Entercom Buys Stations From CBS, WILD-FM Boston

[EvanJ]

From All Access Net News:

"Entercom Buys 4 CBS Clusters, WILD-F/Boston
ENTERCOM has purchased CBS RADIO's MEMPHIS, ROCHESTER, AUSTIN, and CINCINNATI clusters for $262 million. The buyer will take over all of the stations except for the ROCHESTER stations in a time brokerage agreement starting in OCTOBER (the company will have to divest two ROCHESTER stations to remain within FCC ownership limits).

In AUSTIN, ENTERCOM gets AC KKMJ (MAJIC 95.5), Modern AC KAMX (MIX 94.7), Top 40/Rhythmic KXBT (THE BEAT 104.3), and Talk KJCE-A. In CINCINNATI, the stations being sold are Country WUBE (B-105), Hot AC WKRQ (Q-102), Oldies WGRR, and Alternative WAQZ (NEW ROCK 97.3). In MEMPHIS, ENTERCOM adds Hot AC WMC-F (FM 100), Alternative WMFS (93X), and Classic Country WMC-A, and in ROCHESTER, CBS is selling AC WRMM (WARM 101.3), Classic Rock WCMF, Top 40 WPXY, and Alternative WZNE (THE ZONE).

ENTERCOM is also purchasing RADIO ONE Urban AC WILD-F/BOSTON and will flip it effective 5:30p (ET) TUESDAY (after a stunt) to simulcast new sister Rock WAAF to provide that station with a better signal in much of the BOSTON market."

From me: I read that WILD-FM already changed to a simulcast of WAAF.

[EvanJ]

www.radioandrecords.com/radiomonitor/news/format/rock/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003020657

TV Coverage For WAAF/WILD Simulcast
Aug. 22, 2006
By Kevin Carter

It's been about 24 hours since Entercom/Boston picked up the 97.7 frequency from Radio One, the former home of urban WILD, with the plan to augment the presence of active rocker WAAF by simulcasting on 97.7. In the run-up to that simulcast, Entercom began stunting on 97.7 --a stunt that attracted the attention of not only the local FOX TV affiliate, but also Boston Mayor Tom Menino.

PD Ron Valeri explains: "We're stunting on 97.7 FM with a comedic-sounding computer voice that has been counting down to our simulcast and also telling lame knock-knock jokes, etc.: 'T-minus 15 hours, 24 minutes, 31 seconds and counting...There once was a man from Nantucket...oops I can't finish that poem on the radio! T-minus 15 hours, 34 minutes, 8 seconds and counting...'"

Apparently, more than one person noticed this unusual programming move, as the stunt was discussed early this morning on local FOX affiliate FOX 25: "In fact, Mayor Menino joined the program to tell the viewers that what they were hearing on 97.7 right now was not a terrorist threat, etc.," says Valeri. "Lots of buzz out there!"

[EvanJ]

100000watts reports that WILD-FM has changed call letters to WKAF.