Brian and Kevin Lilly have moved ahead with the acquisition of a group of stations within a short drive of their family-run company’s headquarters in Erie, Pa. With the FCC’s approval, they’ll be gaining ownership of two AMs and four FMs serving a Western New York city and one AM and four FMs targeting a city in far Northeastern Ohio.
The just-filed deal, which was actually consummated on November 11, sees Lilly Broadcasting create a new entity that would become the licensee of Media One Holdings’ following properties:
| Call Sign | Facility ID | File Number | Service | City, State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WZOO-FM | 7819 | 0000285655 | FM | EDGEWOOD, OH |
| WYBL | 87818 | 0000285656 | FM | ASHTABULA, OH |
| WHUG | 65591 | 0000285657 | FM | JAMESTOWN, NY |
| W267CN | 200320 | 0000285658 | FX | JAMESTOWN, NY |
| WFXJ-FM | 76320 | 0000285659 | FM | NORTH KINGSVILLE, OH |
| WWSE | 29919 | 0000285660 | FM | JAMESTOWN, NY |
| WQFX-FM | 39622 | 0000285661 | FM | RUSSELL, PA |
| WJTN | 29922 | 0000285662 | AM | JAMESTOWN, NY |
| WREO-FM | 54566 | 0000285663 | FM | ASHTABULA, OH |
| WFUN | 54565 | 0000285664 | AM | ASHTABULA, OH |
| WKSN | 65592 | 0000285665 | AM | JAMESTOWN, NY |
| WKZA | 48736 | 0000285666 | FM | LAKEWOOD, NY |
It’s a $4 million transaction, with a $200,000 deposit made by Lilly to Media One, which is led by President James T Embrescia. The remaining funds will be paid in cash at closing, likely via the “Glenora Radio Network,” based on the LMS filing with the FCC for its regulatory approval.
Serving as Media One’s legal counsel in this transaction is David Oxenford of Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP. For the buyer, it is John C. Trent of Putbrese, Hunsacker & Trent.
With the acquisitions, Lilly Broadcasting is expanding its radio holdings to adjacent markets from Erie, Pa., and Corning-Elmira, N.Y., where it owns and operates broadcast TV stations. And, it brings more radio stations to a company that in early 2020 agreed to purchase WICU-FM in Lawrence Park, Pa., a station branded as “Happi 92.7” serving Erie, Pa.
Lilly’s original radio properties, WENY-AM & FM in Elmira, N.Y., were sold to White Broadcasting in 2000. The stations are presently owned and operated by Sound Communications.
Since then, it has developed unique ABC and The CW Network feeds to the U.S. Virgin Islands, and a unique WSEE feed to Puerto Rico. Also in the mix is WZMQ-19 in
Marquette, Mich., and ABC affiliate KITV-4 in Honolulu, serving all of Hawaii. Kevin and his brother, Brian Lilly, manage KITV for their father’s SJL Broadcast Management.
Three radio stations and an FM translator serving Warren, Pa., near Jamestown, N.Y., were acquired in 2019 by Lilly Broadcasting of Pennsylvania from the Frank Iorio-led Radio Partners, LLC. The properties — Class D News/Talk WNAE-AM 1310 and FM translator W244DY at 96.7 MHz; Class B Classic Hits WRRN-FM 92.3; and Class A “Kinzua Country” WKNB-FM 104.3 (now WNAE-FM) — came at a purchase price of $900,000. However, Brian Lilly does not hold ownership interest in these properties and as such were not listed in the “Other Broadcast Ownership” filing with the FCC. Rather, family member Kevin Lilly holds 100% interest in this licensee.
