Armada Buys Competitor in Marquette, Adds Iron Mountain

Armada Media Partners is expanding its holdings in Marquette and adding a group in Iron Mountain with the purchase of eight stations from Sovereign Communications.

Armada already operates six stations in the Escanaba market, five in Menominee-Marinette, three in Marquette , and one in Manistique. It will add five stations in Marquette and three in Iron Mountain:

• “Big Country 92.3” (WJPD-FM Ishpeming-Marquette)
• Classic Rocker “94 Rock” (WUPK/94.1 Marquette)
• Classic Hits outlet WNGE/99.5 (Negaunee-Marquette)
• WDMJ/1320 (Marquette) and WIAN/1240 (Ishpeming), which simulcast a News/Talk format
• Classic Rocker “93 Rock” (WIMK/93.1 Iron Mountain)
• Hot Adult Contemporary outlet “Star 94.3” (WZNL Norway-Iron Mountain)
• News/Talker WMIQ/1450 (Iron Mountain)

The purchase price was not immediately announced.

The sale will solidify Armada as the largest group owner in Marquette, which currently has four competing commercial radio groups. The others are Mediabrew Communications’ three FM stations and three HD-fed translators and Taconite Broadcasting’s AM-FM combination.

The newly-acquired stations will be added to Armada’s Radio Results Network division, which operates the company’s existing stations in Escanaba and Marquette. Existing RRN General Manager Jesse Huff will lead the 18-station group.

“We are excited to be able to expand our coverage even further as the premier media company in Central Upper Michigan. Sovereign Communications has a tremendous group of radio station with a long heritage of serving the local community,” Huff said in a news release.

“We plan to continue what has made us successful in the past…and that is providing local news, sports, weather, and personalities that live, work and love the U.P.,” Huff said.

The only overlapping format between the current Armada and Sovereign groups in Marquette is Classic Hits, which is carried on Sovereign’s WNGE and Armada’s “100.3 The Point” (WUPT Gwinn).

Sovereign retains its six stations in Sault Ste. Marie. Radio Results Network is separate from Results Broadcasting of Iron Mountain, which operates three stations.