WAMD-AM Aberdeen MD was never a pillar of the Salem Communications radio portfolio, nor is Baltimore a key theater of operation among the group’s many radio markets. In fact, the only reason Salem bought the station in the first place was to tone it down a bit. Now it’s being sold for $1.
That is quite a few dollars less than Salem paid for the 970 kHz facility. It acquired the station from First Broadcasting Investment Partners for $3M per terms of a contract dated 11/26/07.
The buyer is Radio Broadcast Communications Inc., headed by William B. Parris III. Parris is active in the Baltimore market already via an LMA with Bay Broadcasting Corporation that dates all the way back to 3/5/03. According to the LMA contract appended to the current WAMD transfer application, RBC is paying $3.5K a month to rent the Annapolis facility.
The reason Salem bought WAMD was to turn down the power during the day so that it could increase the power of what was then WWDJ-AM Hackensack NJ, serving the New York City market. That station, also on 970 kHz, used to have 5 kW day and night, and now, operating as WNYM, it boasts 50 kW during the day.
WAMD made that possible by dropping from 500 W to 300 W during the day. At night, it continues to have all 500 of its Watts intact.
