NorthEast Radio Watch 10/23: FCC Clears CBS/Entercom Deal

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

*Two of Boston's biggest AM stations will soon have a new owner.  The
FCC gave its go-ahead this week to Entercom's purchase of WEEI (850)
and WRKO (680) from CBS, and the deal is expected to close within
days.  A few weeks later, CBS will pay Entercom $75 million for two
Tampa Bay-area FMs, and only then will the deal wrap up with Entercom
taking control of CBS' WEGQ (93.7 Lawrence), WAAF (107.3 Worcester),
and WWTM (1440 Worcester).  In the end, $225 million will change hands
from Entercom to CBS; the deal is being spread out for "tax reasons,"
we hear.

The Boston stations used to belong to American Radio Systems until CBS
bought them out -- and now we know what some of THAT money is being
used for.  American Tower Systems, which is still controlled by ARS'
former owners, is spending $100 million to buy 322 radio towers in
Atlanta, the midwest, and the southwest.

Hearty congratulations to WBZ (1030), which pulls down its second
Marconi award in three years, with another Major Market Station of the
Year award.  After the last win, station staffers received nice
varsity-style jackets; NERW wonders what's in this year's wardrobe?
Our best wishes also to BZ talk giant David Brudnoy, who's being
silenced for the next month or so as he undergoes surgery to remove a
polyp from his throat.  We'll miss his insight election night and look
forward to hearing him back on the airwaves come December...

You can't keep him down: Central Massachusetts radio veteran Upton
Bell comes back to the airwaves Monday afternoon, a few months after
losing his gig at Worcester's WTAG (580).  Bell's new 4-6 PM show will
air on Alex Langer's WSRO (1470 Marlborough) and WRPT (650 Ashland).

You can't keep them accurate: Boston's largest daily told its readers
on Thursday about new programming at WGBH-FM (90.7).  By comparison,
the newly-colorful tabloid competitition was on a completely different
plane of existence with Dean Johnson's cogent, insightful summary of
the Summer Arbitrons.  Did we mention we're glad to have Johnson's
column available on-line at www.bostonherald.com?  (And speaking of
the Summer book, you'll find more about it at the end of this week's
column.)

Finally, congratulations to Barry Scott of WEGQ's "Lost 45s," who
released his first CD compilation this week.  Here's hoping "Barry
Scott Presents the Lost 45s of the 70s amd 80s, Volume I" helps
persuade more stations to add this nifty syndicated show to their
lineups.

*A VERMONT college station is fighting for its life after its
transmitter died Monday night.  WWLR (91.5) at Lyndon State College
went off the air when its transmitter on Vail Hill smoked out, and the
station estimates the cost of replacement at $21,000.  "Impulse 91.5"
was one of the few bright spots on the Northeast Kingdom radio dial
when last NERW was up that way a few years ago, and we'd hate to see
it be silenced.  Late word is that the station will be back on by next
Wednesday at a quarter of its regular power; a new solid-state
transmitter will follow to replace the old tube beast.

Manchester's WEQX (102.7) is on the air, but in need of a few good
managers.  PD Ian Harrison resigned this week, and the modern rocker's
music director position is also open.

*One MAINE tidbit...we hear the 104.1 Portland translator of WMPG
(90.9 Gorham) has been silent for a few days now.

*Up there...it's a bird, it's a plane, it's the ionosphere...no, it's
CONNECTICUT's first TV news helicopter!  WTNH (Channel 8) in New Haven
is debuting Chopper 8 Live this week, and NERW wonders how long it'll
be before the skies above the Nutmeg State get Sky 3 and Airborne 30
as well.

Hartford's WZMX (93.7) has hired Mark Bolger away from WSPK (104.7
Poughkeepsie NY), where he did morning drive.

The readers of Connecticut Magazine have named their favorite radio
stations, and on the FM side it's WKCI (101.3 Hamden), with WTIC (1080
Hartford) the pick as favorite AM.

On the TV side, Meredith has named Al Bova the new vice president,
general manager, and group general manager at WFSB (Channel 3); he
comes to Constitution Plaza from KYW in Philadelphia.

And down in Danbury, WXCI (91.7) at Western Connecticut State College
celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.  Alumni are asked to
contact Bruce Goldsen at <goldsen@wkhm.com>.

*Our NEW YORK news begins with a double swap of city of license.
Jacor's WMAX-FM (107.3) began identifying as "South Bristol," rather
than "Honeoye Falls" last week, while WNVE (95.1) now uses "Honeoye
Falls" instead of "South Bristol."  What hasn't changed -- yet -- is
the actual transmitter sites, but when it does, 95.1 will move some 25
miles closer into Rochester by using the Baker Hill site in Perinton,
while 107.3 effectively leaves the Rochester market to run a paltry
few hundred watts from Bristol Mountain.  And given that, at least for
now, there's no way the WMAX-FM signal actually reaches South Bristol
city grade, NERW wonders if the changed COL is even legal.  (And as we
noted when this application was first filed, it's all game-playing
anyway; neither South Bristol nor Honeoye Falls has even the remotest
importance to the Rochester-based programming of either station...)

New tower alert!  A Syracuse-area reader reports the tower of Pax TV's
WSPX (Channel 56) can be seen rising above the north shore of Oneida
Lake.  A NERW fact-finding mission is being dispatched; bulletins next
week...

In other Syracuse-area TV news, WNYS (Channel 43) has added a
secondary WB affiliation to its primary UPN hookup.  WB programs will
air weeknights after midnight and Saturdays during prime time.  And
WIXT (Channel 9) is advertising for staffers for a new early-access
"infotainment" show to debut next year on WIXT and its Ackerley sister
stations in Rochester (WOKR), Binghamton (WIVT), and Utica
(WUTR). WIXT also brings in William J. Hart as its new assistant news
director; he was news director at WWNY in Watertown.

Up in Watertown, low-power UPN affiliate WBQZ-LP (Channel 34) has been
sparring with the cable company.  Time Warner briefly pulled the audio
feed of WOTT (100.7 Henderson) from its Watertown system after WOTT
ran WBQZ ads that criticized the cable company for not carrying WBQZ
and claimed (incorrectly) that there was no way to get "Star Trek:
Voyager" on cable in Watertown.  WBQZ moved its ads to WCIZ (93.5),
and WOTT's audio went back on cable mid-week.

WPYX (106.5 Albany) garnered a lot of news coverage Thursday for
morning guy Bob Wohlfield's "Bras Across America" stunt, in which the
station strung 6,000 brassieres across the Hudson from Albany to
Rensselaer.  It was for a good cause; Wohlfield's mother died of
breast cancer and the money raised from the event went to cancer
research.  Across town, Beverly Jordan's out as midday jock on WRVE
(99.5 Schenectady), with weekender Rocky Kowalski filling in for now.

A correction: WHUC in Hudson is on 1230, not 1450 as we said in last
week's list of Art Bell affiliates.  Bell's show is being hosted by
Hilly Rose for now, while Bell resolves whatever it was that took him
off the air.  He's supposed to make another announcement on Friday
night's/Saturday morning's show; we'll be listening.

Down the Hudson Valley, radio station owner William Walker is wearing
a different hat this fall.  The apple farmer, who owns WRWD (107.3
Highland), WBWZ (93.3 New Paltz), and WBUG-AM-FM/WLFH and WOWB/WOWZ in
the Mohawk Valley, is the Republican candidate opposing veteran
Democrat Maurice Hinchey in the congressional district that stretches
from Ithaca down into the Catskills.

Long Island's WRCN (103.9 Riverhead) has segued from "active rock" to
classic hits, without GM Tony Michaels -- he's left the station.

Across the state line in North Jersey, WSPW (1170 Bridgewater) has
been sold to North Jersey Radio, which owns WMTR (1250 Morristown),
WDHA (105.5 Dover), and WRAT (95.9 Point Pleasant).  Could WSPW become
a simulcast of nostalgia WMTR?  Wouldn't surprise us...

Inevitable translator/LPTV news: Family Life Radio applies for 90.5 in
Olean to relay WCID (89.1 Friendship), which already puts a darned
good signal into most of Olean.  Buffalo's dark WBUF-LP (Channel 39)
is being sold by Southtown's Christian Center to Word of God
Fellowship.  And Rochester's W47BM changes hands from Equity
Broadcasting to Tiger Eye Broadcasting.  NERW's hoping they don't
change the station's unique programming; since the station signed on
this summer, it's aired nothing at all but color bars, and frankly,
we've gotten hooked on it.

And just in time for Halloween, Buffalo's WGRF (96.9) and WEDG (103.3)
will air a new production of "War of the Worlds" on October 30, 60
years to the day after Orson Welles' original, and 30 years to the day
after the late lamented WKBW did its own recreation.  'KB newsman Irv
Weinstein was part of the 1968 production, and he'll be one of the
Buffalo newspeople appearing in this year's as well.  (And yes, the
NERW-mobile will be parked somewhere within range, with tape decks rolling...)

*AM DX notes: Montreal's CBF (690) has been missing from the
airwaves, and we're inclined to think CBF is now FM-only on 95.1.
Toronto's CBL (740), scheduled to sign off for good this past week,
has won a reprieve.  Because replacement FM CBLA (99.1) isn't getting
out as well as it was supposed to, and because relay CBLA-FM-1 (90.5
Crystal Beach) hasn't even been built yet, 740 will stay on for at
least a few more months, and we'll still have something to listen to
in the NERW-mobile.  On the X-band, three new stations have lit up on
this side of the continent: KCJJ (1630) in Iowa City, Iowa, joining
the current 1560 there; WQSN (1660) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, taking its
calls and sports format from the AM 1470 there, which becomes WKLZ;
and WJNZ (1680) in Ada, Michigan, near Grand Rapids, the X-band
offshoot of WMHG (1600) in Muskegon.  1680 has been
widely reported by DX-ers who have heard its urban format, first
under the assigned calls of WBHD, then as "Jamz 1680."

A good auroral opening Monday night found the usually-Canadian
channels like 540, 730, 900, and 940 replaced by Mexicans -- and that
was listening in a hotel room IN Canada!  

*Finally this week, the first round of Summer Arbitrons are in, so
let's go to the books:

NEW YORK - There's no longer any question about the dominance of
Spanish-language radio, with WSKQ (97.9) moving from a tie for first
into a clear first-place 12+.  Perennially top-rated WLTW slips from a
tie for first to third, with WQHT (97.1) getting a summertime bump for
a strong second place.  

NASSAU-SUFFOLK - Two Long Island stations topped the book, with
WALK-FM (97.5) a strong first and WBLI (106.1) surging into second.
After that, New York stations take over the top ten, with WHTZ,
WCBS-FM, and WLTW leading the pack.  WBAB/WHFM was the only other
Island signal to crack the top ten, at number ten.

BUFFALO - Country giant WYRK stayed on top, but rocker WGRF is gaining
fast, picking up nearly a point.  WBLK had a strong third-place
finish, with WJYE dropping a bit into fourth.

BOSTON - Who says news-talkers do badly in the summertime?  Not WBZ,
which landed another first-place spot 12+.  WJMN, WBMX, WRKO, and WBCN
fill out the top five, with little decisive movement anywhere (but
hey, it IS only the Summer book...)

SPRINGFIELD -  WMAS-FM drops a bit but stays on top, followed by WAQY
AM-FM and WPKX, which also dropped listeners but kept their
positions.  WHYN(AM) gained listeners and WHYN-FM dropped a few to
round out the top five.

HARTFORD - WRCH was a solid first place, WTIC(AM) a solid second.
WKSS sagged in ratings but was still good enough for third, followed
by WTIC-FM and WMRQ.  Down the page a bit, WHCN gained some listeners
to pull into a tie with rock competitor WZMX.

PROVIDENCE - An incredible summer book shot WWLI up two full points
12+ and into first place, followed by WHJY and WPRO(AM).

*We'll close with a friendly programming reminder: The NERW web site
at http://www.bostonradio.org/radio/nerw is the ARCHIVE location for
NorthEast Radio Watch.  We make no guarantee that NERW will appear
there in any sort of timely fashion; this is a labor of love and not
money for all of us involved, and we all have day jobs and other
committments that (gasp!) sometimes pull us away from NERW duties.  

Once more with feeling -- if you want to make sure you get NERW while
it's still fresh and tasty, all you have to do is get on the mailing
list, which you can do by sending e-mail to

nerw-request@bostonradio.org

with "SUBSCRIBE" as the body of your message.  And as always, if you
don't like it, we'll gladly refund every penny you've paid...

*More ratings next week...we'll see you Friday!

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

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