CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Maney & LauRen Morning Show will move to WKQC/K 104.7 beginning September 21, preserving an established Charlotte morning team as Beasley Media Group prepares to sell WNKS.
Maney, LauRen and producer Big Al spent more than 11 years building their audience at WNKS. K 104.7 Program Director Cameron Moore says the new station intends to give those listeners a familiar destination while introducing the program to a new portion of the market.
Beasley is selling WNKS to Educational Media Foundation, with closing expected by the end of September. Details of the buyer’s eventual programming and the future of other WNKS personnel have not been announced.
A SHOW MOVES WHILE THE MARKET CHANGES
The transition demonstrates the value of a local personality brand that can survive a station transaction. Listeners may identify with the hosts more strongly than with the frequency carrying them.
K 104.7 gains an established program without starting a morning show from zero. The larger test will be whether the team’s existing audience follows and whether the station preserves the local conversations, community coverage and chemistry that made the program valuable.
RNN will watch for the complete K 104.7 lineup, additional WNKS personnel moves and Educational Media Foundation’s plans after the transaction closes.
Source: Barrett Media’s September 17 report.