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Triple A Legend WRNR Sold; But May Have Another Life

The God Squad picks off yet another Triple A station, but the format may rise from the dead…

By Paul Marszalek
TheTop22.com

Veteran broadcaster Steve Kingston has sold Triple A WRNR/Annapolis to Christian broadcaster Peter and John Radio Fellowship for $1.54 million, according to an FCC filing.

With virtually no other active buyers for radio, it marks the latest in a series of Triple A radio stations to be purchased by a religious broadcaster. It also underlines the increasing economic difficulties for commercial broadcasters; WRNR had been methodically downsizing staff in recent years.

Kingston, best known for his stint at New York’s Z-100, also programmed in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Washington before purchasing WRNR in his home state.

While the Triple A radio and record label communities are expressing disappointment at the loss of the legendary call letters, the story may not yet be over.

WSMD: New home for WRNR?

Local news site Eye on Annapolis has quoted Kingston suggesting that options for moving the station are being explored. Kingston told the site, “We are considering options for WRNR FM, including a move of the call letters, music format, and all intellectual property to another frequency on FM.”

Further, Eye on Annapolis believes that WRNR may find a new home on WMSD, 98.3 FM, Mechanicsville, MD. The station is located in a rural and vacation area well south of Annapolis on the Chesapeake peninsula.

Whether this is the new home for the station, whether the signal can be improved  (the purple line on the map at right is most realistic), and whether Kingston is simply looking to sell the WRNR intellectual property to another broadcaster remains to be seen.

Coverage map of WSMD courtesy Radio-Locator.com.

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One comment

  1. I miss RNR and was shocked to hear what was playing. RNR clearly played the best music on air and I couldn’t wait to get bear enough to the Bay Bridge to tune them in. Please buy the station in Mechanicsville or any where else! Thank you for years of the music I always enjoyed hearing.

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