Emmis Announces Sale of Indianapolis Radio Cluster to Urban One

INDIANAPOLIS, June 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Emmis Communications at present introduced an settlement to promote its Emmis Indianapolis radio stations to City One, pending approval from the Federal Communications Fee.

The sale consists of B105 (WYXB 105.7FM), HANK FM (97.1FM), The Fan (93.5FM and 107.5FM), WIBC (93.1FM) and Community Indiana.

“When Emmis launched our first station, WENS now HANK FM, in 1981, I by no means might have envisioned the journey we’d go on. Indianapolis is my hometown, and I am so pleased with what we have been capable of accomplish – we have turn out to be a useful contributor to the Indianapolis neighborhood, a pacesetter of radio business initiative and innovation, and a trusted useful resource for Central Indiana listeners and companies,” mentioned Jeff Smulyan, founder and chairman of Emmis.

Smulyan famous that City One has deep media expertise, together with prolonged expertise as an Indianapolis radio and tv operator, important assets, and a dedication to native radio.

Lately, Emmis has offered lots of its media property and redeployed capital into new ventures which emphasize its gross sales and advertising expertise together with: Lencore Acoustics, a pacesetter in high-quality sound masking options for industrial functions; Sound That BRANDS, the Los Angeles-based podcasting studio specializing in branded audio content material for nationwide advertisers; and Digonex, a number one supplier of dynamic pricing options for sights and dwell leisure industries. Emmis additionally operates Indianapolis Month-to-month journal and owns two radio station licenses in New York (1190AM and 98.7FM).

Emmis Indianapolis Radio has 77 full-time and 50 part-time workers, all primarily based within the firm’s Monument Circle Headquarters.

The sale will shut as soon as the transaction receives approval from the FCC, which can take a number of months. Till that point, Emmis will proceed to personal and function the stations. 

Background on the stations

Emmis bought WIBC (previously 1070 now 93.1 FM) in 1994 from Horizon Broadcast Group. WIBC is Indianapolis’ information speak chief. The frequency moved to 93.1 FM in 2007.

HANK FM (97.1 FM) was previously WENS, the primary station owned by Emmis. Bought in 1979, the sign was moved to Indianapolis, and launched in 1981 with an grownup modern format. The station switched codecs in March 2005 to its present nation format. 

Indianapolis’ sports activities speak chief The Fan is house of the Indianapolis Colts, the Indiana Pacers and the Indy 500. It at present operates at 93.5 and 107.5. It was launched in 2007 on the previous 1070 sign (when WIBC moved to 93.1 FM) and moved to 107.5 in 2017, and added 93.5 in 2019.

WYXB, referred to as B105.7, launched in 2001. Emmis had bought the frequency (however not the mental property) from WTLC, and it airs an grownup modern format. 

Community Indiana offers information, speak and sports activities programming to greater than 70 radio stations serving the state of Indiana. Emmis bought Community Indiana in 1998 from the Hulman Household.

Contact: Kate Snedeker, [email protected]

SOURCE Emmis Communications