After reports of the acquisition of 1240 WTON Staunton VA and translators 98.9 W255DS Harrisonburg and 101.1 W266BQ Crozet became public, Monticello Media cut ties with Conservative Talk C-Ville 107.5” WCHV-FM Charlottesville PD/morning host Joe Thomas over the weekend.
Thomas, who had served in those roles since 2007, noted he was let go on Saturday writing, “For someone that works with words I’ve been carefully considering how to say this without sounding negative… Here goes… I was let go by WCHV ownership on Saturday. As with the end of all relationships, there is what I would say about what precipitated it and what they might say. Since they are not here to tell you their view, I will not taint your determinations with mine. That said, I hope to be able to talk to you again soon.”
He added this morning that he is working on an LMA to begin operating WTON sooner, had meetings with stations in Charlottesville and to the east about carrying his show, and plans to launch a live streaming show in the interim once a new computer arrives.
Original Report 3/29: Longtime Charlottesville VA programmer and Conservative Talk host Joe Thomas and wife Elaine Thomas’ Thomas Media LLC is acquiring 1240 WTON Staunton VA and translators 98.9 W255DS Harrisonburg and 101.1 W266BQ Crozet from Stu-comm Inc. for $275,000.
Joe Thomas has served as Program Director and morning host at Monticello Media’s “C-Ville 107.5” WCHV-FM Charlottesville since 2007. He previously hosted talk shows at WCOJ Coatesville PA and WDEL Wilmington DE and hosted mornings at multiple stations across the northeast including WTSS Buffalo NY, WPXC Hyannis MA, WLAN-FM Lancaster PA, WRCN Riverhead NY, WLFX Salisbury MD, and WBHV State College PA. Thomas also serves as a commentator for WCAV-TV and co-founded the regionally syndicated The Afternoon Constitutional.
Stu-comm had acquired the former Sports “ESPN 1240 The Boss” WTON and Classic Hits “Star 94.3” WTON-FM last October for $550,000 flipping the pair to their non-commercial AAA network based at 91.9 WNRN-FM Charlottesville.
