MARC Radio Group is expanding its Florida footprint with a $2.073 million deal to acquire three FMs from Cumulus Media, filling out its presence in two markets along the state’s Atlantic coast.
The transaction includes CHR “A-1-A 107.1” WAOA and country “102.7 The HitKicker” WHKR in the Melbourne-Titusville-Cocoa market, along with classic rock “95.9 The Rocket” WROK in the Fort Pierce-Stuart-Vero Beach market.
MARC will operate the stations under a local marketing agreement pending closing.
The company already owns classic hits “98.5 The Beach” WSBH and country WIXC (1060) in Melbourne-Titusville-Cocoa. Its Fort Pierce-Stuart-Vero Beach cluster includes AC WGYL (93.7), adult hits “99.7 Jack FM” WJKD, soft AC “97.1 The Ocean” WOSN, country “B-94.7” WPHR and “News Talk 1490” WTTB.
Cumulus will exit both markets following the sale.
The acquisition will increase MARC Media Group’s portfolio to 22 radio stations and further expand its coverage across central Florida. The company expanded significantly in February with the acquisition of nine stations serving markets along Florida’s Atlantic I-95 corridor and the Lakeland-Winter Haven area.
With the addition of the three Brevard County signals, MARC Chief Operating Officer Scott Miller said the company is achieving its goal of building broad regional coverage.
“As planned, our signals now pretty much cover a majority of the central Florida peninsula,” Miller said. “We’ve remained true to our objective to bring community-focused, meaningful on-air programming to our growing listener and advertising bases. And we’re just getting started.”
Miller said WAOA, WHKR and WROK have each developed loyal audiences and that MARC plans to invest in growing their listener bases.
“MARC intends to provide each station with the tools needed to grow those audiences even further,” he said. “We are very selective when it comes to bringing stations into the MARC fold, applying a formula we’ve fine-tuned for growth and profitability.”
The transaction remains subject to FCC approval and customary closing conditions.
Meanwhile, Cumulus has closed on its $2.45 million sale of stations in three markets to Radio Training Network. The deal includes country “Nash Icon 93.3” WWFF in the Huntsville, AL market. In Florence, SC, Radio Training Network buys WQPD (100.5), the former sports outlet “100.5 The Game” WWFN. Radio Training Network also gains the Atlanta-licensed translator W250BC at 97.9 FM, which Cumulus had used to air a classic hip-hop format.
Additionally, Family Life Ministries has closed a $2.25 million deal for two stations in two markets from Cumulus Media. They include WWKL (106.7) in the Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, PA market and WLLF (96.7) in the Youngstown-Warren, OH-PA.