New Radio Company Buys Several Wisconsin Stations

Posted on by Jon Ellis

A company that shares ownership with stations in Madison and Milwaukee is buying stations in Wausau and Richland Center in separate transactions filed with the FCC for approval.

Civic Media LLC is buying WXCO/1230 and W255DN/98.9 (Wausau) from Sunrise Broadcasting, while it’s buying WRCO/1450, WRCO-FM/100.9, and W299CD/107.7 (Richland Center) from Fruit Broadcasting. Civic Media is 90% owned by Sage Weil, while Michael Crute has 10% interest.

Civic Media’s website, first noted by RadioInsight, says its stations will offer local news and regional commentary. It says more stations will be added.

Crute hosts the syndicated “Devil’s Advocates Radio” Liberal Talk show.

The Wausau deal has a purchase price of $400,000. Sunrise retains ownership of WAVL/100.5 (Rothschild-Wausau) and WJMT/730 (Merrill). The asset purchase agreement contains a non-compete clause prohibiting WAVL and WJMT from airing sports broadcasts for six Wausau-area high schools for a period of two years. WAVL and WJMT will also run 250 promotional spots for WXCO.

The buyer will take over WXCO/W255DN through a time brokerage agreement on August 1. WXCO currently carries a Sports format that was moved from 100.5 a few years ago.

Meanwhile, the Richland Center deal has a purchase price of $900,000 and also includes a stipulation that seller Ronald Fruit will continue as an on-air host at WRCO-FM through Jan. 31, 2023 at a rate of $3,500 per month. The Richland Center deal does not include a time brokerage agreement.

Ron Fruit has worked at WRCO since 1972, and he and his wife Beth have owned the stations since 1994. They carry information-focused music formats, with Country on WRCO-FM and Soft Oldies on the AM station and translator.

Weil and Crute are also partners in WAUK Radio LLC, which owns an AM station and FM translator in the Milwaukee market. Crute owns New WTTN LLC, which operates an AM station and FM translator in the Madison market and has a pending deal to buy the stations. The Madison and Milwaukee stations air Liberal Talk formats.