On December 6, an application was filed to transfer the license of WOWE-FM (Vassar) from Praestantia Broadcasting, Inc. to Wonderful News Radio, Inc.  The transaction was valued at $210,000.  Praestantia is owned by Hollie L. Shumpert of Flint, who acquired the station after her husband and station founder Michael J. Shumpert passed away in 2019.  Wonderful News Radio is a non-profit religious broadcaster based in Port Huron and is managed by Brian Smith.  The organization also owns WNFA-FM (Port Huron) and WNFR-FM (Sandusky).

WOWE is a class A FM on 98.9 with 3kw ERP @ 100 meters.  The buyer has applied to convert the station to non-commercial upon consummation.

Also in Michigan, Morgan Murphy Media has closed on its $13.375 million purchase of six radio stations, two FM translators, and three TV stations from Marks Media Group.

“The many TV and radio stations that Steve Marks assembled in Michigan finally passed to the new owners yesterday, Morgan Murphy Media,” said broker Larry Patrick to Inside Radio. “Mary Marks, the widow and Executrix of Steve’s estate did a terrific job shepherding a complex sale past the finish line. All the best to Chris Cornelius who added these stations to the MMM portfolio. The stations are in good hands as part of a legacy media company led by Elizabeth Murphy Burns. Pleased that both sides worked hard to make this happen. Glad that I was able to bring the parties together.”

In the deal, Morgan Murphy Media, which owns radio stations in Wisconsin, Iowa, Idaho, and Washington, acquires WOLV-FM, WCCY-AM/K257CZ and the construction permit for WHBS-FM (all Houghton).

In Iron River, MI, MMM adds WIKB-FM and WFER-AM/K250CQ.  The television stations included in the deal are WBKB-TV (Alpena), WBUP-TV (Ishpeming) and WBKP-TV (Calumet).  The deal closed on December 1.