A generous donation by the family of the late Bill O’Shaughnessy is supporting an ongoing effort to give more minorities and women a boost into broadcasting ownership.
When the noted raconteur and former president of the New York State Broadcasters Association passed in the spring of 2022, his family honored his legacy by donating WVOX(AM) to the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC).
O’Shaughnessy acquired the station in New Rochelle, just outside New York City, in 1965. Now, MMTC Media and Telecom Brokers has sold WVOX to Jeff Chang, owner of Chang Media, according to a press release.
O’Shaughnessy, owner of Whitney Global Media, has left an indelible mark in New York State broadcasting. Known for his distinctive white hair and gregarious personality, he was a vocal supporter of the First Amendment, which he regularly editorialized about on air at WVOX. O’Shaughnessy also owned WVIP(FM).
Regarding the recent sale of WVOX, Suzanne Gougherty, president of MMTC Media & Telecom Brokers, said: “We are incredibly proud of the donation of WVOX. We are forever grateful and thankful to the O’Shaughnessy family for this kind and generous gift.”
Chang says he is grateful for the opportunity to acquire WVOX, according to a MMTC press release. “I’m excited to be adding WVOX(AM) in New York to Chang Media’s growing portfolio of radio and television stations. It would not be possible without the hard work and direction of MMTC and the generosity of the O’Shaughnessy family,” Chang said.
O’Shaughnessy was also former chairman of the Guardian Fund of the Broadcasters Foundation of America, former chairman of public affairs for the National Association of Broadcasters and chairman of the first NAB National Radio Conference.
The sale price of the radio station was not disclosed by MMTC.
The nonprofit organization says transactions such as this one are made possible by media companies who chose to donate their stations to the MMTC, which fights for equal access and representation in tech, media, and telecommunications companies, according to its website.
MMTC says similar donations have been made by Entercom, Lazer Media, Gray TV and iHeartMedia, Inc., among others. “We realize this success is only made possible by such generous donations,” Gougherty said in a press release.
To make a donation, contact Gougherty at [email protected].
