In 1995, the first General Sales Manager of famed New York Top 40 station “Z100,” Gary Fisher, began buying radio stations, and today serves as owner and President of Equity Communications of Atlantic City, N.J.
In late June, Fisher sold one of the FMs in his stable along the Jersey Shore in a deal brokered by Kalil & Co. Now, Fisher is signing off on the divestment of four other FMs in South Jersey. The buyer of these properties? The current owner of Z100.
According to an announcement distributed by iHeartMedia on Monday, it has reached an agreement with Fisher’s Equity to the following stations in the Atlantic City radio market, an extension of the Philadelphia DMA:
- Class B WAYV-FM 95.1 in Atlantic City, N.J., a Hot Adult Contemporary station
- Class B WZXL-FM 100.7F in Wildwood, a Classic Rocker
- Class A WZBZ-FM 99.3 “The Buzz,” in Pleasantville, a Top 40
- Class A WTTH-FM 96.1 in Margate City, an Adult R&B
Speaking of the transaction, which had not yet been posted in the FCC’s LMS as of 1:15pm Eastern on Monday, iHeartMedia President of Market Groups Hartley Adkins said, “This acquisition underscores our commitment to broadcast radio’s continued growth and success as the no. 1 reach medium in the U.S. These stations have a long history of success in South Jersey, and adding them to our roster will allow us to extend the iHeart brand to this market. We are excited to have the teams at WAYV, WZXL, WTTH and WZBZ join the iHeart family and look forward to collaborating together and continuing their growth trajectory.”
In prepared comments, Fisher said, “We’re delighted to convey the Equity stations to iHeart. These are world-class stations with world-class staff, and it’s only fitting they should join the country’s biggest audio company. I’m confident they will continue to flourish & prosper under iHeart’s stewardship.”
Equity acquired WAYV in June 1996.
