1 July 2010

Public Radio Capital Brokers WOSU Public Media’s Acquisition of 101.1 FM

Station will offer dedicated classical music programming

Boulder, Colo.—July 1, 2010—Public Radio Capital (PRC) and WOSU Public Media, through its licensee, The Ohio State University, today announced that WOSU will acquire the radio station frequency, 101.1 FM, in Grove City, Ohio. The purchase will expand WOSU’s public service broadcasting for the region through a dedicated classical music service for the Central Ohio community.

“WOSU Public Media is demonstrating its commitment to the community by expanding arts and cultural programming through a new, dedicated classical music service,” said Erik Langner, PRC’s Director of Acquisitions and Legal Affairs. “At PRC, we are thrilled to have helped extend WOSU’s public service broadcasting for the residents of Central Ohio.”

WOSU’s public radio services currently include WOSU-AM, a news and information service, and WOSU-FM, a dual news/classical music service, plus four repeater FM stations.  101.1 FM, which went on the air in 1990, currently carries the programming of CD101, a locally-owned alternative rock radio station. CD101 will be changing frequencies to 102.5 and will continue to serve as the #1 Alternative station in Columbus.  WOSU Public Media, with the addition of 101.1 FM will provide the community with its only full-time classical music station and transform WOSU 89.7 FM into central Ohio’s only 24-hour FM NPR news station.

WOSU has filed with the FCC for approval of the reassignment of the broadcast license and plans to apply for new call letters. WOSU will operate the station as a noncommercial service, in keeping with its public service mission, while also providing live online streaming of both 101.1 and 89.7 FM.  WOSU expects to officially take over the frequency in September pending FCC approval. 101.1 FM is licensed to Fun with Radio LLC (Fun), and will continue to operate as CD101 pending FCC approval of the sale.  

 “This is a superb opportunity to enlarge the University’s outreach to Central Ohio and beyond,” said Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee. “WOSU has been a valuable community asset for nearly 90 years, and this new acquisition enables us to expand its reach in important ways.”

WOSU will seek a buyer for the license to WOSU-AM 820 to partially finance the FM acquisition, while kicking off a special Classical 101.1 Campaign by inviting major donors and grassroots supporters to become founding members of the new all-classical service.  WOSU additionally plans to turn its repeater station 91.1 FM, WOSB in Marion, into an all- classical music service to better serve Marion County and the northern portion of Delaware County, including the city of Delaware. 

“We’re excited about expanding our commitment to classical music and the performing arts in central Ohio, while making 89.7 FM a full time NPR news station adding to the schedule quality local programming like All Sides with Ann Fisher and national programming like NPR’s Talk of the Nation and On Point.  We’ve consistently heard from our listeners that they want this and we’re finally able to deliver.” said Tom Rieland, WOSU Public Media’s general manager

WOSU Public Media has a vital classical music tradition dating back to the 1920s, when it provided “live” radio broadcasts of faculty and student performances from its studios on the Ohio State campus. Today, WOSU partners with a variety of local music organizations to provide full concerts, artist profiles, and educational outreach in central Ohio.  In the past year, WOSU has broadcast concerts of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Columbus Jazz Orchestra, OSU School of Music and many others. 

Fun With Radio LLC was represented in the transaction by Greg Guy of Patrick Communications. Patrick Communications is a media brokerage firm based in Elkridge, Maryland.

About Public Radio Capital

Public Radio Capital’s mission is to strengthen and expand noncommercial media to provide local communities nationwide with more in-depth information, unbiased news, diverse music and cultural programming. Since its founding in 2001, PRC has completed transactions totaling more than $235 million and secured access to public radio services for more approximately 45 million people. PRC has worked with more than 200 public radio stations ranging from first time station owners to the largest, multi-channel public radio operators in the country, helping them to buy and finance new channels, to preserve existing public radio outlets, and to strengthen their organizations and services.

In Oct. 2007, PRC launched the Public Radio Fund to benefit public radio organizations in need of short-term capital for asset-based projects. Public broadcasters are invited to apply for capital loans from the Public Radio Fund for station acquisitions to increase and diversify public radio program services for more people in communities across the country.

More information about PRC and the Public Radio Fund is available at www.publicradiocapital.org.