Delmarva Broadcasting is selling most of its holdings in the crowded Salisbury, MD radio market.
RadioInsight reported that WKTT-FM (Cat Country) and WICO-AM will be sold to Rothschild Broadcasting, with WICO-FM going to GSB Broadcasting. The company will retain one station in the market that extends into Delaware.
The website also reported that the Rothschild stations will go for $300,000.
The stations will be headed by Robin Rothschild, who returns the ownership side after selling off stations on Delmarva a number of years ago.
She has remained visible in the Delmarva media radio and TV market.
GSB Broadcasting has a station on Chincoteague VA.
The transaction would leave Delmarva with nine stations including flagships WDEL and WSTW in the Wilmington area, as well as stations in the Milford-Lewes area and Cecil County, MD.
“The sale is part of our strategy to focus on our core markets across the state of Delaware and northeastern Maryland which represent 95 percent of our business,” said Michael Reath, Delmarva vice president and general manager.
“The much larger piece of our plan to grow the company happened earlier this year when we purchased WJKS and WFAI from QC Communications in Wilmington. This allowed us to put WDEL 1150 AM on to 101.7 FM which has been a tremendous success. The station saw a 79 percent increase in its audience after just three months,” Reath said.
Delmarva is owned by Steinman Communications, Lancaster, PA. The company also owns newspapers and a commercial printing company in the Lancaster area.
The Salisbury Market is crowded with iHeart Radio, formerly Clear Channel and Adams Broadcasting among the major players. Adams has made a number of moves in the market to solidify its position. It is also moving studios in Georgetown to Salisbury.
Adams, a Minnesota-based company with interests in radio, newspapers and billboards, acquired the Great Scott radio stations on Delmarva in a deal announced last year. The family company also owns the Newark Post newspaper in Delaware.
The Salisbury market ranks as the 138th largest in the nation, with the Wilmington area coming in at No. 79.
