an hour’s worth of music out of 24 hours. But dropping the late ‘10s seemed plausible for a moment, particularly after XETRA (91X) San Diego gave up most of its post-2005 gold last month and Country KPLX
(The Wolf) phased out currents last week.

In Alternative, in particular, late ‘10s product was an easy target for format critics: detractors heard that era as a lot of anonymous pop music
that never crossed over and never went to library. The rise of Billie
Eilish and bedroom pop left some conflicted. Those songs that did break through—“Feel It Still,” “Broken,” “Trampoline,” the Twenty One Pilots
hits—stayed in power for a year, highlighting the lack of other hits and making even the big songs particularly joyless after a while. Only the experiments with TikTok pop two years ago put those detractors in even more
of a “Mood.”

But the late ‘10s weren’t really a product boom for most formats. Top 40 and Country had the most dramatic product issues, particularly because
they’d started out the decade with such promise. Alternative had already become a niche format, ranked highest in an 18-34 cell most diminished by streaming. The same had happened to Hip-Hop and even renewed excitement
about the product didn’t translate into a ratings uptick once the hotline started blinging again.

There was one format boom in the late ‘10s. Contemporary Christian saw praise-and-worship music intersect with increasingly bright/poppy
mainstream titles. Christian AC was one of the few formats to consistently
grow in terms of the number of hits. Adult Contemporary and Adult R&B were successful formats as well in those years. Both formats underwent a change
in the type of currents they played, but in those gold-based formats,
currents were less of an issue.

The whole nature of radio station gold libraries is that songs and eras disappear and return. The ‘90s were once thought to be a lost decade by programmers; now, it’s clear that some songs will return, but we’re still sorting out how many and which ones. Throughout the ‘00s, ballads by Creed and Nickelback were reliably found at the top of pop radio’s music tests.
As the new decade arrived, with fun, uptempo dance/pop music dominant,
those songs mostly disappeared within months. Listeners no longer wanted to brood.

As current-based formats struggle for a foothold, we’re likely to see many more “contemporary” stations that aren’t quite as contemporary. I decided to take a look at our major contemporary music formats and how much they
were relying on music from 2015-19 to begin with. Looking at the 200 most played recurrent and gold titles for each format in BDSradio, the breakdown
is:

Christian AC – 52%
Country – 47%
Mainstream Top 40 – 42%
Adult Top 40 – 37%
R&B/Hip-Hop – 37%
Rhythmic Top 40 – 36%
Adult Contemporary – 11%
Alternative – 11%
Triple-A – 10% (in part because the pipeline for even newer music keeps flowing)
Adult R&B – 9%
Active Rock – 4%


What would programmers in other formats lose if they, hypothetically, just decided to walk away from, or at least lessen their dependence, on the late ‘10s?

Country is the hardest period for programmers to negotiate. The late ‘10s have been overtaxed by a format that still wants to be “No. 1 for New Country” but not aggressive on new music. If more stations follow KPLX’s lead, some will likely lean in on those songs even more.

The late ‘10s are the ascent of Luke Combs, Kane Brown, and a
pre-controversy Morgan Wallen, as well as the dominance of Thomas Rhett;
But they’re also the moment when “bro country” softened to “boyfriend country”; 
If you consider the era “too pop,” it’s the time of Dan + Shay, Bebe Rexha,
and Old Dominion;
It’s also a period when female artists are represented, but by only a
handful of songs. If you listen to a hit-driven major-market Country
station, you can pretty much count on hearing “Die of a Broken Heart” by Maddie + Tae before too long.


Mainstream Top 40 leans heavily on a few smashes from late 2019—Post Malone’s “Circles,” Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Stop Now,” Harry Styles’ “Adore You.”
(“Blinding Lights” is also nominally from 2019, but took hold for almost everybody in 2020.) The late ‘10s saw Ariana Grande, Malone, and Ed Sheeran change the way that songs were released and consumed. The era began with
Justin Timberlake’s last smash, then saw Shawn Mendes and Charlie Puth
claim his franchise.

For me, 2015-19 is a lost period for Mainstream Top 40 in particular,
marked by the moment when producer-driven EDM pop slowed down to a joyless crawl and every new hit meandered on to the radio heralded by a similar manipulated vocal sample. It was also the time when hearing the same artist every 20 minutes became common. Over the last three years, available pop product has improved but been limited by a programming strategy that makes
it hard for new songs to take hold as powers and keeps the top of the
charts stagnant. 

Adult Top 40 by its nature relies heavily on CHR music from the late ‘10s. Its most-played titles from that era include most of the above, but are
even heavier on the mid-to-down EDM pop and overly sincere male ballads
that give the era a lot of its sourness. Adult Contemporary, with its
broader era range, is able to better cherry-pick the era, but still has
some of the trap pop that never seemed like a true fit. (The best example,
Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse,” is from 2013 but set the tone for much of what came after.)

Hip-Hop/R&B is where things most dramatically change, propelled by the
power of streaming. The late ‘10s are marked by Roddy Ricch, Fetty Wap, Lil Baby and a pre-controversy Da Baby. The period begins with Kendrick Lamar
and Cardi B’s big moments and continues with the rise of Megan Thee
Stallion and other ‘80s/’90s-inspired female rappers. The early ‘10s were often said to have few stars beyond Drake; the late ‘10s give us “God’s Plan” and “Hotline Bling.” 

Rhythmic Top 40 gives us most of the above, but even more streaming-driven moments (Arizona Zervas), more reggaeton and urbano Latin crossovers, and
the rise of Lizzo and Doja Cat. 

Adult R&B continued its shift from heritage artists with the rise of new
female balladry from Ella Mai, H.E.R., Snoh Allegra, and more. There were
also Hip-Hop titles shared with Mainstream R&B radio but which found more
of a place in the Adult R&B gold library—Lil Duval’s “Smile,” Wale’s “On
Chill.” There are many reasons for the endurance of Adult R&B but
programmers seem happy with a body of recent music that takes up a
relatively small portion of the hour anyway.

Triple-A had many of the same hits as Alternative (“Feel It Still,” “Broken”), but was able to lean a little more comfortably into the indie/pop side of the format. Foster the People’s “Sit Next To Me,” Alice Merton’s “No Roots,” and the Revivalists’ “Wish I Knew You” are among the
most-played here, but not at Alternative. 

Active Rock had such an issue with currents in the late ‘10s that we saw
the rise of the “next generation Classic Rock” station, playing Active’s grunge and Linkin Park core library, but without any recent music. Not surprisingly, almost no songs from that era “went to library” at Active. Two of the best known that did are remakes—Disturbed’s “The Sound of Silence” and Bad Wolves’ “Zombie.” (Alternative has its equivalent; the success of Weezer’s “Africa” also became a focal point for grumbling about
the format.)

When programmers at pop radio turned away from Creed, Nickelback (and the
likes of Switchfoot) in the late ‘00s/early ‘10s, they were already in the middle of another musical boom. By then, it was clear that we were meant to live for so much more. In the early 2020s, we see a small uptick in the
quality of available product that hasn’t yet translated into a ratings boom for any contemporary format. 

If a rebound for current product can still happen at any format, it depends
on radio to find the best way to both take from and send music to the
streaming world. It’s also hard to know how current product can thrive at such an unhappy time, although I believe now is when we most need that to happen. How music from the late ‘10s and early ‘20s endures depends on both the music and the times that come after.  

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Brad Steiner Joins Audacy As Regional Alternative Brand Manager

Posted: 25 Mar 2022 08:32 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221968/brad-steiner-joins-audacy-as-regional-alternative-brand-manager/


Audacy has announced the addition of Brad Steiner as Regional Brand Manager supporting the execution of programming, music and branding for Alt 92.3
WNYL New York, Alt 98.7 WDZH Detroit, and 104.3 The Shark WSFS
Miramar/Miami.

Steiner joins Audacy from Cumulus New Orleans where he was Program Director
of Alt 92.3 WZRH, Classic Country 106.1 Nash-FM WRKN, and the Baton Rouge market Classic Hits 103.3 WRQQ since March 2020. He previously spent two decades at Bahakel Communications 96.5 WDOD-FM Chattanooga TN through its phases as AAA and CHR.

Audacy welcomes Brad Steiner as Regional Brand Manager, effective
immediately. In this role, he will support the execution of programming,
music and branding for ALT 92.3 (WNYL-FM) in New York, ALT 98.7 (WDZH-FM)
in Detroit and 104.3 The Shark (WSFS-FM) in Miami.

“We’re excited to bring Brad’s leadership on board for three of our leading
alternative brands and have him apply his breadth of experience to their day-to-day operations,” Mike Kaplan, Senior Vice President of Programming/Alternative Format, Audacy. “We’re looking forward to welcoming him to the team and collaborating to continue the growth of our stations.”

“To say that I am humbled by this opportunity is an understatement, and I’m not one to understate anything,” said Steiner. “I can’t wait to sit alongside Mike and Christine [Malovetz] crafting the future of some of the
most important brands in the country.”

Steiner’s career has spanned over 20 years, including multiple formats, day parts and programming roles. After 20 years in Chattanooga as assistant
program director of WDOD, he left to rebuild WZRH in New Orleans into the regional success it is today while leading it through Hurricane Ida that destroyed the 1,000-foot broadcast tower. Along the way, he added
programming responsibilities for WRKN, KKND and WRQQ in Baton Rouge.

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February 2022 (2/3 - 3/2) Nielsen Audio Ratings Top 50

Posted: 25 Mar 2022 08:00 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/ratings/ratings-top-50/



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JV & Natasha Yi Preparing Return To KYLD's JV Show After Six Month Absence

Posted: 25 Mar 2022 06:15 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221922/jv-natasha-yi-preparing-return-to-kylds-jv-show-after-six-month-absence/


iHeartMedia CHR Wild 94.9 KYLD San Francisco announced this week that
morning hosts Jeff JV Vandergrift and Natasha Yi will return to the station
on Monday, April 4.

JV and Natasha have been absent from The JV Show since last September. The married couple have also been radio silent on all of their social media channels outside of a status update at the beginning of February explaining that the two of them have been dealing with an illness in the family.
Co-hosts Selena and Graham have been leading the show in their absence.

JV has been long associated with KYLD. He and former co-host Dan Elvis Lay
led The Doghouse in mornings from 1995 to 2005. After stints at CBS Radios Free-FM Hot Talk stations in San Francisco and New York, Vandergrift
debuted as hosted of The JV Show in 2009.

04.04.22 #JVsBack pic.twitter.com/yboEncn41w

- WiLD 94.9 (@Wild949) March 22, 2022



pic.twitter.com/luSaiiQ9Zu

- JV (@JV) February 2, 2022



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Station Sales Week Of 3/25

Posted: 25 Mar 2022 04:30 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221919/station-sales-week-of-3-25/


Pearson Broadcasting of Goshen will acquire Sports ESPN Arkansas KAKS Goshen/Fayetteville and 95.3 K237GR Johnson AR from Rox Radio Group for $900,000. Pearson began operating KAKS and K237GR via Time Brokerage
Agreement since April 1, 2021 as part of its Sports network that also
includes 95.3 KERX Paris/Fort Smith, 96.3 KTTG Mena, and 104.3 KBCN-FM Marshall.

Holland Broadcasting will acquire Oldies 96.7 KWCL-FM Oak Grove LA from
Irene Robinsons KWCL-FM Broadcasting Company for $135,000.

Clark Quillens CS Broadcasting will transfer 100.7 WBGQ Bulls Gap and 106.5 WJDT Rogersville TN to Cherokee Broadcasting. Quillen will own 52% of the
new licensee, while his wife Beverly and son David will each hold 24%
stakes.

Dave and Donna Otradovsky sell control of Heart City Radio Company and its
940 KVSH Valentine NE to Michael and Kimberly Burge for $1. After the
transfer, the Otradovskys will retain 81% of the shares of the company, but
the Burges will have 100% of the voting rights. Michael Burge has worked at KVSH since 1982 after previously working at the station in high school. The deal values the station at $374,626.
Translator Sales

Roberto Vasquez Jr. donates 96.5 K243BI Weslaco TX to Christian Ministries
of the Valley for no consideration. K243BI already rebroadcasts the donees Spanish Christian Radio Vida 105.7 KBIC Raymondville.

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Townsquare Media Acquires Cherry Creek Media For $18.75 Million

Posted: 24 Mar 2022 02:09 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221910/townsquare-media-acquires-cherry-creek-media-for-18-75-million/


Townsquare Media has announced it will acquire Cherry Creek Media for
$18.75 million.

The deal will add 35 stations in nine markets bringing Townsquare to 356 stations in 74 markets. As part of the acquisition, Townsquare will divest
six stations in Missoula MT to Anderson Broadcasting and two non-profits: Legacy Broadcasting and Missoula Community Radio. They will also place two stations in the Tri-Cities of Kennewick/Richland/Pasco WA into a
divestiture trust. Townsquare will enter Sierra Vista AZ, Montrose CO,
Butte and Great Falls MT, Williston ND, St. George/Cedar City UT, and
Wenatchee WA.

In the deal Townsquare will acquire:

Sierra Vista AZ Country 92.3 KWCD, Hot AC K101 100.9 KZMK, and Classic
Rock Thunder 98.1 1420 KWAN.

Montrose CO Country 94 Kix KKXK, CHR 103.7 The River KSNN, and Oldies KUBC Gold 580/104.5 KUBC.

Butte MT Country 92.5 KAAR, Classic Rock 95.5 KMBR, Variety Hits 107.7
Dave-FM KMTZ, and Conservative Talk 1370/94.7 KXTL.

Great Falls MT Classic Hits Kool 92.9 KLFM, Country 94.5 Max Country
KMON-FM, AC 97.9 The River KVVR, CHR K99 98.9 KAAK, Classic Country 560
KMON, Alternative 107.5 The Peak KMON-HD2, Sports 99.9 Big Sky Sports
KMON-HD3, and Variety Hits Big Stack 103.9 KMON-HD4.

Williston ND CHR Power 95.1 KTHC-FM, Country Dakota Country Z96.1
KYYZ-FM, and News/Talk 660 KEYZ.

St. George/Cedar City UT CHR B92.1 KXBN, AC Star 98 KREC, Variety Hits 101.9/99.1 Dave-FM KXFF, Country New Country 107.3/94.9 KIYK/KCIN,
News/Talk 890/92.5 KDXU and 590/107.7 KSUB, and Sports 97.7 ESPN 1210 KHKR.

Wenatchee WA CHR 96.7/103.9 KW3 KWWW, Country Kissin 97.7 KYSN, Hot AC
99.5 The Bridge KQBG, Classic Rock The Quake 102.1 KPQ-FM, News/Talk
560/101.7 KPQ, Sports 1340 The Hawk KYSP, and Conservative Talk Talk 106.7
1370 KKWN.

In Missoula, where six stations will be divested, Cherry Creek owns Country 93.3 Eagle Country KGGL, AC Max 98.7/96.9 KHKM, Classic Rock Z100 KZOQ, CHR
Now 106.7 KXDR, and Sports Griz Sports 1450/92.7 KGRZ. Townsquare already
owns Country 94.9 KYSS, Rock 96.3 The Blaze KBAZ, Alternative Alt 101.5
KAMM, CHR 107.5 Zoo-FM KENR, Conservative Talk 930/99.7 KMPT, News/Talk 1290/98.3 KGVO, and News/Talk 1240 KLYQ.

In the Tri-Cities of Washington where two stations will be placed in a divestiture trust, Cherry Creek owns Regional Mexican La Super 92.5 KZHR,
AC Mix 105.3 KONA-FM, News/Talk 610 KONA and the Pacific Northwest AG
Network. Townsquare owns 97 Rock 97.1 KXRX, CHR 97.5 Kiss-FM KOLW, Hot AC
98.3 The Key KEYW, Country 102.7 KORD, and News/Talk 870/98.7 KFLD.


Townsquare Media, Inc. (NYSE: TSQ) (“Townsquare”, the Company, we, us, or our) announced today that it has executed definitive documentation to
acquire Cherry Creek Broadcasting LLC (“Cherry Creek”) for $18.75 million. Simultaneously, and due to FCC ownership limitations, Townsquare will
divest six radio stations in Missoula, MT, to Anderson Broadcasting, Legacy Broadcasting (a non-profit organization), and Missoula Community Radio
(also a non-profit organization), and place two radio stations in
Tri-Cities, WA in a divestiture trust. Pro forma for the acquisition and divestitures (collectively known as the “Transaction”), Townsquare will add assets including 35 local radio stations in nine markets, increasing its portfolio of market leading local radio stations to 356 in 74 markets. This Transaction solidifies Townsquare’s position as the the only local media
and digital marketing solutions company of scale focused principally on
markets outside of the Top 50 in the United States, a vital differentiator
for our Company.

“We are very excited to announce the acquisition of Cherry Creek’s market leading local media brands. The acquisition includes many local heritage
brands with strong competitive positions, meaningful audience share, and
very talented local teams,” commented Townsquare Chief Executive Officer, Bill Wilson. “This represents an excellent opportunity to deploy our
Digital First Local Media strategy across a broader footprint, bringing our national scale, strong digital platform, and resources to the local
communities and local businesses in these markets, building upon the strong relationships these local teams have already built with their communities.
We look forward to accelerating the digital growth in these markets as we implement our flywheel of powerful and effective marketing and advertising (digital and radio) solutions and technology platforms, in combination with
our highly relevant, localized content on-air and online. We believe this acquisition furthers our goal of being the #1 Digital First Local Media
Company in markets outside of the Top 50 in the United States.”

“This acquisition represents a compelling use of capital that aligns with
our priorities of investing in our local business through both organic investments and prudent acquisitions that support our revenue and profit growth,” added Townsquare Chief Financial Officer, Stuart Rosenstein. “This acquisition is net leverage neutral and due to the strong cash generation
of our business and the acquired assets, will not impact our ability to
reach our goal of 4x net leverage by year end.”

In connection with the Transaction, Townsquare is acquiring assets
including 35 radio stations in nine markets (Butte, MT; Great Falls, MT; Missoula, MT; Montrose, CO; Sierra Vista, AZ; St. George-Cedar City, UT; Tri-Cities, WA; Wenatchee, WA; and Williston, ND). The Transaction will be funded with cash on hand.

The Transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022, pending regulatory approval. McDermott, Will & Emery and Wilkinson Barker Knauer
served respectively as transaction and FCC counsel to Townsquare in
connection with the Transaction. Kalil & Co., Inc. acted as exclusive
broker for Cherry Creek.


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February 2022 (2/3 - 3/2) Nielsen Audio Ratings Day 4: Public News/Talk
Record Highs In Milwaukee & Hartford

Posted: 24 Mar 2022 02:00 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/221870/february-2022-2-3-3-2-nielsen-audio-ratings-day-4-public-news-talk-record-highs-in-milwaukee-hartford/


The fourth and final batch of Nielsen Audios PPM releases for the month
bring Austin, Raleigh/Durham, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville,
Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Greensboro/Winston-Salem, West Palm
Beach, Memphis, and Hartford.

All the numbers can be found at RadioInsight.com/Ratings.


Waterloo Media Variety Hits 103.5 Bob-FM KBPA remains at the top of Austins leaderboard steady at an 8.7 share. Audacy AC Majic 95.5 KKMJ claims sole possession of second place up 6.8 to 7.0. Public News/Talk 90.5 KUT-FM
slips 6.8 to 6.3. Classical 89.5 KMFA (6.6 to 5.8) and AAA 98.9 KUTX 6.3 to
5.8 tie for fourth.

iHeartMedia Country KASE 101 jumps up 3.3 4.3 5.6, while sister CHR 96.7 Kiss-FM KHFI trends up 3.2 4.4 4.8. Waterloo Media News/Talk 590/99.7
KLBJ rises 3.9 4.4 4.7, but their Classic Rock 93.7 KLBJ-FM dips 4.0 to
2.9 and Alternative 101X KROX-FM is down 2.5 to 1.9.

Public News/Talk 91.5 WUNC-FM leads Raleigh/Durham while slipping 9.6 to
8.5. Capitol Broadcasting AC Mix 101.5 WRAL-FM rises 7.1 to 7.7.
iHeartMedia Conservative Talk Talk 106.1 WTKK-FM is up 7.4 to 7.6. Radio
One Adult RB Foxy 107.1/104.3 WFXC/WFXK is down 8.1 to 7.5. Curtis Media Variety Hits 96.1 BBB WBBB jumps up to fifth 4.6 to 6.3.

Radio Ones duo of Hip Hop K97.5 WQOK (3.7 to 5.2) and Gospel 103.9 The
Light WNNL (3.0 to 4.6) see big gains, while Radio Training Network
Christian AC His Radio 88.5 WRTP slides 2.6. 1.6 1.3.

Cumulus Classic Hits 104.5 WJJK extends its Indianapolis lead up 11.2 to
12.1. Emmis News/Talk 93.1 WIBC slides 10.6 to 9.7, while sister AC B105.7
WYXB jumps up 7.0 to 8.5. Cumulus Country 95.5 WFMS rises 6.0 to 6.4. Radio
One Adult RB 106.7 WTLC-FM is up a half share 5.7 to 6.2.

Both Indianapolis CHRs rise with Cumulus 99.5 WZPL up 3.5 4.2 4.5 and
Radio Ones Radio Now 100.9 WNOW-FM up 1.5 to 2.0. iHeartMedia Alternative
Alt 103.3 WOLT falls 2.3 2.1 1.8 for what Ratings Expert Chris Huff notes
is the lowest share recorded on the frequency since it was Beautiful Music
WXTZ in 1972.

iHeartMedia Classic Hits 95.7 Big-FM WRIT-FM moves back into the Milwaukee market lead rising 9.3 to 10.2, while sister Conservative Talk 1130 WISN
dips 9.7 to 9.5. Saga Classic Rock Hometown Rock 96.5 WKLH jumps up 7.5 to
8.8. Good Karma News/Talk 620 WTMJ rises 7.2 to 7.6. Audacy Hot AC 99.1 The
Mix WMYX is up 5.5 to 5.9.

Public News/Talk 89.7 WUWM-FM trends up 4.5 4.8 5.6 to set a station
record per Huff. iHeartMedia Country 106.1 WMIL is on a see-saw as it moves
4.8 6.9 5.1.

Midwest Communications Variety Hits 96.3 Jack-FM WCJK leads Nashville up
7.2 to 8.2. iHeartMedia Country The Big 98 WSIX-FM is up 6.9 to 7.6.
Cumulus News/Talk 99.7 WTN WWTN rises 6.9 to 7.2. iHeartMedia Hip Hop 101.1
The Beat WUBT rises 6.3 to 6.9. Cumulus Adult RB 92Q WQQK nudges up 6.1 to
6.2.

Trending up in Nashville at iHeartMedia Classic Rock 105.9 The Rock WNRQ
(4.0 4.7 5.3), Cumulus Classic Country 95.5 Nash Icon WSM-FM (4.1 4.3
5.3), and iHeartMedia Conservative Talk 1510/98.3 WLAC (1.7 2.6 3.3).
Cumulus Sports 104.5 The Zone WGFX falls 4.7 to 2.4.

Providence is continued to be led by iHeartMedia Rock 94.1 WHJY as it rises 10.4 to 11.1. Hall Communications Cat Country 98.1 WCTK is off 10.6 to 9.9. Cumulus Media takes the next three spots with AC Lite 105.1 WWLI rising to third 6.0 to 7.0, News/Talk 630 WPRO/99.7 WPRV down 7.0 to 6.9, and CHR 92 Pro-FM WPRO-FM up 6.1 to 6.2.

Hall Classic Hits Big 101.3 1450 WNBH trends up 0.5 0.7 1.6.

Audacy Adult RB 95.7 RB WVKL extends its Norfolk/Virginia Beach lead to
over four and a half share points as it slips 11.1 to 10.6. Saga Rock FM 99 WNOR-FM (5.7 to 5.8) and Audacy AC 101.3 2WD WWDE (6.2 5.8) tie for
second. Sinclair Communications Variety Hits 93.7 Bob-FM WNOB is just
behind in fourth 5.9 to 5.7. Saga Classic Rock 106.9 The Fox WAFX dips 5.6
to 5.5.

Sinclair Country US 106.1 WUSH (3.8 4.2 4.5) and Alternative 96X WROX-FM
(2.4 2.9 3.4) trend up, while Audacy CHR Z104 WNVZ jumps up 2.3 to 3.3.

Cox News/Talk 104.5 WOKV-FM increases its Jacksonville lead 9.6 to 10.2,
while co-owned Classic Rock Eagle 96.9 WJGL is off 9.1 to 9.0. Renda AC
96.1 WEJZ slips 8.7 to 8.3. A pair of Country stations tie for fourth as iHeartMedias 99.1 WQIK slides 7.9 to 6.6 and Rendas 99.9 Gator Country
WGNE-FM is up 6.1 to 6.6.

Cox Soft AC Easy 102.9 WEZI rises 4.0 to 5.6. Public News/Talk 89.9 WJCT-FM trends up 2.8 3.4 3.7, while Cox Sports ESPN 690 WOKV rises 0.4 0.9 1.2.

Audacy Adult RB 97.1 WQMG continues its dominance of
Greensboro/Winston-Salem down 14.2 to 13.4. Dick Broadcasting Classic Rock
Rock 92 WKRR is second 8.9 to 9.0. Audacy Hip Hop 102 Jamz WJMH (8.6 to
8.9) and Variety Hits 98.7 Simon (8.2 to 8.9) tie for third. iHeartMedia Conservative Talk 94.5 WPTI drops 6.5 to 5.7.

Audacy Country 93.1 The Wolf WPAW-FM rises 3.2 to 4.2. iHeartMedia Classic
Rock Real Rock 105.7 WVBZ and Curtis Media Regional Mexican La Ley 96.9

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