NorthEast Radio Watch 6/19: New CHR up North

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

*Brian Dodge is no stranger to FCC controversy, and now he's in for
much more.  The New Hampshire religious broadcaster is already the
subject of a complaint from the New Hampshire attorney general's
office of charities, and now he's also the target of a lengthy
complaint just filed with the FCC by Carter Broadcasting, with the
assistance of several other New England broadcasters.  The complaint
was just filed yesterday, and NERW's copy has yet to arrive, but stay
tuned for a special edition of NERW over the weekend with all the
details; and, we hope, a response from Brian Dodge.

*Checking the dials around the Northeast...

*In MAINE, hit radio has returned to the Bangor market after a
half-year absence.  WBZN (107.3 Old Town) flipped from 70s rock to CHR
Wednesday morning, under the consultancy of Clarke Ingram of WPXY in
Rochester.  The new "Z107" is being run under an LMA by the folks at
country WQCB (106.5 Brewer), but will stay in its existing studios in
Old Town.  The last attempt at hit radio in Bangor came from WWFX
(104.7 Belfast), which underwent a species transformation from "the
Fox" to "the Bear," WBFB, last fall.

Down the coast in Portland, a few changes at news-talk WGAN (560),
where PD Dave Winsor has replaced Don Kroah and Pat LaMarche on the
morning show.  Also out the door on Western Avenue is morning show
producer Chris Barry; he's being replaced by Adam Wolf, currently a
talk show producer at Boston's WBZ.  

*One of NEW HAMPSHIRE's oldest radio stations is getting a new owner.
WKBR (1250) in Manchester is being sold to Northeast Broadcasting, the
company that owns AAA WXRV (92.5) and Spanish WHAV (1490; leased to
Costa Communications) in Haverhill MA, along with AAA WNCS (104.7
Montpelier VT) and satellite stations WRJT (103.1 Royalton VT) and
WSHX (95.7 Danville VT).  No word on how much Northeast (operating
under the Devon Broadcasting corporate name) is paying for the 5 kW
fulltimer, which is now owned by ethnic broadcaster George Ketrelakis,
who bought the station from Bob Bittner a few years ago.

Our good wishes are going out to veteran Concord broadcaster Gardner
Hill, who told his listeners on WKXL (102.3/1450) that he's suffering
cancer and will be off the air while he undergoes chemotherapy.  Hill
is a 29-year veteran of WKXL and now serves as the station's
operations manager.

*In VERMONT, the FCC has returned the Green Mountain Educational
Fellowship's application for a noncommercial station on 88.1 in
Bennington.  The complaint filed by Carter this week claims GMEF is
one of Brian Dodge's several business fronts; we'll be keeping close
tabs on this one.  And NERW Brattleboro correspondent Doug Bassett
checks in to tell us WKVT-FM (92.7) is live again in the mornings,
with former WKNE (Keene NH) staffer Scott Walker on the air from 6
until 9 weekday mornings.

*A bit of news from western MASSACHUSETTS: WFCR (88.5 Amherst)
switched transmitters and antennas this month.  At 7:20 PM on June 3,
the public radio station moved from its old 35 kW, 110' tower on Mount
Lincoln to 13kw from a new 349' tower next door.  WFCR engineers say
the new transmitter is giving them an average 16 percent increase in
field strength, as well as reduced multipath.  WFCR engineer Dan
Ferreira was kind enough to send a photo of the old antenna system
next to the new tower while it was under construction; you can see it
at the Boston Radio Archives,

http://radio.lcs.mit.edu/radio/bostonradio.html

NERW research director Garrett Wollman was enjoying the new WFCR
signal in the vicinity of the Boston University bridge when he heard
something else interfering on 88.5, with an announcer with a British
accent.  No idea what it might be so far...  Garrett's also been
hearing "Rebel Music Radio" in the Allston MA area on 89.3.

Radio with pictures: Boston Fox O&O WFXT (Channel 25) has swapped
anchor teams on its weekday and weekend newscasts.  Tori Ryden joins
Dave Barker Sunday-Thursday, while Karen Adams will work with Glenn
Pearson on Friday and Saturday.

What goes around...: Just a few months after being moved from GM of
CBS's WBZ (1030) to WODS (103.3), Ted Jordan has returned to the GM's
chair at 1030.  Jordan will work as GM for both the AM and FM, now
that former WBZ GM Ed Goldman has been promoted to GM duties at WBZ-TV
(Channel 4).

Monitor Radio has reached the end of the line.  The Christian Science
church will shut down the news service next week, after a deal to sell
it to World Times fell through.  87 workers, including 75 in Boston,
will be out of work.  Monitor's shortwave stations, WSHB in South
Carolina and KSHB in Saipan, will run religious programming until a
buyer is found.

Call letters: WXLO (104.5 Fitchburg-Worcester) has legally changed
calls from WXLO-FM to WXLO(FM), some six years after the WXLO(AM)
calls were last used on the 960 kHz facility that's now back to its
original WFGL calls.

Wondering what happened to WHDH veteran Jess Cain?  He'll be back in
front of the mike Sunday night (June 22) at a benefit concert for the
Friends of MusicAmerica, the group that's still trying to persuade
WGBH to return the popular music show to the airwaves.  For more
information, you can contact the group at 617-259-0250.

And WKOX is at it again!  The Framingham station has found yet another
possible site for a new transmitter; this time along route 30 at the
former Dow plant in Wayland near the Natick line.  WKOX has tried and
failed repeatedly to raise its power to better serve Boston.

*No news from CONNECTICUT or RHODE ISLAND this week; must be a sleepy
late spring down in Southern New England.

*Here in NEW YORK, we're still keeping a close eye on the situation in
Canandaigua, where the former WCGR (1550) seems to be trying to skirt
FCC rules and keep both its old 1550 and new 1310 kHz facilities.
WCGR was granted the new calls WLKA (its old 102.3 FM sister station's
calls) this week, and while the FCC thinks those calls are for use on
both frequencies (the 1310 as a construction permit and 1550 as a
license), the stations have been heard ID'ing as "WCGR 1310 and WLKA
1550."  Don't bet on the WCGR calls disappearing for good; they're
displayed in front of the station in five-foot-high concrete letters!

The FCC has returned the application of Northeast Gospel Broadcasting
for 88.1 in Eagle Bridge NY.

WYUL (94.7 Chateaugay) has reportedly picked a permanent format.  Look
for the Montreal rimshotter to go oldies, a format last heard in
Montreal on the former CKIS "Oldies 990" (now talk CKGM).

In Albany, Paul Vandenburgh has been named PD at talker WROW (590),
where he hosts the morning show.  He replaces recently-departed Buzz
Brindle in the PD seat.  Michael Morgan replaces Brindle at sister
WYJB (95.5), while keeping his PD duties at CHR WFLY (92.3) as well.

And the FCC has dismissed Family Life Ministries' application for a 104.3
translator in Geneva, relaying WCIY (88.9 Canandaigua).  

And that'll close out this edition of NERW...coming this weekend, a
special edition on the Brian Dodge complaint.  Stay tuned!

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

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