For two generations of Top 40 radio listeners, Saturday evenings may have involved tuning in to a syndicated program that was never shy to play a European dance track or take requests from those tuning in across the U.S.
John Garabedian‘s “Open House Party” was a fave from Poughkeepsie to Eureka, with its roots at iHeartMedia-owned WXKS-FM “Kiss 108” in Boston, where Garabedian first found success with the program.
Garabedian sold “Open House Party” to United Stations in 2012, and retired as host on January 28, 2017. But, he was still active in radio, thanks to his ownership of four FMs and two FM translators on Cape Cod.
That ownership is about to end, thanks to a deal brokered by Kalil & Co.
A contract has been signed and an application is being filed with the FCC for the transfer of the following stations from Garabedian-controlled Codcomm:
- Classic Hits Class A WFRQ-FM 93.5 in Harwich Port, Mass., branded as “Frank FM.”
- “The Beat of Cape Cod,” Class A WHYA-FM “Y101,” in Mashpee, Mass. It is an affiliate of the syndicated Elvis Duran Morning Show.
- Class B1 Adult Contemporary “Pixy 103,” WPXC-FM 102.9 in Hyannis, Mass., plus FM translator W263CU and FM translator W234DP
- Class A WKFY-FM 101.5 in East Harwich, Mass., “Soft & Easy Koffee 101.5”
The deal is valued at $3.2 million, and the buyer is Coxswain Communications.
Coxswain is a Massachusetts-based company headed by Steve Chessare.
If that name sounds familiar it is because Chessare, in addition to serving as President/CEO of Coxswain, since July 2019 has also served as the Market President and Chief Revenue Officer for Townsquare Media’s group of stations headquartered in Princeton, N.J.: Inspirational WCHR-AM 1040, FOX Sports Radio affiliate WNJE-AM 920 and heritage Top 40 WPST-FM 94.5, a Class B licensed to Trenton that has long served much of the Philadelphia DMA (even from its former home of 97.5 MHz).
Prior to that, Chessare served as the VP/GM of Cumulus Media’s now-former Bridgeport, Conn., stations, which are now owned by Connoisseur Media.
This is Coxswain’s first acquisition, and it is unclear at this time how this may impact his role at Townsquare, if at all.
“We are extremely honored to join this great group of professionals who have made these brands such a huge part of life on Cape Cod and the Islands,” Chessare said. “We are excited to continue to engage with and support the communities that make up this uniquely beautiful part of New England and America.”
For Garabedian, the focus now will be on the growth of Jamchannel LC, producer of a national Top 40 nighttime show “Party Liveline.” That program debuted on Codcomm’s Y101 on April 18, 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was taking hold in the U.S. “Party Liveline” replaced “Open House Party” on Y101.
In May 2020, “Party Liveline” expanded to weeknights.
Outside of radio, Garabedian is the President of the Cape Area Pilots Association (CAPA). The Cape Area Pilots Association was formed in 1995 to further the interests of Cape Cod area aviation, promote flying safety, establish strong support for local aviation interests, and provide annual scholarships for local aviation students.
