John Fuller’s Red Wolf Broadcasting has announced the acquisition of Classic Rock “102.9 The Whale” WDRC-FM Hartford, Talk simulcast “Talk of Connecticut” 610 WSNG Torrington/1360 WDRC Hartford/1470 WMMW Meriden CT, and Alternative “Mod 102.3” W272DO New Haven CT from Connoisseur Media for an undisclosed price.
With an immediate LMA taking place, W272DO immediately flipped to part of the company’s Spanish CHR “Bomba” network heard on 104.1 WMRQ-HD2, 97.1 W246CC Bolton, 98.5 W253BQ Merdien, 99.5 W258AL Clinton/Waterbury, 104.5 W283BS Bridgeport, and 1490 WSPR Springfield MA. The stations join Alternative “Radio 104.1” WMRQ Waterbury and Oldies “Kool Radio” 990 WNTY/96.1 W241CG Southington in Red Wolf’s Hartford cluster.
Not included in the sale is WDRC simulcaster 1240 WWCO Waterbury or Connoisseur’s properties in Fairfield and New Haven Counties in Connecticut. Red Wolf also owns Spanish CHR “Latina 100.3” WKKB Middletown/Providence RI and stations in the New London CT and Springfield MA markets.
Red Wolf Broadcasting Corp. announced today that it has reached an agreement to purchase five Connoisseur Media stations including WDRC-AM, WDRC- FM, Hartford, CT, WSNG, Torrington, WMMW, Meriden and MOD 102 (W272DO) New Haven. Red Wolf will take over operations immediately under a Local Marketing Agreement, the sale is subject to FCC approval and for an undisclosed price.
There will be no major programming changes at WDRC AM & FM. MOD 102, New Haven, CT became, Bomba 102 this morning, simulcasting Red Wolf’s statewide Spanish radio network.
Red Wolf is owned by local Connecticut broadcaster John Fuller who said, “WDRC AM & FM are legendary stations”. He added, “102.9 The Whale is one of the top rated stations in the Hartford Radio Market and WDRC-AM 1360 AM “The Talk of Connecticut” has an extremely loyal audience we intend to expand.”“Jeff Warshaw and Connoisseur Media have done an extraordinary job acquiring and building their stations”, Fuller said. The current Connoisseur employees will remain in place and will be given an opportunity to join our team when the ownership change is approved.”
“We are so pleased that these stations will be part of a company that is so dedicated to local service. John is a terrific broadcaster”, said Jeffrey D. Warshaw, Connoisseur’s CEO.“There has never been a better time to be a local broadcaster, people are on the go and radio goes with them in the car, all day at work and radio has doubled its listening potential with online streaming”. Fuller added, “I have a passion for the radio industry and my team thrives on being involved in the community.
Red Wolf’s VP/Programming Brian Ram added, “We are live and local in the communities we serve and it’s an exciting time to grow our local company with 5 more stations of this caliber”.Fuller started his first radio station WJJF at aged 21 in Hope Valley, Rhode Island. He owns and operates stations in Hartford including Radio 104.1 WMRQ and Bomba Radio 97.1, 98.5, 99.5 and 104.5 as well as, Kool Oldies 990 AM and 96.1 FM WNTY, Southington and 6 stations in New London, CT including Station of The Year, Softrock 106.5 WBMW, Jammin 107.7 WWRX,
94.9 News Now WJJF, U.S. Country 99.5 and KOOL 1180 AM WSKP. In addition, he owns WSPR AM 1490 and 104.5 & WACM 1270 and 100.1 FM in Springfield, Massachusetts and Latina 100.3 WKKB Providence, Rhode Island. He is co-owner of Eagle Country 97.5 WTNN a country station in Burlington, Vermont.
Connoisseur currently owns/operates 38 radio stations and digital brands in 11 markets.
Michael J. Bergner, from Boca Raton, FL brokered the transaction.
I wonder if they’ll move WDRC FM/AM to Glastonbury with Radio 104.1 and BOMBA or if they’ll move Radio 104.1 and BOMBA to Bloomfield.