NorthEast Radio Watch 12/3: Canada's CRTC Gets Busy

[Scott D Fybush <fybush@world.std.com>]

*It's not often that we begin our weekly report in CANADA -- but then,
it's not often that the CRTC sets up a hearing as exciting as the one
planned for January 31 in Toronto.  That's when it will hear from all
the applicants for the three available frequencies in Toronto: the 740
vacated by CBL, the 93.5 opened up by the move of CBCP Peterborough,
and the 106.3 low-power channel.

So who's applying?  For 740, the options are CHKT, Fairchild's
multilingual station now on 1430; new stations from the current
operators of CHIN-AM/FM (also multilingual) and CHWO Oakville (aimed
at senior citizens); YTV Canada (kids' programming); the urban format
proposed by Share newspaper; another multilingual format proposed
by "914258 Ontario Ltd."; Aboriginal Voices Ltd.; and Andy McNabb's
proposal for a Christian format.  (No CHUM?  So it seems...)

On 93.5, applicants include CHKT, McNabb, Share, as well as a proposed
relay of the country format from CJKX-FM Ajax; gay-and-lesbian
"Rainbow Radio" from the owners of CIAO 530; Good News Christian
radio; and would-be urban operator Denham Jolly.

CJKX has also applied for 106.3, as has St. Sava's Radio for a
multi-ethnic format and religious CHIM Timmins for a Toronto relay.
Aboriginal Voices has also suggested using 106.5 if its 740
application is rejected.

Toronto isn't the only thing on the CRTC's plate next month.  The
commission will also consider CJET Smiths Falls' proposal to move to
92.3 FM from 630 AM; proposals from Roger de Brabant (who owns CHIM in
Timmins) for low-power tourist-info stations on 103.1 in North York
and 101.5 in Timmins; Eternacom's proposal to add tourism information
on 102.9 to its religious CJTK in Sudbury; and a proposal to boost the
power of CIRV (88.9 Toronto) from 1000 watts to 1800 watts.

And then there's Quebec, where Radio-Canada wants to add local
programming to its transmitters in Sherbrooke (CBF-FM-10 on 101.1) and
Trois-Rivieres (CBF-FM-8 on 88.1).  Sherbrooke (along with relays in
Asbestos, Lac Megantic, and Victoriaville) would get 6 hours and 15
minutes of local programming a week, while Trois-Rivieres would get 5
hours.  This seems to follow the pattern the English-language CBC has
set in Ontario, with partial breakaways from regional programming for
local inserts on CBC Radio 1 in London.  

Promotional loops continue to run on 690 and 940 in Montreal, with
December 14 now the target date for "Info 690" and "940 News."  We're
hearing conflicting reports about whether the transmissions are coming
from the Brossard site used by CBF and CBM, or whether they're coming
from the sites of soon-to-be-defunct CKVL 850 and CIQC 600.

*Across the border we go, to NEW HAMPSHIRE and an application by New
Hampshire Public Radio for a translator on 91.3 in Littleton.  At the
other end of the state, WNHQ (92.1 Peterborough) dropped its simulcast
of WJYY (105.5 Concord) for a few days of "All Beck Radio" stunting
before beginning its new simulcast of WFNX (101.7 Lynn MA) on Tuesday.
And we hear WNHQ's former sister station, WNHI (93.3 Belmont), will
keep its simulcast with WRCI (107.7 Hillsboro) and its classic rock
format when the sale to Vox is complete.

*In MASSACHUSETTS, the dead air format that's thrilled listeners to
Brockton's WBOT (97.7) finally came to a close at 7 Wednesday night
(12/1), as a non-stop loop of Tone Loc's "Wild Thing" kicked in.
Expect new calls when the real urban format finally hits at month's
end.

WDIS (1170 Norfolk) has its call letters back, as the FCC reinstates
the station's license and pending applications after accidentally
cancelling them over the summer.

Out west, WEIB (106.3 Northampton) is now in full commercial operation
with its soft R&B/smooth jazz format.  We're also hearing that WHAI
(1240/98.3) in Greenfield may be changing hands after 61 years with
the Haigis family; more on that next week.

Two obituaries to report: Eileen Kneeland, who served as the midday
host on WBZ and WEEI in the 1940s, was a pioneering cooking-show host
on Boston TV in the 1950s, and later taught at Endicott College in
Beverly, died in late November.  On Monday, Gene Rayburn died at age
82 -- and while you may remember him best as host of the "Match Game"
on TV, he began in radio, hosting mornings at WNEW New York in the
40s.

*There's a new program director at WSNE in the Providence, RHODE
ISLAND market.  Bill O'Brien exits -- but stays at the 93.3 spot on
the dial as he moves south to WERO (93.3 Washington NC) in the
Greenville market.  Bill Hayes replaces O'Brien at the
Taunton-licensed AC outlet.

An update on the transfer of stations from Back Bay Broadcasting to
"AAA Entertainment":  We're told Back Bay principal Peter Ottmar
controls AAA as well, so there's no real ownership change taking place
at WLKW, WWKX/WAKX, and WKCD.

*We hear "Prayze FM" is once again lighting up CONNECTICUT radio dials
with its unlicensed but very commercial programming on 105.3 from
Bloomfield.  Prayze operator Mark Blake is claiming a court victory,
but we can't find any evidence supporting his claim.

After eight years doing mornings at WKCI (101.3 Hamden), Glenn Beck is
heading south to Tampa.  Sidekicks "Stu and Vinnie" are holding down
mornings on KC101 for now.

Janet Peckinpaugh has settled her sex-discrimination lawsuit against
the former owner of Hartford's WFSB (Channel 3).  The deal between
Peckinpaugh and Post-Newsweek is sealed, so there's no way to say how
much of the $8.3 million she was originally awarded will still be paid
out.  She'll soon have another reason to celebrate, as current
employer WVIT (Channel 30) adds newscasts at 5 and 5:30 PM with
Peckinpaugh at the anchor desk.

*From NEW YORK this week, a change of afternoon personalities at WAXQ
(104.3 New York), as Boston veteran Mark Parenteau exits citing
philosophical differences with management.  Parenteau will be heard on
Saturday back in Boston doing talk at WTKK (96.9), but he's not
promising anything permanent to the FM talker, as he hints at a return
to the WBCN alumni club at WZLX (100.7).  Weekender Ken Dashow takes
over Parenteau's slot on Q104.

WGNY in Newburgh is still fighting to get a better dial position than
its daytime slot at 1220.  After being forced to end its STA operation
at 1200 last year (after nearly a decade on the frequency!), WGNY is
again asking the FCC for an expanded-band slot.  The station says a
return to 1200 would cause too much interference to WPHT (1210) in
Philadelphia.

Just south of the brand-new Interstate 86 (dedicated this week!) in
Hornell, the newest outlet of the WSKG public broadcasting empire is
on the air.  WSQA (88.7) joins WSKG's relays in Elmira/Corning,
Ithaca, and Oneonta, as well as the main station in Binghamton.

And in nearby Houghton, the application by Houghton College for a new
station on 91.1 has been returned.  Houghton transferred its existing
station on 90.3, WJSL, to Rochester public broadcaster WXXI-FM earlier
in the year.

*That's it for this week.  Next week's issue will be the last regular
NERW for 1999, as we head into our year-end specials.  Join us
December 17 and 24 for a look back at the year, as well as each week's
news and our Year-End Rant.  There will be no NERW on December 31,
since we'll be busy covering whatever it is that actually happens that
night...but we'll be back January 7 if we're all still around (and
sooner if news warrants...)

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

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