NERW 12/10: WSNR Cranks it Up

[fybush@gwind.pair.com]

------------------------------E-MAIL EDITION-----------------------------
--------------------------NorthEast Radio Watch--------------------------
                             December 10, 2001

IN THIS ISSUE:

*NEW JERSEY: WSNR Applies for New Site
*DELAWARE: WNRK Returns
*CANADA: Marconi Centennial Observed

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

*Listeners to Sporting News Radio in northern NEW JERSEY have long
complained about the phasing problems that have made WSNR (620 Newark)
almost unlistenable in most of the area. 

But if the Sporting News flagship is granted its latest application,
those problems will be replaced by a powerful signal over the
region. In its application, WSNR wants to build seven new towers
(painted, lit and 107 meters tall!) in the Hatfield Swamp of West
Caldwell, near where US 46, I-80 and I-280 all meet. 

That's not very far from the site in Livingston that AM 620 used for
much of its life (as WVNJ, WSKQ and WXLX) before losing the land to
residential development. Since that site was leveled in 1998, 620
(under later calls of WJWR and WSNR) has used a five-tower array it
built just south of WLIB (1190 New York) in the Lyndhurst, N.J. tower
farm.

But while that site offered decent penetration into Manhattan, it
forced 620 to throw a null over the very areas in New Jersey it was
licensed to serve. That problem should be solved if WSNR is granted
this application, which calls for 8200 watts day (from all seven
towers) and 5000 watts at night (from five of the seven). We'll keep
you posted...

*Other news from the Garden State? Just an application from WWFM (89.1
Trenton) to drop power (from 3 kW to 1150 watts) and raise its antenna
(from 55 meters to 89 meters).

*We'll skip down to DELAWARE for the next bit of news: the return of
WNRK (1260 Newark) to the airwaves. Local observers had given this one
up for dead when it lost its transmitter site to development (detect a
theme this week?) and signed off June 25, but we're happy to report
that the station returned to the air November 21.

The National Radio Club's DX News reports this week that WNRK was
purchased by John Vincent (owner of nearby WAMS 1600 in Dover), who's
got the station running Christmas tunes from a 197-foot longwire
antenna at a site less than 1000 feet from the old WNRK location.

The plans for WNRK call for its new 250-watt nondirectional signal to
move to a Valcom fiberglass antenna (like the one in use at WSHP 1480
Shippensburg PA and proposed for WGCH 1490 Greenwich CT) sometime next
year. 

*Back north in PENNSYLVANIA, WURD (900 Philadelphia) has replaced the
diverse oldies between leased programs with CNN Headline News, we're
told.

Across town at WPLY (100.3 Media), Suzie Dunn departs as assistant PD,
with no replacement being named for the position.

And out west, M Street reports Cumulus is buying WLSW (103.9
Scottdale) after all, so expect some changes at this Pittsburgh
move-in, including the likely demise (alas) of the "Music Power 104"
format that's kept many an airchecker occupied while visiting the
area.

*Into NEW YORK next, then: The word from Syracuse is that Clear
Channel's WPHR-FM-1 (106.9 Auburn) is on the air from downtown
Syracuse, adding its 1700 watts to the existing "Power 106.9" signal
from out in Scipio Center. We're hearing conflicting reports about
whether or not the booster is helping the urban station's signal in
the Salt City; we'll keep you posted as we check it out ourselves...

Speaking of Clear Channel, Dave Perkins has departed as assistant PD
of WHEN (620) and WSYR (570); no replacement has been named yet, and
Perkins will keep his night job, as PA announcer for the Syracuse
SkyChiefs and Syracuse Crunch baseball and hockey teams.

A bunch of news from up north this week, beginning with two new LPFM
grants: Jesus Christ's Community has been granted 94.3 in Jefferson,
while West Canada Christian Resources has been granted 105.9 in
Newport.

In Watertown, WRVJ (91.7) has applied to move out of town. The relay
of Oswego's WRVO (89.9) wants to boost power from its current 210
watts at 7 meters AAT (on a state office building downtown) to 1600
watts from 135 meters. The antenna would move out to Route 194 near
Copenhagen, on the WPBS-TV (Channel 16) stick that's also home to
rival public broadcaster WJNY (90.9 Watertown), which relays
Syracuse's WCNY-FM (91.3).

North Country bureau chief Mike Roach also let us know this week about
some new interference to the SUNY Potsdam student outlet, WAIH (90.3
Potsdam). A new translator for North Country Public Radio/WSLU Canton,
W212BQ Morristown, has just come on at 90.3, limiting reception of the
Potsdam signal to the immediate vicinity of the campus, Mike tells us.

Down in Binghamton, we checked out the TV dial during a visit last
week, and we can report that NBC LPTV WBGH-CA has indeed moved from
channel 8 to channel 20, not that most cable viewers (who get WBGH on
channel 5) would ever notice. We also had a nice visit up at the Windy
Hill site of WINR (680) and WKGB (92.5), and can tell you that the
Clear Channel cluster in Binghamton will soon be moving across the
river, trading its longtime home in the Credit Union Center in
Endicott for a new space on Jensen Road in Vestal. More details to
come...

Way downstate, we were pleased to see friend-of-NERW Tom Zarecki get
some nice press (including a big picture!) in the New York Post for
his "Steppin' Out" radio show, which airs Saturdays at midnight on
WEVD (1050 New York).

The show, which was just about the only survivor of the station's
change from talk to ESPN sports, is a sort of 12-step meeting of the
air, one of the few forums we know of in the U.S. for addiction
recovery on the radio (you may recall a recent mention of "People
Helping People," Mark Elliott's similar show from Canada). "Steppin'
Out" is about to enter national syndication, the Post reports, and we
wish Zarecki (whose day job is PR with the RCS software folks, and
who's heard weekends on Hartford's WDRC-FM spinning the oldies) all
the best with the project!

*Heading into CONNECTICUT, we spent a pleasant afternoon last week
checking out the sights - er, the sites - of New Haven and vicinity,
including the new WKCI-FM (101.3 Hamden) stick up there on Gaylord
Mountain. We finished our day at WNTY (990 Southington), just in time
for a format change that finds the hip-hop of "Blaze 990" gone,
replaced for now by Fox News Channel audio. 

That, we're told, is just an interim move while owner ADD Media
figures out what to do next at WNTY; we'll keep you posted on this one
as well.

Radio People on the Move: Dave Ashton, last spotted at WKHL and WICC
in the Bridgeport-Norwalk area, has slipped across the border into
Westchester County as the new operations manager and PD at WFAS in
White Plains.

*Our travels last week landed us in MASSACHUSETTS for several days as
well, just long enough to hear the well-concealed legal ID on WBPS
(890 Dedham) as it began its run with CNet Radio. We also stopped by
our old stomping grounds at 1170 Soldiers Field Road, where WODS
(103.3) is getting ready to move out (to the old WSBK-TV facility at
83 Birmingham Parkway). The big news at 'BZ? The all-news station just
launched a business hour, anchored by veteran business reporter
Anthony Silva and midday news anchor Jay McQuaide. The show airs from
1-2 PM on weekdays.

We also had a chance to visit the new Entercom facility around the
corner on Guest Street (thanks, Sid!) and admire the many
well-equipped studios in the new home of WRKO, WEEI, WQSX and WAAF -
and then, just an hour later, to join Bob Bittner across the river at
WJIB (740 Cambridge) for a special guest spot on "Let's Talk About
Radio." 

On the Clear Channel front, WKOX (1200 Framingham) has amended its
application to move into Boston: the latest version finds WKOX
applying for 50 kW day and night from the WUNR site on the Newton/West
Roxbury line, using three towers by day and four at night. We suspect
this one has a decent chance of getting FCC approval, but we're still
dubious about the political chances of getting four new towers built
in Newton...

Out on Nantucket, the "Nantucket Public Radio" folks have been granted
calls for their 89.5 CP: mark down "WAZK(FM)" until they apply for
something better.

And we note the passing of Roy Lind, the WJDA (1300 Quincy) program
director who served the South Shore station from 1960 until his
retirement just six months ago. Lind, who hosted morning drive and the
"Party Line" show on WJDA for much of that time, was 69 when he died
last Sunday (Dec. 2).

*A call change in NEW HAMPSHIRE: WBNC-FM (104.5 Conway) has become
WVMJ(FM); we're eager to hear from anyone in the White Mountains who
can update us on the format there and on the former WBNC (1050), now
WXMT.

*One VERMONT note: the Christian Ministries folks were granted a
license to cover this week for a new translator in Ascutney. W215BQ on
90.9 will relay the chain that's headquartered at WGLY in Bolton.

*It's all about history in CANADA this week: Wednesday (Dec. 12) marks
the centenary of Marconi's transmission of the Morse letter "S" to
Signal Hill in St. John's, Newfoundland from Poldhu, Wales, and several
big celebrations are planned.

The CBC is pulling out all the stops for a "Tuning the World" special
that will run from 8:30 AM until 1 PM on Wednesday on Radio One,
featuring live broadcasts from around the world. There's more going on
as well on the CBC; check out their special site at
www.tuningtheworld.com for all the details.

(LATE UPDATE: A labor-management dispute at the CBC forced the cancellation
of the live portions of the broadcast; taped segments were heard for
much of the day on shows such as "This Morning" and "Ideas".)

A few more celebrations: Noted Massachusetts DXer Mark Connelly,
WA1ION, is calling on DXers everywhere to hit the dials on the 12th to
see what they can hear in honor of Marconi. One possibility, should
you tune just above the AM broadcast band, is a special DX test being
conducted by Canadian ham operator David Wilson, VE3BBN, near Niagara
Falls. He plans to use a homemade spark-gap transmitter on 3550 kHz to
transmit a special Morse message beginning at 9 PM eastern on the
12th; if you hear it, you can QSL him at ve3bbn@rac.ca.

Stateside, the Marconi site in Eastham on Cape Cod will be the scene
of memorial events all week. The Marconi Radio Club and the Falmouth
Amateur Radio Association will be demonstrating ham radio at the site
(part of Cape Cod National Seashore) from Dec. 11-16; on Wednesday,
events will include the launch of a balloon-borne antenna similar to
Marconi's. Expect more celebrations out there next year and in 2003,
when they mark the centennial of Marconi's first two-way communication
between Cape Cod and Britain.

*Elsewhere in Canada, Corus budget cuts claimed another position this
week: after 16 years, weather guy John Wilson was shown the door at
CFPL (980 London), though he continues to do weather work for other
area radio stations.

The ratings service that measures Canadian audiences has a new name,
sort of: the former "Broadcast Bureau of Measurement" is becoming
simply "BBM Canada," with a new logo to match. 

And a correction of sorts from last week's issue: most cable viewers
in Halifax and St. John will continue to see Rochester's WUHF as their
Fox affiliate. The only ones switching to WFXT from Boston are
customers of the tiny upstart cable operation run by the area phone
company; everyone else stays with the incumbent operator and keeps
WUHF on cable.

*That's it for another week here at NERW. There's plenty of excitement
behind the scenes, where the Tower Site Calendar 2002 is due back from
the printers any moment now (we saw a final proof today, and we think
you'll like it.) 

Our initial print run is almost - but not quite - sold out, so if you
still haven't ordered, you're not too late. It's $15 postpaid in the
US (NYS residents add $1.20 sales tax), US$20 postpaid to Canada, and
you can have one before 2002 begins by mailing that check or money
order right now to Scott Fybush, 92 Bonnie Brae Ave., Rochester NY
14618.

Those of you who've already ordered should have yours in the mail by
early next week!

We're also hoping to hear from the vast majority of you who've yet to
send in your subscription renewals for 2002. Remember that even though
NERW shows up password-free on the Web and in your mailbox for now,
it's not a free publication. Those of you joining us recently might
not realize that your editor (a staff of one!) left full-time
employment a year ago to devote more time to this endeavor, and
depends on your support to keep it going.

If you haven't done so yet, please pay a visit to our Support page at
www.fybush.com/support.html and find out how you can contribute to the
continued upkeep of NERW. A significant drop-off in support for 2002
may force NERW to go password-only after the first of the year; I'd
hate to have to do that, but it's not right that only a few readers
should have to carry the freight for the thousands of you who read
NERW each week. Thanks for your support, and we'll see you here next
Monday!

-----------------------NorthEast Radio Watch------------------------
                       (c)2001 Scott Fybush
                          www.fybush.com

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