Max Media is an American media company that owns radio stations throughout the United States and is based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The company also operates under the name River Radio for stations in their Illinois and Missouri Markets with offices in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Carterville, Illinois, and Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
History Max Media was founded in 2001. Prior to this, some of the company's management had run the TVX Broadcast Group from 1979 until its sale in 1991 to Paramount Communications (which renamed it the Paramount Stations Group), and had also run Max Media Properties (similarly named to the current company) from then until its sale in 1998 to the Sinclair Broadcast Group (which owned some former TVX stations).
In December 2003, Max Media would gain a handful of radio stations in Southern Illinois and Missouri after the Zimmer Radio Group sold 17 of their stations to Max under the name River Radio for an estimated $43 million.
On September 30, 2013, the Cowles Publishing Company acquired Max Media's Montana television station cluster for $18 million.Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License "Federal Communications Commission", 1 October 2013Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License "Federal Communications Commission", 1 October 2013
On October 31, 2013, Sinclair acquired the non-license assets of WPFO, Waterville, Maine, for $13.6 million; the deal made it a sister station to WGME-TV, Portland, Maine, which already produced a newscast for the station. On November 20, 2013, it was announced that Cunningham Broadcasting was to acquire the license assets for $3.4 million.Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved 20 November 2013 The sale of the license assets was approved on June 23, 2017.Notice. CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, 23 June 2017, Retrieved 23 June 2017.
On August 21, 2013, Max Media announced that it would sell its six Arkansas-based radio stations to Bobby Caldwell's East Arkansas Broadcasters for $3 million. The sale was completed on January 9, 2014.
On August 12, 2015, Max Media announced that it would sell its four Pennsylvania-based radio stations to Kristin Cantrell's Seven Mountains Media LLC for $3.8 million. The sale was completed on November 5, 2015.
On April 5, 2017, Max Media announced that it was selling NBC affiliate WNKY in Bowling Green, Kentucky to Marquee Broadcasting for $5.6 million.Application For Consent To Assignment Of Broadcast Station Construction Permit Or License. CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved 7 April 2017 The sale was completed on June 30, 2017.Consummation Notice, CDBS Public Access, Federal Communications Commission, Retrieved 3 July 2017.
All television stations either directly or indirectly owned by Max Media were sold off by 2019, leaving the company with a portfolio consisting solely of radio stations.
Current stations Radio AM Station FM Station City of license / Market Station Owned since Current format Cape Girardeau, Missouri KGIR 1220 2004 Sports radio KZIM 960 2004 News/talk KCGQ-FM 99.3 2004 Active rock KEZS-FM 102.9 2004 Country music KGKS 93.9 2004 Adult hits Marion–Carbondale, IL WCIL 1120 2004 News/talk WJPF 1340 2004 News/talk WCIL-FM 101.5 2004 Contemporary hit radio WOOZ-FM 99.9 2004 Country music WUEZ 95.1 2004 Adult hits WXLT 103.5 2004 Sports radio Norfolk–Virginia Beach–Newport News, VA WGH 1310 2005 Sports radio WGH-FM 97.3 2005 Country music WTWV-FM 92.9 2005 Yacht rock WVBW-FM 100.5 2005 Urban adult hits WVSP-FM 94.1 2005 Sports radio Poplar Bluff, Missouri KWOC 930 2004 News/talk KJEZ 95.5 2004 Active rock KKLR-FM 94.5 2004 Country music Sikeston, Missouri KMAL 1470 2004 Sports radio KSIM 1400 2004 News/talk KLSC 92.9 2004 Adult hits
Former stations Television City of license / Market Station Current status Bowling Green, KY WNKY 40 (16) 2003–2017 NBC affiliate owned by Marquee Broadcasting Waterville–Portland, ME WPFO 23 (23) 2003–2017 Fox affiliate owned by Cunningham Broadcasting Traverse City, MI WGTU 29 (29) 2003–2008 ABC affiliate owned by Cunningham Broadcasting Sault Ste. Marie, MI WGTQ 8 (8) 2003–2008 ABC affiliate owned by Cunningham Broadcasting Billings, MT KULR-TV 8 (11) 2004–2013 NBC affiliate owned by Cowles Company Butte–Bozeman, MT KWYB 18 (19) 2001–2013 ABC affiliate owned by Cowles Company Great Falls, MT KFBB-TV 5 (8) 2004–2013 ABC affiliate owned by Cowles Company KTGF 16 (45) 2001–2004 MeTV affiliate, KJJC-TV, owned by PetroMedia Corporation Helena, MT KHBB-LD 21 (21) 2004–2013 ABC affiliate owned by Cowles Company Missoula, MT KTMF 23 (23) 2001–2013 ABC affiliate owned by Cowles Company KYTX 19 (18) 2003–2008 CBS affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group Christiansted, USVI WVIF 15 (15) 2003–2009 defunct, went dark in 2009 Arecibo, PR WMEI 60 (14) 2007–2017 defunct, went dark in 2017 Mayagüez, PR WOST 14 (20) 2007–2019 ShopHQ affiliate owned by HC2 Holdings Ponce, PR WQQZ-CD 14 (24) 2005–2019 ShopHQ affiliate owned by HC2 Holdings Quebradillas, PR WWKQ-LD 14 (34) 2005–2019 ShopHQ affiliate owned by HC2 Holdings
Radio AM Station FM Station City of license / Market Station Years owned Current status Morrilton, AR KVOM 800 2003–2014 Owned by East Arkansas Broadcasters KVOM-FM 101.7 2003–2014 Owned by East Arkansas Broadcasters Russellville–Dardanelle, AR KCAB 980 2003–2014 Owned by East Arkansas Broadcasters KCJC 102.3 2003–2014 Owned by East Arkansas Broadcasters KVLD 99.3 2003–2014 Owned by East Arkansas Broadcasters KWKK 100.9 2003–2014 Owned by East Arkansas Broadcasters Denver, CO KFCO 107.1 2009–2024 Owned by Pillar of Fire International KJHM 101.5 2009–2024 Owned by Pillar of Fire International Ahoskie, NC WQDK 99.3 2003–2015 Owned by Augusta Radio Fellowship Institute, Inc. Elizabeth City, NC WGAI 560 2003–2014 Owned by Gregory Communications License, Inc. WCMS-FM 94.5 2003–2018 Defunct, went silent in 2024 WCXL 104.1 2003–2018 Owned by East Carolina Radio Selinsgrove, PA WVSL 1240 2003–2013 Defunct, went silent in 2013 WFYY 106.5 2003–2015 Owned by Seven Mountains Media LLC WVSL-FM 92.3 2003–2015 Owned by Seven Mountains Media LLC WWBE 98.3 2003–2015 Owned by Seven Mountains Media LLC WYGL-FM 100.5 2003–2015 Owned by Family Life Network
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