Magnum Media has reached a deal to expand its holdings in the La Crosse area with the purchase of four radio signals from Sparta-Tomah Broadcasting.
The deal announced Aug. 5 includes Country-formatted “Cow 97” (WCOW/97.1 Sparta-La Crosse) and “ESPN La Crosse” stations WFBZ/105.5 (Trempealeau-La Crosse), WKLJ/1290 (Sparta), and W271CM/102.1 (Sparta). The purchase price was not immediately announced.
Kalil & Co. served as a broker for the transaction.
Magnum currently owns two full-power FM stations in La Crosse, two full-power FM’s in Tomah, and one AM in Tomah, as well as several FM translators. The company owns a total of 20 full-power stations and 18 FM translators in Wisconsin.
In a news release, Reid Magnum stated, “In June, when my Dad was inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame, he spoke in the video about WCOW being the very first radio station he was ever in at age 4. His uncle, Len DeSomer, was an announcer at WCOW in 1967. On top of that, my Mom and Dad sat with Pink Rice at the first WBA dinner they attended in 1990.”
WCOW is a seven-time Wisconsin Broadcasters Association winner for “Small Market Station of the Year,” and morning team Ben & Arnie won the award for “Best Small Market Personality” from the Country Music Association in 2025.
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