Connoisseur Media LLC is an American media company. It is based in Westport, Connecticut and led by Jeff Warshaw. As of September 2025, Connoisseur operates 207 radio stations and digital assets in 24 states.[1]
Founder and CEO, Jeff Warshaw built his first station while still a student at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1993, Warshaw founded Connoisseur Communications Partners LP, which he later sold to Cumulus Broadcasting in 2000 for $258 million.[citation needed][2] In 2004, he and CFO Mike Driscoll formed Connoisseur Media which operates 11 radio stations and various digital markets. The first company's acquisition involved several stations in Bloomington, Illinois with capital from hedge fund Farallon Capital, along with its founders. Through a combination of start-ups, move-ins, and acquisitions, Connoisseur Media expanded. It maintains a significant presence in the New York City media market.
It was announced in July 2015 that Petrus Holding Company LP had invested in Connoisseur Media.[3]
On April 14, 2022, a group led by Warshaw made an unsolicited offer to acquire Cumulus Media for $1.2 billion including debt, and take the company private; the offer was rejected by Cumulus, who believed that it was undervalued.[7][8]
On July 26, 2024, Connoisseur Media announced the sale of WFRE and WFMD to Local Daily Media for $4.275 million.[9]
In May 2025, Connoisseur Media announced its intent to acquire Alpha Media for an undisclosed amount, and entered into a transitional local marketing agreement with all of its stations. The merger will expand the company to 218 stations. Warshaw stated that the acquisition would improve the company's scale, and "[give it] all the ingredients to be a highly successful local media company for many years to come."[10] The FCC approved the sale on August 13, 2025, and the sale was consummated on September 4.[11]
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