In May 1999, Citadel Communications (today a part of Cumulus Media) continued its acquisition binge by agreeing to purchase a 10-station group in a $63.5 million stock deal that included some assumption of debt. This marked the end of co-ownership in radio stations by J.J. Jeffrey, who partnered in Maine-based Fuller-Jeffrey Group.
Station ownership came after a successful career behind the mic. Now, many are pausing to remember Jeffrey, who has died at the age of 84 after a brief illness.
News of Jeffrey’s passing was shared by the Maine Association of Broadcasters.
Jeffrey first rose to prominence as a “new” incarnation of “Melvin X. Melvin” at Top 40 WMEX-AM in Boston; Jim MacKrell used that air name at WMEX in December 1963, but it was Jeffrey who used it circa 1965. At the time, WMEX was one of New England’s leading Top 40 stations, competing briefly against WBZ and across its lifespan with WRKO — which Jeffrey joined in 1967 for an afternoon drive program.
In 1969, Jeffrey jumped to another big Top 40 station of its era: WFIL-AM 560 in Philadelphia. Then came a giant heard across multiple states after dark — WLS-AM 890 in Chicago.
From that success, Jeffrey decided to become a radio station owner back home. The Portland, Me., native partnered with Bob Fuller, who also enjoyed an on-air career, to acquire WBLM-FM 107.5 (today WFNK-FM) and establish it as an Album-Oriented Rocker. This led to the acquisition of other stations, including WJBQ-FM in Portland, WCLZ-FM in Brunswick, WCYI-FM in Lewiston, WCYY-FM in Biddleford and WXBB-FM in Kittery, Me.; and WHOM-FM in Mt. Washington, WOKQ-FM in Dover, WPKQ-FM in Berlin and WXBP-FM in Hampton, N.H.
Circa June 1986, Fuller-Jeffrey also owned stations in Iowa and in the California markets of Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz and Sacramento. Serving as an Executive VP at the time, working from California, was Bob Caron. In early 1989, the company added an AM/FM combo in Santa Rosa, Calif., pairing it with a Chico, Calif., property it had also acquired in the mid-1980s.
After the sale of Fuller-Jeffrey, Mr. Jeffrey continued to serve as an owner of radio stations through Atlantic Coast Radio, licensee of three FMs, two AMs and an FM translator in the Portland, Me., market. Fuller acquired Jeffrey’s stake in that company at the end of 2022.
Jeffrey and Bob Fuller were inducted into the Maine Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1997.
