Statesboro GA Radio: New Owner Plans Changes

Niel Ardman

Neal Ardman of St. Marys, operating under the corporate name Radio Statesboro Inc., has closed on the acquisition of a six-station cluster that serves Statesboro, according to The Stateboro Herald.

The $600,000 acquisition from Cecil Staton's Georgia Eagle Media Inc. closed last week. In the structure of the deal, Staton continues ownership of the towers, which will be leased to Radio Statesboro, in what is known as a vertical real estate deal.

The stations include AC WPMX 102.9 FM Eagle, Country WHKN 94.9 FM, Talk WMCD 107.3 FM, Classic Rock WZBX 106.5 FM 106.5, News WWNS 1240 AM and Sports WPTB 850 AM.

WPMX 102.9 FM (25Kw) 60dBu Coverage

Radio Statesboro's Ardman plans to invest in upgrading technology and equipment at the stations. He also plans to file an application with the Federal Communications Commission to increase the power of WPTB from its current 1,000 watts to 50,000 watts. He will convert WZBX from classic rock to a Top 40 format. And he plans to switch the formats on WWNS and WPTB, meaning Yahoo Sports will be heard on 1240 AM, and news will be heard on 850 AM.

Arman is adding these stations to his current holdings, which he operates with his wife, Elizabeth, who is a meteorologist.

"I am an old-school radio guy. I believe our success relies on us being live and local," Ardman said. "My goal is to get the stations re-acclimated to the communities which we serve. I look forward to working with business and community leaders as we build a strong local presence in this market."