Nassau Broadcasting is the debtor-in-possession which has auctioned off its group, and Goldman Sachs and P.E. Capital among Nassau’s backers looking for a payoff. The two bought 10 of Nassau’s stations, and here’s a look at what they got and who will run it.
The two finance companies are acquiring 10 stations that cover a fairly compact portion of western New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, including stations in Trenton NJ, Allentown-Bethlehem PA and Wilkes Barre-Scranton PA.
The price of the acquisition is $38.7M, in the form of a credit bid. The companies are using licensee name NB Broadcasting LLC, and have named Douglas M. Pluss president. Pluss will also be on a board that will oversee NB and which will eventually include five members.
Here’s a look at what’s in the NB Broadcasting portfolio.
Allentown-Bethlehem PA
WODE-FM Easton PA: Class B on 99.9 MHz with 50 kW @ 49’
WTKZ-AM Allentown PA: Class B on 1320 kHz with 750 W-D, 195 W-N, DAN
WEEX-AM Easton PA: Class C on 1230 kHz with 840 W-D, 1 kW-N, DAD
WBYN-AM Lehighton PA: Class B on 1160 kHz with 4 kW-D, 1 kW-N, DA2
WWYY-FM Belvidere NJ: Class A on 107.1 MHz with 1.2 kW @ 719’
* WODE is the crown jewel of the entire package of stations being picked up. Known as Class Hits The Hawk, it gets into Wilkes Barre-Scranton in addition to being one of the top stations in the Allentown market.
* WEEX and WTKZ bring ESPN Sports into the Allentown market, with WTKZ centered on its Allentown city of license just as WEEX is centered in Easton, the market’s outpost to the east.
* WBYN-AM is oriented northwest of Allentown and uses a religious format.
* WWYY-FM has a contour that mirrors that of the two Stroudsburg PA stations below, but picks up listeners in both Allentown and Wilkes Barre-Scranton despite failing to hit either with a 60 dBu signal.
Wilkes Barre-Scranton PA
WVPO-AM Stroudsburg PA: Class D on 840 kHz with 250 W-D, ND
WSBG-FM Stroudsburg PA: Class A on 93.5 MHz with 550 W @ 764’
* Stroudsburg is between and to the east of Wilkes Barre-Scranton and Allentown-Bethlehem. The AM is a news-talker, the FM is an AC that says it plays The Pocono’s Best Variety. The FM has a presence in WB-Scranton.
Trenton NJ
WCHR-AM Trenton NJ: Class B on 920 kHz with 1.4 kW-D, 1 kW-N, DA2
WPST-FM Trenton NJ: Class B on 94.5 MHz with 50 kW @ 492’
WNJE-AM Flemington NJ: Class B on 1040 kHz with 15 kW-D, 1.5 kW-N, DA3
* WPST is a Top 40 outlet which beyond being a big player in the Trenton market has the added benefit of picking up ratings in Philadelphia. The two AMs would have to be considered long on potential and short on current results insofar as ratings are concerned.
