TORONTO — There will be no death sentence for a 2,500-watt Class A FM serving the capital of Canada and neighbouring Gatineau, Québec. That’s because Evanov Communications, with hours to spare, secured a buyer for the Ottawa radio station known as “Lite 98.5.”
The buyer is Torres Media Group, and it reached an agreement with Evanov late last week to acquire CJWL-FM for an undisclosed price.
The deal eliminated a previously announced September 20 shutdown for the station. In fact, a September 5 revelation that Evanov planned to cease operations at CJWL and two other FMs resulted in the stations being sold to other operators, negating any need for a move similar to Corus Entertainment when it suddenly pulled the plug on CHML-AM 900 in Hamilton, Ont., a few weeks ago.
CHRC-FM in Clarence-Rockland, Ont. and CKHK-FM in Hawkesbury, Ont., were sold by Evanov to GO FM, a non-profit operator, in news that surfaced last Thursday.
ECI President and CEO Paul Evanov commented, “I am so thrilled that Torres and ECI agreed to keep the station on the air. As an incumbent with a stand-alone station in the Ottawa market, like we have been, we know that a sister station for Torres’ Rebel 101.7 will provide a better competitive environment and efficiencies for the success of both stations. We also know that as a smaller, more locally-focused broadcaster, Torres is well equipped to succeed from day one”.
Ed Torres, CEO of Torres Media Group, added, “The acquisition of a second station in Ottawa is an exciting opportunity for our company that will give us a more competitive offering for our advertisers. Our SkyWords Division has operated in Ottawa since 1995, we started our first radio station here in 2010. We know the market well and our local ownership will continue to drive our business. This opportunity in Ottawa represents a significant milestone for our company.”
Plans are already underway to prepare all the necessary business and CRTC regulatory filings “to ensure the fastest track possible for the transfer to Torres.”
