Company to acquire WASN-AM

THE VINDICATOR, YOUNGSTOWN
YOUNGSTOWN -- Associated Radio has agreed to acquire WASN-AM 1330 radio station for $175,000 as part of a bankruptcy proceeding, an Associated official said Tuesday.
The purchase agreement is subject to bankruptcy court and Federal Communications Commission approval.
Associated is a subsidiary of Stop 26 Riverbend Broadcasting, which owns WGFT-AM 1500 and WRBP-FM 101.9 in Youngstown. "We believe it will be an asset to the community as a whole, making sure there's diversity in listening and ownership," Tracey Monroe-Winbush, general sales manager for Stop 26, said of the acquisition.
No decision has been made concerning the programming format of WASN, a commercial station located on Blaine Avenue, Winbush said.
She said her company's goal is to return the station to the air Dec. 1. Winbush said she is confident the acquisition will be approved by the bankruptcy court and the FCC.
WASN, which has been off the air for nine months, had been owned by Otter Communications. It had a talk format and switched to a talk and Gospel format before going off the air, Winbush said.