The “local first” digital and broadcast media company led by Bill Wilson has agreed to part ways with one of its radio stations in a city that’s home to its highest-billing property.
It allows Townsquare Media to focus on its two giant FMs, and an AM devoted to inspirational programming, as its second kHz-band station is being spun.
In a deal agreed to on July 18 and submitted for regulatory approval in the FCC’s LMS on Monday (7/29), Townsquare Media is selling silent WNJE-AM 920, formerly ESPN New Jersey, to The Voice Radio New Jersey.
That’s the Garden State entity headed by Edwin Andrade which in October 2023 agreed to acquire WOCQ-AM 1510 in Salem, N.J., formerly WXCY-AM. The Andrade family-run operation known as The Voice Radio Network has become an established player across the Delmarva Peninsula, with stations serving Salisbury-Ocean City, Md., and an FM translator serving Southern New Jersey added in early 2023.
Now, Andrade is adding WNJE for $133,000.
A $6,650 deposit has been made by The Voice to Townsquare.
The remaining funds due will be paid in cash at closing.
Townsquare will also pay an undisclosed sum to Griffin Media Brokers, led by Beth Griffin, as her firm served as its broker of record.
WNJE went dark under Special Temporary Authority at the close of 2023; it became an ESPN Radio affiliate in September 2020.
Once the deal closes, Townsquare will focuses its operations in Trenton on Talk WKXW “New Jersey 101.5,” its No. 1-billing radio station; Top 40 WPST-FM 94.5, which serves much of Philadelphia’s suburbs as well as Central New Jersey; and Inspirational WCHR-AM 1040.
