NorthEast Radio Watch 12/11: Big Apple's Big Changes, and, We Visit The Midwest

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

*Despite protests from angry listeners, including a street rally
Wednesday (Dec. 9) that found several hundred of them dancing on West
43rd Street, New York's WQEW (1560) is going forward with plans
to switch to Radio Disney at midnight December 27.  WQEW's owner, the
New York Times Co., will reportedly receive $40 million from Disney to
lease the station for the next five years.  So far, no other station
has come forward to pick up the format used by WNEW until 1992 and
WQEW ever since.  Wanna know what WQEW mainstays like Jonathan
Schwartz think of the deal?  We would too -- but the Times has put a
gag order on its employees while the format change goes through.

Meantime in the Big Apple, Chancellor Media dropped "Big 105" from
WBIX (105.1) Friday night, Dec. 4.  The new format is "Jammin'
Oldies," similar to what the company has been doing with great success
in Chicago, LA, and other markets.  New calls are sure to follow.

And Chancellor has hired former WNEW (102.7) jock and New York radio
legend Scott Muni.  Early next year, he'll start doing a one-hour show
weekdays at noon, playing music and offering commentary and
interviews.  The show will give midday jock Maria Milito a one-hour
lunch break during her shift.  Yes, that WAS Muni who surfaced on WFAN
(660) for a guest slot talking sports last week...

Elsewhere in NEW YORK, it's been a busy couple of weeks for Jacor's
"second tier" of stations in the Rochester market.  On Thanksgiving
eve, they looked like this: WYSY (106.7 Irondequoit) and WISY
(102.3 Canandaigua) simulcast very soft AC as "Sunny 106."  WMAX-FM
(107.3, still licensed Honeoye Falls but already ID'ing with its new
South Bristol city of license) was rhythmic CHR as "Jam'n 107."

Then things began shifting.  First WYSY dropped the "Sunny" format and
began simulcasting "Jam'n" on the evening of Nov. 25 -- while WISY
kept going as though nothing had changed.  For a week, in fact, WISY
continued to ID as "Sunny 10_6_" and act as though it still had a
sister station in Rochester.  The only thing missing was a legal ID.
Finally, the voicetracks caught up with reality, and WISY now IDs
properly as "Sunny 102" -- but the soft AC and Delilah can't reach
most Rochester listeners anymore.  

Next up, "Jam'n."  Monday afternoon (Dec. 7), it began announcing "The
End of Jam'n."  And with all the excitement of a roll of toilet paper
being changed, the ID that hit a few minutes after 5 PM was the first
to call the station "Kiss 107."  And aside from adding a few more
non-rhythmic hits (Shawn Mullins, anyone?), nothing else has changed
at WYSY/WMAX-FM.  The station still has no jocks, for starters.  Why
the new name?  Gee, we noticed Jacor's new Cincinnati CHR is called
"Kiss 107" while we were there last week...

One more Rochester-area note: WASB-FM (105.5 Brockport) was heard
testing for a few hours on Friday, November 27, with a loop of country
music -- but has not been heard since.  When it comes on for real, it
will have a hard time in eastern Monroe County, where Oswego's
co-channel WTKV puts in a very respectable signal on 105.5.  

Elsewhere in the state, the FCC is opening up applications for a new
FM channel in Wellsville, a class A on 97.1.  NERW wonders: does a
community that already has an AM and FM, both all-satellite, really
need a third signal?

While we're in the Southern Tier, FMedia! reports that long-silent
96.9 in Ridgebury PA, rimshotting Elmira, hoped to be back on the air
by December 7 as WREQ with Christian contemporary music.  We'll be
down that way next weekend and will check it out.

A corrected address for Rochester's CBS radio stations: WZNE, WCMF,
WPXY, and WRMM are at 1700 Marine Midland Plaza, Rochester NY 14604.

Up north, Tim Martz is buying WXQZ (101.5 Canton) from Closs
Communications.  WXQZ has been simulcasting Martz' WNCQ (102.9
Morristown) for a few weeks now, but a format change is planned for
next year.

The "WPTR" call letters that graced one of the towers of Albany's AM
1540 for decades have come down, but we'll give Don Crawford half a
point for respecting history: we're told he's replaced them with
letters bearing the station's new calls, WDCD.  The station's
studio/transmitter building is on Albany Street, but the letters face
towards the back of the property and Route 5.  Guess where the
NERW-mobile will be heading next time we're in the Capital District?

On the fringes: Affinity Broadcasting is applying for a new station on
102.3 in London, Ontario...which should make the frequency a lot of
fun when the summer trops kick in and WJET-FM, on 102.3 just across
the lake in Erie PA, booms in.  Brantford's CKPC (1380) has applied
for an FM relay some 30km south of the city, on 98.9 in Simcoe, with
1090 watts.  Want to see the CBL 740 transmitter while it's still
there?  Check out a fine web page at

http://www.kwarc.on.ca/hammond/cbl.html/

for transmitter pictures and links.  Up along the St. Lawrence River,
Seaway District High School in South Dundas, Ontario has received a
license for CISD (107.7), a 50-watt community station that will begin
broadcasting next spring from the top of the Iroquois Water Tower.
And just in: We hear CFLZ, the tourist-info station in Niagara Falls,
has started simulcasting on 105.1 in preparation for dropping its
current 91.9 MHz spot early next year.

Along the southern border, we note that WILK-FM (102.3 Pittston PA)
has changed calls to WSHG, but we don't know why, yet.  WCDL (1440
Carbondale PA) is now simulcasting WARM (590 Scranton).  And in New
Jersey, the new owners of WSPW (1170 Bridgewater) have applied to
change calls to WWTR, to match WMTR (1250 Morristown).

*Lots of news in New England, and we'll start with CONNECTICUT, where
WTNH (Channel 8) in New Haven became the Nutmeg State's first DTV
outlet with the debut of WTNH-DT (Channel 10) last Friday (Dec. 4) at
9 AM.  WTNH-DT will simulcast Channel 8's local news while awaiting
the availability of more HDTV programming and equipment.

Home shopping "en espanol" is on its way to southern Connecticut, with
the sale of Paxson's WBPT (Channel 43) in Bridgeport to a company
called "Cuchifritos Communications."  They're paying $22 million for
the signal so they can use it as the first outlet for "Compar de su
Casa," which means (drumroll, please) "Shop at Home."  Paxson says it
will sell all its non-PaxTV outlets, which presumably means WHCT
(Channel 18) in Hartford is available as well.

On the unlicensed front, "Prayze FM" is celebrating its second
anniversary and is still on the air on 105.3 in Greater Hartford.

*Next up, RHODE ISLAND, where the South County is losing a local
radio voice, but gaining NPR service, with Boston University's
purchase of WERI (1230 Westerly) from Bear Broadcasting.  When the
$300,000 deal is complete early next year, WERI will become WXNI, a
24-hour relay of WRNI (1290 Providence), which is itself a relay of
WBUR-FM (90.9 Boston) with some Rhode Island news inserts in drive
time.  WBUR is promising more RI programming, including a local talk
show, in 2000.

Meantime, WERI's Mark Urso says the local programming from AM 1230,
including a popular weekend sports-talk show, will migrate to WERI-FM
(99.3 Block Island).

The Providence Bruins will move stations next season, as they sign a
five-year deal with WLKW (550 Pawtucket) to replace current flagship
WPRO (630).  Wonder if they'll add an affiliate whose signal actually
reaches Providence at night?

*A not-very-historic MASSACHUSETTS callsign is back on the airwaves.
The WBNW calls, which graced AM 590 from 1994 until 1997, resurfaced
Dec. 1 on the former WADN (1120 Concord), where they go with the
business-talk format that replaced the late, lamented "Walden Radio."

Jerry Villacres is the new general manager of Mega's Boston-area
Spanish stations.  WBPS (890 Dedham) and WNFT (1150 Boston) took their
new names and formats Dec. 1, becoming contemporary "Estrella 890" and
CHurban "Mega 1150," respectively.  Villacres was president and GM of
the now-defunct CBS Americas network.

Down the Cape, WKPE (1170 Orleans) returned to the air this month
under new calls, becoming WFPB and relaying WUMB (91.9 Boston).
WFPB(FM) in Falmouth, also 91.9, becomes WFPB-FM.  (And yes, that
makes sense to the FCC, anyway...)  Meantime, Ernie Boch has signed a
two-year deal to keep the Red Sox on his Cape stations, WXTK (95.1
West Yarmouth), WWKJ (101.1 Mashpee), WCOD (106.1 Hyannis), and WYST
(93.5 Harwich Port).

Up on the Nahth Shah, Newburyport's WNBP (1450) is running all holiday
music for now, with a promise to unveil a new format at 3 o'clock
Christmas afternoon.  

Eastern Media has sold WESO (970 Southbridge) to Marshall Sanft's
Evergreen Communications for $175,000.

Congratulations to Yiddish radio host Ben Gailing, who celebrates his
100th birthday (!) next week, and may well be one of the
longest-running radio personalities anywhere in America.  And
congratulations to Sean Grande, who's leaving WEEI (850) to become the
announcer for the Minnesota Timberwolves, should the NBA ever play
again.

Out West, some changes are in the works at Clear Channel's
newly-acquired WNNZ (640 Westfield), with former owner Curt Hahn
vacating the morning-drive slot to be replaced by WHYN afternoon
personality Dan Yorke.  And on the TV side, former WWLP (Channel 22)
evening anchor Barry Kriger returns to the sttaion after three years, 
most recently at WPRI in Providence.

*In NEW HAMPSHIRE, holiday tunes have replaced One-on-One Sports at
WTMN (1380 Portsmouth).  The station is changing calls to WMYF,
recently abandoned by 1540 Exeter, and after the holidays will pick up
WMYF's old nostalgia format as well.

Lori Dee is the latest WHEB (100.3 Portsmouth) jock to leave the
Capstar fold for Fuller-Jeffrey, joining WXBB (105.3 Kittery ME) and
WXBP (102.1 Hampton).

Heading north, Northeast Communications, which owns WFTN (1240/94.1)
Franklin and WSCY (106.9 Moultonborough), is buying WPNH (1300/100.1)
in Plymouth as well.  WPNH-FM is expected to drop its album rock
format once the deal closes.

WZID (95.7 Manchester)'s Tom Kallechey checked in to tell us about
their new website at http://www.wzid.com/, and to mention that the
station is looking for weekend part-time air talent.  You can contact
Tom at WZID99F@prodigy.com for more information.

And we mourn the passing of Donn Tibbets, who died on Nov. 27 just two
days short of his 68th birthday.  Tibbets' broadcast career began at
WKBR in 1949 and included stops at WTSV, WTSL, WKXL, WFEA, and
Boston's WHDH before arriving in 1954 at WMUR TV and radio.  Tibbets
stayed with the radio station, which became WGIR, for 18 years before
joining the Manchester Union-Leader as statehouse correspondent.  He
retired last January.

*Over in MAINE, the holiday tunes are playing -- and the format change
is all wrapped up under the tree -- at WCTB (93.5 Fairfield).  The
soft AC has been replaced by "Central Maine's Christmas Leader, 93.5
the River" for now.  

Portland's WPOR (101.9/1490) has a new program director.  Clint Marsh
was with Saga Broadcasting out at WIXY in Champaign IL from 1992 until
1996, then spent a couple of years as midwest regional promotion
manager for Columbia Records' country divisiion.  Interim PD Jon
Shannon returns to midday and production director duties.  Marsh will
also handle 3-6 PM air chores.

DXers, get those antennas ready: WEGP (1390 Presque Isle) will
stick a morse code ID in at 2 AM, Monday, December 14, using its usual
night pattern aimed northeast.  Also of note to northeastern DXers:
from 1:05-1:15 that morning, WJAS (1320 Pittsburgh) will be running 5
kilowatts non-directional, followed by sister station WPTT (1360
McKeesport) from 1:15-1:25 AM.  Unless you're in Attleboro or
Hartford, these should be decent catches.

*And in VERMONT, WEQX (102.7 Manchester) has a new program director.
John Allers was 'EQX's assistant PD before going to Rhode Island and
WXEX (99.7 Wakefield-Peace Dale), now he returns to replace Ian
Harrison.  

Excalibur's WMNM (92.1 Port Henry NY) changes calls to WXNT but
continues to simulcast WSYB (1380 Rutland) for now; the new station
manager there is Mike Cameron.

*"Baby, if you've ever wondered"...wondered what ever became of NERW:
We checked out all the air in Cincinnati (and Dayton and Fort Wayne)
just after Thanksgiving, and here's some of what we saw and heard
during our week away:

The drive to Fort Wayne was as uneventful as always, and the only
highlight was hearing WSWR (100.1 Shelby OH) actually using its calls
and city of license at the top of the hour.  A dinner stop in Toledo
found us tuned to 88.3, the shared-time signal of the University of
Toledo (WXUT) and the Toledo schools (WXTS).  Nighttime is WXUT's
time, but the techno music they were playing was uninterrupted by any
IDs at all.  

Fort Wayne itself has become an increasingly strange market.  Until
now it's been untouched by any of the big national groups -- but in
this case, some national programming assistance might actually help
matters.  The alleged CHR station, WMEE (97.3), plays a few currents
- -- but, so help us, we heard them segue right from Jewel into Rick
Springfield, and it wasn't an isolated incident.  Meanwhile, the
putative modern AC station, "Star 94", (WYSR 94.1 Roanoke/WGL-FM 102.3
Auburn, although they legal as "WYSR Fort Wayne"), sounded more active
and CHR-like than WMEE most of the time.  The market's lone urban
station, WJFX (107.9 New Haven), now goes by "107-9 Jamz" instead of
"Foxy," but is still mostly satellite-delivered.  There is no college
radio in Fort Wayne, so several high school stations are about it in
the way of diversity -- and one of them, WJHS (91.5 Columbia City),
was stuck in the 70s for much of the time we listened.  Religion is
all over the Fort Wayne FM dial; besides locals WLAB (88.3) and WBCL
(90.3), there are translators at 89.7 for WPCS from Florida and at
103.3 for WQKO Howe (a part of KAWZ's CSN Network).

There's not much to recommend the AM dial in Fort Wayne, either.  WFCV
(1090) was staying on the air until 7:15, which is odd, since our
search of the FCC database turns up "no controlling legal authority"
(with apologies to the Vice President) authorizing them to be on past
sunset.  Wonder if WBAL or KAAY know or care?  WHWD (1380) has shifted
from satellite standards to satellite sports.  WGL (1250) is all
satellite talk, and WLYV (1450) is more religion.

Oh yeah, that other Fort Wayne AM:  WOWO (1190) seems to be back to
50kw nights for at least a little while.  Its day signal is still
solid for miles and miles, and was listenable as far out as Dayton and
Cincinnati.  New morning guy Dave Macy was entertaining, too.  After
dark, there's nothing WOWO offers that would be of particular interest
to distant listeners these days -- a minute of local weather once an
hour, no local news, satellite-delivered talk, barter spots, and
that's about it.  

One more note about radio in the Fort: Just after we left, Jacor
plunked down almost $4 million to buy WDFM (98.1 Defiance OH), a Fort
Wayne rimshotter that now runs a sleepy AC format.  NERW suspects
Randy is about to make a major move on the market...we can't wait to
see what happens.