End of Swing format on WCRN 830?

[Dan Strassberg]

I've noticed that for probably a couple of weeks now, WCRN Worcester has
been running jockless except in AM drive and that the AM-drive guy, who had
been with the station from the inception of the (locally produced adult
standards) Swing format, is gone--replaced by a guy who sounds a good deal
younger and not as experienced (read: works for shorter pay). Also the
AM-drive shift, which used to run from 6:30 to 9:00 AM has apparently been
cut to 7:00 to 9:00 AM. Although I have no inside information, this change
certainly has the flavor of an impending format flip or station sale. It's
no secret that adult-standards formats on stand-alone AMs don't often make
money, but WCRN was voicetracked in most dayparts, so the cost of not
appearing to be running jockless couldn't have been huge. OTOH, it was also
apparent that the Swing format has been a labor of love on the part of
station management. The music is of much higher quality and is older-skewing
than the fare on the three satellite-delivered AS formats (ABC, Westwood I,
and Jones). Also, if money is the problem, is Carter still planning to move
forward with the nighttime power increase to 50 kW, for which the FCC issued
a CP last fall? It would be a shame if this upgrade, which appears to be
technically quite feasible, were to go down the drain.

--
Dan Strassberg, dan.strassberg@att.net
eFax 707-215-6367