Radio Catskill in Liberty, N.Y., and WIOX in Roxbury, N.Y., have agreed to a merger, the community radio stations announced Thursday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The stations, which both provide public radio service across the Catskill Mountains, signed a memorandum of understanding to move forward with the merger. Radio Catskill operates WJFF 90.5 FM.<\/p>\n
If the merger is approved, Radio Catskill will acquire \u201csubstantially all\u201d of WIOX\u2019s assets, including its FM license, Radio Catskill GM Tim Bruno told Current in an email.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Radio Catskill will also \u201cintegrate WIOX into a single, combined radio operation under Radio Catskill\u2019s operational management and, ultimately, ownership,\u201d Bruno said. \u201cThe WIOX non-profit may dissolve, which is still to be determined by the WIOX board as everyone works through the details of the PSOA [public service operating agreement] and merger agreements.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis agreement represents a major step forward in our mission to serve the Catskills and Northeast Pennsylvania,\u201d said Pete Madden, president of the Radio Catskill board, in a press release<\/a>. \u201cBy bringing WIOX into the Radio Catskill family, we are strengthening local, independent broadcasting, expanding the reach and impact of our journalism, and ensuring that diverse voices and high-quality programming continue to thrive in our community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The merger was conceived with \u201clong-term financial sustainability at its core,\u201d the release said, adding that it will \u201creduce duplicative costs, increase operational efficiency, and direct more resources toward the programming and community engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n Combining the organizations \u201callows us to build a stronger, more resilient public service that can serve more communities with trusted journalism, culture, and local connection,\u201d Radio Catskill GM Tim Bruno said in the release.\u00a0<\/p>\n WIOX signed on in 2010. In 2014, its license was transferred to WSKG Public Media in Binghamton, N.Y. It has been operating independently with an all-volunteer staff since 2018, according to Joe Piasek, WIOX co-founder, past chair and acting CEO.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, under the leadership of Radio Catskill, the future looks more sustainable than ever,\u201d Piasek said in the release.\u00a0<\/p>\n The merger is subject to regulatory review and approval.\u00a0<\/p>\n