NERW Extra: Disney Off in NYC

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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