The home of WAAF, the FM station that’s rocked Boston for decades, has been sold to a California-based, contemporary Christian radio broadcaster, its parent company announced Tuesday.

Entercom Communications Corp., one of the largest radio broadcasters in the country, said it has reached a definitive agreement to sell 107.3 FM to Educational Media Foundation, or EMF, for $10.75 million in cash.

In a statement, Entercom said it will continue to air WAAF on its existing HD stations, at 104.1 HD2 and 93.7 HD2, and on RADIO.com.

Meanwhile, 107.3 FM will trade hands this weekend when EMF begins programming under a network affiliation agreement Saturday, according to Entercom.


EMF, headquartered in Rocklin, California, operates the religious radio networks Air1 and K-LOVE.

The deal is expected to close during the second quarter of 2020.

WAAF, billed as “the only station that really rocks,” introduced generations of listeners to rock’s rising acts and superstars since 1970 and boosted the careers of major on-air personalities, including the shock-jock duo, Opie and Anthony.

Gregg “Opie” Hughes and Anthony Cumia found a home there for their humor and talk show in 1995, until the station cut them lose three years later after an April Fools’ Day prank in which the hosts aired a hoax saying then-Mayor Thomas Menino was killed in a car crash.

Greg Hill’s morning show lived at WAAF for nearly three decades before it moved to 93.7 WEEI in July.

The news of the sale prompted an outpour of memories from fans and industry insiders — some of them former station employees — on social media, as many lamented yet another Boston rock station leaving its longstanding digs.

Legendary local rock station WBCN left 104.1 FM in 2009. WFNX switched off its mics in 2012.

“Well, 50 years is a great run, but WAAF, the station that gave me my rock and roll start, has been sold to a Christian Broadcasting company,” Chuck Nowlin, an on-air personality at classic rock station WZLX, tweeted. “Weird to think I used to play Black Sabbath there.?It was a great station,…”

Well, 50 years is a great run, but WAAF, the station that gave me my rock and roll start, has been sold to a Christian Broadcasting company. Weird to think I used to play Black Sabbath there.?It was a great station,… https://t.co/BLqCVnORXl — Chuck Nowlin (@ChuckNowlinWZLX) February 19, 2020


More @waaf memories. I got to go to so many great shows and emcee a lot of them. The Centrum, Boston Garden, Great Woods, The Channel, E.M Loews. Hard to believe 50 years of rock comes to an end this Friday… https://t.co/eCquj5u3o5 — Chuck Nowlin (@ChuckNowlinWZLX) February 19, 2020

In 1997, I was an intern at wbcn and my job was to monitor everything that waaf was doing. They were at the height of their game and it just got bigger and better for the next few years. A true loss for Boston radio…again. — Keith Dakin (@keithlivesinCT) February 18, 2020

“This sucks hugely!” Eddie Trunk, a syndicated and satellite radio personality, tweeted. “This station an affiliate for my FM show for many years. Sending my best wishes to all at the station staff as well. Really hate seeing legendary FM rock stations go away.”

I’d like to announce I’m wearing black eyeliner all week in honor of @waaf. — KarynRegal (@Karynregal) February 19, 2020