NKyTribune staff
Grant County Broadcasters, Incorporated, owners of WNKR-FM, serving Northern Kentucky, has announced an agreement to purchase WNKN (105.9FM) in Middletown, Ohio from Northern Kentucky University (NKU).
General Manager and CEO Jeff Ziesmann states that the company “is pleased to maintain this heritage station as a locally owned and operated station. Our goal is to provide stable, high quality, locally produced programming to the greatest number of listeners in the WNKN coverage area. That means local ownership, a locally produced format, local jobs and, as a commercial operation, local taxes.”
The Northern Kentucky University Board of Regents approved the agreement on July 19 and issued the following statement regarding the sale:
“The Board of Regents approved the sale of WNKN-FM Middletown to Grant County Broadcasters, Inc. for $5.3 million dollars. We are pleased to have reached this agreement with a Northern Kentucky broadcaster that satisfies our financial responsibility to our students. Grant County Broadcasters is committed to local programming. We feel this is the best outcome for the local community and WNKN-FM Middletown listeners. This now concludes the sale of all three stations: WNKU-FM, WNKE-FM and WNKN-FM.”
Ziesmann says “the company will convert the station back to for-profit, commercial operation and is doing research that will determine the format that will present the best possible ratings and revenue opportunity for the station. We are looking at all of our programming options, including, but certainly not limited to, the AAA format currently on the station. However, the market will determine the future direction of the station.”
Grant County Broadcasters has owned and operated WNKR-FM at 106.7 FM in Northern Kentucky since that station’s inception in 1992.
Ziesmann said WNKR has enjoyed considerable support from both listeners and advertisers in Northern Kentucky during its tenure there. The goal, he said, is to bring that same commitment to quality radio to the Ohio portion of its market, in whatever form best serves it.
