Cumulus, Townsquare Shut Down Under Performing Outlets

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, March 17, 2025 | 1:13pm CT

Townsquare Media and Cumulus Media

Cumulus and Townsquare are ceasing operations at several underperforming stations nationwide, reports Radio Insight. Recently, Townsquare Media closed operations at 1170 KBOB and 104.1 K281DB (ESPN Quad Cities) in Davenport, IA, and KSLI (Red Dirt Country 1280) in Abilene, TX. Additionally, the company has taken three more stations offline, including 1400 WJZN/95.9 W240DH in Augusta, ME, which had been silent for a year before briefly resuming transmission.

In New Jersey, signals used to extend the reach of co-owned stations were also discontinued. Specifically, 1160 WJLK & 104.1 W281CK in Lakewood Township and 1310 WOBM & 96.7 W244EE in Asbury Park ceased broadcasting. These stations helped expand the coverage of "94.3 The Point" in Ocean County and "92.7 WOBM-FM" in Monmouth County, respectively. Townsquare's FCC filings cited market economic conditions as the reason for the temporary shutdown, requesting special temporary authority to keep these stations silent.

Cumulus Media has also been actively shutting down stations. An internal document revealed plans to discontinue over 20 stations within the company. This wave of shutdowns began with 560 KZAC in San Francisco and WLXX (101.5 Jack-FM) in Richmond-Lexington, KY. The closures continued with stations like KIKR and KBED (Sports Radio 1450/1510) in Beaumont, TX, and 1070 WAPI in Birmingham, which has been simulcasting Conservative Talk "Talk 99.5" since 2016.

Further shutdowns are scheduled, including WLWI (Newsradio 1440) in Montgomery, AL, and 1560 WLZR & 107.9 W300DL (The Fan) in Melbourne, FL. These stations, along with others like WJBC-FM (93.7 NASH Icon) in Pontiac-Bloomington, IL, and 1260 WRIE (Erie Sports Radio) in Erie, PA, reflect a broader trend of declining operations and changing market strategies.

Each company has filed Silent STAs with the FCC, indicating ongoing evaluation of their future, whether through format changes or potential sales.