Emmis Corp. is proposing a three-year plan that will, if shareholders approve, see CEO Jeff Smulyan achieve his long-desired goal of taking the company private while setting it up for a post-radio future. Emmis still owns New York stations “ESPN New York 98.7” WEPN and gospel WLIB (1190). Both are likely to be sold as what once was one of radio’s biggest groups now sees radio as non-core while it builds a new company that operates several digital businesses.
“We’re excited about our new ventures,” Smulyan said in an interview. “I love the radio business more than anybody, but it’s time for us to do other things.”
Emmis is in a quasi-private state right now. But if stock owners give their okay, the goal that Smulyan has unsuccessfully…
