Townsquare Media Takes A Trio Of AMs Dark

Inside Radio ^ | January 13, 2023 | Staff Writer

[WXRGina]

It is a dangerous time for AMs. Electric rates are at their highest point in decades and advertising is soft in some markets as clients take a wait-and-see approach to the 2023 economy where talk of a potential recession continues. The result is Townsquare Media has powered down a trio of its AM stations.

“Due to economic conditions in the market, the licensee was forced to take the station off the air temporarily,” Townsquare says in each of its filings with the FCC. It is not, however, turning in the license, leaving the door open to be back on the air at some point. “The licensee will promptly notify the Commission when it is able to resume station operations,” Townsquare said.

In the Danbury, CT market, Townsquare has silenced WINE (940). The station has been airing a country music format as it simulcast country sister “105.5 The Wolf” WDBY. Townsquare also owns rock “I-95” WRKI in the Danbury market.

In Maine, the company has also powered down adult standards “Kool 1490” WTVL Waterville, ME. Townsquare has operated the station from its Augusta-Waterville, ME cluster where it owns country “B-95” WEBB, CHR “92 Moose” WMME, and alternative WJZN (1400) – with a simulcast on the Augusta, ME-licensed translator W240DH at 95.9 FM.

As Inside Radio reported earlier, WYOS (1360) in the Binghamton, NY market has gone dark as well. The station had been airing sports programming from CBS Sports Radio. General Manager Mary Beth Walsh told WIVT-TV that the format was not supported by local advertisers, questioning its return to the same format if and when the company can solve its technical issues. In the STA filing, Townsquare Media says the station has been off the air since Dec. 28, 2022, due to an auxiliary transmitter failure.

Even with the ability to pair an FM translator with an AM station, the number of AMs continues to slide. The FCC reported this week that its tally of AMs fell to another new low not seen in decades at the end of December. The Media Bureau says there were 4,509 licensed AMs at the end of last month, a drop of one percent from a year earlier.

[George from New England]

It’s the late to the spectrum daytimers that shut down at night that are abandoning their operation.

For instance 700 WLW in Cincinatti on a clear channel. There was at one time maybe a dozen other daytimes on the same frequency that had to turn off at night. At a time that was a business model that still worked. Not today. Can’t pay their bills no more.

[WXRGina]

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