IN Radio: Radio One Sells Valpo Stations To Adams Radio

Tears flowed Tuesday when Radio One Communication's employees were informed the company's group of radio stations were sold to Adams Radio Group of Northern Indiana, according to nwi.com.

Leigh, Len Ellis

"I'll miss the day-to-day interaction with the staff," said Leigh Ellis, who has run the company for years since his father, Len Ellis, retired. "Everybody had tears in their eyes. I grew up with them. We shared the birth of each other's kids and watched them grow up and go to school and get married."

Radio One owns Country WLJE 105.5 FM, Classic Rock WXRD 103.9 FM, Hot AC WZVN 107.1 FM and Oldies WAKE 1500 AM.

Len Ellis, who's known as "Uncle Len," is 86, and Leigh, 60, said he wants to retire and pursue other hobbies and devote more time to his family. Nobody from the next generation of Ellises was interested in carrying on the family business.  The staff and stations will continue as they are now for the foreseeable future, they said.

Leigh Ellis said the family hired a broker last May to actively market the stations nationwide. Four companies talked to them about buying it and others expressed interest before the Adams Radio Group was chosen.

"This is a great expansion opportunity for Adams Radio in Indiana," Ron Stone, president and CEO of Adams, said Wednesday morning in a statement. "The Ellises have built an operation that serves from Chicago to South Bend. As a market, it may have been the best kept secret in the industry and will be a great complement to the stations we are purchasing in Fort Wayne."

Radio One Communications was founded by Len Ellis in 1964 as WAKE-AM.

The acquisition marks the third market for Adams since re-entering the radio business in July. Other station acquisitions include those in New Mexico and Fort Wayne. The Federal Communications Commission still must approve the Radio One sale, a process that could take 30 to 90 days, Ellis said.

Read More Now