JVC Agrees To Acquire A Silent College Radio Operation

It was described as “a professional full-service college radio station operated, programmed and engineered by students and staff featuring music, talk, sports, news, information, and remote broadcasts.”

Pending FCC approval, this dark broadcast facility will become the property of the radio broadcasting company owned by John Caracciolo.

“The Sound of Five Towns College,” WFTU-AM 1570 in Riverhead, N.Y., and W285FX at 104.9 MHz, are being acquired by Caracciolo’s JVC Media from Dix Hills-based Five Towns College.

The deal comes after Five Towns College voluntarily discontinued WFTU and took the facilities silent under Special Temporary Authority on March 8.

It’s now up to JVC to resume broadcasts on WFTU and W285FX before the clock strikes midnight on August 25.

No cash is being handed to the college by JVC. However, in lieu of any financial payments, the following obligations were spelled out in an asset purchase agreement:

This suggests that JVC intends to work with Five Towns College to help foster the next generation of broadcasters. Writing via e-mail to RBR+TVBR, Caracciolo said, “It was a good deal for both Five Towns College and JVC — not only a great deal but we get access to a young talent pool of college students that love the business of radio, so it is a win-win for all. Anytime we can keep young students excited about this business it is a huge victory for radio. The President of Five Towns College, David Cohen, knows this and it was an easy decision to bring these two facilities into the JVC family. We are working on a format that will be a nice addition to Long Island, something that maybe ‘dares to be different.'”

The “Dare to be Different” motto was long-associated with the former Alternative WLIR-FM, which became WDRE-FM in the late 1980s.

“Anytime we can keep young students excited about this business it is a huge victory for radio.” — John Caracciolo

Serving as JVC’s legal counsel is Frank Montero of Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth. Representing the school is Tepper Law Firm.