By SCOTT FYBUSH
After just over 16 years as Radio Disney’s New York City outlet, WQEW (1560) fell silent Tuesday evening, just ahead of a planned Friday closing date for the sale of the station from Disney ownership to Family Stations.
Family’s $12.95 million purchase of the 50,000-watt signal was announced back in November, and we reported in NERW in December that Family had requested the calls WFME for 1560 once the deal closes.
Whenever Family puts 1560 back on the air – and it’s not clear whether that will happen right away after closing or whether there will be a delay – the new WFME will return Family Radio religious programming to New York listeners two years after Family sold its former New York-market outlet, Newark-licensed 94.7, to Cumulus. (The calls have been parked in the interim up in northern Westchester County on Mount Kisco’s 106.3, which Family got from Cumulus as part of the 94.7 deal; that signal will apparently remain in place as WFME-FM.)
More details in next Monday’s NERW…
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Yes, we have half of 2017 left, but it’s not too early to start thinking about the 2018 Tower Site Calendar. Preorders will begin later this week. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Lisa.
What is the status of the remaining properties? Any bites?
The sale of WFDF-910 in the Detroit market (COL is Farmington Hills) has been completed. The license has been transferred to Church of the Word. It sold for $3 million; not bad for 50 kW/25 kW DA-2. However in December Disney was granted an STA to run less power both day and night because both patterns are out of tolerance. There are several possibilities as to what is causing the problem. The repairs could be expensive. I don’t know if the sale price included Disney paying for the repairs. My guess is it did.
Disney has filed applications to transfer the licenses of WDYZ-990 in Orlando and WMYM-990 in Miami to new owners. The purchase price of WDYZ is $1.3 million and WMYM is $2.1 million. WDYZ is 50 kW/14 kW DA-2. WMYM is 5 kW full time DA-2.
I’m not aware of any other deals in the works.
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