The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / What If A Big Radio Station Was Up For Sale And No One Wanted It?

**Posted by RadioActive** February 23, 2025 10:19 am

This column posits the idea that some owners are panicking, after their radio stations - even in some major markets - were put up for sale and got almost no bidders.

I remember the days when radio outlets would sell for hundreds of millions of dollars. Now, not so much.

"...this morning, I open my email and a regular eblast I have gotten for years from a media broker had almost 50 radio stations listed in it for sale. I remember the days of opening that email and seeing ten stations listed – maybe 20 at most. Today, it was 50 and it struck me. So, I went back to an email from the same person from months before and I saw something scarier. All the same stations were listed. None of them are moving."

That's pretty scary for an industry that once valued a good signal into a big city. And I suspect it's only going to get worse. If Bell were ever to sell its low rated TSN1050, I wonder how much they'd get for it?

Does Anyone Want to Own a Radio Station?

**Posted by paterson1** **Online!** February 23, 2025 11:35 am

Hasn't Corus radio stations been up for sale for a few years now?

**Posted by tvguy** February 23, 2025 11:45 am

Every week I get the blast from a group of brokers, and the listing for Sauga 960 has been there weekly for at least 6 months. The price is in $USD, so the price has actually increased over that period of time, due to the falling Loonie. I bet no one has ever made an offer. The broker’s info kit was a joke. Not sure he knows where Mississauga is located…

**Posted by RadioActive** February 23, 2025 12:17 pm

Is that what this this old thread was about? I see that listing is still up there.

But now there's a new one. Any idea what this one is for?

**Posted by Radiowiz** February 23, 2025 1:22 pm

RadioActive wrote:
Is that what this this old thread was about? I see that listing is still up there.

But now there's a new one. Any idea what this one is for?

Lots of change since that original posing.
Good Gawd! I hope that (old) listing wasn't for CHML!!
The Ottawa listing may have been for 98.5?

The listings are still there, so who really knows?

**Posted by tvguy** February 23, 2025 1:50 pm

Yup…25% exchange rate???? Dream on!!! If you contact the broker, and execute the NDA he will send you the so-called info package for Sauga 960. A high school kid could have prepared a better package. Inaccurate with absolutely no financial info, list of assets, etc. I guess that no other (competent) broker would be bothered to touch this mess. I suspect the pricing is simply something that the owner(s) dreamt of…after seeing what successful AM stations sold for, in major cities where there were actual demonstrable ratings for the stations.

On another topic, the owner of the Region 105.9 was asking an absurd price about a year ago (no takers), and claiming the price was based on getting the Ajax repeater, which according to the owner(s)...was a sure thing at the CRTC. It wasn't approved - and there was a rebuke in the decision. Any update on the
Region threatening to shut down???

Last edited by tvguy (February 23, 2025 1:53 pm)

**Posted by Scarboroughbluffsradiof99** February 23, 2025 3:44 pm

CFMS is still on the air.