TALKERS News Notes
Beasley Sells Tampa Signal to EMF. Beasley Media Group is entering into a definitive agreement to sell WPBB‑FM, Tampa “98.7 The Shark” Educational Media Foundation. The transaction will mark EMF’s official entry into the Tampa Bay market. Beasley Media Group has owned and operated the 98.7 FM signal since acquiring the station as part of a swap agreement with CBS Radio in 2014, when Beasley officially took ownership of WHFS‑FM, along with five other Tampa Bay stations.
Starnes Delivers Keynote Addresses. Newsmax host and nationally syndicated radio host Todd Starnes was the keynote speaker at the recent National Right to Life Conference and the Kansas Republican Party Convention in Kansas City. He was also a keynote speaker at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s Road to the Majority Conference in Washington, D.C. Starnes is currently on a nationwide tour promoting his new book, Star-Spangled Blessings.
comes after Woodward closed on the $4.3 million acquisition of four stations in the market from Neuhoff Media last fall. From that deal, the company spun WCVS-FM to Educational Media Foundation. Woodward’s Springfield market manager Kevin O’Dea says, “All of us at Woodward Community Media look forward to the addition of the Mid-West Family stations to our lineup here in Springfield. These four stations along with our current lineup including Channell450.com and our Digital Services will allow us to enhance our local commitment to our listeners, advertising partners and the Springfield and Central Illinois Community.
Nashville-based Today’s Christian Music network (TCM) is not affected by these transactions. Salem Media Group CEO David Santrella comments, “Salem remains steadfast in our commitment to paying down debt and reducing our overall leverage. The sale of these radio stations helps achieve those goals. At the same time, we are focused on the stations staying in mission format. We are happy to be working with our good friends at EMF to continue impacting lives through music. We are grateful for our staff at these stations that have worked tirelessly over the years. With this change, Mike Blakemore, Salem’s VP of CCM programming, will provide focus and leadership to programming TCM, which remains an important part of Salem’s content offerings.”