Update 11/4: Just one month after its launch, “105.5 The Whale” is no more as Flagler Broadcasting began operating the station via Time Brokerage Agreement ahead of its purchase on November 1.
Now simply identifying by its frequency with a streamlined Classic Hits format, it appears as though the station will eventually relaunch as “Beach 105.5” duplicating the format at soon to be sister Variety Hits “Beach 92.7” WBHQ Beverly Beach. Flagler Broadcasting registered Beach1055.com on 10/24 and a Facebook page is already live for the new station.
Original Report 10/24: David Mitchell’s Air Augustine has sold 105.5 WALE St. Augustine Beach, FL just months after acquiring the station and weeks after launching a new format.
In June, Air Augustine purchased what was then Hot AC WYRE from Steve Kingston’s Cortana Media for $700,000. At the beginning of October the new owners flipped the station to Adult Rock “105.5 The Whale” WALE.
Now just weeks later the company is selling the station to Flagler Broadcasting for $400,000. The new owners own a cluster of stations just to the south of St. Augustine in adjacent Flagler County: Variety Hits “Beach 92.7” WBHQ Beverly Beach, Country “Kix Country 98.7” WAKX Palm Coast, Soft AC “Easy Oldies 100.9” W265CF Palm Coast/WBHQ-HD3, and News/Talk 1550 WNZF Bunnell/106.3 W292DE Palm Coast.
Flagler Broadcasting will begin operating WALE via a Time Brokerage Agreement on Saturday, November 1.