February 4, 2008

It's "Classic Alternative" at WBOS

• MAINE
• NEW HAMPSHIRE
• MASSACHUSETTS
• VERMONT
• RHODE ISLAND
• CONNECTICUT
• NEW YORK
• NEW JERSEY
• PENNSYLVANIA
• CANADA
• CLASSIFIEDS
• FROM THE ARCHIVES

TUESDAY UPDATE: A surprise format change in New York - at 4 PM Tuesday, Emmis pulled the plug on smooth jazz WQCD (101.9), relegating "CD101.9" to the station's HD2 channel (which wasn't even on the air at launch time) and replacing it with a classic rock-leaning AAA format (they're calling it "adult rock"), as "101.9 RXP, The NY Rock Experience."

New calls are WRXP, and there's at least the start of a new staff - Brian Schrock is shown as music director and afternoon host on the station's new website, while Blake Lawrence remains on board as PD. Much more in next week's NERW - and you can hear the very first WRXP legal ID over at our sister site, Tophour.com!

*It's been a popular parlor game in eastern MASSACHUSETTS radio circles for more than a decade now - when will Greater Media flip formats on its perennially ratings-challenged AAA station, WBOS (92.9 Brookline) - and to what?

If you had "February 1, 2008, at 5 PM" in the pool, and "classic alternative" as the new format, congratulations - you've just won something. If, on the other hand, you had "WBOS disc jockey" after your name, the news isn't so good. The newly-renamed "Radio 92.9" has parted with its entire airstaff, with no plans to replace them any time soon.

Off the air completely are afternoon jock John Laurenti (late of WHJY in Providence), night guy Dominick Lewis and overnight voice Paul Jarvis, as well as the station's weekenders, including Holly Harris and her Sunday night blues show. Morning host George Knight is gone from that shift, but his Sunday morning show remains in place. And middayer Dana Marshall is off the air, but she drops "interim" from her PD title and continues programming the new station.

So what's this "classic alternative" business all about? Our best guess here at NERW is that it's a play to siphon off some of the older listenership to Boston's other "alternative" rockers, WBCN (104.1) and WFNX (101.7) - but after years of rumors about more dramatic format changes at 92.9, in particular some very credible reports that the station was on the verge of going sports a few months back, there's reason to believe that Greater Media didn't have any long-term plans of sticking with the long-running triple-A format, which had been running in one form or another on WBOS since its 1989 flip from country.

As for the "jockless" part - these are tight times for broadcasters everywhere, even the relatively stable Greater Media (which just closed late last week on its $100 million acquisition of WBT and WLNK in Charlotte, N.C. from Lincoln Financial Media.)

Where do WBOS' former listeners go? There's another AAA station in the market just down the dial, Steve Silberberg's WXRV (92.5 Andover), that stands to benefit from the WBOS flip. And just down the dial from WXRV, UMass Boston's WUMB-FM (91.9 Boston) is in the process of retooling its folk-heavy triple-A format to attract a larger audience. Will WBOS' flip open some new avenues for WUMB? (One bit of good news there, by the way - there's word that the station has reached a deal to continue carrying the two Public Radio International shows, "Mountain Stage" and "Afropop Worldwide," that it had threatened to cancel due to increased cost.)

*Even before WBOS made its surprise Friday flip, we were planning to lead this week's column with a Boston format change: last Monday morning (Jan. 28), regular listeners to the conservative talk on Salem's WTTT (1150 Boston), what few there were, awoke to a shock - instead of the lineup that included Bill Bennett, Sean Hannity, Dennis Prager and Hugh Hewitt, WTTT's 5000-watt signal was running Spanish-language religion as "Radio Luz."

In just over four years since launching its talk format in November 2003, WTTT never achieved significant visibility or ratings in the crowded Boston talk arena, despite several stabs at local talk and the addition of WBZ castoff Paul Harvey. "Radio Luz" enters a fairly crowded field, too, with Spanish-language religious programming already airing in the market on WESX (1230 Salem)/WJDA (1300 Quincy), but the leased-time programming will at least provide some steady revenue to bolster Salem's bigger signals in town, religious WEZE (590 Boston) and WROL (950 Boston).

One more Bay State note: translator W260AS (99.9 Lawrence) has signed on, relaying MAINE Christian contemporary station WMSJ (89.3 Freeport) - but its signal, from the Haverhill tower of WCCM (1490 Haverhill)/WXRV (92.5 Andover), is reportedly having some big problems reaching listeners in Lawrence itself, thanks to Spanish-language religious pirate "La Voz de Fe," which has been on the air for several years there, complete with a website that's more comprehensive than many licensed stations' sites.

GETCHER 2008 TOWER SITE CALENDAR - BEFORE THEY'RE ALL GONE! Still haven't ordered your 2008 Tower Site Calendar? You do realize that it's now...er...2008, don't you? We're already down to the last 110 or so calendars, and they're going fast. The 2006 and 2007 editions of the calendar sold out, and this one will do so as well, possibly as soon as this month. This year's edition is a particularly fine one, if we do say so ourselves. From the cover photo of KAST in Astoria, Oregon to the back cover shot of the Blaw-Knox diamond tower at WBNS in Columbus, this year's calendar features 14 all-new full-color shots of famous broadcast sites far and wide. There's KROQ in Los Angeles, KFBK in Sacramento, WESX in Salem, WGAN in Portland, Black Mountain in Vegas, Mount Spokane in Spokane, and many (ok, several) more. The calendar is just $18 with shipping and handling included - or better yet, beat our move to mandatory subscriptions later this year and get a free calendar with your $60 subscription to NERW for 2008. (Remember, the proceeds from both the calendar and the subscriptions help keep NERW right here on the web, as we head into our fourteenth year of news and analysis.) So click right here and you can be sure to have your very own Tower Site Calendar 2008! (And thank you!) The 2008 Tower Site Calendar is dedicated to the memory of Robert Eiselen (1934-2007), whose digital imaging skills made even a bunch of pictures of radio towers look almost like art. His contributions were essential to the calendar's evolution from 2003 to the current edition, and he will be missed dearly.

*Speaking of out-of-state religious broadcasters, California's EMF Broadcasting is getting its first toehold in NEW HAMPSHIRE, with a $1 million purchase of WMEX (106.5 Farmington) from veteran New England broadcaster Dennis Jackson.

Jackson tells NERW that the station wasn't even for sale when the unsolicited offer came in, and he says the station's oldies format and its staff (including VP/general manager/morning man Gary James) will stay in place until the deal, brokered by Doug Ferber of Star Media Group, closes. The historic WMEX calls will stay with Jackson, for use on another station eventually.

(It's hard - impossible, really - to begrudge a good broadcaster like Jackson the opportunity to cash out after building a station like WMEX from scratch over many years, but it's also hard not to think something's being lost, probably for good, when WMEX's local morning show and community connections give way to EMF's "K-Love" format, which will be piped to the Granite State entirely from EMF's Sacramento studios, with zero local content.)

*There's a new local talk show coming to two CONNECTICUT sports stations. Clear Channel's WPOP (1410 New Britain/Hartford) and WAVZ (1300 New Haven) will debut "The Back Page" on Feb. 18. The 3-7 PM show will be hosted by Jason Page, formerly of Sirius' sports channel.

Miss our complete look back at the year that just ended? Have you caught (and responded to) our Year-End Rant yet? We'll be printing some of your responses in this space next week - and in the meantime Click here for NERW's comprehensive recap of 2007. Sponsored by:

* It was a big week for program directors in NEW YORK City, with no fewer than four PD chairs changing hands.

Perhaps the biggest of the announcements was at Clear Channel's WWPR (Power 105.1), where Clear Channel Boston operations manager Cadillac Jack was named the station's new PD, replacing Helen Little. She heads across Sixth Avenue to fill the midday shift on WLTW (Lite 106.7) left vacant by Valerie Smaldone's departure - and as Clear Channel continues to shave budgets in any way possible, Cadillac will keep his OM position in Boston, commuting back and forth between the markets.

Downtown at Emmis, WQHT (Hot 97.1) PD Ebro Darden increases his workload as well, taking the PD reins at sister station WRKS (Kiss 98.7) formerly held by Toya Beasley.

Over at the competition - Inner City Broadcasting's WBLS (107.5), PD Vinny Brown is out after more than a decade with the station, with no replacement yet named.

After numerous delays, New York's newest radio station is getting closer to its debut. "Pulse 87.7," which is actually the audio signal of low-power TV station WNYZ-LP (Channel 6), is now promising a debut within the next week or so, and it's named a PD. Consultant Joel Salkowitz, who's programmed WQHT (Hot 97.1) and WTJM (Jammin' 105.1), will head up the programming at the signal. There's been no announcement of any jocks beyond morning team Star and Buc Wild.

Back at Clear Channel, move-in day is approaching at the new cluster studios at 32 Avenue of the Americas, just south of Canal Street, that will eventually house all five of the group's New York City stations.

First to make the move to Lower Manhattan will be WAXQ (Q104.3), which has been camped out at the WWPR studios since the lease ran out on its own Midtown studios a couple of months ago. Q has already been doing some overnight broadcasting from the new studios, and the official move will take place this week if all goes well, with the other four stations (WLTW, WWPR, WHTZ and WKTU) to follow over the next few months.

There's a changing of the guard atop New York's public television behemoth. On Friday, former NBC News president Neal Shapiro officially succeeded Bill Baker as president and CEO of the Educational Broadcasting Corp., parent to WNET (Channel 13) and WLIW (Channel 21), after a year-long transition period. Baker will remain as president emeritus and as the face of WNET's pledge drives, and we wish him all the best in his new role.

*Moving upstate, Frank Truatt's WTBQ (1110 Warwick) has finally found a way to overcome one of its biggest obstacles - a 500-watt, daytime-only signal that leaves the station off the air during drivetime for much of the winter. Bud Williamson's Digital Radio Broadcasting, which owns translator W256BD (99.1 Warwick), has been granted Special Temporary Authority to put WTBQ's programming on the 10-watt 99.1 signal, 24 hours a day.

(As we've reported previously here in NERW, the FCC is close to approving a rulemaking that will allow AM stations to use FM translators on a routine basis; in the meantime, it's approving many of these STA arrangements, and we hear at least two of them are pending in western New York as well.)

In Utica, Galaxy is bringing its Syracuse morning team of Gomez and Dave back to the FM dial. The duo (based at Galaxy's WTKW/WTKV in the Salt City) had been heard on WRCK (107.3 Utica) before Galaxy sold that signal to EMF Broadcasting. Since the sale, they've been on the "Team" sports trimulcast of WTLB (1310 Utica)/WRNY (1350 Rome)/WIXT (1230 Little Falls), but as of Friday, they're the new morning show on WOUR (96.9 Utica), where they replace Indianapolis-based Bob and Tom.

In Albany, financial problems at Young Broadcasting meant multiple layoffs at WTEN (Channel 10) last week. The Albany Times Union reports that the cuts, which came just before the start of the February ratings sweeps, included anchor Alyssa Van Wie, sports director Brian Sinkoff, meteorologist Chris Gloninger and reporter John Craig - and that in all, ten employees lost their jobs at WTEN. Young is coping with money woes that may include a sale of its biggest station, KRON in San Francisco, taking a loss of more than $500 million from its $820 million purchase of the station almost a decade ago, and NERW hears more cuts at Young's other stations, including WTEN, may be in the offing.

There's a format change coming a week from today in Rochester, as Crawford Broadcasting prepares to migrate the standards/oldies "Legends" format from WLGZ (990 Rochester) to sister station WRCI (102.7 Webster), which currently broadcasts contemporary Christian as "the Light." That's a very crowded niche right now, with competition that includes regional broadcasters Calvary Chapel of the Finger Lakes, Family Life Ministries of Bath and Mars Hill Network from Syracuse, as well as EMF's national "K-Love" network.

Once the new "Legends 102.7" launches next Monday morning, we're told 990 will remain as a partial simulcast of the FM signal, breaking away for leased-time programming that already includes the market's only Spanish-language broadcasts, now heard weekend evenings on the AM side.

Congratulations to WBEE (92.5 Rochester) middayer/music director Weslea - she's now the country station's assistant PD, also!

Where are they now? Former WKLX/WBBF morning man Ellis B. Feaster has found a new morning gig in Orlando - he's now with contemporary Christian WPOZ (Z88.3) after many years at country WWKA (92.3).

A veteran of the Albany radio and TV dials has died. George Lezotte came to WTRY (980 Troy) as a DJ in 1957, later serving as the station's PD and news director. In 1962, Lezotte moved to WTEN (Channel 10), where he spent a decade as a reporter and anchor. After several years working for a state agency, Lezotte returned to WTRY and sister station WPYX in 1981, where he worked as news director until 1991. Lezotte died last Sunday (Jan. 27); he was 81.

You can have your ad here! Click here for information on the most economical way to reach tens of thousands of Northeast radio and TV people each week.

*A northeast PENNSYLVANIA market manager is moving on to a bigger market. After seven years at the helm of Entercom's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton group, John Burkavage was named VP/market manager of the company's Greenville, South Carolina cluster on Friday. No replacement has been named yet in Wilkes-Barre.

(And catching up on some TV news from the region, we note that all of the signals silenced by the December collapse of the WNEP-TV tower on Penobscot Mountain are now back on the air: WNEP replaced its destroyed analog transmitter and is now operating at reduced power on channel 16 from the adjacent WOLF-TV/WNEP-DT tower; public broadcaster WVIA-DT 41 has restored its signal from the remaining portion of its tower, which was partially destroyed; and Wilkes College's WCLH 90.7 is now back under Special Temporary Authority from the Penobscot tower of WQFM 92.1.)

Over in the Altoona/Johnstown TV market, there's a new branding and graphics package in place at Nexstar's WTAJ (Channel 10), as the station's longtime red-and-white "10" logo gives way to a yellow-and-blue "WTAJ" with no mention of the channel number. (Or at least that's what we could glean from WTAJ's website, which follows the inexplicable Nexstar practice of burying any actual information about the TV station it's allegedly promoting as deeply as possible - and which kept crashing our browser while we were looking.)

*A NEW JERSEY call change that slipped by us at the end of 2007: WGBZ (105.5 Cape May Court House) quietly changed calls to WSNQ on Christmas Day. There's been no change to its "Buzz" rhythmic top 40 simulcast with WZBZ (99.3 Pleasantville/Atlantic City) so far, and maybe there won't be - it's been more than a year since sister station WDTH (93.1 Wildwood Crest) changed calls to WEZW, sparking rumors of a split from its simulcast with "Touch" urban AC WTTH (96.1 Margate City), but so far those stations remain in simulcast mode.

*Another AM is history in CANADA: CHLN (550 Trois-Rivieres QC) quietly left the air last week, moving to FM on 106.9 and taking the AM dial almost silent in the Mauricie region. ("Almost," because there's still CKSM 1220 in Shawinigan, simulcasting CHLN-FM.)

And while the AM dial in Kingston, Ontario has been silent for a couple of weeks now, the physical remains of one of the city's defunct AM signals just disappeared from the Wolfe Island skyline. The four-tower array of CKLC (1380) came down last week, leaving just a temporary tower standing for the new CKLC-FM (98.9) until a new permanent tower for the station can be built on the former AM site. We're told the nearby six-tower array of the equally defunct CFFX (960) will come down in late March or early April, to be replaced by a wind farm.

NorthEast Radio Watch is made possible by the generous contributions of our regular readers. If you enjoy NERW, please click here to learn how you can help make continued publication possible. NERW is copyright 2008 by Scott Fybush.