NERW 6/11: Millennium Buys Big in NJ

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

[Note to mailing list readers: We're slowly catching up on
mailing-list distribution after several recent trips that have
delayed things here at NERW Central. As always, you can find the
current NERW at <http://www.fybush.com>. Thanks for your
patience!]

------------------------------E-MAIL EDITION-----------------------------
--------------------------NorthEast Radio Watch--------------------------
                              June 25, 2001

IN THIS ISSUE:

*NEW YORK: Clear Channel Gets "Bobbed" in Utica
*PENNSYLVANIA: Jammin' Gives Way to "Mix" in Philly
*NEW HAMPSHIRE: NH Public Radio Gets Legal

-----------------------------by Scott Fybush-----------------------------
-------------------------<http://www.fybush.com>-------------------------

*In the midst of all our travels, a quick look at what's been making
news back home in NERW-land:

*The airwaves of central NEW YORK are undergoing some interesting
transformations this week. We'll start in Utica, where Clear Channel
finally stopped stunting on WRBY (102.5 Rome) last week, launching (as
predicted here in NERW) a "Bob Country" format to challenge Forever's
market-leading WFRG (104.3).

There's not a lot of local content to be heard on the new "Bob";
mornings are handled by the syndicated team of Tim and Willy, while
Lia and After Midnight take the evening and overnight hours. Still, it
ought to be enough to shave a point or two off the "Frog," which seems
to be Clear Channel's motivation here.

Also in Utica, the "K-Love" folks change the calls of WVVC (100.7
Utica) to WKVU, presumably for "K-loVe Utica."

Down the Thruway toward Syracuse, WBGJ (100.3 Sylvan Beach) hit the
airwaves this past week, initially with a simulcast of Radio Disney
from WOLF (1490 Syracuse) and its sister stations. The signal's not
drawing many raves so far, but we hear it's not yet at full power,
either. (We'll have to head out that way once we get back to town to
see what the site looks like.)

Meanwhile, the religion finally came to an end on WVOQ (105.1
DeRuyter) last week, as Clear Channel took over that historic facility
(it dates back to the Rural Radio Network of the late forties) with a
temporary simulcast of country WBBS (104.7 Fulton). We suspect this
isn't the final flip for the station.

Speaking of Clear Channel in Syracuse, a big "congratulations" this
week to WSYR (570), whose news team took home the national Edward
R. Murrow award from RTNDA for overall excellence (small-market
division). It was a very good year for the Clear Channel group
upstate, in fact; WGY (810 Schenectady) won a national Murrow as well,
for its continuing coverage of the Amadou Diallo trial. The trophies
will be presented at this fall's RTNDA convention in Nashville.

Still more Syracuse news: Citadel's WNTQ (93.1) has re-signed morning
team Ted and Amy to a three-year contract beginning next January. That
will mean over a decade in the Salt City for the two, an admirable
longevity record these days.

Here in Rochester, we've noticed Clear Channel's "Nerve" (WNVE 95.1
Honeoye Falls) with new liners. Gone is the "95-1, 95-5"
identification that long directed listeners to the Pinnacle Hill
translator (W238AR), and with the new strong 95.1 signal from Baker
Hill blanketing the city, we wonder what will happen now to 95.5...