When it comes to PBS Member stations, there’s perhaps none more well-known than “Thirteen,” or WNET in New York. It’s referenced in the Billy Joel song “Pressure,” and has been an influential educational, non-commercial television organization since “Sesame Street” made its debut.
In autumn 2019, Thirteen bought its first radio station. Now, WNET Corp. is acquiring its second FM property.
It’s a small but powerful facility, and it serves tony communities on the East End of Long Island, in Suffolk County, N.Y. WNET Corp. is agreeing to purchase WEER-FM 88.7 in Montauk, N.Y. in a transaction that lists WNET Cor. and Audio Enterprise Group LLC as the buyers. Overseeing the group is WLIW-TV and WLIW-FM VP/GM Diane Masciale.
The facility has all of 5 watts, but that allows it to cover Montauk and East Hampton just fine.
The seller is Eastern Tower Corporation, which acquired the station in January 2014. At that time a Soft Adult Contemporary format was placed on WEER, which had struggled with financial difficulties before SuperStorm Sandy ravaged its ability to broadcast in October 2012.
A $100,000 purchase price was agreed to, with Mark Denbo of Smithwick & Belendiuk serving as the seller’s legal counsel. Representing WNET is Sally Buckman of Lerman Senter PLLC.
Now, WEER, which signed on in August 2006 as WPKN Inc.-owned WPKM-FM, is poised to become a simulcast partner of WLIW-FM 88.3 in Southampton, N.Y. That’s the facility previously known as WPPB that WNET Inc. paid $944,834 for, while also offering a “Public Service Operating Agreement” prior to closing.
WLIW’s signal has difficulty reaching Montauk; the addition of WEER resolves that issue, while offering an adjacent dial position for WLIW.
Until WNET’s purchase of what is today WLIW-FM, local listeners had access to NPR only via Connecticut-based radio stations.
