NorthEast Radio Watch 7/9: WTNH Goes to Chancellor

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

*Another billion-dollar deal is making news in CONNECTICUT.  New
Haven's WTNH (Channel 8) is one of the stations Chancellor
Broadcasting is buying from LIN for a total of $1.72 billion.  

Investment firm Hicks, Muse, Tate, and Furst has significant interests
in both LIN and Chancellor -- and in Capstar, which owns WPLR (99.1)
and LMAs WYBC (94.3) in New Haven, as well as owning four FMs and an
AM in Hartford.  The trades are already buzzing about a combined
Capstar-Chancellor, which would create a massive media conglomerate in
the Nutmeg State.

Elswhere in Connecticut, the Bloomfield pirate known as "Prayze 105"
was the subject of a lengthy article in the Hartford Courant this
week.  The newspaper spoke with several Prayze 105 listeners and
advertisers -- and with licensed WKND (1480 Windsor), which claims
it's losing ad revenue to the long-running pirate at 105.3.

More on the simulcast 10PM newscast at WTXX (Channel 20) and WTIC-TV
(Channel 61): The folks at WTIC say even though the sports and weather
segments seen at the end of WTXX's half-hour are taped right now,
they may go live eventually.  In the meantime, the "CT20" version of
the newscast is being offered to viewers as a shorter alternative to
the full hour seen on Fox 61.

*In NEW YORK, it's tower-shifting time in the Watertown market.  WUZZ
(1410) has applied to move from its current 5000/1000-watt DA-N
three-tower array to a single tower of the array at sister station
WTNY (790).  As a non-directional station, WUZZ would use 3500 watts
by day, and just 58 watts at night.  Meantime, WCIZ (93.5, moving to
93.3) and WFRY (97.5) are building a new tower next to the current
WFRY stick in the town of Rutland.

Big Apple news anchor Ernie Anastos is becoming a station owner.  The
WWOR (Channel 9) anchor is one of the partners buying WJKE (101.3
Stillwater) in the Saratoga Springs market.  Peter Coughlin's Fair Way
Communications gets $900,000 for the adult contemporary station.  He's
using the money to buy two stations in Florida.

Sinclair Broadcasting has closed on its purchase of Sullivan
Broadcasting, including WUTV in Buffalo and WUHF in Rochester, but
don't count Sullivan head Dan Sullivan out just yet.  He's buying
Utica Fox affiliate WFXV (Channel 33) Rome and UPN affiliate WPNY-LP
(Channel 11) Little Falls as part of the deal, under the new corporate
name Quorum Broadcasting.

Way up north, we hear the debut of Norwood's WAZV (96.1) has been
delayed, after a lease deal for a tower site fell through.  Expect a
fall sign-on date at the earliest.

In Buffalo, Sue O'Neil is the new operations manager for WMJQ (102.5)
and for WKSE (98.5), where she had been program director.  At WMJQ,
Dave Gillis takes over PD duties from morning co-host Rob Lucas.  A
new PD for WKSE is expected to be named soon.

Buffalo's UPN affiliate was the subject of a nice profile in
Wednesday's Buffalo News.  WNGS (Channel 67) is a true mom-and-pop
station, the creation of Pennsylvania natives Caroline Powley and Bill
Smith.  Powley's father, John, owned WOPC (Channel 38, now WATM
Channel 23) in Altoona until the mid-eighties.

More LPTV displacements: This week's batch includes three that haven't
been built yet, Anthony Fant's W63BM Rochester moving to 35 and W69CS
Buffalo to 36.   NERW believes both will relay PaxNet's
yet-to-be-built Channel 51 in Batavia.  Also moving is W15BH in
Buffalo (which appeared in the FCC listing as "Buffalo PA"!), heading
to the WUTV tower on Grand Island with 11.6 kilowatts.

*In MASSACHUSETTS, it was another nostalgic Fourth of July weekend on
WRKO (680), and this time it included an actual sixties jock.
Admittedly, Arnie "Woo-Woo" Ginsburg worked for the competition, WMEX,
but NERW's still glad to hear him back on the air.  And again this
year, the WRKO music programming was being relayed by unlicensed
"WRKO-Shortwave" on 6955.

Former WRKO talker Tom Leykis came back to town the night before the
Fourth, turning up with a few hours from the Samuel Adams Brewpub.
Leykis' syndicated show is heard on several area stations including
WCAP and WGY, but not in Boston itself.

What's that going up on Wood Hill in Andover?  We're told construction
has begun on the new tower for WKLB-FM (99.5), next to the old one.

Here's what's changing at WHYN in Springfield: Pat McKay, formerly of
WBWZ (93.3 New Paltz) and WRWD (107.3 Highland) in the Hudson Valley,
comes to the stations as program director.  Former PD Chris Tracy
heads to the engineering shop.

Longtime WMJX (106.7 Boston) afternoon jock John Kosian has left the
building.  NERW hears he really did leave voluntarily, to spend more
time with his young children.  Music director Mark Lawrence takes on
afternoon duties for now.  

Up for sale: Dynacom wants to get rid of the two AMs that came with
its purchase of WQVR (100.1 Southbridge).  We hear the asking price
for WESO (970 Southbridge) and WARE (1250 Ware) is in the half-million
dollar range.

And the inevitable displacement application: PaxNet-to-be W54CN Boston
has applied to go to channel 40.

*A MAINE talk host is back to weekend-only duty.  Portland's WGAN
(560) is picking up the Howie Carr Show from WRKO for its weekday
afternoons, ending John McDonald's three months in the time slot
formerly occupied by Mary Matalin.  McDonald's Saturday morning show
will continue, and he'll return to hosting the Sunday morning "Tag
Show."

And the inevitable displacement application: TBN's W19BC
(Dover-Foxcroft) has applied to go to channel 27.

*The sale of NEW HAMPSHIRE's WERZ (107.1)/WMYF (1540) Exeter and WQSO
(96.7)/WZNN (930) Rochester from CBS to Capstar has closed.

*In VERMONT, the simulcast of WSYB (1380 Rutland) on WMNM (92.1 Port
Henry NY) has resumed, now that a bankruptcy court has ordered WMNM
owner Pro-Media to pay an overdue electric bill to Niagara Mohawk.
WSYB owner Excalibur Media LMAs WMNM from Pro-Media.

And the inevitable displacement application: Killington's W18AE has
applied to go to channel 51.

*Remember Rory O'Neil from his days as news director of WPRO in
Providence, RHODE ISLAND?  He's been keeping very busy in his current
job at WNDB (1150) in Daytona Beach, Florida.  When the area erupted
in flames last weekend, Rory and his staff swung into high gear,
simulcasting their emergency coverage on three sister FMs as well.
Another voice you might be hearing on the networks is former upstate
New York news guy Peter King, who's now CBS Radio's Orlando-based
reporter.

*And that's it for this week; we'll see you again next Thursday!

- -=Scott Fybush - NorthEast Radio Watch - (c) 1998=-

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