San Francisco’s KZAC (560) joins radio’s century club this year, marking 100 years since it was first licensed by the Federal Communications Commission. However, Cumulus Media has taken the 5,000-watt station in radio’s fourth-largest metro dark. Cumulus tells the FCC that it is “in the process of deciding whether to change the format or sell the station.” It is a move that could be replicated in other cities, as Cumulus says it is taking a hard look at its portfolio.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to optimize our portfolio and allocate resources effectively in our local markets, we have determined that certain stations are no longer the right strategic fit within their respective markets,” the company says in a statement. “As a result, we have made the decision to suspend operations at these stations — an adjustment that impacts very few individuals — while we evaluate the best path forward, allowing us to focus on strengthening and maximizing the impact of our other brands.”
San Francisco may be offering a template for how that will play out. On Jan. 1, Cumulus shifted KSFO’s talk format to what had been KGO (810), giving its lineup of syndicated conservative talk shows a 50,000-watt perch. The net effect was the better-rated format got the stronger signal, leaving KZAC’s signal without a clear direction. In addition to KSFO and KZAC, Cumulus owns four other stations in the market including classic rock “107.7 The Bone” KSAN and sports KNBR-AM/FM and KTCT (680/104.5/1050).
In other situations, Cumulus is opting to keep the signal but jettison the format. That played out Monday in St. Louis as the legacy AM powerhouse “News Radio 1120” KMOX received a full-signal FM simulcast on what had been “Hot 104.1” WHHL. The move to the Class C2 FM greatly expands the station’s reach. The urban format — which had a 2.3 share 6+ in Nielsen’s January ratings — didn’t disappear entirely, however. Instead, it was shifted to the St. Louis-licensed FM translator K254CR at 98.7.
Meanwhile, in the Lexington-Fayette, KY market, Cumulus has also taken “101.5 Jack FM” WLXX off the air in recent days. The station’s adult hits format debuted in February 2018 and it was the company’s lowest-rated cluster in market No. 106. Nielsen says WLXX had a 1.4 share (12+) in Fall 2024 survey.
In addition to WLXX, Cumulus also owns country “K-92.9” WVLK-FM, rock “Z-Rock 103” WXZZ, rhythmic CHR “Hot 102.5” WLTO, and “News Talk 590” WVLK in Lexington-Fayette.
During the company’s quarterly earnings call last month, CEO Mary Berner said the company has been focused on cutting expenses as business has remained soft. She said through a combination of layoffs, contract management and renegotiations, as well as adapting the way Cumulus operates, Cumulus had already cut expenses by $35 million during the fourth quarter, in addition to $128 million of cost reductions made between 2019 through Q3 2024.
“Looking ahead, our focus remains on re-engineering the business to drive operating efficiency,” Berner said. When combined, she said they expect to reduce overall expenses by 27% between 2019 and 2025.
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