Philadelphia’s WXPN-FM and its licensee, the University of Pennsylvania, announced Monday their purchase of the broadcast license for WNTI 91.9 FM, owned by Centenary College in Hackettstown, N.J. WXPN will pay $1.25 million for the station, along with $500,000 of underwriting value over 10 years.
WXPN will begin broadcasting its Triple A music format on WNTI Thursday.
“WXPN was approached with notification of the proposed sale of WNTI,” said WXPN General Manager Roger LaMay in a press release. “Although we were not looking to purchase another radio station, we quickly realized that WXPN was the best option to preserve WNTI’s long tradition of musical discovery for listeners in Northern New Jersey and Northeastern Pennsylvania.”
Centenary College will continue to operate an Internet radio station at WNTI.org, according to a press release. As the broadcast station did before the sale, WNTI.org will feature music hosted by students and community volunteers. Students will be offered internship opportunities at WXPN as well.
The college had announced Oct. 7 that it would transfer its license to another public radio station but, at the time, declined to say which station.
Public Media Co. represented WXPN and the University of Pennsylvania in the transaction. FCC approval is expected to take 60 to 90 days after filing.
“We will extend WXPN’s demonstrated commitment to local artists, music and events in the communities we currently serve to the WNTI community, and will apply our deep experience in public music radio management to strengthen its overall operations,” LaMay added. “In the long term, we expect this transaction to benefit our artists and audiences, and strengthen WXPN’s financial sustainability.”
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