On June 22, 2021, the founder and operator of an eclectic Americana-focused Adult Alternative FM with a Class A signal blanketing Northern Dutchess County and parts of northeastern Connecticut died. With the passing of Will Stanley, his widow Barbara assumed control of this station and its FM translator at 105.9 MHz.
Now, Barbara Stanley has decided to sell WKZE-FM. The buyer has been associated with the Hofstra University radio station for some two decades.
Andrew Gladding, who circa September 2003 handled the music for WRHU-FM in Hempstead, N.Y., and has been its Chief Engineer for nearly a decade, is buying WKZE in Salisbury, Conn., and W290BZ in Red Hook, N.Y.
Through his AK22 Media and associated entity FM Pilot LLC, Gladding is paying $515,000 to the Stanley family’s Willpower Media.
A $25,000 earnest money escrow deposit is being held by the law firm of Rini O’Neil P.C.
Serving as Barb Stanley’s broker of record is Charles Williamson of Digital Radio Engineering, Inc.
Ms. Stanley presently resides in Ocala, Fla., while Gladding is based in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Gladding is also the Chief Engineer for Salem Media Group’s WNYM-AM 970 and WMCA-AM 570 in New York. He previously served in engineering and technical roles at WQHT “Hot 97” in New York; at WBLS-FM in New York; and for Westwood One Radio Networks. Gladding is also active with in the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE).
With Gladding as owner, WKZE is expected to continue serving the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York as one of its more beloved and unique radio stations. It signed on under Will Stanley in February 1993 with programming designed to emulate WDST-FM “Radio Woodstock” in that station’s early years, prior to a switch to Alternative under then-Music Director Nic Harcourt. In early 2006, WKZE moved its offices and studios to the Dutchess County town of Red Hook, N.Y., from Sharon, Conn.
