On Wednesday, RBR+TVBR first reported on the sale of a Country station serving Southern New England and its New Bedford-focused sibling by Hall Communications. The buyer is a new subsidiary of Connecticut-based radio station owner Red Wolf Broadcasting Corp.
Today, details regarding the transaction, including the amount Red Wolf and owner John Fuller is paying, became known.
Upon FCC regulatory approval and an anticipated closing, Red Wolf’s “Cat Country 98.1 Inc.” will become the owner of WCTK-FM 98.1 in New Bedford, Mass., serving neighboring Providence, R.I., as well as Fall River, Mass., and much of Cape Cod. WCTK boasts a 44kw Class B signal; and “Big 101.3,” comprised of Class C WNBH-AM and W267CY at 101.3 MHz, serving New Bedford, Mass.
A $2.35 million purchase price has been agreed to by the parties. A $1 million escrow deposit is being held in Truist Bank.
“I am thrilled to add Cat Country 98.1 WCTK, ‘Big 101.3’ and WNBH to our roster of New England radio stations and streaming platforms,” said John Fuller, founder and CEO of Red Wolf. “WCTK is an iconic station with tremendous reach, a powerful brand and an outstanding team.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Cat Country 98.1 Inc. will assume operations of the stations immediately through a Local Marketing Agreement beginning Monday (3/16), while the transaction awaits Commission approval. Hall, led by CEO Arthur A. Rowbotham, has agreed to repair tower lights for the WNBH transmitter facility and ensure it is operating at full power.
While Red Wolf’s broker is Dick Foreman of Richard A. Foreman Associates Inc., it is now known that Hall used Fowler Media Consulting as its broker of choice,
Fuller said the acquisition represents an important step in the continued growth of his locally owned New England broadcasting company. “We are always looking to expand and grow with strong media brands and events,” he said.
Fuller also singled out Hall Communications for the legacy it has built in Southern New England. “Hall Communications has done an exceptional job building a strong foundation for the past 55 years,” he said. “WCTK is the highest-rated country music station in the Top 50 radio markets and is continually ranked No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings in Providence. We look forward to building on that success and momentum.”
Fuller also signaled that Hall employees associated with the Providence stations will be retained. “One of the greatest assets in this transaction is the talented staff that has helped make these stations successful,” he said. “The current employees, many of which I have known for years, will remain in place and will have the opportunity to join our team as we move forward.”
For Red Wolf VP Tim Burrows, the acquisition underscores the continued strength of local broadcasting. “We are live and local in the communities we serve, and it’s an exciting time to grow our company with three stations of this caliber.”
For Fuller, owning a Country station in Rhode Island is a sort of homecoming. He began his career in radio at age 21 in 1985 at a daytime-only AM Country station in Hope Valley, R.I.
Today, Red Wolf owns and operates more than 30 audio brands, streams and podcasts across New England, in markets including Hartford. Fuller’s company also produces The Women’s Health Beauty & Bridal Show at Mohegan Sun, The Latin Expo in Providence and numerous concerts across the region.
However, Hall is paring down its radio assets, with properties remaining in its headquarters of Norwich, Conn., as well in Willimantic, Conn., and in Burlington, Vt. In late February, Hall Communications announced that it was exiting Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla., with a transaction giving MARC Radio Group ownership of Country WPCV-FM, two AMs and three FM translators.
