NorthEast Radio Watch 5/29: The Curtain Closes

[fybush@world.std.com (Scott D Fybush)]

*We'll begin this week's survey of Northeast radio and TV news up in
NEW HAMPSHIRE, where the curtain has closed on "The Stage at 102.1."
As Fuller-Jeffrey prepares to buy WSTG Hampton NH, it's turned off the
AC format, replacing it with an automated countdown (coincidentally,
the same way the Stage made its debut 18 months ago).  "D-Day" is next
Tuesday at 4PM, when Fuller-Jeffrey will debut WSTG's new format,
which (rumor has it) will be a simulcast of F-J's AC WHOM (94.9 Mount
Washington - Portland).  That would put WSTG in direct competition
with AC WBYY (98.7 Somersworth).  We'll see in a few days...

*Down the coast in MASSACHUSETTS, one tidbit we neglected to mention
last week: CBS's WODS (103.3 Boston) has quietly moved its studios
from 30 Winter Street downtown to the WBZ facility at 1170 Soldiers
Field Road.  "Oldies 103" made the move for good on Friday, May 16.
WODS's programming and sales departments had been at Soldiers Field
Road since last fall, and some overnight programming was coming from
the new studios earlier in the month.

Over in Worcester, say goodbye to morning host John Taylor of WXLO
(104.5 Fitchburg-Worcester).  He's departed the AC station for the
sunny skies of Florida after many years in Worcester.  Harry Jacobs,
the former WXLO midday host who now runs the ARS stations in Rochester
NY, filled in one day, while WXLO ops manager Jim McKenna will handle
most of the fill-in duties until a replacement for Taylor is hired.
By the way, an apology to Upton Bell -- he's still the midday talk
host on Worcester's WTAG (580); no "former" about it!

Up in Andover, Greater Media is pressing ahead with its application
for a 93.3 translator for WBOS (92.9 Brookline-Boston).

Down on Cape Cod, Ernie Boch's talker WXTK (94.9) has been granted a
construction permit to move to 95.1, reducing the co-channel
interference from WHOM up on Mt. Washington.  

And out in the Springfield area, one translator is gone and another
has taken the airwaves.  W221AP, the Westfield-licensed translator
that was supposed to relay WIHS (104.9 Middletown CT), was ordered off
the air after the FCC discovered it was operating with 40 watts from
high atop Mount Tom in Holyoke, rather than with 1 watt from down in
Westfield as licensed.  W221AP was relaying Brian Dodge's "Love Radio"
network from WGLV (104.3 Hartford VT), and is just the latest in a
long string of cases in which Dodge has been caught breaking the FCC's
rules.  Meantime, W246AM is on the air on 97.1 in Amherst MA, relaying
the country sounds of WPVQ (93.9 Turners Falls).  And congratulations
to Sid Whitaker of WHYN (560 Springfield), who's been named news
director at the Clear Channel-owned news-talker.

And there's now some local programming on WRPT (650 Ashland).  Alert
NERW listeners have been hearing Indian-language programming on the
station, replacing some of the TalkAmerica talk shows.

*Checking the news from MAINE, we start with another 560, WGAN in
Portland, where morning talk host Pat Lamarche has resigned after not
quite a year with the station.  Lamarche was arrested on May 16 for
driving under the influence of alcohol, and refuesed to take a
breathalyzer test.  She submitted her resignation a day before the
story went public in the Portland newspapers, then devoted her last
two shows to the subject before leaving the station last Friday.  No
word on where she's headed next.

Elsewhere in Maine, Seacoast Broadcasting is expanding again.  After
adding Boothbay Harbor's WCME (96.7) last month, they're now buying
WIGY (97.5) in Madison.  WIGY now runs satellite oldies, but will soon
be simulcasting the (also largely-satellite) oldies of Seacoast's WABK
(104.3 Gardner-Augusta).  No word yet on the fate of WIGY sister
station WGUY (102.1 Dexter-Bangor).

*Just one little bit of CONNECTICUT news: News anchor Jon Crane has
left ABC affiliate WTNH (Channel 8) in New Haven to start his own
production company.  Crane's contract was up June 30, but he'll leave
immediately.  No successor has been named.

*In VERMONT news, we now know more about the sale of Stowe's WVMX
(101.7).  It is indeed going to Radio Vermont's Ken Squire, Bill
Riley, and Eric Michaels.  Squire and Riley built the station back in
its WRFB days.  Their old business partner Brian Harwood will return
to 101.7 to do mornings on the soon-to-be classical music station.

*And finally, some quick news from around NEW YORK: WZOS (96.7 Oswego)
has been sold to Craig Fox, owner of several other Central New York
stations, including WVOA (105.1 DeRuyter-Syracuse).  WZOS has until
August to return to the air.  Fox outbid two other bidders, paying
$65,000 for the license.  Up in Watertown, there's hit radio on the
dial once again.  WBDR (102.7 Cape Vincent) is going by "The Border,"
replaing longtime CHR outlet WTNY-FM ("T93"), which left the air
earlier this year in a multi-station call and format swap.  In Albany,
the Northeast League Diamond Dogs have found a radio home on WQBK
(1300).  The Rensselaer-licensed talker will carry weeknight games
live and weekend games on tape delay.  Corning's WCLI (1450) has moved
its transmitter and is now on the air from its studio site on Davis
Road, along with sister station WCBA (1350).  
 
And that's about it for this week...we'll be back next Thursday with
much more, including a look at our recent trip to Toronto.

- -=Scott Fybush - fybush@world.std.com=-

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