Beasley Broadcasting adult contemporary station, WJBR, edged out Delmarva Broadcasting’s WSTW in overall spring numbers for the Wilmington market.
News-talk station WDEL, which acquired the 101.7 frequency that had been held by R&B-hip hop station. KISS, was a solid No. 4 among the half a dozen stations rated. Ratings had more than doubled at 101.7 since 2013 and the time of the WDEL acquisition.
Despite those numbers – Delmarva, a part of a closely held company that also owns newspapers in the Lancaster, Pa area – doubled down on the news side and acquired the frequency. Delmarva has about a dozen stations overall in an area extending from north Wilmington to Ocean City, MD. It is retaining a large (by radio standards) news operation.
Rounding out the list was Delmarva’s Cecil County country station, WXCY, No. 3; another country station, iHeart’s WDSD, fifth; and iHeart’s talk station WILM, sixth. WILM has added former Philadelphia TV anchor Larry Mendte to its morning drive show. I-Heart was formerly known as Clear Channel.
The Wilmington radio market battles for listeners with Philadelphia, one of the nation’s largest radio markets. The Wilmington market remains No. 79 with a total population of about 600,000.
In other radio news, WSTW morning drive co-host Spencer Graves is headed to St. Louis.
Graves who held down the slot for eight years will go to 106.5, “The Arch,” as a member of the Ricki and Brando morning drive show, the St. Louis Business Journal reported.
Graves brought more of an edgy big-city style to the morning show on the Delmarva station, complete with a brief suspension over a social media photo post. At WSTW, Allen has joined the wake-up crew, which includes Nancy Johnson.
