Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins has been focused in recent years trying to broaden the reach of its Radio One holdings beyond their core niche formats. Following the 2020 swap with Audacy that netted the company WBT, WFNZ, and WLNK Charlotte, Liggins told investors, “Because we’re a niche broadcaster focusing on African Americans, it became clear to us that in order to continue to build scale in markets that we operate in, we are going to have expand beyond just our urban niche.”
The acquisition of Emmis’ Indianapolis properties announced on Monday continues that process and makes Radio One the dominant radio player in the market. Using data from the April 2022 Nielsen Audio ratings, following the necessary divestitures, the brands held by the combined Radio One/Emmis cluster currently have a 35 share in the market including four of the top five stations. Cumulus, which made a similar consolidation move adding Entercom’s holdings to its own in 2019, follows with a combined 27.5 share. iHeartMedia’s three stations follows with a 9.9 share and then Sarkes Tarzian’s AAA 92.3 WTTS is next on the commercial side with a 3.1 share.
The Combined Cluster
The four brands owned by Emmis bring the needed diversity and success to Radio One. News/Talk 93.1 WIBC is currently ranked second in the market with a 9.0 share. AC “B105.7” WYXB is third with a 8.1. Country “97.1 Hank-FM” WLHK is fifth at a 6.1. Sports “The Fan” 93.5 W228CX/107.5 W298BB/WIBC-HD2, which successfully navigated the loss of its 50kW AM signal last year, is currently at an out-of-football season 2.6 share. The purchase also brings along the WIBC based Network Indiana and the broadcast rights to the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts and NBA’s Indiana Pacers.
Radio One will retain the fourth ranked Adult R&B 106.7 WTLC-FM, Gospel “The Light” 1310 WTLC/92.7 W224DI, and Regional Mexican “La Grande 105.1” W286CM/WNOW-HD2. The intellectual property of Hip Hop “Hot 96.3” WHHH will be retained and likely moved to what is now CHR “Radio Now 100.9” WNOW-FM as the 96.3 license and Radio Now intellectual property will be divested. Urban One also owns Telemundo affiliate WDNI-CD.
Radio One has made a number of changes in Charlotte since acquiring those stations from Audacy, albeit ones that were nowhere near as successful as the ones that will be absorbed from Emmis. Hot AC “107.9 The Link” WLNK was relaunched as “Mix 107.9” following the departures of longtime morning hosts Bob & Sheri, Sports 610 WFNZ added a full powered FM simulcast with their low rated Hip Hop format moved to a translator, and the cluster lost the rights to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers for the upcoming season.
As with most deals that see two groups brought together, there unfortunately will be cuts as “cost-efficiencies” are met. With its core Hip Hop, Adult R&B, and Gospel brands, Radio One utilizes staffers in multiple markets. The company could start to operate other formats that way as it will now have News/Talk and Sports brands in both Charlotte and Indianapolis and there are potential synergies between WLNK and WYXB with on-air talent and programming.
Divestitures
Right now we know the license of 96.3 WHHH and the intellectual property of “Radio Now” will be spun-off. Buyers have not been announced, so until that part is known it is a fools errand to comment on what will happen with each.
What’s Next For Emmis
Emmis has clearly been in wind-down mode of its radio operations for the past several years after selling their Austin, Los Angeles, New York and St. Louis properties over the past five years. The company has made acquisitions in other businesses such as Digonex, Lencore Acoustics and Sound That Brands and maintains some other media properties in Indianapolis Monthly magazine, Gospel 1190 WLIB New York and the license of 98.7 WEPN-FM New York, which is leased to Good Karma Brands. WLIB has been known to be up for sale since the company sold WBLS and WQHT New York to MediaCo in 2019.
The exit from radio operations at Emmis will bring to an end a very important chapter in radio history. The company was responsible for boosting Rhythmic CHR first with the Dance heavy leans at KPWR Los Angeles and WQHT New York and then being at forefront of the Hip Hop explosion in the early 90s with each being the primary station in the then east coast/west coast war. Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan was also responsible for the birth of Sports radio with the launch of WFAN New York in 1987. And the company’s economic struggles in the early 1990s due to losses Smulyan incurred from his purchase of MLB’s Seattle Mariners would lead to the sales of much of the company’s holdings at the time (many of which came from NBC’s own exit from radio in 1988) and change the fate of many operators as the sale of WFAN to Infinity would boost that company to prominence and eventually being absorbed into CBS Radio, while the divestitures would lead to the demise of many then strong brands such as WAVA Washington and WLOL Minneapolis.
