NorthEast Radio Watch 8/6: Dynacom, Forever Sell Groups

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

*Two regional radio groups changed hands this week, with one deal
creating the largest radio group in VERMONT.

Bruce Danziger's Vox Media made its first appearance on the radio
landscape in April, when it bought WKXL AM-FM in Concord, New
Hampshire, then followed that with the purchase of WSNO-WORK in
Barre.  This week, Vox agreed to pay $5.5 million for Bruce Shapiro's
Dynacom group, which includes:

- -rocker WHDQ (106.1) Claremont NH (and translators in White River Junction and
Keene and on-channel booster in Rutland)
- -sports-talk WNHV (910) White River Junction and WTSV (1230) Claremont
- -soft AC "Wish" trimulcast WSSH (101.5) Marlboro/WZSH (107.1) Bellows
Falls/WWSH (95.3) White River Junction
- -AAA "River" WRSI (95.3) Greenfield MA and WMTT (100.7) Wilmington
(plus translator in Jamaica)
- -eclectic oldies WGAM (1520) Greenfield MA (which we'd thought had
been sold back to original owner Ed Skutnik, but that in fact seems to
have been an LMA)

What changes might be in store?  We'd guess not many, based on what
Vox has (or rather, hasn't) changed at its first purchases.

The other big sale is in upstate NEW YORK, where Regent Communications
is making its debut in the region with the $44 million (plus 100,000
shares of stock) purchase of Forever's clusters in Utica and
Watertown.  The big prizes here are the market-dominant country
stations in each city, "Froggy 97" WFRY (97.5 Watertown) and "Big Frog
104," WFRG (104.3 Utica).  In addition, Regent gets Watertown's
news-talk WTNY (790), satellite oldies WUZZ (1410), and classic rock
WCIZ (93.3), plus Utica's news-talk WIBX (950), oldies WODZ (96.1
Rome), AC WLZW (98.7), and WFRG simulcast WRUN (1150).  

*Elsewhere in the Empire State, the dial keeps changing south of
Albany.  Not only did WRIP (97.9 Windham) make its official debut with
a mix of AC and oldies on Thursday morning, but a Poughkeepsie
simulcast is in the process of changing.  WTND (96.1) has been
simulcasting the "Thunder Country" of sister stations WTHN (99.3
Ellenville) and WTHK (93.5 Hudson), but on Monday it will switch to a
simulcast of the "Cat" AC format from nearby WCTW (98.5 Catskill).  We
also hear that the WCTW translator in Poughkeepsie, W292CM on 106.3,
has been silent for a few days.  Wonder if it'll switch primaries to
WTHK to keep the country coming?  Just to top things off, we hear
Straus Media's new 92.9 in Saugerties, still without call letters
(though we like to think of it as BMPH980827ID in intimate moments),
will be on the air by October 1.

In Albany itself, there's a subtle format shift taking place at WRVE
(99.5 Schenectady), as "the River" begins working some softer classic
rock from the 1970s and 1980s into its playlist.  There's also an
explanation, at last, of why the Capital District Business Review
thinks WMHQ (Channel 45) is changing calls to "WLVI" -- seems the new
WB affiliate, which will actually be WEWB, will have its master
control at the real WLVI studios in Boston.  Albany will get a sales
office and a local production crew, but no actual studio to speak of.
We'd mutter something about "service to the community" here, but if
nobody else cares anymore...

Speaking of "service to the community," a little AM that does
understand the meaning of that phrase is being sold.  WCSS (1490) in
Amsterdam goes from Jeff Weber's Weber Communications to Joseph
Isabel's IZ Communications for the sum of $188,000.  

Heading west towards Rochester, we note Family Life's WCIY (88.9
Canandaigua) applying for a 91.1 translator in Geneva, with the
inevitable petitions to deny from adjacents WSQG Ithaca and WCNY
Syracuse sure to follow.  And we know now why we never heard the
WMAX-FM call letters on 102.3 in Canandaigua.  Clear Channel has
applied to move those long-suffering calls (previously on 107.3 South
Bristol/Honeoye Falls and 106.7 Irondequoit) to the former WZLG in
Hogansville, Georgia, with 102.3 returning to WISY.  That solves what
would have been one confusing diary-attribution problem!

(We had to look it up to be sure, but the new WMAX-FM is on 98.1 and
about 60 miles southwest of Atlanta...)

The much bigger news in the Rochester market, though, was the parting
of ways Monday between WPXY (97.9) and program director Clarke Ingram,
who's been at the helm of 98PXY for five years.  The last few have
been challenging ones for Rochester's heritage CHR, with a host of
staffing and management changes, topped off by the arrival of Clear
Channel competitor WKGS and its marketing dollars.  Next challenge for
Ingram?  He's still taking offers...we'll keep you posted.  Meantime
on the 17th floor, APD/MD Mike Danger takes on interim PD duties, with
WRMM PD Dave Symonds taking on Ingram's OM stripes for now.  (And to
make things worse for CBS, 'PXY is still without a sales manager or
promotions director!)

Some good news for Sinclair in Buffalo, as the FCC approves the
transfer of noncommercial status from WNEQ (Channel 23) to WNED-TV
(Channel 17), thus allowing the Western New York Public Broadcasting
Authority to sell WNEQ to Sinclair.  WNYPBA successfully argued that
the transfer of the noncommercial reservation to channel 17 would
allow it to raise the cash it needed from the WNEQ sale to finance
WNED's conversion to DTV.  (And why was channel 17 commercial in the
first place?  It was a donation, four decades ago, of failed
commercial station WBUF-TV.)

*On we go to CONNECTICUT, where there's a change of management at
Clear Channel's New Haven cluster.  After 18 years at Radio Towers
Park, GM Faith Zila was ushered to the exits this week.  Staffers tell
the local media they think it had to do with the staffing changes Zila
made earlier this year, particularly the ousting of veteran WELI/WAVZ
host Ron Rohmer.  No replacement has been named yet.

The move of WTIC (1080/96.5) took place this week, amidst much griping
from the airstaff, who were the last to leave the 19th floor of the
Gold Building in downtown Hartford, with nothing but the four walls
left around them.  They've now joined the rest of the station's
operations at CBS's Farmington office-park facility.  As noted earlier
this year in NERW, WTIC had operated from downtown Hartford since
1925, in just three different studio locations.  (And we're feeling
especially sympathetic towards WTIC-FM promo guy Tristano Korlou, who
just had to move a few months ago at his old job at WPXY, only to do
the box-packing thing again in his new gig!)

More than 60 supporters of "La Nueva Radio Musicale" filled a Hartford
federal courtroom to tell a judge why the New Haven pirate should be
allowed to stay on the air.  A decision in the lawsuit between the
government and LNRM owner Hippolito Cuevas is expected in another week
or so.

We hear lightning struck the WTXX (Channel 20) tower in Waterbury
during a storm late last week, knocking the station off the screens of
broadcast viewers for more than a day.  Cable viewers in many areas
remained able to see "CT20" through a direct feed from LMA partner
WTIC-TV.

There's a new PD at Groton's WQGN (105.5).  Kevin Palana comes from
sister Spring Broadcasting station WFHN (107.1) in the New Bedford
market, where he was APD/MD.  That role is being assumed by Christine
Fox, who comes to Fun 107 from overnights at Boston's Kiss 108
(WXKS-FM Medford).  Fox will also co-host the morning show at WFHN.
Back at Q105, there's also a new morning team.  "Karlsson and Kelly"
return to the market from a stint as "Karlsson and Mackenzie" on the
now-defunct WEGQ (93.7 Lawrence) in the Boston market, and replace
Franco, who's now across town at WKCD (107.7 Pawcatuck).

A few quick corrections: WKCI veteran Pete Salant went on to the
original WYNY (97.1 New York), not the subsequent suburban version,
and is now consulting from his home base down in Virginia (and we did
know better!).  And Bridgeport's WEZN (Star 99.9) in fact tied with WICC
for the top spot in the Spring book, 12+.  Star was also the most
listened-to station in the Connecticut suburbs of New York, when the
numbers are summed up from all the little markets into which Arbitron
splinters them.

*One late note from RHODE ISLAND: The new owners of WERI-FM (99.3
Block Island) have applied to changed calls to WADK-FM, matching
sister AM WADK (1540) over in Newport.  NERW has correspondents
vacationing on Block Island this weekend (and we're wishing we were
there ourselves) and we'll have more on this one next Friday.

*The big question in MASSACHUSETTS is where Don Imus will make his
home at month's end.  We know Greater Media is taking over the I-Man
affiliation from Entercom sports talker WEEI (850), but nobody's
saying which of Greater's five stations will carry the show.  Initial
speculation focused on WBOS (92.9 Brookline), but after that station
turned in a stronger-than-expected Spring book, the buzz shifted to
smooth jazz WSJZ (96.9).  We'll know for sure in a few weeks...

A few changes in the Worcester market, starting with the studio
location of WORC-FM (98.9 Spencer).  The Deer River folks took control
of the classic rocker last Saturday, and promptly moved the studios
from Webster to the WXLO facility on Commercial Street.  We hear new
calls of WOXC are in the works, and wouldn't be surprised to see the
new owners park the "Bus" nickname for good and change formats soon.

Crosstown classic rock competitor WWFX (100.1 Southbridge) welcomed a
new PD this week.  Bob Mitchell comes from WMRQ in Hartford, where he
was known as "Jake."

Religious WNEB (1230) filed to reorganize its ownership this week
under the "Windsor Financial Corporation" name, taking over from one
Timothy S. Horton (no relation, we think, to the donut-and-hockey Tim
Horton!)

Heading west, the sounds of Spanish will soon emanate from the hilltop
outside Ware where WARE (1250) sits, as Mega Broadcasting buys the
oldies station from Eastern Media.  The retro-oldies format was fun
while it lasted; now we wonder whether WARE (whose signal reaches into
both Springfield and Worcester) will be run from Mega's groups in
Hartford or in Boston?

Norfolk talker WDIS (1170) is fighting to convince the FCC it still
exists; meanwhile, someone filed a petition to deny against WDIS'
application to have its license cancellation rescinded.  We think this
was just a paperwork issue, but we can also imagine Radio Disney
salivating over a chance to grab those calls...and we're eager to hear
from folks in the Norfolk-Franklin-Foxboro area about whether WDIS is
in fact on the air.

On the talk front, GOP consultant Jay Severin has parted ways with
WRKO (680), where he held down the 11PM-1AM slot from his home outside
New York City.  Former WRKO "Chick" Leslie Gold is now trying the Web
thing at an Internet-only talk station called, so help us, eYada
<http://www.eyada.com>.  NERW tuned in for a few minutes and heard,
um, one caller.  Gotta start somewhere, we suppose.  Speaking of "past
their glory days," the Boston Celtics will be absent from the
broadcast airwaves this fall.  Their entire schedule, home and away,
will be seen on Fox Sports New England.  

We'll note here, also, that Boston is one of the markets that could
see TV duopoly under the new rules announced this week by the FCC.  In
markets with 20 or more separately-owned "media voices" (which can
include newspapers, cable, radio, and TV), companies can own two TV
stations as well as six radio stations.  Markets with 10 to 19 voices
can have 4 radio/2 TV combos.  If nothing else, this proposal might
increase the value of fringe TV operations like WMFP (Channel 62
Lawrence), WWDP (Channel 46 Norwell), and WNDS (Channel 50 Derry NH),
as the prospect of duopoly with the big guys becomes reality.  

The proposal also gives a five-year window to LMAs like those between
WPRI and WLWC in Providence, WTIC-TV and WTXX in Hartford, WTNH and
WBNE in New Haven, WPXT and WPME in Portland, WPTZ and WFFF in
Plattsburgh/Burlington, and the soon-to-be-consummated WUTV and WNEQ in
Buffalo.  They'll have to become full-fledged duopolies before the end
of that five years, or show the FCC that their duopoly is in the
public interest.  (Yep, even the folks down at the Portals can
remember that phrase from time to time!)

*Nothing from NEW HAMPSHIRE this time out, and just one item from
MAINE: After 15 years with WGAN (560 Portland) and the Saga group,
chief engineer Chuck Bullett is heading for the promised land of the
Internet and a new job at broadcastmusic.com.  Saga's taking
applications at its Michigan headquarters...and this is as good a time
as any to note with concern the growing depletion of the ranks of
experienced radio engineers.  We don't have a solution, either, aside
from the obvious suggestion of rectifying the pay disparities that
make the Web much more appealing than the shop bench for would-be
engineers.  That, plus the consolidation pressures that are leaving
multi-station clusters in the hands of lone (over-stressed) engineers,
makes it a miracle that anyone's still in the profession.

Off the soapbox and across the border...

*To CANADA, where longtime friend-of-NERW Wayne Harrett has finally
achieved his dream of putting a community station on the air in Nova
Scotia.  CKEP (106.9) is running a whopping 25 watts in the Eastern
Passage/Cow Bay area, but only as a limited-time special event station
until August 8.  Wayne's seeking community support to make "K106" a
full-time reality; find out more at the comprehensive Web site
<http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/emo/753> he's put up.

Also on the 106 MHz part of the spectrum, the CBC has been testing in
Toronto on 106.3.  M Street reports it's a favor to Industry Canada,
to determine whether that frequency might also be suitable for
low-power use (in addition to the 93.5 and 740 AM spots for which
applications are now being taken).  NERW notes that it's a bit close
to the 13kW CJBC-5-FM transmitter in Peterborough (and in fact the
CBCP Peterborough transmitter, on the same tower as CJBC-5, had to
change from 93.5 to 98.7 to accomodate the co-channel in Toronto!) --
but then, it's not like anyone's listening to the French-language CJBC
signal in Peterborough, right?  (This would be even less of an issue
if the CBC itself, as surmised, ends up applying for 106.3 for its
planned Radio 3 service.)

Speaking of the CBC, the CRTC has approved its application for 100.9
in Wingham.  The new Radio 1 transmitter, likely to be CBLA-FM-3, will
operate from the newish CBC-TV tower north of Wingham, filling a gap
between the Owen Sound and London transmitters for an area that used
to get CBL on 740.  We also hear the new Radio 2 transmitter in Paris,
CBL-FM-2 (90.7), is now on the air, though we didn't hear it when we
passed nearby last month.

Up in Sudbury, religious CJTK (95.5) has applied to boost power from
35 watts to 1400 watts, moving towers from the ski hill where the CBC
FMs are located to a site 3.5 kilometers to the northwest, which
sounds to us like the CICI/CKNC TV tower west of town.  (Hey, last
month's trip paid off, didn't it?)

In Hamilton, Don Luzzi leaves 95.3 FM after 23 years as general
manager.  Luzzi started with the station back in the CKDS days and
stayed on as it became CJXY, "Y95," but he departs as the station
changes hands from WIC to Shaw.

*A few more ratings this time around (again, all numbers are 12+):

In ALBANY, country WGNA stays flat but regains #1 as news-talk WGY
dips a bit (and in a format where 12+ numbers really matter, too!).
Also showing some drops are modern rock WQBK/WQBJ and
some-type-of-rock WRVE (see above!).  Making gains are newcomers WAJZ
(beginning to show real numbers) and WZMR (still in need of some
promotion and marketing to make an impact in its new market), with the
other recent format change, Jammin' Oldies WABT, flat at best.

SYRACUSE's Spring book shows country WBBS and CHR WNTQ with a strong
1-2 punch, followed by talk WSYR, rock WAQX, and CHR WWHT.  AC WYYY
had a down book, while urban contemporary WRDS posted its best numbers
ever.

ROCHESTER's 12+ numbers reflected the kind of audience splintering
that happens when six different stations can all be playing the same
Dave Matthews track.  News-talk WHAM led the book, followed by country
WBEE-FM, AC WRMM, and urban WDKX, continuing its slow-and-steady
growth and incredible listener loyalty (which, NERW thinks, is nice to
see for one of the few locally-owned stations left in town!).  We hear
"Mix" WVOR won the 25-54 race pretty decisively.  The CHR race between
WPXY and WKGS still goes to WPXY for now, but as Clear Channel
continues to sink promotional dollars into "Kiss 107" (and Arbitron
sorts out the attribution issues from Clear Channel's
call-and-frequency shuffles), we won't be surprised to see that gap
close.  No real impact, as yet, from the other Clear Channel outlets
(WLCL 107.3, which Arbitron still has as "CHR/rhythmic," and "Sunny
102" WISY).  Also of note: a down book, all around, for modern AC WZNE
leads NERW to wonder if it might be the next to follow in the fate of
Buffalo sister station WLCE, which flipped from modern AC "Alice" to
rhythmic oldies "B92-9" in June.  And the morning battle between
WNVE's Howard Stern and WCMF's Brother Wease falls, this time, pretty
decisively to Stern.  Could it be all that TV advertising?

Next time out, we'll have numbers from the smaller New York markets,
plus Vermont and Maine...stay tuned!

*From the shameless plug department: Check out the August 4 issue of
"Radio World," if you haven't already, for the print version of NERW's
trip to hear the end of CBL back in June.  

And if you'll be around Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this Thursday or Friday
(August 12-13), why, so will we!  No formal NERW lunch is planned this
time, but we're always happy to hear from readers in the region who'd
like to talk radio in person.  Next Friday's NERW may be a few hours
late, but we'll have all the latest on the many changes in that
unusual market...see you then!

- ---------------------NorthEast Radio Watch------------------------
                     (c)1999  Scott Fybush

No redistribution permitted for commercial use, or for
noncommercial use without prior written permission.

NorthEast Radio Watch is published each Friday night and
distributed immediately to the NERW and Boston Radio
Interest mailing lists.  NERW is also made available the 
following Monday on AIRWAVES/rec.radio.broadcasting.

To be added to the NERW mailing list, send e-mail to
<nerw-request@bostonradio.org> with the word "subscribe"
as the body of the message.  You will receive a confirmation
code to return by e-mail to begin your free subscription.
Please direct any questions about the list process to
<nerw-owner@bostonradio.org>; subscription requests and
questions sent directly to NERW cannot be acted on.

NERW is archived at the Boston Radio Archives,
<http://www.bostonradio.org/radio/bostonradio.html> and
is generally made available there about a week after
publication.  

Opinions expressed in NERW are solely those of the author
and not necessarily those of MIT, LCS, or Time Warner.

NERW welcomes your news and contributions at
<nerw@bostonradio.org>.

- ------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

End of boston-radio-interest-digest V3 #462
*******************************************