Springfield IL Radio: Woodward Closes On Mid-West Family Stations

Woodward Communications Inc. (WCI), based in Dubuque, Iowa, is expanding its presence in the Springfield, Illinois, radio market. 

On November 13, 2024, WCI announced an agreement to acquire four radio stations—WNNS-FM (98.7), WQLZ-FM (97.7), WMAY-FM (92.7), and WMAY-AM (970)—from Mid-West Family Broadcasting, a deal that closed on April 2, 2025. This acquisition follows WCI’s purchase of four other Springfield stations from Neuhoff Media, finalized on October 1, 2024, marking a significant growth spurt in the region.

The newly acquired stations bring a mix of formats to WCI’s portfolio: WNNS-FM offers adult contemporary music, WQLZ-FM delivers mainstream rock, WMAY-FM focuses on news/talk, and WMAY-AM, branded as “102.5 The Lake,” plays classic hits with FM translators at 94.7 and 102.5 MHz. This complements WCI’s existing Springfield cluster, which includes hot AC WXAJ-FM (99.7 The Mix), country WFMB-FM (104.5), and sports-talk WFMB-AM (1450). To comply with FCC ownership limits, WCI divested WCVS-FM (96.7 Bob FM) from the Neuhoff deal, ensuring the new additions fit within regulatory bounds.

Tom Woodward

WCI’s leadership, led by President and CEO Tom Woodward, sees this as a strategic move to strengthen their foothold in Springfield. The plan is to eventually co-locate all eight stations in Mid-West Family’s current facilities, aiming to boost operational efficiency and enhance listener and advertiser experiences. Kevin O’Dea, a veteran broadcaster who started at WMAY-AM in 1978 and now serves as WCI’s Springfield Market Manager, will oversee the integrated cluster, reporting to Kelly Radandt, the overall marketing manager for WCI’s radio groups in Wisconsin and Illinois.

The Springfield expansion, paired with divestitures of two Bloomington, Illinois, stations (WIHN-FM and WWHX-FM) and a local marketing agreement for WBBE-FM with Great Plains Media, reflects WCI’s focus on concentrating resources where they see the most potential—Springfield being a key piece of that puzzle as of April 2, 2025.