NorthEast Radio Watch 8/6: Tower Falls on WLVI

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

*Boston's WB affiliate was knocked off the air Tuesday morning when a
42-ton crane crashed through the roof of its studio building.

The crane was attempting to put the STL tower in place at the building
next door to WLVI (Channel 56) on Morrissey Boulevard, which will be
the home to Greater Media's Boston group (WBOS, WSJZ, WKLB-FM, WROR,
and WMJX) this fall.  The crane flipped on its side, sending the
140-foot tower into the hallway at WLVI.

The Channel 56 building was immediately evacuated, but engineers were
able to get a signal back on the air from the transmitter site within
about an hour.  Later in the day, WLVI sister station WPIX (Channel
11) from New York sent its satellite truck to the Channel 56
transmitter in Needham to downlink the Kids' WB programming.  

Meanwhile, WLVI's news staff became the guests at WCVB (Channel 5),
where they were able to produce a 10 PM newscast using WCVB's
equipment.

At this writing, the exact cause of the accident still hasn't been
determined.

*In other MASSACHUSETTS news, Newburyport's WNBP (1450) is being sold
- -- and one of the new owners was there when the station first went on
the air in 1957.  Long before Bob Fuller was a station owner, he was a
16 year old kid from Newburyport whose first radio job was at the
brand-new daytimer on 1470.  Fuller went on to bigger and better
things as a station owner, and WNBP eventually became WCEA, then WNCG,
and then went back to its original calls while moving from 1470 down
to 1450 and full-time status.  Now Fuller is teaming with Al Mozier (an
employee of Fuller's Fuller-Jeffrey Broadcasting) to buy the station
from Win Damon.  Damon will stay on as morning host and sales
manager; Mozier will become station manager.

Another North Shore station spent a few days in silence after being
zapped by lightning.  WNSH (1570 Beverly) lost its Nautel transmitter
to the bolt of lightning; a new Harris is on the way.

Also being sold is WSRO (1470) in Marlborough; its sale to Alexander
Langer becomes official on Sunday, and NERW hears personnel changes
are in the works, including the ouster of news director Gene Moulter
and the demotion of GM Dave O'Gara, who stays on as morning host.

Now on the air, without a license: "WKNM" in Lowell at 1570 is being
heard by several NERW readers with Portuguese-language programming on
what's being described as a "TIS-strength" signal.  Speaking of TISes,
the Boston Globe's transportation column noted the arrival of the new
1610 TIS at the Big Dig, and made the same observation we did about
its unfortunate proximity to WUNR at 1600.

And speaking of Portuguese, the "O Jornal" newspaper in New Bedford,
which was about to be shuttered by its parent paper, the
Standard-Times, is instead being bought by Robert and James Karam, who
own Fall River's WHTB (1400) and WSAR (1480).

Fairbanks Broadcasting is down to just one station, WKOX (1200) in
Framingham.  The company's sale of its Florida stations closed this
week...and it seems almost everyone's forgotten about the lone
Fairbanks survivor.  Radio&Records actually said "Fairbanks has no
other radio holdings."

Broadcast people on the move: Staci Feger-Childers comes to WHDH-TV
(Channel 7) as assistant news director.  The New Hampshire native was
executive producer at KPNX (Channel 12) Mesa-Phoenix.  Judy Jarvis'
syndicated show is being picked up by several Capstar stations in the
region, including WTAG (580 Worcester), WHMP (1400 Northampton), WGIR
(610 Manchester NH), and WHJJ (920 Providence RI).  Congratulations to
Tom and Ray Magliozzi of WBUR/NPR's "Car Talk;" they'll be inducted
into the Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago this October.  And we mourn Bob
Starr, the former Red Sox and Patriots broadcaster who died Monday at
his home in California.  Starr was perhaps better known as the Angels'
broadcaster, a job he held for 15 years, both before and after his
1990-92 stint with the Sox.  Starr was 65.

And from the digital TV files: Boston's WBZ has been granted a CP for
WBZ-DT on channel 30.

*Next stop, NEW HAMPSHIRE, where Manchester's WGIR (610/101.1) was off
the air for a while last Saturday.  We're told a car accident brought
down a utility pole on Eddy Road near the Stark Lane studios and AM
transmitter site.

Another Manchester note: WMUR-TV (Channel 9) has applied for a DTV
construction permit.  WMUR-DT will operate on channel 59, adjacent to
WPXB on Channel 60, which also transmits from Mount Uncanoonuc.

*In MAINE, country giant WEBB (98.5 Waterville) is getting a new
program director.  Jay Thomas comes from WFLS (93.3 Fredericksburg
VA), where he was music director.

*Up in VERMONT, Capstar has closed on its purchase of Lake Champlain
Radio's Burlington-market stations, WCPV (101.3 Essex NY), WXPS (96.7
Vergennes), and an LMA on WEAV (960 Plattsburgh NY).  Ken Barlow
changes titles from vice president/general manager to station manager,
with Karen Marshall, the GM of Capstar's WEZF (92.9), becoming market
manager for all four stations.  WCPV and WXPS will be moving in soon
at WEZF's Colchester studios.

In St. Albans, WLFE (102.3) has dropped live programming outside of
morning and afternoon drive to go satellite.