Buckley Broadcasting is pulling out of the Syracuse market, while James V. Johnson is taking advantage of the opportunity to build up in the Upstate New York media market, with his Leatherstocking Media Group attaining a vastly improved competitive posture.
Coming from Buckley are WFBL-AM Syracuse and WSEN AM-FM Baldwinsville. The price will be $2.1M cash, and an LMA will kick off at the beginning of September.
The stations will form a geographically extended cluster with WMCR AM-FM, licensed to Oneida NY, situated about 25 miles east of the Syracuse city limits.
Broker Richard Foreman, who worked for Buckley, tells us that the WSEN properties are using a Good Time Rock ‘n’ Roll format, while WFBL plays Oldies. Leatherstocking’s Oneida properties play AC.
Johnson only recently acquired WMCR AM-FM. The pair came from Warren Broadcasting Company for $950K in a deal filed with the FCC 3/30/09.
Foreman says the two deals mark the return of the veteran Johnson to the New York radio scene, who sold off a state-based group “a number of years ago.”
