March 29, 2024
Annapolis, US 41 F

WRNR Moving From City

This morning the Greater Annapolis Patch broke the story that WRNR, a longtime staple of the downtown music scene, will be moving out of Annapolis into a new studio on Admiral Cochrane Drive in Anne Arundel County.

Like many other businesses in downtown Annapolis, WRNR has decided to move out of the City to the Parole area of Anne Arundel County.

This appears to be a surprise to almost everyone considering WRNR pulled an April Fool’s Day prank on Friday that had hundreds (if not thousands) believing that Eric Clapton was announcing his intention to help support downtown Annapolis by investing in the beleaguered Market House. The prank even carried the blessing of Mayor Josh Cohen.

The City did not have any statement and referred questions to the newly formed (and City funded) Annapolis Economic Development Corporation, which was also surprised at the move despite press releases that were distributed by the moving company that is handling the move.  When Patch contacted the Economic Development Corporation, their director of marketing and communication,  Mike Pachler said, “I was unaware that they were moving. I’m shocked to hear it.”

“One of our missions is to retain businesses and had we of known, we would have talked to them about staying,” Pachler said. “We definitely value them as the only radio station in the City of Annapolis and to see them leave is a little disappointing.”

While the move is believed to be related over parking, Pachler said that the City was working on securing a new vendor to handle the parking management.

Certainly WRNR did not draw any crowds to downtown Annapolis as other businesses might, but nonetheless, they are an icon of the downtown scene broadcasting from a perch overlooking downtown Annapolis.

No matter how you look at it, this is certainly a loss for the City.

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