Bonneville Goes AM With Federal News Radio

Would you launch a station with programming aimed strictly at just the biggest employer in your market?
If that employer is the federal government and you are Bonneville, you might.
Back in the dot-com boom days, Radio World reported on the startup of an online service called FederalNewsRadio.com, with programming of concern to federal government workers in the nation’s capital. Now, in a reversal of a more common pattern, this online station is expanding to the AM band.
Bonneville this week announced the $4 million purchase of a terrestrial radio outlet for its previous Internet-only FederalNewsRadio.com. The station is WPLC in Silver Spring, now owned by Metro Radio and airing a business format.
Federal News Radio AM will relaunch early next year on 1050 kHz; it will be part of the WTOP Radio Network, which also includes two AM and two FM signals that carry the WTOP news format.
Federal News Radio covers the federal government and those who do business with it; much of the programming has to do with “management, procurement, technology, security, policy and pay and benefits.”
The cluster’s VP and GM Joel Oxley said he hopes the sale will be approved by regulators and closed in the next month or two.