City FM station bought

August 29, 2000

City FM station bought

By KIMBERLY YAKOWSKI / Staff Writer

GREENCASTLE, Pa. - A Waynesboro, Pa., broadcasting company has purchased a Hagerstown FM easy listening radio station for an undisclosed amount, according to station officials.

John T. Staub, owner and general manager of WWMD-FM and WJEJ-AM, said he sold WWMD-FM to Verstandig Broadcasting, which operates WAYZ -FM and WHGT-AM in Greencastle, Pa.

The sale went into effect at 12 a.m. Tuesday, he said. The station's FM radio tower near Fort Ritchie, Md., was included in the sale, he said.

WWMD's 15 employees are also employed by WJEJ and will not lose their jobs, he said.

Verstandig Broadcasting made the offer to Staub in order to increase its coverage area, said Marge Martin, vice president and general manager of WAYZ-FM and WHGT-AM.

WWMD is a 75,000-watt station, which has the power to reach the Frederick, Md., Washington, D.C., and York, Pa. areas, she said.

Verstandig will broadcast country music from WWMD's and WAYZ's frequencies and take two weeks to decide if they want to make any format changes, she said.

Staub, a former broadcaster who has been in the industry since the 1950s, said he agreed to the sale because he wanted to ease himself into retirement, as well as for "tax reasons."

"It was bittersweet," said Staub, 67.

Staub has owned WWMD for 28 years. He started his career in radio in 1953 as a broadcaster at WAYB in Waynesboro, Va., and worked at area stations before purchasing WWMD and WJEJ.

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