Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 26, 1993 TAG: 9310260105
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MELANIE S. HATTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Virginia Network Inc., recently formed by investors in Lynchburg station WVLR (102.7 FM), has applied to buy the rival stations and will become the first company in the region to own four stations in the same market. The purchase price for WJJS and WXYU was $325,000.
New investors were brought on board; businessmen Keith Putbrese of McLean and Bruce Houston of Vienna are principal investors.
Jack Alix of Richmond was named vice president and general manager of WVLR and Roanoke station WVRV (105.3 FM), which broadcasts the same programming as WVLR.
Beginning Nov. 1, Virginia Network will begin leasing WJJS and WXYU; it should sign the contract to buy in February, Alix said. WVLR had been leasing WVRV with an option to buy. WVRV is owned by Susan Brown.
New FCC rules allow broadcasters to own as many as 18 AM and 18 FM stations and up to two of each in markets of the size of Roanoke. With the distance separating Roanoke and Lynchburg, Virginia Network could own two FM stations in Lynchburg and two in Roanoke as well as the two AM stations without exceeding FCC limits.
Afternoon disc jockey "Mad" Lad Goins will remain a small investor in the stations.
In the spring Arbitron ratings, WVLR (V103) jumped to a market share equal to 6 percent of listeners at any given time, from a 3.5 percent share last fall. WJJS dropped from 4.2 percent in the fall to 1.5 percent in the spring.
Calls will be made to listeners to "determine what's missing [in the market] and what might be fun for them" before a decision is made on restructuring the stations, Alix said.
by CNB