WOR-AM, Prominent New York Station, Is Sold to Clear Channel

August 13, 2012, 12:15 pm

By BEN SISARIO

WOR-AM, the talk radio station that is the oldest operating broadcasters in New York City, has been sold to Clear Channel Communications, giving the company its sixth station in New York and its first AM signal in the area.

It was sold for an undisclosed amount by the Buckley Broadcasting Corporation, which has owned it since 1989, the companies announced on Monday morning. The deal is pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission.

WOR, broadcasting at 710 AM, was founded in 1922 and has played important roles in radio history. It was one of the first to use a directional antenna and was the first AM station in New York to use HD radio technology. It also has a wide-reaching 50,000-watt signal.

The station has a current lineup of conservative talk programs, with Michael Savage and John R. Gambling and also a show featuring David Paterson, the former New York governor. It also carries a show with Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, that is distributed by one of Clear Channel's biggest rivals, Cumulus Media.

“WOR is an iconic New York City brand with a rich history and an exciting future,” John Hogan, the chief executive of Clear Channel's radio and media division, said in a statement. “We believe WOR makes our already incredible platform even more interesting for listeners, advertisers, and strategic partners and we look forward to the tremendous potential WOR adds to Clear Channel Media and Entertainment New York.”

“By passing the baton to Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, WOR listeners, advertisers and employees will gain access to the unparalleled resources of a worldwide, multidim ensional media and entertainment company,” added Joseph Bilotta, president of Buckley Radio. “We have had a great run with WOR and could not be more confident that it is poised for another great run as part of the Clear Channel Media and Entertainment team.”

Rick Buckley, the president of the station and the Buckley company, died last year.

Clear Channel is the largest radio broadcaster in the country, with more than 850 stations. It already has five FM stations in New York, including the two top-rated ones: WLTW, at 106.7, known as Lite FM; and WHTZ, at 100.3, known as Z100, the area's dominant Top 40 brand.

In the July rankings from Arbitron, the standard radio-ratings service, WOR ranked 19th with a total audience of 626,000.

Ben Sisario writes about the music industry. Follow @sisario on Twitter.