MSG Announces Sale of Free Lance-Star Radio Stations

Here is the press release about the sale of the Free Lance-Star stations in Fredericksburg, VA.  We are please to have represented the seller in this transaction.

FREE LANCE-STAR STATIONS TO BE SOLD

Free Lance–Star Publishing LLC announced Friday that it is selling its four radio stations to Alpha Media of Portland, Ore.

Alpha has agreed to purchase WFLS–FM, WNTX–AM, WVBX–FM and WWUZ–FM, pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Sandton Partners, which purchased The Free Lance–Star in a bankruptcy auction in June, announced late last year that it would sell the Fredericksburg-area stations after being directed by the FCC to divest itself of either the newspaper or its Star Radio Group holdings. “We are proud to have been owners of the Free Lance-Star radio properties,” said Robert Orr, managing director for the company.

“The transaction with Alpha Media gives us great comfort in knowing that the stations will be in very capable hands, and that listeners in the Fredericksburg area will continue to benefit from the excellent entertainment and news programming that they have come to expect from us.” Free Lance–Star and Star Radio Group Chief Executive Officer Gene Carr said Alpha has agreed to keep all employees of the stations, which will continue to operate from the FLS building on Amelia Street. “The staff are an integral part of serving the listeners and advertisers of the Fredericksburg region; I am pleased that the entire staff will be offered employment with Alpha Media,” Carr said.

“We will continue to operate the Star Radio Group until FCC approvals have been finalized and we look forward to seeing the continued growth of these radio stations,” he added. “Alpha Media has an excellent reputation in the industry.”

When completed, the deal will give Alpha a total of 93 radio stations across the country.
“Fredericksburg is a thriving place that continues to grow. It will be a nice addition to our East Coast footprint,” said Alpha Media Chairman Larry Wilson. “I feel privileged to be able to get into that market and work with the great people there.”

In addition to the radio stations; Alpha Media owns the digital media and marketing company Xapsis in Peoria, Ill., and two performance venues, Bing Lounge in Portland, Ore., and Alamo Lounge in San Antonio, Texas.

George Reed of Media Services Group brokered the deal.

Reed Bunzel Launches Radio 2015: The Year Ahead

Veteran radio writer and analyst Reed Bunzel today launched Radio 2015: The Year Ahead, a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. radio Industry. Researched and published by Bunzel Media Resources, Radio 2015: The Year Ahead is designed to help radio broadcasters successfully manage their businesses as traditional industry operations collide with new, disruptive technologies and emerging competitive forces.

The main thrust of this project is a quarterly report that will feature exclusive (and original) reports on the following sectors of the radio business:

• Economic Indicators 
• The Radio Economy 
• Mergers & Acquisitions 
• Digital Disruption 
• The Radio Listener Redefined 
• Impact Issues (Part 1 and Part 2)
• Q&A With Radio's Leaders (Part 1 and Part 2)

Each quarterly report is available on the Bunzel Media Resources website as PDF files that can be read on-screen or downloaded.  

I shared a few of my own thoughts about the station trading marketplace and values for the Mergers & Acquisitions section.  Best wishes for your new project, Reed.

George
Media Services Group

Sale of WMUV and WSOS in Jacksonville closed yesterday

Delmarva Educational Association has completed the acquisition of the assets of radio stations WSOS-FM and WMUV-FM, serving the Jacksonville, Florida market from Renda Broadcasting Corporation. 

Congrats to Stuart Epperson (for buyer) and Tony Renda (for seller). 

I represented the seller in this transaction.

George
Media Services Group