Sandwiched between the Washington, D.C., DMA to the north and Richmond to the south, the Fredericksburg, Va. marketplace has long enjoyed its own local media, in particular on the radio. Alpha Media plays here, but so does an operation overseen by radio industry veteran Allen Shaw.
While Shaw sold WINC-FM 92.5 in nearby Winchester, audible across much of the National Capital Region, to K-LOVE parent Educational Media Foundation, he kept the Fredericksburg AM/FM combo linked to Centennial Broadcasting II.
Now, he’s growing, not selling, in Fredericksburg and adjacent Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties.
Centennial has agreed to purchase Class A WGRQ-FM “SuperHits 95.9” in Fairview Beach, Va., and WGRX-FM “Thunder 104.5” in Falmouth, Va., from Telemedia Broadcasting. They’ll be paired with WBQB “B101.5,” a giant which can be heard all the way to L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., and WFVA-AM 1230, a News/Talk station.
Call it market consolidation, as Nielsen Audio market No. 138 is reduced to two local operators: Centennial and Alpha Media. While some stations from the Washington, D.C., market can be heard in Fredericksburg, Va., market, as can Audacy’s WTVR-FM in Richmond, local radio dominates. In fact, in the Spring 2025 ratings, WBQB was No. 1 with a 9.0 share, while WGRQ was No. 3 with a 6.6 share and WGRX was No. 4 with a 4.0.
WFLS, owned by Alpha Media, was No. 2 with an 8.7 share.
Shaw, who serves as Centennial’s President/CEO, said, “The addition of WGRQ-FM and WGRX-FM to our WBQB-FM and WFVA-AM platform marks an important step in Centennial’s growth strategy. With their strong community presence and loyal audience, delivering exceptional value to advertisers, engaging our listeners, and serving Fredericksburg and its surrounding communities.”
The transaction is expected to close later this year, pending approval from the FCC.
No purchase price has been revealed as of this writing.
— With reporting by Cameron Coats
