From Radio Ink:

Changing formats can be an agonizing decision for a GM. How many listeners will we alienate? How bad will they beat us up on social media? Do we have the marketing budget for a new launch? What will the advertisers think of our stability? Do we have to fire anyone? When companies own multiple stations in one market, it’s rare all of them are top performers. Connoisseur was running into this challenge at its Long Island cluster at 94.3 on the dial.

That all changed when CEO Jeff Warshaw decided he wanted to enter the Rock battle, a format WBAB-FM has dominated for three decades. As a result, “The Shark” was born. Nearly one year after its launch, the brass at Connoisseur  are all smiles about “The Shark.” Early ratings have been very strong. Marketing of the product has created a nice buzz on the island. And, most importantly, revenue is up, according to Market Manager Dave Widmer. The station mixes classic rock music with newer rock music, which according to the research Connoisseur paid for, works with the younger demo.

Coleman Insights President and CEO Warren Kurtzman who helped Connoisseur with the launch said, “Jeff Warshaw, Mike Driscoll, David Bevins and their team at Connoisseur continually demonstrate that “doing radio right” generates ratings and revenue, with the launch of the Shark simply serving as the latest example of that.  We are proud to contribute to their success.”

Widmer says the numbers are so tremendous, so good, it almost borders on unbelievable. But, he adds, we’ve done our homework. “It’s not a fluke. This is a radio station has some legs to it. Listening occasions are high, 6-8 a day. That’s a good sign. It’s more than buzz. As a GM, I want to know what I’m working with here. We’re out on the streets selling this. So we tell the story of how we got here by telling advertisers here’s what the problem was, here’s our research and here’s what we’ve executed. Connoisseur is not afraid to spend money on research and marketing.”

In addition to the research, Connoisseur has made a significant investment in marketing and promotion, according to Widmer. The station vehicle certainly gets noticed, Television campaigns have been running and artist concert fly-aways are part of the on the air. Amazingly, The Shark has accomplished all of this early success without a live morning show, giving some credence to the notion that consumers want more music and less talk. It also puts Widmer in an interesting position. How long does he go without a live morning team?

Listen to our Podcast with Connoisseur Long island Market Manager Dave Widmer on how to execute a successful format flip HERE.

You can listen to The Shark HERE

The station break is clearly over for Jeffrey Warshaw and the other executives of Westport-based Connoisseur Media, which has surged onto the scene with $100 million in radio acquisitions in the last nine months.

Warshaw, 48, has a long history in radio, having built his first station at age 19 and following that up with Connoisseur Communications in 1993. That company eventually grew to 39 stations and was sold to Cumulus Broadcasting in 2000 for $258 million.

Today, Warshaw, joined by his former Connoisseur Communications partners Michael Driscoll, chief financial officer, and David Bevins, chief operating officer, is again growing a radio empire, this time under the Connoisseur Media brand.

“We’ve seen great opportunity,” Warshaw, said. “It’s a special time. There are tons of stations for sale. These (the Connecticut ones) are great stations with great heritage in the market and great facilities.”

Last week, Connoisseur announced a deal to buy WPLR, Star 99.9 and WFOX, the Fox, from Cox Media. All three stations have offices on Wheelers Farms Road in Milford. They operate throughout the state and region, sharing some programming, like Chaz and AJ, the morning team on WPLR, a rock station; and The Fox, a hot adult contemporary station. Star 99.9, which covers Fairfield County, has the Tad Show for the morning drive to compliment its classic rock format. All the stations have their own websites.

Warshaw and Driscoll had been working primarily on the investment side of media during the five years between radio gigs.

An 18-year resident of Westport, Warshaw said it’s nice to own stations in his own backyard.

As far as any changes at the stations, he said, the only thing he plans to change is the name above the logo, adding he’s pleased with the formats and the community involvement.

“Good radio is good radio,” he said.

The Connecticut radio station purchases came at a good price, he said, but when he and Driscoll fired up Connoisseur Media in 2005, it wasn’t a buyer’s market. They plunged ahead by building radio stations from scratch, and created six in Montana.

Then, as the economy changed, prices came down and the company has been able to expand. Along with its Montana properties, it has stations in Pennsylvania, New York, Nebraska, South Dakota, New Jersey and Kansas.

If the Connecticut deal, valued at $40 million, is approved by the Federal Communication Commission, you’ll be able to drive from New Haven to Philadelphia and always have a Connoisseur station on.

There is unlikely to be any job loss from this acquisition. Cox was based in Atlanta, so corporate functions for the stations will just be shifting to Westport, while the stations’ other functions remain based in Milford.

One thing that attracted Connoisseur is that these are popular stations with legacies in the community.

And local advertisers have embraced the stations. Newtown Savings Bank advertises with them, so does Park City Ford in Bridgeport, while plastic surgeon Dr. Stanley Frost, who has an office in Greenwich, also buys time from the stations.

Dan Long, marketing director of Newtown Savings, said he doesn’t see the change in ownership affecting him as a listener or the bank as an advertiser. He hasn’t heard of any major changes to programming or advertising, and couldn’t see why they would make changes.

“They’re great,” he said of the group of station sales people in Connecticut. “We’re very happy with the people and the service we get.”

One thing nice about the deal is it brings the corporate headquarters into the state and, Long said, “certainly, we do like to support the businesses in our community.”

As for Warshaw, he sees his company’s role pretty clearly regarding these operations: “We are going to be guardians of these stations.”

Westport, CT – February 12, 2013  – Connoisseur Media which owns and/or operates 33 radio stations in 10 markets has entered into an agreement to buy Cox Media Group’s three Connecticut radio stations, WPLR FM, WEZN FM,  and WFOX FM.  Connoisseur is also purchasing CMG’s longstanding services arrangement with Yale Broadcasting under which CMG provides sales and other services to Urban Adult Contemporary WYBC-FM.

99.1 WPLR is a forty two year old heritage Rock station serving the New Haven, Connecticut community with a legendary track record of success.  Classic Hits “95.9 The Fox”  is the only FM station home to the Stamford/Norwalk market deeply devoted to that community for over 20 years.  Hot Adult Contemporary STAR 99.9 is a true regional leader thanks to its massive signal covering four markets in Connecticut and beyond.

Connoisseur has been in a rapid growth mode, recently expanding into several markets including Long Island, Trenton, NJ and Allentown, PA. The company has closed on or announced over $100,000,000 of radio station acquisitions in the past nine months.

Connoisseur CEO, Jeffrey D. Warshaw, said, “We are honored and privileged to welcome these terrific radio stations into the Connoisseur family. The stations have an impeccable history of community service and high quality broadcasting. We are excited to be working with the tremendous team that Market Manager Kristin Okesson has led to great success. It is particularly gratifying to own these stations in our own back yard.“

Connoisseur is headquartered in Westport, CT. The company owns and/or operates radio stations in Allentown, PA, Billings, MT, Bloomington, IL, Erie, PA, Nassau-Suffolk, NY, Omaha, NE, Rapid City, SD, Stroudsburg, PA, Trenton, NJ, and Wichita, KS.

Contact Information:

Jeffrey D. Warshaw or Michael O. Driscoll

136 Main St., Suite 202

Westport, CT 06880

Tel: 203-227-1978

www.connoisseurmedia.com

 Jeff Warshaw’s Connoisseur Media has struck a deal to buy the 10 remaining Nassau Broadcasting stations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including the company’s top billing CHR WPST, Trenton, NJ (94.5). If a Delaware court approves, Connoisseur could begin operating the stations as soon as next week.

The stations were put up for auction in May, but debtholders Goldman Sachs, Fortress Capital and P.E. Capital retained the assets after no buyers did better than their $38.7 million credit bid. Connoisseur will assume that bid to buy the stations. The debtholders had other offers, but none as appealing. At the May auction Townsquare Media offered $16 million for WPST alone and Cumulus Media offered to buy classic hits “99.9 The Hawk” WODE-FM for $3 million to fill-out its Allentown, PA cluster. Connoisseur will get those two stations and eight others.

In Trenton it picks up religious WCHR (920) to go along with WPST. In the Allentown market besides WODE-FM Connoisseur also buys rock “107.1 The Bone” WWYY, sports “ESPN Radio 1230″ WEEX and its simulcast WTKZ (1320), and religious “The Light 1160″ WBYN. In the Wilkes Barre-Scranton market it gets hot AC WSBG (93.5) and talk WVPO (840). And Connoisseur gets the Spanish sports standalone WNJE, Flemington, NJ (1040).

The debtholders will go before U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Kevin Gross next week in Delaware asking that he clear Connoisseur to begin operating the stations under local marketing agreement until the sale closes. Connoisseur will pay LMA fees ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 a month depending on how long that process takes. It’s the second big ticket deal for Warshaw this year. In March he bought Barnstable Broadcasting’s four Nassau stations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to investment banker Bill Binnie and Great Eastern Radio CEO Jeff Shapiro who jointly bid $12.5 million is expected to close by the end of this week.

[Farmingdale, NY – September 13, 2012] – Long Island’s Connoisseur Media takes a BITE out of local radio with the unveiling of Long Island’s newest Rock Station, 94-3 The Shark (WSSK).  With the positioning statement of “Everything That Rocks”, 94-3 The Shark will have an extensive playlist, less repetition than local rock competitors and feature a variety of artists like Ozzy Osbourne, Pearl Jam, Metallica, Beastie Boys, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, AC/DC, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Sublime, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins, U2, Van Halen, Foo Fighters and so much more…literally, everything that ROCKS!

 “We listened to the radio listeners of Long Island and they wanted more variety and a rock station that wasn’t boring.” Said David Bevins, COO of Connoisseur Media.  “94-3 The Shark will provide listeners with energy and attitude that can’t be found on any local Long Island rock station.”

Connoisseur Media hosted two extensive Long Island research projects before coming to this conclusion and made the change for a number of reasons.

“The change falls in line with the Connoisseur philosophy of the 3 C’s,” Said Dave Widmer, General Manager for the Long Island CM cluster.  “94-3 The Shark will better serve our COMMUNITY, and what we know they want, the Long Island CLIENTS and advertisers who want a better way to reach a young male demographic and our staff and COLLEAGUES who will now be able to provide complete demographic and geographic marketing solutions to current and future businesses.”

94-3 The Shark will round out the Connoisseur Long Island portfolio complimenting KJOY 98.3 (Leading station with Women 25-54), B103/103.1 (catering to Adults/Baby Boomer 35-64) and AM adult standards, WHLI 1100 (specializing in the 55+ community).  The Shark will provide businesses and the advertising community a better option to reach Men 18-49. 

The Shark will be edgy, interactive and different than other local rock formats.  It will offer music that can’t be found on other local stations…94-3 The Shark will be the COMPLETE source for Rock on Long Island.  To learn more about 94-3 The Shark, visit us online at www.<URL>.com, or call us at 631-770-4200.  

Wichita, Kansas - July 19, 2012 - Connoisseur Media is proud to announce and welcome back Doug Downs as General Manager. Doug served as General Manager in Wichita for Connoisseur Media from 2007-2009. Doug is a Wichita native with over 20 years of advertising experience in the market.

“We are very happy and excited to have Doug join our team once again”, said David Bevins, Chief Operating Officer. “Doug has a solid track record and I’m confident his experience will provide dividends to the market and our employees.”

Doug Downs says, “I am thrilled to be back as the General Manager of BOB FM and The Wolf and to be part of the Connoisseur Team. I look forward to working with a great staff and to continue building strong brands in Wichita.”

For Additional Info, Contact:

David Bevins, COO

dbevins@conncos.com

PH: 216-402-0710

Doug Downs, General Manager

ddowns@connoisseurwichita.com

PH: 316-558-8800

Bismarck ND – July 17, 2012 – Connoisseur Media announces it has signed an agreement to sell KKBO-FM to Radio Bismarck Mandan. Said Radio Bismarck’s President and CEO Bob Denver, “This is an exciting move for us. Together with our sister station Mojo 107.5 (KXRV-FM), Radio Bismarck expands its ability to continue serving the community with exemplary programming and local focus.” Denver continued, “With this move we are filling another of the three studios we built in downtown  Bismarck last summer. Our team of veteran broadcasters is looking forward to the challenge of continuing to change the landscape of broadcasting in the area.”

BOB-FM debuted in Bismarck in 2009, and for the past three years it has successfully operated as a single station in a very competitive radio market. “Bismarck is a wonderful market,” said Connoisseur CEO Jeffrey D. Warshaw, “but owning only one station no longer made the best business sense for us. We wish Bob and his staff great success.”

The sale, which is subject to FCC approval, is expected to occur in the next two or three months.

Michael Bergner of Bergner & Co. served as the broker on the deal.

Founded in 2004, Connoisseur Media owns and operates 24 radio stations in Bismarck, ND, Billings, MT., Bloomington, IL, Erie, PA, Long Island, NY, Omaha, NE, Rapid City, SD and Wichita, KS.

July 10, 2012 6:15 PM By JAMES BERNSTEIN james.bernstein@newsday.com

Photo credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara | Jeff Warshaw, CEO of Connoisseur Media in Westport, Conn., has closed on his purchase of Long Island Radio Group’s four local stations. He says he’ll make no major format or program changes. (July 9, 2012)

Jeff Warshaw seems never to slow down. He hop-steps into a small conference room in Farmingdale, slapping his hands together like a man who is always just about to run out of time.

And part of what Warshaw does is sell time: airtime.

The company Warshaw, 48, started in 2004, Connoisseur Media of Westport, Conn., has officially become the owner of the Farmingdale-based Long Island Radio Group, which owns WKJY/ 98.3 FM, WBZO/103.1 FM, WHLI/1100 AM and WIGX/ 94.3 FM.

Last week, Connoisseur closed on a $23-million deal to buy the radio group from Newton, Mass.-based Barnstable Broadcasting, after having first announced the purchase in March.

Warshaw, Connoisseur’s chief executive, has radio in his blood. In 1967 his parents and uncle bought WTHE/1520 AM in Mineola, which sells airtime to local and national ministries and religious institutions. His parents, who live in Roslyn, still own the radio station.

Warshaw, a 1982 Roslyn High School grad, bought a radio station in Indiana while he was still at the Wharton School of Business. He has since sold that station but now owns 24 others, including the four on Long Island.

“We were looking to expand our business,” said Warshaw, who lives in Connecticut but is a regular visitor to his parents’ home. “We heard these [four Island] stations were for sale.” The purchase was Connoisseur’s largest, and the stations are its biggest.

Long Island radio is a huge market. John Caracciolo, chief executive of Ronkonkoma-based JVC Broadcasting, owner of four Long Island stations, estimates that Island advertisers spend $50 million annually on radio spots, or airtime.

But there is only a handful of radio companies serving the Island — Connoisseur, JVC, Atlanta-based Cox Media Group and San Antonio, Texas-based Clear Channel Communications Inc., among them.

How to get market share? Warshaw thinks the best way is to continue the formats his four stations now follow, which include programming for Gen-Xers as well as baby boomers. No major changes are planned, he said.

Warshaw smirks when asked whether radio is dying in the Internet age. After every major technological advance — eight-tracks, CDs, satellite radio and iPods — radio was declared dead or dying.

Radio, Warshaw said, “is all about being local. It’s the original social media.”

Farmingdale, NY  – Jeff Warshaw, CEO of Connoisseur Media and a native Long Islander, made his name in the broadcasting business and is now coming back to Long Island, taking over Barnstable’s Long Island Radio Group.

Warshaw grew up in Roslyn, Long Island, and after graduating from Roslyn High School , began construction of his first radio station while a student at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

“My parents are broadcasters, my uncle is a broadcaster. It’s in my blood,” says Warshaw. “Acquiring the Long Island stations is particularly exciting as I grew up listening to these stations and I’m thrilled that Connoisseur will now be operating them.”

Connoisseur Media will be the new parent company for the Farmingdale based media cluster, including: KJOY 98.3 (WKJY), B103 (WBZO), The New 94-X (WIGX) and WHLI (1100am).  The stations will continue to operate daily business under the direction of General Manager, Dave Widmer, who has managed them since 1998.  Widmer feels the sale of the four stations to Connoisseur Media will yield excellent results for the staff, listeners and advertisers alike.

“I’m proud of the success these stations and this staff have had in the Long Island market and we are looking forward to continuing that success with Connoisseur Media.” remarked Widmer.  “These stations have always had a strong commitment to serve the Long Island community, and Connoisseur Media is the kind of company that strongly believes in such commitment.

“The core values of our company remain the same - service to the community, dedication to our listeners, results for our advertisers, creating a terrific work environment, having integrity and honest dealings in all aspects of our operations, and tireless dedication to getting better,” says Warshaw.

Connoisseur Media currently owns and operates 24 stations in eight markets.

The ad reset continues.  Ad sales may have a brighter outlook in the weeks and months to come, but longer term Cumulus Media CEO Lew Dickey believes there’s a larger reset by local advertisers underway as they determine how much of their marketing budget to put into digital, social and traditional media like radio. “I think we’re going to see much more of a shakeout over the next few years and that will ultimately set the tone for our industry,” Dickey predicted.

Radio executives say the share of revenue from digital revenue continues to grow rapidly, with some companies now getting more than 10 cents of every dollar billed from an online property. “If somebody is doing 1% in digital, they’ve had their head in the sand over the last couple of years,” Walsh said.

While Connoisseur Media has spent time, effort and money on digital as other companies, CEO Jeff Warshaw worries that the radio industry may be giving away its competitive advantage by increasing spotloads, dumping local air personalities and shrinking local sales forces. “It’s like we’re killing the goose that laid the golden egg and saying ‘wow isn’t it a delicious meal’ — and ignoring the fact that this is a business where virtually all of our cash flow is coming from going out and selling local advertisers.” 

Wichita Kansas – May 14, 2012 -   Connoisseur Media is proud to announce the addition of Pat James as the new program director for 97.1 Bob-FM and 100.5 The Wolf.

“We are very happy and excited to have Pat join our programming department,” said Laura Hadley, general manager.“We have built two solid and very successful stations and I’m confident under Pat’s guidance, we will continue to grow and service our local community.”

New Program Director Pat James (most recently the Morning Co-host on WIL-FM in St. Louis and previously the assistant program director for KFDI in Wichita) says, “This is an exciting opportunity to build on the strong foundation they’ve already established for 97.1 BOB-FM and 100.5 The Wolf.  Plus moving back to Wichita, where we lived for nearly a decade, will be like coming home for my family.”

About Connoisseur Media
Founded in 2004 Connoisseur Media has rapidly expanded through both acquisitions, and new licenses granted by FCC to over 23 stations in Billings, MT, Bloomington, IL, Erie, PA, Huntington, WV, Omaha, NE, Wichita, KS, Rapid City, SD, and Bismarck, ND.

Richard Lee

Published 06:59 p.m., Friday, April 13, 2012

Connoisseur Media’s purchase of four Long Island radio stations has drawn the attention of many in the radio industry.

The $23 million deal achieved by Jeffrey Warshaw, Westport-based Connoisseur’s CEO, impressed Roger Rafson, owner of Commercial Media Sales, in Pittsburgh, a specialist in radio station transactions.

“It’s certainly one of the largest deals of 2012. For us in radio, it shows that the recession is behind us and indicates that the banks are lending money,” Rafson said. “Stations in markets like Long Island are profitable. It’s rare to see a sale when stations are profitable. I’ve got 30 to 40 stations for sale now, and four or five awaiting approval by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission.”

Connoisseur, which owns and operates 22 radio stations in eight U.S. markets, adds WKJY 98.3-FM, WBZO 103.1-FM, WIGX 94.3-FM and WHLI 1100-AM in the purchase of the Long Island Radio Group from Al Kaneb, president and CEO of Barnstable Broadcasting Inc., which entered into the Long Island market in 1984.

Kalil & Co. and Bergner & Co. were brokers on the deal, which is pending approval by the FCC.

“We are so excited to have the privilege of continuing the legacy of service that Barnstable has created on Long Island,” Warshaw said. “These are great operations with terrific people. I was raised on Long Island and grew up listening to these stations.”

The Long Island stations were attractive because of their strong financial footing, Warshaw said, commenting that he expects to retain the 55 full-time employees and current formats. He operates stations in Bloomington, Ill.; Huntington, W.Va.; Billings, Mont.; Wichita, Kan.; Erie, Pa.; Omaha, Neb.; Rapid City, S.D.; and Bismarck, N.D.

“They do a tremendous amount of revenue, and they are very profitable,” said Warshaw, who operates Ferocious Media, a digital advertising business in Westport.

Kaneb credited his employees for the financial success of the stations.

“We are happy to be passing the torch to a committed broadcaster like Connoisseur,” he said in prepared comments.

General Manager Dave Widmer said he expects the stations to continue their service to their communities and advertisers under the new ownership.

The key strategy for radio stations in smaller markets should be to localize content — something that large stations within broadcast range of those communities cannot do, said Dr. Rick Wright, a professor at the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University who focuses on the radio and television industry.

“They’ve got to develop a strong local broadcast impact — a niche that is heavily local,” he said, adding that for stations affected by New York City stations, it is a logical option. The Long Island stations have done that with their own on-air personalities who develop their own followings.

Warshaw wouldn’t disclose the cash-flow multiples for the Long Island stations, but Rafson said a purchase price of a radio operation is typically five to nine times the cash flow (revenue minus operating expenses).

Radio stations can be an attractive purchase because of low overhead costs and their ability to adapt to changing advertising opportunities, Rafson said.

“Social media is an opportunity for radio stations to become more connected with their audiences,” he said.

In the $23 million Barnstable-Connoisseur sale, everybody wants to know the multiple.

Mike Bergner, one of the brokers involved (along with Kalil & Co.) refuses to open up about cash flow multiples for the Long Island transaction, though he knows it’s a highly-prized number. What Bergner will talk about is the turn in the station sale market, after some very ugly years. He says “Radio has bottomed…we’re entering a period where people who know the business well are seeing the stability of the advertising market” and are looking at possible acquisitions in a meaningful way. He jokes people now know “we’re not gonna die” as an industry, and even some lenders are turning around. But this isn’t 1999 deja vu. Finding financing for deals under $10 million is still almost in the “forget it” range – you’d need to bring in a lot of equity and tap private investors, friends, etc. However, if you’re Connoisseur CEO Jeff Warshaw, with eight other markets and a strong track record, you have access to lenders. Quick review of the deal – Al Kaneb’s Barnstable is selling AC “K-Joy” WKJY (98.3), oldies “B103″ WBZO, Generation X-targeted “94X” WIGX, and standards WHLI at 1100. The price is $23 million – and this deal may well be a catalyst for the whole station-trading market. You may have also first found out about the sale in Monday’s TRI Extra afternoon headlines.

Connoisseur Media executive Jeff Warshaw grew up on Long Island, and now his Connecticut-based Connoisseur buys these four stations from Massachusetts-based Barnstable - AC “K-Joy” WKJY, Hempstead (98.3). Oldies “B103″ WBZO, Bayshore. Generation X-targeted “94X” WIGX, Smithtown. And standards WHLI, Hempstead at 1100. Warshaw was present at the Barnstable studios this afternoon, announcing the deal and meeting the staff. There will not be an LMA prior to closing. Barnstable Chairman/CEO Al Kaneb says “We are grateful to our dedicated employees…and we are happy to be passing the torch to a committed broadcaster like Connoisseur.” Barnstable has owned stations on Long Island since 1984. Buyer Jeff Warshaw says the current climate is favorable for checking out acquisitions, for a group like his that has kept its powder dry through the last few years. Brokers on the $23 million deal: Kalil & Company, and Michael Bergner.

Link to original article here.

A year and a half after selling half its Long Island market stations to JVC Media, Barnstable Broadcasting has struck a $23 million deal to sell its remaining four stations to Connoisseur Media. Al Kaneb-led Barnstable first entered the Long Island market in 1984.

“We are so excited to have the privilege of continuing the legacy of service that Barnstable has created on Long Island,” Connoisseur CEO Jeffrey Warshaw says, adding, “I was raised on Long Island and grew up listening to these stations.”   Today Connoisseur is based across the Long Island Sound in Westport, CT.

The cluster includes AC “K-Joy 98.3” WKJY, classic hits “B-103” WBZO (103.1), adult hits “94X” WIGX (94.3) and adult standards WHLI (1100).

“We are grateful to our dedicated employees, who together with we have achieved so many years of success on Long Island, and we are happy to be passing the torch to a committed broadcaster like Connoisseur,” Kaneb says.

General manager Dave Widmer says, “It has been a tremendous run with Barnstable. We have been able to provide great service to the community and our advertisers. I look forward to continuing this in the future with Connoisseur.”

Kalil & Co. and Bergner & Co. were the brokers on the deal.

Link to the original article here.

Westport, CT- March 26, 2012 –

Connoisseur Media which owns and operates 22 radio stations in 8 markets has entered into an agreement to buy Barnstable’s 4 Long Island stations. Purchase price is $23,000,000.

 “We are grateful to our dedicated employees, who together with we have achieved so many years of success on Long Island, and we are happy to be passing the torch to a committed broadcaster like Connoisseur,” said  Barnstable Chairman/CEO Al Kaneb.

Added Connoisseur CEO Jeffrey D. Warshaw, “We are so excited to have the privilege of continuing the legacy of service that Barnstable has created on Long Island. These are great operations with terrific people. I was raised on Long Island and grew up listening to these stations.

General Manager Dave Widmer said, “It has been a tremendous run with Barnstable. We have been able to provide great service to the community and our advertisers. I look forward to continuing this in the future with Connoisseur.

Barnstable first entered into the market in 1984. Today the Long Island Radio Group consists of WKJY 98.3-FM, WBZO 103.1-FM, WIGX 94.3-FM, and WHLI 1100 –AM.

Kalil & Co. and Bergner & Co. were brokers on the deal.

Connoisseur Media is headquartered in Westport, CT. The company owns or operates radio stations in Bloomington, IL, Huntington, WV, Billings, MT, Wichita, KS, Erie, PA, Omaha, NE, Rapid City, SD, and Bismarck, ND.

Westport, CT – March 23, 2012 –

Floyd Evans has been named Market Manager of Connoisseur Media’s Bloomington, IL operations. Evans will be responsible for WBBE-FM-BOB-FM 97.9, WVMG-FM-Magic 100.7, and WIHN-FM- I-Rock 96.7. Evans has an extensive background in radio. He last served as Regional Vice President/General Manager for NextMedia’s suburban Chicago radio stations.

  “I am very excited to be joining Connoisseur Media,” said Evans. “The Connoisseur team is an exceptional group and I really look forward to continuing to foster the dedication to our local community, clients and listeners.”

 “We are very happy to have Floyd leading our team in Bloomington. I am confident his experience will greatly benefit our clients, employees and the community,” said Connoisseur CEO Jeffrey D. Warshaw.

Connoisseur Media is headquartered in Westport, CT.   In addition to Bloomington, the Company owns or operates radio stations in Billings (MT), Huntington, (WV), Erie (PA),  Omaha (NE), Rapid City (SD), Wichita (KS), and Bismarck, ND.

HUNTINGTON, WV – March 28, 2011- Connoisseur Media flips formats on 101.5 FM from Adults Hits to the popular Country Legends format with the NEW Big Buck Country 101.5.

 “Huntington/Ashland’s average age is 48 years old. A big demand exists with Adults  for a radio station airing popular country artists that other local stations just won’t play,” said program director Jason Toy.

“We are very excited about the launch of Big Buck Country. The Huntington/Ashland market loves country music. Big Buck Country will provide our advertisers a new audience and Big Buck Country will partner well with our Adult Contemporary station Magic 97.9,” said general manager Randy Dunn.

About Connoisseur Media

Founded in 2004, Connoisseur Media has rapidly expanded through both acquisitions, and new licenses granted by the FCC  to over 24 stations in Billings, MT, Bismarck ND, Bloomington, IL, Des Moines, IA, Erie, PA, Huntington, WV, Omaha, NE, Rapid City, SD, and Wichita, KS.

Des Moines, IA – March 9, 2011 -   Connoisseur Media is proud to announce the debut of Rhythmic/CHR HITS 105.9.

“And we are very happy and excited to enter the Des Moines market,” said David Bevins, Chief Operating officer.  “We are committed to serving the local community and look forward to winning listeners with an exciting and energetic format.”

Program Director Chris Ryan (recently at Cumulus CHR Hot 975 Bismarck, ND) says “It’s been really exciting to build a new radio station from scratch. I’ve been given an incredible opportunity with Connoisseur Media to bring a fresh new sound to Des Moines. There is great radio in this market, but the listeners need a new source to hear their favorite artists on the radio. We’ll be playing the biggest hits from Ke$ha, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Britney, Gaga and more! We’re launching commercial-free for 105.9 days and that means we’ll be playing a lot of music for the next few months.” Reach out to Chris Ryan at cryan@connoisseurmedia.com.

Connoisseur Media has a successful track record of debuting radio stations from scratch. Since winning the rights from the FCC Auction in 2004 to build new radio licenses in over 10 markets throughout the nation, Connoisseur Media has successfully built and then launched stations in markets such as Billings, MT, Bloomington, IL, Huntington, WV, Rapid City, SD, Bismarck, ND and Wichita, KS. In each instance, Connoisseur Media has supported these new stations with thorough research, strong marketing, humility and a strong commitment to serve the local community.

About Connoisseur Media

Founded in 2004 Connoisseur Media has rapidly expanded through both acquisitions, and new licenses granted by FCC to over 24 stations in Billings, MT, Bloomington, IL, Erie, PA, Huntington, WV, Omaha, NE, Wichita, KS, Des Moines, IA, Rapid City, SD, and Bismarck ND.

Westport, CT – September 28, 2010 – Connoisseur Media, LLC today announced the completion of an exchange of assets between itself, Elenbaas Media, Inc. and Cherry Creek Radio whereby Connoisseur Media now owns 730 AM licensed to Billings, MT, and Elenbaas now owns 93.3 FM, also licensed to Billings, MT. This disposes of the remaining Billings assets of Cherry Creek Radio, and was covered as a part of the recent sale to Connoisseur.

“We are delighted to be able to add 730 AM to our expanding Billings cluster,” said Connoisseur GM, Cam Maxwell. “This will make Connoisseur Media the largest radio operator in the region with six stations in the Billings market.”  The station receives new call letters, heritage KYYA will now be used to identify 730 AM.  With a signal that covers southern Montana and northern Wyoming, Connoisseur Media is moving its News Talk lineup, currently on KBLG 910 AM, to the bigger coverage area as the new News/Talk 730 KYYA AM.  Coming this weekend, 910 AM re-launches as Fox Sports Radio 910 KBLG.

 In addition to News/Talk 730 KYYA AM and Fox Sports Radio 910 KBLG, Connoisseur Media also operates the following radio stations in the Billings market: KRKX-FM,  “Big Sky Country”, at 94.1, KRZN-FM, “The Zone”, a rock station at 96.3, KWMY-FM, classic hits ”MY 105.9”, and KPLN-FM, 106.7, a modern hits music station also known as “The Planet”.

“Elenbaas Media, Inc. will retain the KURL call letters in the deal,” Elenbaas said. “We want to continue to use KURL considering our long history with our listeners and to reassure them that the format that they’re used to will not change except for the radio frequency.”  About Elenbaas Media:  Elenbaas has managed KURL since 1982, and bought KURL in 1994 from Christian Enterprise, Inc. They will still have an AM presence in Billings with KMZK-AM (added in 1997), a contemporary Christian music station, which will now also be on translator 97.5 FM.  

About Connoisseur Media:  Founded in 2004, Connoisseur Media has rapidly expanded through both acquisitions and new licenses granted by the FCC and owns or operates 24 stations in Billings, MT, Bloomington, IL, Erie, PA, Huntington, WV, Omaha, NE, Wichita, KS, Des Moines, IA, Rapid City, SD, and Bismarck, ND.

Connoisseur Media Contact Information:                Elenbaas Media Contact Information:

Jeffrey D. Warshaw or Michael O. Driscoll                         Herm Elenbaas - CEO, Owner

136 Main Street, Suite 202                                                     Tel: 406-245-3121

Westport, CT 06880 

Tel: 203-227-1978 

www.connoisseurmedia.com

Cam Maxwell - GM, Billings

Tel: 406-248-7777

• Jeffrey Warshaw

  September 28, 2010

  
  

  Jeffrey Warshaw came from a radio family; his parents and uncle once owned Universal Broadcasting. So it was somewhat inevitable that he would follow suit, starting and building Connoisseur Communications in the ’90s. When he sold the company to Cumulus in 2000, it was equally inevitable that he would find his way back into the business - which he did in 2004, using an FCC Auction to launch what is now called Connoisseur Media. With around two dozen stations in relatively small markets, Warshaw quickly generated considerable success, in spite of the economy, relying on what he believes are the principles of good broadcasting. Here he explains just what that is.

•  

  This is your second go-round, of sorts, after you sold your first Connoisseur group of stations to Cumulus in 2000. Do you have any second thoughts about selling out now that you’re back in the game?

  I loved the company, but it was clearly a great time to sell. We couldn’t grow the company through acquisition anymore because the prices were so insane. We built the company to a position where we had tremendous market share and healthy margins. But we didn’t see more opportunities to grow, so when someone came along and offered us something that was more than satisfactory, we took it.

  The business environment had certainly changed in the four years between selling Connoisseur and starting over in 2004. Did you have to operate your stations differently this time around because of the changing economic conditions?

  We started by buying up stations in the Auction of 2004. We thought there would be an opportunity to come in and create a valuable business. There had been a vacuum created because many radio companies were overleveraged and could not devote resources to a lot of things we felt were important to make successful radio stations. In markets where we were competing, there was very little research and promotion being done. The street presence of various radios stations had been diminished. Although I didn’t see an opportunity to build huge market positions, there was an opportunity to take radio stations and build them into successful enterprises. Fortunately we’ve been able to do that.

  Our stations have grown in market share every year. In certain markets, we have built very strong positions. All of our markets are profitable; in the Spring book we were up in every one of our markets. We’ve been able to attract great people because we have a reputation for treating people fairly and with dignity. We try to build up the value of — and loyalty to — our stations over the long term. Because we’re not leveraged, we’ve been able to continue to do the things we think the radio industry needs.

  What kind of research are you talking about?

  We do research and promotion in our markets. We do perceptual research and we also continue to use the best consultants in the business.

  Being in diary-sized markets, you may have a choice between Arbitron’s diaries and those by Nielsen, not to mention the phone service done by Eastlan. While some have argued that Arbitron is placing too much emphasis on PPM and not enough on the diary, have you shopped around for a ratings service?

  All of our markets have Arbitron and we haven’t considered any other service. We plan to continue to use Arbitron; we think the data we receive is the best out there and our advertisers are interested in it. The problems this industry face aren’t because of Arbitron not focusing on smaller markets because of PPM. Many of our maladies have been self-inflicted.

  Could you describe those “self-inflicted maladies?”

  One of the biggest problems in our industry is decreased local service. Too many stations are sitting there, saying, “Woe is me,” yet just in the area where I live, there have been some natural disasters over the past year that have been largely ignored by local radio. There’s much less training going on. Because so many companies in our industry are so overleveraged, they do everything they can to grab business - things that don’t reflect the great value radio can bring to advertisers. Running 20 commercials an hour is not in our — or our advertisers’– best interests. Some stations in our markets are running so many commercials that our advertisers have a very real fear of being lost in the overcrowded environment. As we are now also competing with new media, it’s even more important that we aren’t so cluttered.

  Has a “less spots” approach paid off in the ratings?

  It definitely helped us get good ratings in our markets. For virtually all of our stations, we run 10 units or less, which definitely helped us get market share and put us on the map. When we came into the markets, they were very crowded and all the stations were owned by big radio consolidators. When we came into Billings, MT, we started two of our stations from scratch. Now we have four out of top-5 stations.

  Especially in an economy like this, how do you deal with rivals who cut spot price to get the client’s business?

  Obviously if our competition is charging lower rates, it’s increasingly difficult to have integrity when you come into these markets. If we didn’t have a long-standing heritage radio station, we weren’t in a position to have any leadership. But in the markets where we do have leadership, we exhibit spot-price integrity. In Erie, we had two stations with great ratings and we changed formats on the other two FMs. We re-launched the second Country station, now it’s the #1 Country station. We changed our Oldies format to Bob … and that has worked out well.

  You’ve have mentioned in past interviews your belief in developing new formats. What kind of new formats are you talking about?

  We have no plans to roll out any more new formats right now, but we have experimented with formats over past five years. Some have done better than others; we’ve definitely proved that we will try new things as long as our research and instincts tell us there’s a shot to succeed.

  We came into markets where there was virtually two of everything, so we had to do things that were unique. A format like Bob is very often music-intensive and one where we don’t play many commercials.

  So what of Connoisseur’s future growth? Is the time ripe for more station acquisitions?

  There’s a big gulf between what sellers are willing to sell for and what we think are reasonable prices. No deals are being done. We are an overleveraged industry, so there’s not a lot of deal flow. Overvaluation and too much debt have plagued this industry for years.

  We are constantly looking at new ways to develop our revenue; we have undertaken a variety of Internet initiatives and concentrated sales efforts. We weren’t active in the most recent FCC Auction; we feel better served by growing our business in the markets we already are in, by continuing to invest in them. It’s very rewarding to do all that we can for our listeners, our advertisers and our employees. If we can continue to serve those coalitions, we’ll get taken care of as well.

  Our radio stations don’t exist to make us rich, but as long as we take care of our advertisers, listeners and employees, we’ll do well enough.

  We tend to focus on stuff we can control — and what we can control is putting on great radio stations, providing great environments for advertisers and great place for people to work. We can control becoming a vital part of our communities. We can control the amount of debt we take on - and we make sure we don’t get into too much debt. We can control treating our people with dignity; we can control the number of commercials we air. If we control those things, we’ll do well no matter how bad the recession is or what our competitors are doing.

            Westport, CT – September 7, 2010 - Connoisseur Media has named Randy Dunn General Manager of its Huntington, WV station WMGA, Magic 97.9, and its Huntington and Tri-State powerhouse WXBW, 101.5 BOB, effective September 6, 2010. Dunn joins Connoisseur Media with over twelve years of radio sales and management experience, nearly all in the Huntington market. From 1998 to 2010 he was with the Clear Channel radio stations in Huntington, most recently as the General Sales Manager.

            “We are excited to have Randy lead our team in Huntington. I am confident his broad experience will continue to benefit our clients, employees and the community,” said Connoisseur Media COO David Bevins.

            “I’m very pleased to join such a dynamic company and quite frankly, I am stoked. I look forward to doing great things for Huntington and Tri-State listeners and advertisers,” said Dunn.

            Connoisseur Media is headquartered in Westport, CT. In addition to the Huntington stations, the company owns or operates 24 radio stations in Bloomington, IL, Billings, MT, Wichita, KS, Erie, PA, Omaha, NE, Bismarck, ND, Rapid City, SD and Des Moines, IA.

Jeff says “a lot of the damage that’s been done to the industry has been self-inflicted.” Bonneville’s Bruce Reese said (jokingly) “it’s been cut, but none of us [on the panel] did it – we all behaved responsibly.” Reese then said “it’s tough to generalize about 15,000 radio stations” and he says the recession didn’t just whack radio – “every person who runs a business has had to make some really tough decisions.” Jeff Dinetz at NextMedia said getting an entire cluster down to 20 sellers “is not good…there are not many people representing us on the streets.” He also believes “we have no bench for talent, and that’s pretty sad.” Maverick Media’s Gary Rozynek said he’s trying to hold the line on staffing and cuts – “We are still live and local 6am to 7pm. You have to have a certain level of staffing in the building to deliver on the commitments you’re making to the community and to your customers.” To him, being staffed up is “an advantage to us” versus the competition – “we can be out in the community. We can be doing promotions…our stations are going to be very relevant.”

Westport, CT – May 24, 2010 – Connoisseur Media, LLC today announced an exchange of assets between itself, Elenbaas Media, Inc. and Cherry Creek Radio whereby Connoisseur Media will acquire 730 AM licensed to Billings, MT, and Elenbaas will acquire 93.3 FM, also licensed to Billings, MT. This will dispose of the remaining Billings assets of Cherry Creek Radio, and was covered as a part of the recent sale to Connoisseur.

            “We are delighted to be able to add 730 AM to our expanding Billings cluster,” said Connoisseur GM, Cam Maxwell. “This will make Connoisseur Media the largest radio operator in the region with six stations in the Billings market.”

 In addition to 730 AM, which will have a new format, Connoisseur Media also operates the following radio stations in the Billings market: KRKX-FM,  “Big Sky Country”, at 94.1, KRZN-FM, “The Zone”, a rock station at 96.3, KWMY-FM, classic hits ”MY 105.9”, KPLN-FM, 106.7, a modern hits music station also known as “The Planet”, and KBLG-AM, a news/talk station at 910.

            “The ability to carry KURL programming on an FM translator, 97.5, that began in the summer of 2008 was very popular with our Billings area audience, and now being on a 100,000 watt FM will boost our range enormously, day and night,” said Herm Elenbaas, owner of KURL radio.

 “Elenbaas Media, Inc. will retain the KURL call letters in the deal,” Elenbaas added. “We want to continue to use KURL considering our long history with our listeners and to reassure them that the format that they’re used to will not change except for the radio frequency.”

About  Elenbaas Media:  Elenbaas has managed KURL since 1982, and bought KURL in 1994 from Christian Enterprise, Inc. They will still have an AM presence in Billings with KMZK-AM (added in 1997), a contemporary Christian music station, which will now also be on 97.5 FM, once the swap of KURL and KYYA is approved by the FCC, expected  sometime later this summer.

About Connoisseur Media:  Founded in 2004, Connoisseur Media has rapidly expanded through both acquisitions and new licenses granted by the FCC and owns or operates 23 stations in Billings, MT, Bloomington, IL, Erie, PA, Huntington, WV, Omaha, NE, Wichita, KS, Des Moines, IA, Rapid City, SD, and Bismarck, ND.

Connoisseur Media Contact Information:                Elenbaas Media Contact Information:

Jeffrey D. Warshaw or Michael O. Driscoll                           Herm Elenbaas - CEO, Owner                                   

136 Main Street, Suite 202                                           Tel: 406-245-3121

Westport, CT 06880

Tel: 203-227-1978

www.connoisseurmedia.com

Cam Maxwell - GM, Billings

Tel: 406-248-7777

Westport, Ct – March 10, 2010 - Effective immediately, Debra Boechler joins Connoisseur Media as Station Manager of KKBO-105.9 BOB-FM in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Boechler has a long history of management experience in the Bismarck area, including six years with Cumulus Broadcasting. 

“We are excited to have Debbie join our management team. Her experience in the market will greatly enhance our operation,” said David Bevins, Chief Operating Officer.

“BOB-FM has made a big impact in the Bismarck community. Listeners and clients can all agree with BOB and I look forward to leading the charge for Connoisseur Media,” said Boechler. 

Connoisseur Media is headquartered in Westport, CT. Including the station in Bismarck, the company owns or operates a total of 23 radio stations in Billings, MT, Bloomington, IL, Des Moines, IA, Erie, PA, Huntington, WV, Omaha, NE, Rapid City, SD, and Wichita, KS.

Contact:

Debra Boechler

KKBO-FM

Ph: 701-751-8000