Connoisseur Media
Connoisseur Media LLC is an American media company. It is based in Westport, Connecticut and led by Jeff Warshaw. As of May 2024, Connoisseur operates 13 radio stations and digital assets in four U.S. markets: Frederick, MD, Nassau-Suffolk, NY, New Haven, CT and Metro Fairfield County, CT: [1]
History
[edit]Founder and CEO, Jeff Warshaw built his first station while still a student at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1993, Warshaw founded Connoisseur Communications Partners LP, which he later sold to Cumulus Broadcasting in 2000 for $258 million.[citation needed][2] In 2004, he and CFO Mike Driscoll formed Connoisseur Media which operates 13 radio stations and various digital markets. The first company's acquisition involved several stations in Bloomington, Illinois with capital from hedge fund Farallon Capital, along with its founders. Through a combination of start-ups, move-ins, and acquisitions, Connoisseur Media expanded. It maintains a significant presence in the New York City media market.
It was announced in July 2015 that Petrus Holding Company LP had invested in Connoisseur Media.[3]
On March 27, 2019, Connoisseur Media announced that it would acquire WFRE and sister station WFMD from the Aloha Station Trust in exchange for transferring its Erie, Pennsylvania cluster to iHeartMedia.[4][5] The sale closed on May 21, 2019.[6]
On April 14, 2022, a group led by Warshaw made an unsolicited offer to acquire Cumulus Media for $1.2 billion including debt, and take the company private; the offer was rejected by Cumulus, who believed that it was undervalued.[7][8]
On July 26, 2024, Connoisseur Media announced the sale of WFRE and WFMD to Local Daily Media for $4.275 million.[9]
In May 2025, Connoisseur Media announced its intent to acquire Alpha Media for an undisclosed amount, and entered into a transitional local marketing agreement with all of its stations. The merger will expand the company to 218 stations. Warshaw stated that the acquisition would improve the company's scale, and "[give it] all the ingredients to be a highly successful local media company for many years to come."[10]
Company portfolio
[edit]Radio
[edit]- WWWF-FM (103.1 The Wolf) - Country Music
- WALK-FM (WALK 97.5) - Hot Adult Contemporary
- WWSK (The Shark 94.3) - Mainstream Rock
- WFOX (WICC 600 AM and 95.9 FM) - Talk Radio
- WEBE (WEBE108) - Adult Contemporary
References
[edit]- ^ "Connoisseur Media - Headquarter Locations, Competitors, Financials, Employees". www.cbinsights.com. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
- ^ "Jeff Warshaw: Westport's Radio Connoisseur". 06880danwoog.com. November 10, 2022.
- ^ Perot Companies Go for Connoisseur Media Archived July 16, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Paul McLane, Radio World, July 15, 2015
- ^ "iHeartMedia & Connoisseur Media Swap Frederick & Erie". RadioInsight. March 27, 2019.
- ^ Fairfield, CJ. "Two Frederick radio stations acquired by Connoisseur Media". The Frederick News-Post.
- ^ "No New Station Sales In FCC Database Tuesday Morning". All Access.
- ^ "Report: Jeff Warshaw Leads Effort To Acquire Cumulus Media". Insideradio.com. April 14, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ^ Huston, Caitlin (May 4, 2022). "Cumulus Media Rejects $1.2B Acquisition Offer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ^ "Local Daily Media Acquires WFRE/WFMD". RadioInsight. July 24, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ^ Coats, Cameron (May 5, 2025). "Alpha Media to Join Connoisseur Media in Landmark Group Merger". Radio Ink. Retrieved May 5, 2025.