What Manning Media does

Manning Media Inc. is a privately held, family-owned multi-media company headquartered in Frederick, Maryland (5742 Industry Lane) with a secondary office in Hagerstown, Maryland. Founded in 1982, the company operates a cluster of five radio stations — 106.9 The Eagle (50,000-watt classic hits), Key 103 (contemporary hits), MAX Country (country), Fred FM (soft rock, added 2024), and WARK (news/talk/sports) — reaching a cumulative audience of 204,000+ listeners across Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The company self-reports as the #1 station group by audience reach in Frederick and Washington Counties and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, with 57% more listeners than competing radio groups (Nielsen SP24, Washington DC DMA), and cites a combined annual audience spending power of $2.2B.

Beyond traditional broadcasting, Manning Media operates a full-service digital marketing division whose technology stack includes programmatic ad buying across Google Ads, Meta (Facebook, Instagram), YouTube, Roku, Spotify, and SoundCloud; OTT/CTV video; PPC; SEO; email marketing; website design; and integrations with third-party audience data providers (BlueKai, Eyeota, Factual, Lotame, Oracle). Proprietary technology includes the recently launched cookieless Website Visitor ID tool (August 2025), which extracts first-party contact and lifestyle data on 20-50% of website visitors, and the QUU car-dashboard audio/visual integration exclusive to 106.9 The Eagle. The company runs two wholly-owned subsidiaries — Listen Frederick and Listen Hagerstown podcast networks — for end-to-end podcast production, plus Shop Local Big Deals, an e-commerce marketplace launched July 2023 enabling local businesses to pay for ad inventory through gift certificate trade (70+ merchants, 2,600+ orders fulfilled).

Revenue is generated through five streams: radio advertising (airtime sales across :10s to :60s formats plus sponsorships and contests), digital marketing services (bundled or a la carte), podcast production fees, e-commerce/marketplace commissions, and trade/barter via Shop Local Big Deals. Distribution is sales-led through Account Executives and a Digital Marketing team targeting local SMBs, franchises, and regional organizations across MD, WV, VA, and PA; pricing is quote-based with multi-year contracts and free local marketing audits. Notable customers include HoneyBaked Ham (Hagerstown franchise), Visit Hagerstown & Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Frederick Community College, and Frederick Keys Baseball. The company employs 11-50 staff (visibly ~12 named employees including President & CEO J. Frederick Manning), with no external investors, private equity ownership, or parent company disclosed.

Name

Manning Media

Legal name

Manning Media Inc.

Website

https://manningmediainc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Manning Media is a family-owned multi-media company operating five radio stations reaching 204,000+ listeners and a digital marketing division across MD, WV, VA, and PA. It serves regional SMBs with bundled radio, digital, podcast, podcast production, and trade-based gift certificate advertising solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Media & Advertising Services

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles) (MPAIAEAL), Non-Interactive Digital Radio (Lean-Back Streaming) (MPAIACAB)

Keywords

• Local radio advertising
• Digital marketing services
• Audio broadcasting
• Programmatic advertising
• Podcast production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Frederick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Radio Advertising: Traditional and digital radio advertising across 5 stations (106.9 The Eagle, Key 103, MAX Country, Fred FM, WARK). Includes various ad formats: sponsorships, high impact spots, :10s, :15s, :30s, :60s ads, and promotional contests. Revenue generated through airtime sales and production fees.
2. Digital Marketing Services: Comprehensive digital advertising services including display ads, native advertising, social media ads (Meta platforms), video advertising (OTT/CTV), pay-per-click, email marketing, SEO, and website design. Services priced individually or bundled into custom marketing plans.
3. Podcast Production & Network: Podcast creation and production services for local businesses and non-profits wanting to build authority through audio content. Revenue from production fees and network advertising.
4. E-Commerce (Shop Local Big Deals): Gift certificate marketplace generating commission from sales of gift certificates for participating local businesses. Platform helps businesses acquire new customers and drives foot traffic to local establishments. Over 2,600 orders fulfilled since July 2023.
5. Trade/Barter Services: Unique model allowing businesses to pay for advertising primarily through gift certificates/cards that are redeemed when customers visit. Creates guaranteed new business visits for merchants while enabling advertising access for businesses with limited cash budgets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Manning Media owns and operates five regional radio stations (106.9 The Eagle, Key 103, MAX Country, WARK, Fred FM) reaching 204,000+ listeners and sells integrated radio plus digital advertising packages (programmatic display, video/OTT, paid social, SEO, email, website design) to local SMBs. The company also operates the Shop Local Big Deals gift certificate e-commerce platform and Listen Frederick / Listen Hagerstown podcast networks, enabling trade-based and audio-content marketing for businesses in MD, WV, VA, and PA.

Product overview

Manning Media is a multi-platform local marketing solutions provider operating a unified platform combining five radio stations (106.9 The Eagle, Key 103, MAX Country, WARK, and Fred FM), a digital marketing division, an e-commerce gift certificate platform (Shop Local Big Deals), and a podcast network (ListenFrederick & Listen Hagerstown). The core offering integrates traditional radio advertising reaching 204,000+ listeners in MD, WV, VA, and PA with digital marketing tools including display ads, social media, video/OTT, SEO, and website services. The Shop Local Big Deals e-commerce platform enables trade-based advertising where local businesses pay for radio/digital plans with gift certificates. Recent additions include podcast production services and Website Visitor ID first-party data tools. Together, these products create a comprehensive local marketing ecosystem supporting small businesses through radio, digital, podcast, and e-commerce channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 106.9 The Eagle: Maryland's Classic Hits Station - 50,000-watt signal reaching the four-state area with classic hits from the 70s and 80s
• Key 103
• MAX Country
• Fred FM
• WARK
• Listen Frederick
• Listen Hagerstown
• Shop Local Big Deals

Products and services

• 106.9 The Eagle Classic hits radio station broadcasting 50,000 watts across MD, WV, VA, and PA, used for advertising sales targeting listeners of 70s and 80s classic rock and pop hits.
• Key 103 (103.1 FM) Contemporary hit radio station serving Frederick County with current hits and recent classics, monetized through advertising sales.
• MAX Country Country radio station playing the past 30 years of country hits on 93.5 Frederick and 100.5 Hagerstown, monetized through advertising sales.
• WARK (98.9 FM / 106.3 FM / 1490 AM) News, talk, and sports radio station serving Washington County with local news, syndicated talk hosts, and live sports broadcasting for advertising clients.
• Fred FM Soft, feel-good easy-listening music radio station available on 102.1 Hagerstown and 94.3 Frederick, used for advertising sales to listeners seeking relaxing background music.
• Radio Advertising Traditional radio advertising sold across five Manning Media-owned stations in MD, WV, VA, and PA, reaching 204,000+ listeners with various ad formats including sponsorships and contests; for local SMB clients.
• Digital Marketing Suite Comprehensive digital marketing services including programmatic display, native ads, social mirror, video OTT/CTV, paid social (Meta, LinkedIn), email marketing, geo-framing, PPC, SEO, and website design sold to local SMB clients.
• Shop Local Big Deals E-commerce gift certificate platform where consumers buy gift certificates from participating local businesses, enabling those businesses to pay for radio and digital advertising through trade and driving guaranteed new-customer foot traffic.
• Podcast Network (Listen Frederick & Listen Hagerstown) End-to-end podcast production and hosting service for local businesses and non-profits, including planning, recording, producing, and publishing, distributed through the Listen Frederick and Listen Hagerstown podcast networks.
• Custom Website Design Custom website design service including strategy, design, content creation, build, and accessibility scanning for SMB clients integrating with digital marketing campaigns.

Quantifiable outcome

• Radio ads boost branded Google search activity by 29-40%
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Salem Communications: US radio broadcaster with a portfolio that includes news/talk and Christian formats comparable to WARK and several Manning stations. Multi-station broadcaster with overlapping advertiser base.
• Alpha Media: Mid-market US radio operator combining terrestrial radio stations with digital marketing services for local advertisers. Directly comparable station-cluster + digital GTM motion.
• Townsquare Media: Operates a portfolio of local radio stations paired with digital marketing, events, and local commerce services across small and mid-sized US markets. Closely mirrors Manning's regional radio + digital + local commerce model.
• Beasley Broadcast Group: Owns and operates AM/FM radio stations across multiple US markets with growing digital revenue. Comparable as a multi-station regional broadcaster expanding into digital advertising.
• Lotus Communications: Privately held regional radio group operating multiple AM/FM stations across Western US markets. Comparable as a privately owned, multi-station regional cluster competing for local ad dollars.

Broad incumbents

• Audacy: Major US radio operator with a national footprint and heavy investment in digital audio and podcasting. Comparable on the radio+digital+podcast integration thesis.
• Cumulus Media: One of the largest US radio broadcasters with hundreds of stations nationwide. Indirect competitor for national ad budgets and a benchmark for station-level economics in mid-sized markets.
• iHeartMedia: Largest US radio operator and the dominant national broadcast + digital audio platform. Sets the competitive ceiling for radio audience reach, programmatic digital audio, and ad-tech capability.
• Cox Media Group: Diversified broadcast and digital media company combining radio stations with TV and digital advertising. Relevant as a broader incumbent in local-market broadcast advertising.

Emerging players

• Thryv Holdings: SMB-focused marketing and business software platform serving local advertisers with digital marketing, websites, and CRM. Comparable as a competitor for the same local SMB marketing budget that Manning targets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ManningMediaWorks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manning-media-inc-/mycompany

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Manning Media