Radio-station acquisitions give Cumulus big boost
With its pending acquisition of three Entercom Communications Corp. stations, Cumulus Media Inc. is set to become the biggest, most-listened-to radio company in the Indianapolis market.
With its pending acquisition of three Entercom Communications Corp. stations, Cumulus Media Inc. is set to become the biggest, most-listened-to radio company in the Indianapolis market.
A sports talk show host and drive-time disc jockey were among a dozen employees let go Tuesday as radio giant Cumulus prepared to take over the Entercom stations.
Listeners won’t immediately detect changes at top 40 WZPL-FM 99.5, adult contemporary WNTR-FM 107.9 and sports-talker WXNT-AM 1430, which Cumulus media has agreed to acquire.
Cumulus has made a deal to trade a station in New York and two stations in Springfield, Massachusetts to Entercom Communications in exchange for three Entercom stations in Indianapolis, including WZPL-FM 99.5.
Tom Stemlar is out as Cumulus Media’s Indianapolis market manager, a move that surprised some advertisers. He was replaced by a radio veteran who most recently oversaw stations in Cincinnati.
For the first time since November 2013, the country station in April was the most-listened-to radio station in central Indiana, according to New York-based Nielsen Media Research.
The San Antonio-based company is the second major radio player in the Indianapolis market to seek bankruptcy protection in recent months. In November, Atlanta-based Cumulus Media filed for Chapter 11.
The San Antonio-based company would be the second major radio station owner in the Indianapolis market to file for Chapter 11 in recent months. Atlanta-based Cumulus Media filed in November.
WRWM-FM 93.9 once again is changing its format—and its call letters. Despite some listener discontent, Cumulus officials say they are confident in the change.
The company, whose Indianapolis holdings include WFMS-FM 95.5 and WJJK-FM 104.5, said station operations will continue as normal as it seeks to shed more than $1 billion in debt.
Chris Wheat, a radio executive for more than 40 years, was general manager of Q95 during the station’s run of ratings and revenue dominance.
Cumulus hired its first Indianapolis market manager in 3-1/2 years, and the succeeding tweaks in WJJK’s playlist and on-air presentation have vaulted the local station to the No. 1 spot.
Boom 102.9 FM likely will have a different vibe from the throwback station launched by Cumulus Media last December that briefly skyrocketed to the top of ratings.
National broadcaster iHeartMedia Inc. plans to saddle up for a shootout with local cowboy crooners WFMS-FM 95.5 and WLHK-FM “Hank” 97.1. It’s buying the local Radio Disney station at 98.3 FM.
Indianapolis radio station WRWM-FM 93.9 rocketed from the 15th-most-listened-to station in central Indiana in December to No. 1 in January—its first full month playing old school hip-hop.
Three Emmis Communications Corp. stations in February were near the top in local radio ratings, behind only Radio One’s No. 1 rated WHHH-FM 96.3, in the broad category of listeners age 6 and up.
WHHH-FM rises to the top of the dial with some recent fine-tuning, and as the top two country stations in the market duke it out for listeners.
The move has local radio executives wondering if the comedy show might move up the Indianapolis FM dial as well. Meanwhile, conservative commentator Abdul will switch to weekday evenings on WIBC.
WFMS-FM 95.5 has taken back its Indianapolis country music radio crown from WLHK-FM 97.1 “The Hank,” but barely.
WLHK-FM 97.1 “Hank FM" has put a backwoods butt-whupping on country rival WFMS-FM 95.5 to take the No. 1 spot in the metro Indianapolis radio market.