100.7 The Bay
100.7 The Bay (WZBA-FM) is a Baltimore-area classic rock radio station owned by Shamrock Communications, serving local listeners since 1979 and monetizing primarily through SMB advertising and a Google Premium Partner digital ad division (Bay Digital).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersHunt Valley, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 100.7 The Bay does
100.7 The Bay (legally WZBA-FM) is a classic rock FM radio station broadcasting at 100.7 MHz from Westminster, Maryland, with studios in Hunt Valley, serving the Baltimore metropolitan area since 1979. The station is owned by Shamrock Communications, Inc. (a subsidiary of Times-Shamrock Communications, headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania), and licensed as a for-profit, privately-held broadcasting asset. Its core product is the broadcast signal, supplemented by a mobile app (iOS/Android), four podcast series (Huber in the Morning, Behind The Scenes with Colleen, Craft Beer on The Bay, and Huber's Shallow Thoughts), specialty programming (Get The Led Out, The Vinyl Frontier, Acoustic Cafe), and community initiatives (Animal House, Craft Beer on the Bay Passport Program). Two low-power FM translators (W261CD at 100.1 MHz in Baltimore and W298CG at 107.5 MHz in Bel Air) extend signal coverage.
The station generates revenue primarily through traditional AM/FM radio advertising sold to local and regional Baltimore-area businesses, with on-air personalities serving as the primary audience engagement mechanism. A secondary revenue stream, Bay Digital, operates as a Google Premium Partner offering digital advertising services including display, paid social, SEM, pre-roll video, YouTube, OTT, CTV, SEO, and website development. Additional monetization comes from contest sponsorships (notably the $100,000 Bay Spring Home Makeover), co-branded consumer products (HuBEER Backyard Lager with Heavy Seas Beer), ticketed event promotions, and community partnerships. The go-to-market is sales-led, with a direct local sales team targeting Baltimore-area SMBs, augmented by event-driven engagement through concerts, contests, and community festivals.
The company is at an inflection point: on June 12, 2026, Shamrock Communications filed an FCC application to assign the broadcast license for WZBA-FM and its two translators to K-Love, Inc., indicating an impending ownership change that will likely shift the station's format away from classic rock. This substantially increases operational uncertainty and limits forward-looking investment visibility under the current corporate structure.
100.7 The Bay firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 100.7 The Bay
- Legal name
- Times-Shamrock Communications
- Website
- https://thebayonline.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- 100.7 The Bay (WZBA-FM) is a Baltimore-area classic rock radio station owned by Shamrock Communications, serving local listeners since 1979 and monetizing primarily through SMB advertising and a Google Premium Partner digital ad division (Bay Digital).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
100.7 The Bay industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Radio Broadcasting
- NAICS
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)
- SIC
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC)
Keywords
Where 100.7 The Bay is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hunt Valley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
100.7 The Bay business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Radio Advertising: Traditional AM/FM radio advertising sales to local and national advertisers. Advertisers pay for airtime based on audience reach and demographics. Radio reaches over 92% of people aged 12+ weekly.
- Digital Advertising Services: Bay Digital offers comprehensive digital marketing services including display advertising, paid social, search engine marketing (SEM), pre-roll video, YouTube video, OTT, CTV, SEO, and website development/maintenance.
- Contest Sponsorships: Contest promotions with prizes including the $100,000 Spring Home Makeover grand prize, with sponsorship from third-party administrators and partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Radio Advertising - Local/Regional |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
100.7 The Bay product offering
Product offeringCore offering
100.7 The Bay operates a Baltimore-area classic rock FM radio station (WZBA-FM at 100.7 MHz) delivering music programming, on-air personalities, and podcasts to listeners while selling traditional AM/FM radio advertising and integrated Bay Digital cross-platform digital advertising (display, paid social, SEM, video, OTT/CTV, SEO) to local and regional businesses. The station supplements its core broadcast with community initiatives, contests, concerts, and the Craft Beer on the Bay passport program to deepen listener and advertiser engagement.
Product overview
100.7 The Bay is a classic rock radio station (WZBA-FM) broadcasting from Westminster, Maryland with studios in Hunt Valley, MD, operated by Times-Shamrock Communications. The station operates as a unified product portfolio centered on its core AM/FM radio broadcast license at 100.7 MHz, supplemented by companion digital and programming services. The primary radio station is supported by The Bay Digital (digital advertising services), the 100.7 The Bay Mobile App (iOS/Android streaming and podcast access), and specialty programming including Huber in the Morning, Music Features (Get The Led Out, The Vinyl Frontier, Acoustic Cafe), and Craft Beer on the Bay. The station also conducts community initiatives like Animal House and seasonal contests including The Bay Spring Home Makeover and Memorial Bay 500 Countdown. Translator stations W261CD (Baltimore) and W298CG (Bel Air) extend signal coverage.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Bay Digital: Digital marketing and advertising services division offering Google Premium Partner services, display advertising, paid social, SEM, video, OTT, CTV, and SEO.
- Craft Beer on the Bay
- Huber in the Morning
Products and services
- 100.7 The Bay (WZBA-FM) Radio Station Baltimore's Rock Classics FM radio station broadcasting at 100.7 MHz from Westminster, MD with studios in Hunt Valley. Delivers classic rock music, on-air personalities, and community content to adult listeners aged 25-54 in the Baltimore metropolitan area.
- The Bay Digital Comprehensive digital marketing and advertising services division offered by 100.7 The Bay, operating as a Google Premium Partner. Services include display advertising, paid social, search engine marketing (SEM), pre-roll video, YouTube video, OTT, CTV, SEO, and website development and maintenance, with a 24/7 analytics dashboard. Targeted at local and regional advertisers seeking cross-platform digital campaigns.
- Radio Advertising Services Traditional AM/FM radio advertising airtime sales targeting local and regional businesses in the Baltimore market, emphasizing format-based targeting, reach (92% weekly, 68% daily), lowest commercial load, and synergy with Bay Digital cross-platform campaigns for greater ROI.
- 100.7 The Bay Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android that streams 100.7 The Bay live, displays recently played songs, sends push notifications, surfaces the Facebook feed, and provides access to station podcasts. Designed for Baltimore-area listeners to access the station anywhere.
- Huber in the Morning Podcast Daily podcast featuring highlights from the Huber in the Morning radio show, covering news, music news, and entertaining commentary. Distributed alongside companion podcasts Behind The Scene with Colleen, Craft Beer on the Bay, Huber's Shallow Thoughts, and Schooled at 11 with Matt Davis.
Companies that use 100.7 The Bay
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
100.7 The Bay technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
100.7 The Bay partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Google (Premium Partner)coreBay Digital is a Google Premium Partner with exclusive access to powerful targeting and analytics tools, 24/7 access to robust analytics dashboard, and premium ad creation capabilities.
- Stratosphere SocialminorSponsor of the Craft Beer on the Bay Passport Program 2024, supporting Maryland craft brewery scene engagement.
- Heavy Seas BeerminorPartnered on 'HuBEER Backyard Lager' co-branded product, with portion of proceeds supporting United Way of Central Maryland's Key Bridge collapse recovery fund.
- 13 Maryland Craft Breweriescore1623 Brewing, BC Brewing, Double Groove Brewing, Inverness Brewing, Key Brewing, M8, Mobtown Brewing, Pherm Brewing, Max's Taphouse, Market Street Brewery, Greenmount Station, and others in Craft Beer on the Bay Passport Program.
- Baltimore Humane SocietycoreOngoing partnership for Animal House program supporting pet adoption, emergency medical fund, pet food bank, and community support. Station features weekly 'Animal House Pets Of The Week' and promotes adoptions.
- Odds On PromotionsminorThird-party contest administrator for the Bay Spring Home Makeover 2024, managing instant win game and prize fulfillment.
- United Way of Central MarylandminorBeneficiary of HuBEER Backyard Lager sales proceeds supporting 'Bridging the Gap Fund' for Key Bridge collapse recovery efforts.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
100.7 The Bay competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Townsquare Media: Mid-market-focused radio operator with clusters in secondary markets, comparable in market-cap and station-count profile to Shamrock Communications and a likely acquirer of small independent FMs.
- Beasley Media Group: Multi-station radio operator including Baltimore-market FMs; represents a comparable cluster competitor and potential consolidation counterparty for small Baltimore broadcasters.
- Audacy (Baltimore cluster): Owns WBAL-AM/FM, WLIF, and other Baltimore stations, representing a scaled multi-format competitor and the type of consolidator that could roll up independent FMs like WZBA.
- Salem Communications: Operates news/talk and Christian-formatted radio stations nationally, including in mid-Atlantic markets; comparable as a multi-station operator that pursues small-format FM acquisitions similar to the pending K-LOVE deal.
- Hubbard Radio: Family-owned multi-station operator with classic rock and heritage format stations; comparable ownership structure and programming mix to Shamrock Communications' portfolio approach.
- iHeartMedia Baltimore: Operates a cluster of major Baltimore FMs (e.g., WPOC, WQSR, WZFT) and competes with The Bay for ad budgets and listener share, though across multiple formats rather than classic rock alone.
- Cumulus Media: National radio operator with Baltimore-area stations; relevant peer as a scaled incumbent that competes for regional ad buys and represents an alternative ownership model for mid-market FMs.
Direct peers
- WIYY (98 Rock): Baltimore's other heritage classic rock FM station, directly competing with 100.7 The Bay for the same 25-54 rock audience and local ad dollars in the Baltimore MSA.
Regional players
- WBCN (legacy classic rock FM archetype): Historical Boston-market classic rock FM that established the heritage classic rock station archetype; not a current operational peer but illustrative of the format lifecycle and monetization model The Bay follows.
Others
- Educational Media Foundation (K-LOVE / Air1): Filed the FCC application to assume WZBA(FM)'s license in June 2026; while not an advertiser competitor, it is the pending acquirer and most directly relevant counterparty for this asset's near-term future.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
100.7 The Bay social profiles
Digital presence100.7 The Bay financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
100.7 The Bay leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
100.7 The Bay funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
100.7 The Bay M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 100.7 The Bay
What does 100.7 The Bay do?
100.7 The Bay operates a Baltimore-area classic rock FM radio station (WZBA-FM at 100.7 MHz) delivering music programming, on-air personalities, and podcasts to listeners while selling traditional AM/FM radio advertising and integrated Bay Digital cross-platform digital advertising (display, paid social, SEM, video, OTT/CTV, SEO) to local and regional businesses. The station supplements its core broadcast with community initiatives, contests, concerts, and the Craft Beer on the Bay passport program to deepen listener and advertiser engagement.
Is 100.7 The Bay a public or private company?
100.7 The Bay is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was 100.7 The Bay founded?
100.7 The Bay was founded in 1979. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is 100.7 The Bay based?
100.7 The Bay is headquartered in Hunt Valley, United States, in the North America region.
How does 100.7 The Bay make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Radio Advertising is the primary driver. The others are digital Advertising Services and contest Sponsorships.
Who are 100.7 The Bay's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Townsquare Media, Beasley Media Group, Audacy (Baltimore cluster), Salem Communications, Hubbard Radio, iHeartMedia Baltimore and Cumulus Media. WIYY (98 Rock) is listed as a direct peer. WBCN (legacy classic rock FM archetype) is listed as a regional player. Educational Media Foundation (K-LOVE / Air1) is listed as an others.
Does 100.7 The Bay have an API?
No public API is recorded for 100.7 The Bay.
What industry is 100.7 The Bay in?
100.7 The Bay's product category is Radio Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAEAA, Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM), with a secondary code of MPABACAC, Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains). Its NAICS code is 51611 and its SIC code is 4832.