WKDN-FM Camden NJ is headed for the portfolio of Merlin Media, where it will represent the company’s third market and fourth station. It is for all intents and purposes a stick deal – the seller is noncommercial Family Stations. And this just in — we’re told cheesesteaks may have a role in the station’s format.
The station is one of Family Radio’s prime big-market noncoms with a home in the commercial band, in this case, on 106.9 MHz. It fires out 38 kW from a 551’ stick that is well-centered over the market.
Asked about Merlin’s plans for the station, the group’s iconic leader Randy Michaels told RBR, “We are considering all news about cheese steak, traffic and weather wit.”
In its release announcing the sale, Merlin said it is now “…actively looking for staff who can pronounce Schuykill, Wissahickon, Manayuk, Tredyffrin, Gwynedd, Pennsauken, Bala Cynwyd and Bryn Mawr.”
The deal marks the group’s first move beyond the Chicago and New York FMs it bought in its formative deal with Emmis Communications. Emmis retains a stake in Merlin.
The price for WKDN is $22.5M cash.
Family Stations retains its own presence in the market with a television station and an internet presence.
RBR-TVBR observation: It would be a remarkable contrast if a station went from say, an Acid Rock to a Classical format. But a station going from Harold Camping to Randy Michaels must set some kind of all-time record. We’re not quite sure what that record might be, but it’s along the lines of suddenly going from Mt. Everest to the Grand Canyon.
