From billohno@gmail.com Mon May 1 01:42:00 2017 From: billohno@gmail.com (billohno@gmail.com) Date: Mon, 1 May 2017 01:42:00 -0400 Subject: Barry Pretzel Has Passed In-Reply-To: <005e01d2c20d$6ac9f730$405de590$@comcast.net> References: <005e01d2c20d$6ac9f730$405de590$@comcast.net> Message-ID: <405285C3-B6B4-43BA-88BE-C73F3216EFF4@gmail.com> I'm very sorry to hear of Barry's passing. I had the opportunity to work across the glass from him back in the day at WCAP. I recall him as an evenhanded gentleman who took his role of news reporter, anchor, and director very seriously. I understand he would go on to pass the bar and serve as an attorney in Maine. My condolences to Barry's family and friends. Bill O'Neill Sent from my mobile. > On Apr 30, 2017, at 7:56 PM, Mark Watson wrote: > > Former WCAP News Director Barry Pretzel passed away Friday April 28th in > Maine. Barry worked at several stations during his career including WEMJ > Laconia, WGAN Portland, WKBR Manchester. He was an organizer of WRFR-LP in > Thomaston, Maine which went on the air in 2002. He also hosted a show on the > station, titled "Pretzel & Beer". I had the pleasure of meeting Barry in > June 2006 at the WCAP 55th Anniversary broadcast. > > I worked with his wife Carol Ann at WHAV/WLYT back in the mid-1980's. May he > rest in peace. > > Mark Watson > From tlmedia@intrstar.net Mon May 1 06:12:09 2017 From: tlmedia@intrstar.net (Ted Larsen) Date: Mon, 01 May 2017 06:12:09 -0400 Subject: Barry Pretzel Has Passed In-Reply-To: <005e01d2c20d$6ac9f730$405de590$@comcast.net> References: <005e01d2c20d$6ac9f730$405de590$@comcast.net> Message-ID: Here's more on his passing?http://www.penbaypilot.com/article/barry-pretzel-obituary/85485 On 4/30/2017 7:56:41 PM, Mark Watson wrote: Former WCAP News Director Barry Pretzel passed away Friday April 28th in Maine. Barry worked at several stations during his career including WEMJ Laconia, WGAN Portland, WKBR Manchester. He was an organizer of WRFR-LP in Thomaston, Maine which went on the air in 2002. He also hosted a show on the station, titled "Pretzel & Beer". I had the pleasure of meeting Barry in June 2006 at the WCAP 55th Anniversary broadcast. I worked with his wife Carol Ann at WHAV/WLYT back in the mid-1980's. May he rest in peace. Mark Watson From raccoonradio@gmail.com Thu May 4 09:11:12 2017 From: raccoonradio@gmail.com (Bob Nelson) Date: Thu, 4 May 2017 09:11:12 -0400 Subject: WRCA and 106.1 translator on with Irish Message-ID: It has been noted on a radio board that WRCA 1330, off since Nov., is back on and for now is running a simulcast of WBQT 96.9 HD2, The Irish Channel (no commercials). Their translator at 106.1 (W231BI) is on as well; this could just be testing. Not sure if this is the upcoming format or not. Here in Beverly I am getting it half decent on FM and fairly strong on AM. I know there are 106.1s in Newburyport (translator for WNBP) and an LPFM in Portsmouth (WSCA-LP?) but am getting the WRCA repeater instead here. Someone is doing a soft interpretation of Love Me Tender as I type this. If this is the new format, can they monetize it (i.e., start running advertising)? From astelle.donald@gmail.com Thu May 4 12:47:07 2017 From: astelle.donald@gmail.com (Don) Date: Thu, 4 May 2017 12:47:07 -0400 Subject: WRCA and 106.1 translator on with Irish References: Message-ID: <0504853B436E464E8B82C0F212B28B57@ownerd8aa55a4d> > It has been noted on a radio board that WRCA 1330, off since Nov., is back > on and for now is running a simulcast of WBQT 96.9 HD2, The Irish Channel > > Here in Beverly I am getting it half decent on FM and fairly strong on AM. How is the modulation? I tuned in yesterday and found the music audio level to be very low. (Although the recorded staion ID boomed in at full volume.) From brouder@juno.com Thu May 4 14:02:12 2017 From: brouder@juno.com (brouder@juno.com) Date: Thu, 4 May 2017 18:02:12 GMT Subject: Auntie Donna is famous in Cleveland Message-ID: <20170504.140212.5008.0@webmail09.vgs.untd.com> Cleveland.com had posted a compilation of the 100 most memorable voices to grace the airwaves and Donna Halper is listed (and pictured). I recognized a couple of others with Boston connections including Jack Armstrong (ex WMEX) and Chuck Knapp (ex WRKO); ironically both of those claimed the title of "your leader" when they were in the Hub. There are also bios of Bill Freeman (ex WVBF), Ravenna Miceli (ex WHTT, WAAF, WPRO FM) and Jim Runyon (ex WHDH). Ed Brouder ____________________________________________________________ Husband Divorced His Wife After Looking Closer At This Photo lushy.org http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/590b6cdfcfcd16cdf0a46st02vuc From dlh@donnahalper.com Thu May 4 16:25:23 2017 From: dlh@donnahalper.com (Donna Halper) Date: Thu, 4 May 2017 16:25:23 -0400 Subject: Auntie Donna is famous in Cleveland In-Reply-To: <20170504.140212.5008.0@webmail09.vgs.untd.com> References: <20170504.140212.5008.0@webmail09.vgs.untd.com> Message-ID: <79e432c2-84fd-ae8b-5ae7-ca62fe2feb3e@donnahalper.com> On 5/4/2017 2:02 PM, brouder@juno.com wrote: > Cleveland.com had posted a compilation of the 100 most memorable voices to grace the airwaves and Donna Halper is listed (and pictured). I was really surprised to be remembered on a list that included some major heavyweights, past and present. I didn't realize it at the time-- I mean, I was a music director doing my job, and getting airplay for some interesting new bands (back when music directors could still pick their own music and stations actually took chances)-- but getting Rush's career started in the US was a big deal, because their success provided the impetus for WMMS-FM's campaign to get the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to locate in Cleveland. The selling point was that WMMS-FM was a breakout station for so many new and exciting rock bands (like Rush). From raccoonradio@gmail.com Thu May 4 16:08:36 2017 From: raccoonradio@gmail.com (Bob Nelson) Date: Thu, 4 May 2017 16:08:36 -0400 Subject: WRCA and 106.1 translator on with Irish In-Reply-To: References: <0504853B436E464E8B82C0F212B28B57@ownerd8aa55a4d> Message-ID: Not too bad on volume for both AM and FM. They must be tweaking it. On May 4, 2017 12:47 PM, "Don" wrote: It has been noted on a radio board that WRCA 1330, off since Nov., is back > on and for now is running a simulcast of WBQT 96.9 HD2, The Irish Channel > > Here in Beverly I am getting it half decent on FM and fairly strong on AM. > How is the modulation? I tuned in yesterday and found the music audio level to be very low. (Although the recorded staion ID boomed in at full volume.) From ashboy1951@gmail.com Thu May 25 14:52:34 2017 From: ashboy1951@gmail.com (Doug Drown) Date: Thu, 25 May 2017 14:52:34 -0400 Subject: Ion Media "Pulling an NBC"? Message-ID: James Woods, a fellow-participant in the RadioInsight.com message boards, reported today that anonymous word is going 'round regarding a sale of Ion's WBPX Channel 32 to the ABC Owned Television Stations Group. One of WBPX's full-power satellites, digital channel 33, is in Concord, NH. If all this is true, that would almost certainly place WCVB's and WMUR's ABC affiliations in jeopardy. NBC, having firmly established its own station in Boston, won't move over to Channel 5. One wonders what Hearst would do, especially given that it has cable network joint ownership ties with both NBC and ABC. I have my doubts about this story, but I have to say it's interesting. From scott@fybush.com Thu May 25 17:46:34 2017 From: scott@fybush.com (Scott Fybush) Date: Thu, 25 May 2017 17:46:34 -0400 Subject: Ion Media "Pulling an NBC"? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: No truth to that rumor, from what my sources are telling me. It makes no sense, really. Disney/ABC hasn't lifted a finger to grow its O&O portfolio in more than two decades. Dumping Hearst in Boston would imperil one of the closest network/affiliate relationships in the country, with ripple effects I'm Hearst ABC markets around the country. It doesn't make a lick of sense on either end of the "deal." On May 25, 2017 5:13 PM, "Doug Drown" wrote: > James Woods, a fellow-participant in the RadioInsight.com message boards, > reported today that anonymous word is going 'round regarding a sale of > Ion's WBPX Channel 32 to the ABC Owned Television Stations Group. One of > WBPX's full-power satellites, digital channel 33, is in Concord, NH. If > all this is true, that would almost certainly place WCVB's and WMUR's ABC > affiliations in jeopardy. > > NBC, having firmly established its own station in Boston, won't move over > to Channel 5. One wonders what Hearst would do, especially given that it > has cable network joint ownership ties with both NBC and ABC. > > I have my doubts about this story, but I have to say it's interesting. > From ashboy1951@gmail.com Thu May 25 18:56:52 2017 From: ashboy1951@gmail.com (Doug Drown) Date: Thu, 25 May 2017 18:56:52 -0400 Subject: Ion Media "Pulling an NBC"? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I agree with you, Scott. That said, however, in my opinion it makes as much sense as the pending CBS-Entercom "merger" in which CBS plans to dump all the AM O&Os in major cities where they've developed news-and-talk synergies with their TV counterparts (e.g. WBZ). The logic of that escapes me completely. On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 5:46 PM, Scott Fybush wrote: > No truth to that rumor, from what my sources are telling me. > > It makes no sense, really. Disney/ABC hasn't lifted a finger to grow its > O&O portfolio in more than two decades. Dumping Hearst in Boston would > imperil one of the closest network/affiliate relationships in the country, > with ripple effects I'm Hearst ABC markets around the country. > > It doesn't make a lick of sense on either end of the "deal." > > On May 25, 2017 5:13 PM, "Doug Drown" wrote: > >> James Woods, a fellow-participant in the RadioInsight.com message boards, >> reported today that anonymous word is going 'round regarding a sale of >> Ion's WBPX Channel 32 to the ABC Owned Television Stations Group. One of >> WBPX's full-power satellites, digital channel 33, is in Concord, NH. If >> all this is true, that would almost certainly place WCVB's and WMUR's ABC >> affiliations in jeopardy. >> >> NBC, having firmly established its own station in Boston, won't move over >> to Channel 5. One wonders what Hearst would do, especially given that it >> has cable network joint ownership ties with both NBC and ABC. >> >> I have my doubts about this story, but I have to say it's interesting. >> > From scott@fybush.com Thu May 25 23:35:55 2017 From: scott@fybush.com (Scott Fybush) Date: Thu, 25 May 2017 23:35:55 -0400 Subject: Ion Media "Pulling an NBC"? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: CBS is separating the news and talk stations from CBS Corp. as part of the overall spinoff of CBS Radio. I assume the logic is that the news stations have more value to a buyer as part of the overall radio package than they'd have in continued synergy with the local TV stations if CBS were to keep just that handful of big AMs. That actually does seem logically sound to me. The radio stations have never been that tightly bound to their TV "sisters," whether it was the Group W operations like WBZ and KYW or the CBS ones like WCBS and WBBM. WBZ and KYW are the only all-newsers physically tied to their TVs these days. (KCBS is in adjoining but separate space in SF), so there would actually be considerable expense in relocating the others - KNX, WCCO, WBBM, WCBS, KDKA - to separate them from their FM sisters and retain them within CBS. On May 25, 2017 11:12 PM, "Don" wrote: >> the pending CBS-Entercom "merger" in which CBS plans to >> dump all the AM O&Os in major cities Who said this is the plan? On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 6:56 PM, Doug Drown wrote: > I agree with you, Scott. That said, however, in my opinion it makes as > much sense as the pending CBS-Entercom "merger" in which CBS plans to dump > all the AM O&Os in major cities where they've developed news-and-talk > synergies with their TV counterparts (e.g. WBZ). The logic of that escapes > me completely. > > > > On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 5:46 PM, Scott Fybush wrote: > > > No truth to that rumor, from what my sources are telling me. > > > > It makes no sense, really. Disney/ABC hasn't lifted a finger to grow its > > O&O portfolio in more than two decades. Dumping Hearst in Boston would > > imperil one of the closest network/affiliate relationships in the > country, > > with ripple effects I'm Hearst ABC markets around the country. > > > > It doesn't make a lick of sense on either end of the "deal." > > > > On May 25, 2017 5:13 PM, "Doug Drown" wrote: > > > >> James Woods, a fellow-participant in the RadioInsight.com message > boards, > >> reported today that anonymous word is going 'round regarding a sale of > >> Ion's WBPX Channel 32 to the ABC Owned Television Stations Group. One > of > >> WBPX's full-power satellites, digital channel 33, is in Concord, NH. If > >> all this is true, that would almost certainly place WCVB's and WMUR's > ABC > >> affiliations in jeopardy. > >> > >> NBC, having firmly established its own station in Boston, won't move > over > >> to Channel 5. One wonders what Hearst would do, especially given that > it > >> has cable network joint ownership ties with both NBC and ABC. > >> > >> I have my doubts about this story, but I have to say it's interesting. > >> > > > From rbello@belloassoc.com Thu May 25 23:50:37 2017 From: rbello@belloassoc.com (Ron Bello) Date: Thu, 25 May 2017 23:50:37 -0400 Subject: Ion Media "Pulling an NBC"? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: CBS is selling the radio division because they view radio as a slow growth business Slow growth businesses typically have stocks with low valuations Today corporate execs fear corporate raiders who go after stocks with low valuations This sale has nothing to do with programing or synergies It is solely a financial move --------------------------------------------------- On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 11:35 PM, Scott Fybush wrote: > CBS is separating the news and talk stations from CBS Corp. as part of the > overall spinoff of CBS Radio. > > I assume the logic is that the news stations have more value to a buyer as > part of the overall radio package than they'd have in continued synergy > with the local TV stations if CBS were to keep just that handful of big > AMs. > > That actually does seem logically sound to me. The radio stations have > never been that tightly bound to their TV "sisters," whether it was the > Group W operations like WBZ and KYW or the CBS ones like WCBS and WBBM. > > WBZ and KYW are the only all-newsers physically tied to their TVs these > days. (KCBS is in adjoining but separate space in SF), so there would > actually be considerable expense in relocating the others - KNX, WCCO, > WBBM, WCBS, KDKA - to separate them from their FM sisters and retain them > within CBS. > > On May 25, 2017 11:12 PM, "Don" wrote: > > >> the pending CBS-Entercom "merger" in which CBS plans to > >> dump all the AM O&Os in major cities > > Who said this is the plan? > > > > On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 6:56 PM, Doug Drown wrote: > > > I agree with you, Scott. That said, however, in my opinion it makes as > > much sense as the pending CBS-Entercom "merger" in which CBS plans to > dump > > all the AM O&Os in major cities where they've developed news-and-talk > > synergies with their TV counterparts (e.g. WBZ). The logic of that > escapes > > me completely. > > > > > > > > On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 5:46 PM, Scott Fybush wrote: > > > > > No truth to that rumor, from what my sources are telling me. > > > > > > It makes no sense, really. Disney/ABC hasn't lifted a finger to grow > its > > > O&O portfolio in more than two decades. Dumping Hearst in Boston would > > > imperil one of the closest network/affiliate relationships in the > > country, > > > with ripple effects I'm Hearst ABC markets around the country. > > > > > > It doesn't make a lick of sense on either end of the "deal." > > > > > > On May 25, 2017 5:13 PM, "Doug Drown" wrote: > > > > > >> James Woods, a fellow-participant in the RadioInsight.com message > > boards, > > >> reported today that anonymous word is going 'round regarding a sale of > > >> Ion's WBPX Channel 32 to the ABC Owned Television Stations Group. One > > of > > >> WBPX's full-power satellites, digital channel 33, is in Concord, NH. > If > > >> all this is true, that would almost certainly place WCVB's and WMUR's > > ABC > > >> affiliations in jeopardy. > > >> > > >> NBC, having firmly established its own station in Boston, won't move > > over > > >> to Channel 5. One wonders what Hearst would do, especially given that > > it > > >> has cable network joint ownership ties with both NBC and ABC. > > >> > > >> I have my doubts about this story, but I have to say it's interesting. > > >> > > > > > > From astelle.donald@gmail.com Thu May 25 23:12:09 2017 From: astelle.donald@gmail.com (Don) Date: Thu, 25 May 2017 23:12:09 -0400 Subject: Ion Media "Pulling an NBC"? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: >> the pending CBS-Entercom "merger" in which CBS plans to >> dump all the AM O&Os in major cities Who said this is the plan? On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 6:56 PM, Doug Drown wrote: > I agree with you, Scott. That said, however, in my opinion it makes as > much sense as the pending CBS-Entercom "merger" in which CBS plans to dump > all the AM O&Os in major cities where they've developed news-and-talk > synergies with their TV counterparts (e.g. WBZ). The logic of that escapes > me completely. > > > > On Thu, May 25, 2017 at 5:46 PM, Scott Fybush wrote: > > > No truth to that rumor, from what my sources are telling me. > > > > It makes no sense, really. Disney/ABC hasn't lifted a finger to grow its > > O&O portfolio in more than two decades. Dumping Hearst in Boston would > > imperil one of the closest network/affiliate relationships in the > country, > > with ripple effects I'm Hearst ABC markets around the country. > > > > It doesn't make a lick of sense on either end of the "deal." > > > > On May 25, 2017 5:13 PM, "Doug Drown" wrote: > > > >> James Woods, a fellow-participant in the RadioInsight.com message > boards, > >> reported today that anonymous word is going 'round regarding a sale of > >> Ion's WBPX Channel 32 to the ABC Owned Television Stations Group. One > of > >> WBPX's full-power satellites, digital channel 33, is in Concord, NH. If > >> all this is true, that would almost certainly place WCVB's and WMUR's > ABC > >> affiliations in jeopardy. > >> > >> NBC, having firmly established its own station in Boston, won't move > over > >> to Channel 5. One wonders what Hearst would do, especially given that > it > >> has cable network joint ownership ties with both NBC and ABC. > >> > >> I have my doubts about this story, but I have to say it's interesting. > >> > > >