BergnerCo.com

A $13 million deal to buy classic rock “Q-FM 96” WLVQ Columbus, OH from Wilks Broadcasting further cements 2015 as the biggest acquisition year for Saga Communications since before the recession.

Earlier this year the company acquired six Virginia stations and now adds a fifth FM to its largest market. WLVQ, which has been in the rock format since the seventies, ranked sixth in Nielsen’s October survey with a 4.8 share of listeners aged 6+. It joins a cluster that includes AC “Sunny 95” WSNY, hot AC “Mix 107.9” WVMX and the classic hits simulcast of “Rewind 103.5/104.3” WNND-WNNP.

The deal leaves Wilks, which has been selling its radio assets, with two FMs in the market—classic country “K 107.1” WHOK-FM and sports “95.5 The Game” WZOH-FM.

Saga expects to close the deal during the first quarter of 2016. Michael J. Bergner was the exclusive broker.

The company prides itself on being a picky buyer of stations in mid-size markets that are either home to a major university, state capital, large military base or are an agricultural hub. Columbus checks off at least two of those boxes.

"This station will add another heritage radio station to our already strong station group in Columbus, OH,” Saga president & CEO Ed Christian said in a statement. “Saga intends to continue building its business in both the radio and television markets by identifying and acquiring middle-market stations.” Earlier this year, it acquired six Harrisonburg, VA stations in separate deals, expanding its presence in a state where it already had clusters in Norfolk and Charlottesville. It has also continued its aggressive acquisition of FM translators, with the addition of signals in Charlottesville, VA; Mansfield, OH; and Manchester, NH.