Louisville Icon WAKY-AM & FM Sold to WAKAYANA LLC

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, June 30, 2025 | 2:15pm CT

WAKY-FM and AM in Louisville

WAKY-FM and AM in Louisville, along with their associated translators, are being sold by W&B Broadcasting Inc. to WAKAYANA LLC in a deal announced today and pending FCC approval. The transaction marks the end of an era for W&B Broadcasting, headed by Bill Walters, and the beginning of a new one under Randy Michaels and WAKAYANA LLC, which also brings veteran Louisville radio executive Bill Gentry back into the spotlight as Vice President and General Manager.

"The legendary Fun Lovin' WAKY is the greatest radio station of all time in Kentuckiana," stated the sellers, who include Rene Bell, Mike Baldwin, and Walters. "It's been a dream come true to carry the WAKY torch for nearly twenty years, and we thank all of our team members, advertisers, and especially the listeners who made this station what it is."

WAKY's heritage stretches back to 1958, when it launched as a Top 40 powerhouse and quickly rose to number one in Louisville. In 2025, it still ranks among the area's top-rated Classic Hits stations, thanks in part to its legacy of personalities, including Bill Bailey, Johnny Randolph, Gary Burbank, and Coyote Calhoun, among many others.

Randy Michaels, a veteran media executive and now head of WAKAYANA LLC, expressed deep admiration for WAKY's legacy. "A few years ago, I was asked to write about the greatest Top 40 stations of all time. Putting WAKY on that list was easy. I never imagined I'd have a chance to be part of it someday," Michaels said.

In a move described with characteristic humor, Michaels said the company agreed to hire Bill Gentry as GM in part so "he could finally run the only station in town he hadn't already run."

Gentry's previous leadership at Jacor and Clear Channel in Louisville is credited with major ratings and revenue success. "WAKY and Bill Gentry are both legends in the Louisville market," said WAKAYANA President Jeff Ziesmann. "We are excited and humbled to be the next custodians of this legendary station. We'll get started as soon as someone shows us where the coffee maker is."

Kalil & Co., Inc. served as the exclusive broker for the transaction.