Galaxy adds two more radio stations to playlist

CNY Business Journal (1996+), May 04, 2001 by McChesney, Charles

Ed Levine has put two more stations in orbit around his Galaxy Communications, LP. Galaxy has agreed to purchase Tri-County Broadcasters. Inc., owner of WSCP FM/AM, in Sandy Creek-Pulaski.

Levine, chairman and CEO of Galaxy, says his company is paying $400,000 for the stations, which broadcast a country-music format simultaneously on 101.7 FM and 1070 AM. Levine says he is not sure what will become of the station's format. He says the station's future will depend on technical improvements, which he expects will in a year, find the station's signal "significantly improved from what it is."

Galaxy made news late last year when it purchased FM station WRDS and switched it from an urban-contemporary format, featuring rap and hip-hop music, to an adult-contemporary format and rebranded it WZUN, Sunny 102.

Levine's company changed its name from The Radio Corporation to Galaxy and recapitalized a year ago. At that time, Levine said recapitalization gave the company $13 million with which to acquire more stations. With the purchase of stations WRDS and WSCP, Galaxy has spent a total of $4.15 million. Asked if that means he has $8.85 million left for further acquisitions, Levine says, "I've got at least that, sitting in a pot, waiting to be used."

While working to make his company grow, Levine has become increasingly public in his criticism of large, national radio companies. A year ago, he raised doubts about changes in federal regulations that have led to consolidation in radio-station ownership and some similarity among radio stations. ("Radio is not like McDonald's," he told The Central New York Business Journal, "the McDonaldization of radio has gone too far.")

Levine recently blasted competitor Clear Channel Communications, the nation's largest chain of radio stations, and a competitor in the markets Galaxy serves. Interviewed by online magazine Salon.com, Levine said of Clear Channel: "They've truly become an evil empire. Like everything else, Clear Channel has gone too far, gotten too greedy and too powerful.

"They're definitely bullies, no question about it.," Levine said.

Levine tells The Central New York Business Journal that, given Clear Channel's practices, "you can either sit in the comer and complain or go out and get some." Galaxy, he adds, decided to go out and get some.

Levine says that market analysis by radio advertisingrevenue surveys from Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co., Certified Public Accountants in North Hollywood, Calif, shows that Galaxy's stations in the Syracuse market are increasing their share of local and national radio advertising in the area. Figures supplied by Levine show Galaxy's ad sales up 18.7 percent overall for the year so far, while the Syracuse market is down 1 percent. The gains find Galaxy taking 17.4 percent of the local market, up from 14.1 percent at the same time last year.

In Syracuse, Galaxy's stations are TK99 (WTKW), WTLA, and K-Rock (WKRL). In Oswego County, Galaxy owns three stations that "simulcast" the signals from the Syracuse stations. In addition, Galaxy owns WTLB, WRCK, and WKLL in Utica. WTLB simulcasts WTLA. WKLL simulcasts K-Rock. WRCK has original programming during the day and simulcasts TK99 overnight.