12-7-11
Merlin Media, headed by CEO Randy Michaels, gets a smidge bigger with an agreement to purchase Family Stations' WKDN-FM in Camden, NJ which serves the Philadelphia market. The station currently airs a Christian format. Michaels told Radio Ink last night the format "was undetermined". However, unless he's suddenly gone south on his new style of delivering news and information, Philadelphia will soon be home to another all-news station. The questions that remain will be the voices delivering the product and the approach he takes when the flip occurs. Is he as gung-ho on the original plan, targeting women or will it be more of a traditional news delivery? CBS owns KYW in Philly. Another highly successful brand CBS has cultivated over the years. It is on the AM dial.
In typical Randy Michaels fashion, the press release joked ""Merlin Media is now actively looking for staff that can pronounce Schuykill, Wissahickon, Manayunk, Tredyffrin, Gwynedd, Pennsauken, and Bryn Mawr."
WKDN joins Merlin's stable of classic rock WLUP/Chicago and News outlets WWWN/Chicago and WEMP/New York -- Merlin backer GTCR purchased a controlling interest in the stations from Emmis earlier this year. The company is co-owned by GTCR, Emmis Communications, and Michaels.
Media Venture Partners represented Family Radio in the deal.
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