WSRQ radio sold to investor

SARASOTA — Susan Nilon has given up her ownership role and sold WSRQ radio station to Jim Lampl, a business partner and investor in the station.

Lampl had “made notions that he would like to run the station,” Nilon told the Business Observer, and when he made an offer, she accepted. Nilon declined to comment on the price.

Her time as the radio station's owner, which lasted four-and-a-half years, brought some significant changes, namely to fill the void she saw in its local coverage, she says. When she took over, the station was fully automated and had no staff. She introduced a local report team and worked to grow the staff, which now consists of eight people.

For Nilon, who has hosted a radio show for five years, the sale will significantly free up her schedule, she says. Her afternoon segment, "The Nilon Report," will continue through the end of the year, which will officially conclude her time with WSRQ.

But her days will “definitely still be busy,” she says. Nilon currently works as an investigative researcher with the Sarasota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, where a large focus is homeless people. She also plans to continue to make radio appearances and will also make TV showings and work as a columnist.