Max Media of Hampton Roads, LLC

What Max Media of Hampton Roads, LLC does

Max Media of Hampton Roads, LLC is a privately held radio broadcasting company headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, operating a five-station cluster under the Max Media, LLC umbrella in the Hampton Roads / Coastal Virginia market. The cluster comprises WGH-FM (97.3 The Eagle, country format, Newport News), WGH (1310 AM), W265EF (100.9 FM translator), WVSP-FM (94.1 FM, Yorktown), and WVBW-FM (100.5 FM, Norfolk). Its flagship, 97.3 The Eagle, anchors a daily programming lineup with named on-air personalities across morning, midday, afternoon drive, and evening dayparts, plus weekend shows (B-Dub Radio, Country Top 40 with Fitz). The stations were previously licensed under MHR License LLC, which filed an FCC transfer of control application in June 2022.

Name

Max Media of Hampton Roads, LLC

Legal name

Max Media, LLC

Website

https://eagle97.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Max Media of Hampton Roads, LLC operates a five-station radio cluster led by 97.3 The Eagle, a country music station serving Coastal Virginia's Hampton Roads market with advertising-supported broadcast, streaming, mobile, and podcast distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Talk/News/Sports Radio Networks & Syndication (MPAIAEAG), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Country radio broadcasting
• Radio advertising sales
• FM AM broadcast stations
• Live audio streaming
• Podcast network distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Virginia Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising Sales: Primary revenue stream from local and national advertisers purchasing airtime, sponsorships, and digital advertising placements across the station's broadcast and online platforms
2. Contest and Promotion Sponsorships: Revenue from branded contests, giveaways, and promotional events featuring sponsor integration

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Max Media of Hampton Roads, LLC operates a cluster of country-formatted FM/AM radio stations in the Hampton Roads and Coastal Virginia market, led by flagship 97.3 The Eagle (WGH FM). The company delivers free over-the-air programming supplemented by live digital streaming, a mobile app, and the Max Podcast Network, while selling airtime, sponsorships, and digital advertising to local and regional advertisers.

Product overview

Max Media of Hampton Roads, LLC operates 97.3 The Eagle (WGH FM), a country music radio station serving Coastal Virginia and the Hampton Roads market. The station offers a platform of interconnected programming including live FM broadcast, 24/7 live streaming via web and mobile app, and the Max Podcast Network for on-demand content. Daily programming is structured around weekday shows hosted by Steve & Karen (mornings), Jerry Hoyt (midday), Jimmy Ray (afternoons), and Stephanie Taylor (evenings), plus weekend programming including B-Dub Radio (Saturday nights) and Country Top 40 with Fitz (Sundays). The station integrates community-focused features like Furry Friday pet adoption segments and maintains listener engagement through a mobile app, text messaging service, and live streaming capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Country Top 40 with Fitz: A country music countdown show airing Sundays 7 AM – 11 AM and 7 PM - 11 PM on 97.3 The Eagle
• B-Dub Radio
• Max Podcast Network

Products and services

• 97.3 The Eagle (WGH-FM) Country Radio Station

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SoCastcoreTechnology or IntegrationSoCast provides the digital platform and website infrastructure powering the 97.3 The Eagle station website, including content management, streaming integration, and mobile app functionality.
• Max Podcast NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMax Podcast Network is an affiliated podcast distribution network that extends station content into podcast format, enabling listeners to access on-demand programming beyond live broadcasts.
• FCC (Federal Communications Commission)coreOthersThe station operates under FCC licensing and regulatory oversight, with public file access requirements and equal employment opportunity compliance mandates.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Townsquare Media: Operates a large portfolio of local radio stations and digital properties across mid-sized U.S. markets. Townsquare is comparable as a multi-station cluster operator with similar local-advertising monetization and digital streaming extensions, and is already a content partner (The Boot syndication) to Max Media.
• Beasley Broadcast Group: Small-to-mid cap operator of FM/AM clusters in mid-sized U.S. markets. Closest comparable in scale to Max Media, with a similar mix of local ad revenue and digital extensions.
• Connoisseur Media: Privately-held operator of FM/AM clusters in smaller U.S. markets. Strong size and business-model match to Max Media's regional multi-station cluster.

Broad incumbents

• iHeartMedia: The largest U.S. radio operator with national scale, premium digital audio (iHeartRadio), and podcasting. Comparable in core business model — terrestrial radio plus digital audio advertising — but at vastly greater scale than Max Media's regional cluster.
• Cumulus Media: National radio broadcaster with hundreds of stations across mid and large U.S. markets. Overlaps with Max Media on the cluster-of-FM-stations model and advertising-led monetization.
• Salem Communications: Operates radio stations plus digital media, with a different niche (talk/Christian formats) but a structurally identical cluster-of-stations + advertising business model.
• Cox Media Group: Diversified broadcaster operating radio and TV stations plus digital platforms. Comparable in combining over-the-air broadcast with digital ad inventory at regional/local market level.
• Spotify: Global audio streaming leader. Not a direct competitor in local ad sales, but competes for the same listener attention and ad dollars that Max Media depends on — framing the secular threat side of Max Media's market.

Others

• Audacy:

Emerging players

• EMF Broadcasting (K-LOVE / Air1): Non-commercial radio network with strong digital streaming and mobile app presence. Comparable on the multi-platform broadcast + streaming + mobile app distribution approach Max Media uses, though funded via donations rather than advertising.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/973theeagle
• Xx.com/973theeagle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Max Media of Hampton Roads, LLC