Friday, December 19, 2003

Two Down, One To Go?

Last week we detailed Nassau Broadcasting’s purchase of the six stations in Maine that make up the Bach network and two sister facilities along the entire Maine Coast. We also said there were two more groups that Lou Mercatanti was looking at. Well, the purchase of number 2 was announced this week. Lou is buying the five radio stations of the WMTW group. Tom Taylor’s Inside Radio has aptly dubbed it Nassau Far North. The sale is radio only. The group will continue to own their TV station. The list: WMTM, Gorham; WMTM-FM, North Windham; WMEK-FM, Auburn; WLAM, Lewiston and WTHT, Lewiston. The formats include, News-Talk, Hot AC and Country.

Is Lou done? We hear there is one more group in his sights. How many stations does Maine have, anyway?? Will Nassau Far North become the largest owner of Maine Radio Stations? Could be.

The Great 107 Experiment Crashes Tuesday

It was a great idea. Buy suburban radio stations around a major city, all on the same frequency and wind up with a major market station, without the major market price. In New Jersey, Country Y107 in Long Branch. Big City Radio files for delisting and to dissolve. The stockholders will probably get nothing or close to nothing. It was an interesting experiment, and it didn’t work. The big difference between this and the very wildly successful combination of suburban stations (Greater NY Radio) put together by Greater Media many years ago was the Big City group tried to become one station. While the Greater NY deal was to super serve the local communities, and combine the ratings for sales purposes only.

 E-Mail and E-Mail Only

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Get In The Mix

The Mixx, the hot new happening nightclub at the Borgota, in Atlantic City is the scene of the opening reception of the New Jersey Broadcasters Association annual convention at 6:00pm, June 7, 2004. The event will kick off the Mid Atlantic States Conference, running through the next day, until the closing reception “Waves of Change” at 4:15 pm on the 8^th.  In between both receptions, the meeting is loaded with important educational events for all disciplines in a broadcast station. Engineers will have sessions about the Broadcast Inspection program, sellers well be treated to a new concept in how to sell more accounts, both little and big, programmers will have a session on brainstorming the programming of a new station in a market, and GM’s will learn how to keep their license. Registration will open soon. Be the first to register your station.    

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