Centennial Broadcasting is a small market radio broadcasting company based in

Clemmons, North Carolina Clemmons is a village in Forsyth County, North Carolina, Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States and a suburb of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Winston-Salem. The population was 21,177 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, with an ...

. The company is led by President and CEO Allen B. Shaw. Shaw began his career in 1959, at the age of 15, at radio station WRWB in

Kissimmee, Florida Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a principal city of the Greater Orlando, O ...

History

1997–2000

Centennial purchased

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

–based KQOL from

American General Media American General Media is a media company specializing in radio. It was founded by Lawrence Brandon and is operated by sons Anthony and Rogers. American General Media is headquartered in Bakersfield, California. Lawrence Brandon owned and op ...

for an undisclosed sum on May 13, 1997. Two months later, on July 22, 1997, the company bought another Las Vegas station,

KJUL Kjul is a small village in Nittedal, Akershus, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

, also for an undisclosed amount. In March 1998,

Sinclair Broadcast Group Sinclair, Inc., doing business as Sinclair Broadcast Group, is a publicly traded American telecommunications conglomerate that is controlled by the descendants of company founder Julian Sinclair Smith. Headquartered in the Baltimore suburb o ...

sold three

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

–based stations to the company for $16 million. The stations included two FMs,

WRNO-FM WRNO-FM (99.5 MHz) – branded ''News Talk 99.5 WRNO'' – is a commercial radio station in New Orleans, Louisiana. It airs a news/talk format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are on Howard Avenue in Downtown New O ...

and KMEZ, and one AM,

WBYU WBYU (1450 AM broadcasting, AM) was a radio station licensed in New Orleans, Louisiana and served the New Orleans metropolitan area. The station was owned by The Walt Disney Company and featured programming from Radio Disney (2003–2011). His ...

. In April of the same year, Centennial purchased Las Vegas station

KKLZ KKLZ (96.3 FM) is a commercial radio station located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The station is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group and airs a classic hits music format branded as "96-3 KKLZ". The KKLZ studios are located in Spring Valley, an unin ...

from Apogee Companies for $21 million. The company sold all six of its stations to

Beasley Broadcast Group Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc., based in Naples, Florida, is an owner/operator of radio stations in the United States. , the company owns 57 stations under the Beasley Media Group name. History The company was founded in 1961 by George G. Bea ...

in late 2000 for $113.5 million.

Since 2004

The company would re-enter the radio business, this time in Virginia, with the purchase of

Lynchburg, Virginia Lynchburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. First settled in 1757 by ferry owner and Abolitionism, abolitionist John Lynch (1740–1820), J ...

-area stations WZZI (then at 101.5) and

WZZU WZZU (97.9 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Lynchburg, Virginia. It broadcasts an active rock format and is owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc. The studios and offices are on Electric Road SW in Roanoke, Virginia. WZZU has ...

from Travis Media LLC on August 31, 2004, for $4.146 million. In 2005, the company purchased

WLNI WLNI (105.9 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Lynchburg, Virginia. It has a talk radio format and is owned by James River Media, LLC. The studios and offices are on Tradewynd Drive in Lynchburg. WLNI has an effective radiated ...

from 3 Daughters Media for $4.4 million. Centennial filed suit on 3 Daughters Media and owner Gary Burns in 2006 for violating a five-year non-compete agreement. The case was heard in the

United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia The United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia (in case citations, W.D. Va.) is a United States district court. Appeals from the Western District of Virginia are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth ...

. U.S. District Judge Norman Moon ruled 3 Daughters Media "could not operate a station with a Talk format until the five-year non-compete" had ended on August 4, 2006. Burns appealed to

United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a United States federal court, federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the United States district court, district cou ...

, which upheld the previous court's ruling. In March 2005,

Cumulus Media Cumulus Media, Inc. is a broadcasting company of the United States and is the second largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States ahead of Audacy and behind iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdi ...

sold WBWR and translator W247AD-FM to Centennial for $1.9 million. The deal closed in April of the same year. On May 17, 2007, Centennial announced it was buying

WINC Winc is a workplace support company operating in Australia supplying office essentials, furniture, safety equipment and IT solutions. The company is focused on supporting businesses through the delivery of everything a workplace needs to work - ...

, WINC-FM, WWRT, and

WWRE WWRE (105.1 FM) is a classic hits formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Bridgewater, Virginia, serving Harrisonburg/ Staunton area. WWRE is owned and operated by Saga Communications, through licensee Tidewater Communications, LLC. H ...

in Winchester and

WBQB WBQB (101.5 FM, "B101.5") is a hot adult contemporary–formatted radio station in Fredericksburg, Virginia, serving Central Virginia with a primary focus of Spotsylvania County. WBQB is owned and operated by Centennial Broadcasting. The stud ...

and WFVA in Fredericksburg from Mid-Atlantic Network Inc. for $36 million. Later reports had the price of the sale at $35.972 million. Shaw, commenting in a ''

Winchester Star ''The Winchester Star'' is a daily newspaper (Monday-Friday) based in Winchester, Virginia covering the Shenandoah Valley area. History On March 6, 2018, it was announced that ''The Winchester Star'', along with the other Byrd family newspapers ...

'' interview on the sale, said he had been considering buying the stations for several months. The sale closed in August 2007. In April 2008, the company agreed to purchase four stations from

Univision Radio Uforia Audio Network () is the radio broadcasting and music events division of TelevisaUnivision (United States), TelevisaUnivision USA. Formerly known as Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation and Univision Radio, it is the eighth-largest radio br ...

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

, for $24 million. The sale included stations

KIOT KIOT (102.5 FM, "Coyote 102.5") is an American radio station licensed to Los Lunas, New Mexico, and serving the Albuquerque and Santa Fe radio markets broadcasting a classic rock format with music from the late 1960s through the early 2000s. Th ...

, KJFA, KKRG, and

KKSS KKSS (97.3 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and broadcasting to the Santa Fe and Albuquerque metropolitan area. KKSS airs an urban-leaning rhythmic contemporary radio format branded as "Kiss 97.3". Owned ...

. For unknown reasons, the sale was never completed and the stations remain owned by Univision. On February 1, 2011,

WVMP WYHR (101.5 FM) is a radio station licensed to Vinton, Virginia, and serving the Roanoke metropolitan area. WYHR is owned by the Bible Broadcasting Network. It broadcasts a Christian talk and teaching radio format. WYHR has an effective rad ...

was sold to CityWorks Community Broadcasting LLC for $500,000. Centennial sold WZZU and WZZI (now on ), then airing an

Active Rock Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock stations play a balance of new hard rock songs with valued classic rock favorites, normally with an emphasis on the harder edge o ...

format, to WVJT, LLC. for $523,000 on August 27, 2012. Mel Wheeler Inc. purchased W247AD-FM from Centennial for $75,000 on April 4, 2012. A year later, Centennial sold WLNI to Mel Wheeler Inc. on January 12, 2013, for $1.025 million. That sale was delayed due to a "petition to deny" filed with the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

(FCC). Gary Burns, owner of 3 Daughters Media, contented the sale would give Mel Wheeler Inc. control of too many stations in one market. The FCC disagreed and denied the "petition to deny" in August 2013. On October 6, 2020, Centennial sold WINC-FM operating on from

Winchester, Virginia Winchester is the northwesternmost Administrative divisions of Virginia#Independent cities, independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Frederick County, Virginia, Frederi ...

, to

Educational Media Foundation Educational Media Foundation (formerly EMF Broadcasting, abbreviated EMF) is an American nonprofit Christian media ministry based in Franklin, a suburb of Nashville. EMF is the parent company of K-LOVE and Air1—the world's largest contempor ...

(EMF) for $1.75 million. WINC-FM's existing music programming moved to the co-owned WXBN (105.5 FM) and WZFC (104.9 FM) ahead of the sale;, and Centennial retained the rights to the WINC callsign and branding. On December 29, 2020, after the sale of the 92.5 FM channel closed, Centennial transferred the WINC-FM callsign to . WZFC continued to simulcast WINC-FM's programming.

Stations

Centennial Broadcasting currently owns and operates two stations in Fredericksburg, Virginia:

Fredericksburg

Formerly owned stations

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite web, url=http://www.centennialbroadcasting.com/, title=Centennial Broadcasting, accessdate=April 10, 2014 {{cite web, url=http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/bbgi/insiders?pid=2147, title=Allen B. Shaw, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=

MarketWatch ''MarketWatch'' is a website that provides financial information, business news, analysis, and stock market data. It is a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, a property of News Corp, along with ''The Wall Street Journal'' and '' Barron's.'' ...

{{cite web, url=http://www.radioyears.com/other/details.cfm?id=806, title=RadioYears.com - Allen B. Shaw, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=RadioYears.com {{cite web, url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/242849.pdf, title=Assignment of License, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414031835/http://licensing.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/242849.pdf, archivedate=April 14, 2014, date=May 13, 1997, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=

, audio division {{cite web, url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/249643.pdf, title=Assignment of License, date=July 22, 1997, accessdate=April 10, 2014, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414013148/http://licensing.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/249643.pdf, archivedate=April 14, 2014, work=

, audio division {{cite news, newspaper=Baltimore Business Journal, location=

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, title=Sinclair to divest certain New Orleans radio stations to Centennial Broadcasting, url=http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/1998/03/16/daily12.html, date=March 19, 1998, accessdate=April 10, 2014 {{cite news, newspaper=Portland Business Journal, location=

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, title=Apogee sells radio station, url=http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/1998/04/13/daily1.html, date=April 13, 1998, accessdate=April 10, 2014 {{cite news, newspaper=

Las Vegas Sun The ''Las Vegas Sun'' is one of the Las Vegas Valley's two daily subscription newspapers. It is owned by the Greenspun family and is affiliated with Greenspun Media Group. The paper published afternoons on weekdays from 1990 to 2005 and is now ...

, location=

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, title=Beasley renegotiates deal, url=http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2000/dec/18/beasley-renegotiates-deal/, date=December 18, 2000, accessdate=April 10, 2014 {{cite news, newspaper=

Business Wire Business Wire is an American company that disseminates full-text press releases from thousands of companies and organizations worldwide to news media, financial markets, disclosure systems, investors, information web sites, databases, bloggers, ...

, location=

San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, title=Beasley Broadcast Group Renegotiates Acquisition of Six Radio Stations From Centennial Broadcasting; Revised Purchase Consideration Totals $113.5 Million., url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Beasley+Broadcast+Group+Renegotiates+Acquisition+of+Six+Radio...-a068013110, date=December 13, 2000, accessdate=April 10, 2014 {{cite web, url=http://rbr.com/new-owner-coming-to-roanoke-alternative-outlet/, title=New owner coming to Roanoke alternative outlet, date=February 12, 2011, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=Streamline RBR, Inc. {{cite web, url=http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/32916/court-rules-against-wlni-flip-to-talk, title=Court Rules Against

BLT A BLT is a type of sandwich, named for the initials of its primary ingredients, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. It can be made with varying recipes according to personal preference. Simple variants include using different types of lettuce or tomato ...

Flip To Talk, date=November 19, 2007, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=All Access Music Group {{cite court, litigants=Centennial Broadcasting, LLC v. Gary E. Burns and 3 Daughters Media, Inc., court=

, date=November 16, 2007, url=http://www.vawd.uscourts.gov/OPINIONS/MOON/6-06-CV-6_CENTENNIAL_PERMANENT_INJUNCTION.PDF, accessdate=April 10, 2014 {{cite court, litigants=Centennial Broadcasting, LLC v. Gary E. Burns; 3 Daughters Media, Incorporated, court=

, date=August 4, 2006, url=http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/Opinions/Unpublished/062098.U.pdf, accessdate=April 10, 2014 {{cite web, url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/deals/106616, title=Deals - Broadcasting & Cable, date=April 17, 2005, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=NewBay Media, LLC {{cite web, url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101050842&formid=314&fac_num=15188, title=Application for Consent to Assignment of Broadcast Station Construction Permit or License, date=April 4, 2005, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=

, audio division {{cite web, url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101050842&qnum=5040©num=1&exhcnum=1, title=Asset Purchase Agreement, date=March 31, 2005, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=

, audio division {{cite news, newspaper=

, location=

, title=SOLD! $26M for WINC's corporate parent, url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/virginia/winchester/winchester-star/2007/05-17/, date=May 17, 2007, accessdate=December 3, 2013, last=Mangino, first=Stephanie M., pages=A1, A8 {{cite news, newspaper=Radio Business Report, location= Lake Ridge, Virginia, title=RBR's Daily Morning Epaper – Transactions, url=http://www.rbr.com/epaper/issue106-07-sea.html, date=May 31, 2007, accessdate=December 3, 2013, last=Carnegie, first=Jim {{cite news, newspaper=Albuquerque Business First, location=

, title=Radio veteran with NM ties buys local Univision stations, url=http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2008/03/17/story4.html, date=March 16, 2008, accessdate=April 10, 2014, last=Kamerick, first=Megan {{cite web, url=http://imgsrv.mykiss973.com/image/kkss2/UserFiles/File/kkss2eeo.doc, title=Annual EEO Public File Report, date=May 31, 2013, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=

, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702131059/http://imgsrv.mykiss973.com/image/kkss2/UserFiles/File/kkss2eeo.doc#, archive-date=2013-07-02, url-status=dead {{cite web, url=http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/109575/centennial-sells-virginia-fm-simulcast, title=Centennial Sells Virginia FM Simulcast, date=August 27, 2012, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=All Access Music Group {{cite web, url=http://rbr.com/robinson-expands-in-roanoke-lynchburg-market/, title=Robinson expands in Roanoke-Lynchburg market, date=August 27, 2012, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=Streamline RBR, Inc. {{cite web, url=http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/56263/translator-report-44/, title=Translator Report 4/4, date=April 4, 2012, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=RadioBB Networks, last=Venta, first=Lance {{cite web, url=http://rbr.com/wheeler-applies-to-expand-western-virginia-radio-cluster/, title=Wheeler applies to expand western Virginia radio cluster, date=January 12, 2013, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=Streamline RBR, Inc. {{cite web, url=http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/121589/fcc-rejects-3-daughters-media-challenge-to-wlni-de, title=FCC Rejects 3 Daughters Media Challenge To WLNI Deal, date=August 22, 2013, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=All Access Music Group {{cite web, url=http://www.fcc.gov/document/media-bureau-grants-wlni-fm-lynchburg-va-assignment-application, title=Media Bureau Grants WLNI (FM), Lynchburg, VA Assignment Application, date=August 22, 2013, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=

, media division {{cite web, url=http://www.espninva.com/contact/, title=ESPNinVA, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=Three Daughters Media {{cite web, url=http://www.vabonline.com/membership/members/member-details/?ID=80, title=Virginia Association of Broadcasters - Member Details, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=Virginia Association of Broadcasters {{cite web, url=http://www.vabonline.com/membership/members/member-details/?ID=106, title=Virginia Association of Broadcasters - Member Details, accessdate=April 10, 2014, work=Virginia Association of Broadcasters

External links

Centennial Broadcasting Online
Companies based in North Carolina Radio broadcasting companies of the United States Fredericksburg, Virginia Winchester, Virginia