AM Stations Are Going Silent

Cumulus Media and Townsquare Media, two major players in the U.S. radio industry, have been actively shutting down under-performing AM stations across the country, reflecting broader challenges in the terrestrial radio landscape and a strategic pivot toward more sustainable operations. This trend, reported widely in industry circles, stems from economic pressures, shifting listener habits, and the companies’ efforts to streamline their portfolios amid a rapidly evolving media environment.

Cumulus Media, headquartered in Atlanta, operates approximately 400 radio stations across 84 markets and oversees Westwood One, the nation’s largest audio network, reaching over 9,500 affiliated stations. The company has faced significant financial hurdles in recent years, including a NASDAQ delisting warning in early March 2025 due to an equity shortfall, with a compliance deadline set for April 21, 2025. 

Its latest earnings for the year ending December 31, 2024, reported a quarterly revenue of $203.6 million but a GAAP net loss of $10.32 million, highlighting ongoing profitability struggles despite digital growth. Against this backdrop, Cumulus has begun silencing under-performing AM stations to cut costs. 

Industry sources indicate that over 20 stations are slated for closure, including notable ones like WAPI-AM in Birmingham, Alabama—a historic 50,000-watt station and the second-oldest in northern Alabama, now off the air. In San Francisco, Cumulus has also pulled the plug on AM signals, with reports suggesting this is part of a broader retreat from unprofitable assets. For example, the company’s San Francisco operations are consolidating into a shared facility in Daly City with Bonneville International, signaling a reduced footprint as local programming has waned.

Townsquare Media, based in Purchase, New York, operates a smaller but still significant portfolio of around 320 stations across 67 markets, emphasizing a “digital-first” strategy. Unlike Cumulus, Townsquare has maintained a stronger financial position, with a projected 2024 revenue of $450-$452 million (down slightly from $454.23 million in 2023) and a Q4 digital revenue increase of 11%, comprising 52% of its total revenue. 

However, it too has been shedding under-performing AM stations. Examples include the shutdown of stations like WJBC-AM in Pontiac/Bloomington, Illinois, which rimshot the Bloomington market with a modest 1.1 share in Fall 2024 Nielsen ratings, and classic country simulcasts like WLAW in Whitehall/Muskegon, Michigan. Townsquare’s FCC filings cite “economic conditions in the market” as the reason for taking stations off the air temporarily, requesting special temporary authority to remain silent while hinting at potential resumption if conditions improve—though many see these closures as permanent.