NorthEast Radio Watch 2/25: Changing Hands on Route 2

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

*Two central MASSACHUSETTS radio stations are changing hands, in a set
of deals that promise to change the radio dial along Route 2 in a big
way.

A year and a half after buying WCAT (700 Orange) and WCAT-FM (99.9
Athol), Jeff Shapiro is selling the stations to Citadel for $875,000,
a $25,000 profit from his August 1998 purchase price.  While the
stations sat at the southern arc of Shapiro's broadcast group in
Vermont and New Hampshire (most of which was sold to Vox last year),
they're at the northern end of Citadel's growing Worcester market,
which includes WXLO (104.5 Fitchburg), WORC-FM (98.9 Webster), and
WWFX (100.1 Southbridge).  WWFX is the interesting piece here; another
former Shapiro station, it's limited from moving its transmitter site
northward (and closer to Worcester) by -- WCAT-FM!  Do we see site
moves (or at least a simulcast) on the horizon?

As for the AM daytimer: it's never been much of a player in the market
since moving to 700 from 1390 in the 1980s, and now runs mostly Talk
America product.

Just to the east in Winchendon, WINQ (97.7) is also getting new
owners, as Central Broadcasting sells the station to Joe Gallagher's
Aritaur Broadcasting.  Aritaur sold its Pittsfield group (WBEC AM-FM,
WZEC) to Tele-Media last July, and ironically, Gallagher's KJI group
sold the *other* 97.7 in Massachusetts, WCAV Brockton (now WBOT), to
Radio One last June.  There's no word yet on Aritaur's plans for WINQ,
or on the purchase price.

Proof this week that you don't have to be a religious broadcaster to
be a spectrum hog: UMass/Boston's WUMB (91.9) is getting some bad
press in the town of Maynard, as it pushes forward with its
application for a new station in Stow on 91.7. 

That application is mutually exclusive with one by WAVM Maynard, also
on 91.7, to boost power from 16 watts to 150, moving from an
unprotected class D license to a protected class A.  That's something
the FCC encourages the remaining class D licenses to do, no matter how
much WUMB head honcho Patricia Monteith may claim it's "illegal."  

NERW's editorial take on the matter: WAVM has been on 91.7 since April
1974.  While some high school stations are, frankly, better suited to
closed-circuit or cable FM, WAVM is one of the best we've ever heard.
The folks in Maynard are committed to using the station as more than
just an opportunity to let kids "play DJ."  WAVM provides true
community service through sports and news programming -- in fact,
WAVM student staffers produce occasional reports on student opinion
for no less than CNN!  

WUMB, meanwhile, squeezed onto the Boston FM dial in 1982, taking
advantage of the breakdown of the old class D allocations to edge 91.7
stations at Northeastern and Brandeis into the commercial band.  Since
then, WUMB has missed nary a trick in its attempt to turn a
Boston-only frequency into a regional service.  Some of those moves --
adding 91.9 transmitters in Worcester (buying out a religious CP) and
Falmouth -- were justified and legitimate.  Others -- forcing
Winchester High School's WHSR off 91.9 (and ultimately off the air)
and cramming up against Salem State's WMWM (91.7) with a co-channel
application in Newburyport -- smack of greed.  

Sorry, Pat: WAVM was there first.  NERW loves the music WUMB plays as
much as anyone, but the FM dial in the Maynard area was full before
WUMB ever signed on, and trying to eliminate a true community voice is
just plain greedy.  Go apply for a translator in Twin Falls, Idaho,
instead...you'll be in good company.

A few more bits of Bay State news: WESX (1230 Salem) has a new morning
team to replace the retired Al Needham.  Kendall Buhl, who does WESX's
mid-morning talk show, will do news, while former Marblehead selectman
Tom McNulty will be the host.  

Sean Casey, erstwhile news anchor at the old WHDH (850), has found a
new gig.  He's moving from Shadow Traffic, where he was operations
director, to the PD chair and morning drive at "Easy 99.1," WPLM-FM
Plymouth.  Casey replaces Jack Brady, who leaves WPLM after many, many
years overlooking Route 3.

And the Boston Globe is forming a new TV alliance.  WBZ-TV (Channel 4)
will offer a preview of the next morning's Globe front page
(presumably for those who can't read the tiny type!) each weeknight
during the 11 o'clock news.  The Globe and WBZ will also cooperate on
"News Conference," a Sunday morning revival of the old "Eyewitness
News Conference" (complete with John Henning as host) each week at
11.  The Globe says its alliance with NECN will continue for now as
well.

*Just two bits of news from the rest of New England: In CONNECTICUT
(and neighboring New York), WINE (940 Brookfield) and its simulcast
WPUT (1510 Brewster NY) flip to Music of Your Life from satellite
country.  And up in MAINE, we now know the sale price for WVOM and
WBYA in the Bangor market: Jerry Evans walks away with $4,025,000.
One corretion, too: W203BB is cluttering the airwaves of Norwalk, not
Norfolk.

*News from NEW YORK: One of the state's oldest FM stations is getting
a new owner.  Religious WJIV (101.9 Cherry Valley) passes from Floyd
Dykeman to Jon Yinger's Midwest Broadcasting for $1.3 million.  WJIV
was one of the old Rural Radio Network/QXR Network/Ivy Network/CBN
stations, with a huge coverage over Albany, Utica, and into western
New England.  It'll stay religious under Midwest, which also owns
religious outlets in Fort Wayne and several Michigan communities,
including Detroit's WLQV (1500, the former twelve-tower directional).