Lauren International is selling Full Service AC 1450 WJER/100.9 W265DL Dover-New Philadelphia OH to crosstown WTUZ Inc. for an undisclosed amount.
The Joanne Obermiller led WTUZ Inc. owns “Z Country 99.9” WTUZ Uhrichsville. Lauren International had acquired WJER from the estate of Gary Petricolo in February 2022 for $300,000. The company owns multiple manufacturing companies and a local internet service provider.
Lauren International CEO Kevin Gray commented, “In WTUZ we have a buyer who understands the importance of local media with decades of success in broadcasting. This strengthens the reach and resources of both stations and provides Tuscarawas County with continued access to local news, local sports, and vital community information.”
Obermiller, who took over leadership of WTUZ from her late fiancé Ed Schumacher, who had founded the station in 1990, said, “Ed worked for Gary Petricola at WJER for a decade where he developed the passion to start his own station in 1990. Ed loved radio and this community, and he gave an abundance of time to help make Tuscarawas County an even better place to live and work. Ed was very proud of what WTUZ and its employees provided to the community, and he would have jumped at the chance to continue WJER’s legacy alongside WTUZ. Together we can do even more incredible things, in honor of what Ed and Gary each instilled in their stations.”
The stations will each retain their current formats and staffs with both Amy Smith at WJER and Jarrod Slabaugh at WTUZ remaining in place as General Manager of their respective stations.
