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June 16, 2003
Durham Flips CKGE to Rock
By SCOTT FYBUSH
 *You
know it's been a slow week in NERW-land when we lead off with
a format change on the outskirts of a major market in CANADA!
Be that as it may, Durham Radio pulled a bit of a surprise
midweek when it pulled the plug on the modern AC "Magic
@ 94.9" that had been running on CKGE (94.9 Oshawa), serving
the fast-growing Durham region east of Toronto.
When Durham bought the station, the rumor in Toronto radio
circles had CKGE flipping to a simulcast of smooth jazz "Wave"
CIWV (94.7 Hamilton), which shares common ownership just across
the lake at the other end of the "Golden Horseshoe."
Instead, CKGE is now "94-9 the Rock," with legendary
Toronto programmer David Marsden on board helping out. Al Joynes
and Laura Mainella handle mornings, followed by Vanessa Murphy
in middays and Rockin Rod in afternoons - and Marsden himself
will handle 7-midnight on Thursdays and Fridays.
Meanwhile in Toronto, "Jack" has a new PD:
Rogers brings in Ford Gardner from CITI (92.1 Winnipeg) to program
the classic hits/hot AC format at CISS (92.5).
Out in the Maritimes, the CRTC is opening another call for
new station applicants. In Fredericton, N.B., the application
that triggered the call is for a new low-power station; in Halifax,
Moncton and Saint John, there are applications for full-power
facilities. Under the Canadian system, the CRTC is obligated
to open a window for competing applicants any time anyone applies
for a new station - but is under no obligation to grant any of
the applications. Given the relatively recent sign-ons and AM-to-FM
moves in Moncton and Saint John, particularly, we'd suspect the
CRTC may hold off on further filling of the dials there.
A few small notes from Montreal: "Radio Grand Prix"
was back on the air this past weekend, providing coverage of
the big race on 104.7 FM; Videotron cable viewers, meanwhile,
will get a permanent new addition to their dials as the CRTC
grants permission for digital-tier carriage of UPN affiliate
WWBI-LP (Channel 27) from Plattsburgh, N.Y.
 *A long-delayed
frequency change in MASSACHUSETTS is finally moving
forward, as WSMU (91.1 North Dartmouth) gets a CP to move down
the dial to 89.3, with 5600 watts, vertical-only. The UMass/Dartmouth
station has been trying to make this move for years; among other
things, it will reduce interference to public radio WNAN (91.1
Nantucket) and WBUR-FM (90.9 Boston) once it's completed.
Former New York jock Rocky Allen (WPLJ, WABC) brought his
"Show-Gram" to central Massachusetts last week, filling
in for a few days at WXLO (104.5 Fitchburg), which is in the
market for a new morning show. Could this be the start of something
syndicated? Stay tuned...
Two obituaries in the news: Winthrop "Win" Baker
died last Saturday (June 7) at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut.
Baker began his TV career in Louisiana in the mid-fifties, then
came to WBZ-TV (Channel 4) in the mid-sixties, moving up through
the Group W system until he returned to WBZ as VP/general manager
in 1968. In five years at WBZ, Baker was responsible for launching
"Evening Magazine" (known in syndication as "PM
Magazine") and "People are Talking," which became
long-running staples on channel 4.
In 1973, Baker moved up the Group W ladder again, becoming
president of Westinghouse Broadcasting's TV division. He left
the company in 1979 to join New England Television, the competing
applicant for Boston's channel 7 - and became president and GM
of channel 7 when New England Television won the license. At
the new WNEV, Baker launched the "Look" magazine show,
which won rave reviews but few viewers. He left WNEV in 1984
to work for General Electric for several years, then retired
and began a new career running a chain of luxury inns in Newport.
Win Baker was 72.
We're also sorry to report the passing of Bob Gilmore, who
also died June 7 at 72. Gilmore worked at long-forgotten TV stations
WTAO-TV (Channel 56) in Cambridge and WNET (Channel 16) in Providence,
then joined MIT to direct its early programming on WGBH-TV (Channel
2). More recently, he headed his own TV production firm, Robert
A. Gilmore and Associates, which remains in business under his
children.
*In MAINE, Clear Channel converts
WGUY (102.1 Dexter) from an LMA to owned-and-operated status,
paying $1.2 million to Mark Jorgenson's Concord Media for the
Bangor-market smooth jazz station.
*There's a new morning host for the "Point"
AAA stations in VERMONT. Ric Tile joins WNCS (104.7 Montpelier)
and its sister stations for wakeup duties. Tile has been working
in marketing and advertising, but he has a radio pedigree, too;
he used to work at well-known alternative station WOXY (97.7
Oxford OH).
*It's been a bad week for a NEW YORK
public broadcaster. Schenectady's WMHT laid off some of its television
staffers last month; now it's pulled the plug on most of the
local classical music programming at WMHT-FM (89.1) and its Hudson
Valley simulcast, WRHV (88.7 Poughkeepsie). Four full-time announcers,
including shop steward Lawrence Boylan, were let go in the switch
to the satellite; WMHT is promising to keep local programming
in the morning, as well as retaining some local specialty shows.
 In Buffalo, Entercom
sports-talker WGR (550) pulled the plug on controversial sports
talker Chuck "The Coach" Dickerson last week, not that
anyone would have noticed on the air.
Dickerson was already down to a part-time schedule on WGR,
with co-host Mike Schopp handling the afternoon shift by himself
most of the year and Dickerson returning during football and
hockey season. WGR officials tell the Buffalo News they
were uncomfortable with having a part-time host; speculation
in other Buffalo media circles has WGR looking at an attempt
to regain the Sabres hockey rights the station lost to WNSA (107.7
Wethersfield Twp.) a few years ago. At the time, the Sabres cited
Dickerson's on-air negativity towards the team as one reason
for switching stations. With the Coach out of the picture, could
the team (which is no longer co-owned with WNSA) be ready to
talk to WGR again?
Here in Rochester, we're hearing that July 1 will mark the
end of the mish-mash of religion, leased time and ethnic programming
on WWWG (1460), which is being sold to Buffalo-based Holy Family
Communications. The AM outlet is expected to become a full-time
simulcast of Holy Family's WLOF (101.7 Attica) and its Catholic
programming.
Downstate, translator W232AL (94.3 Pomona) has to move. It's
losing its lease on its present site, and applying to move to
a new site a short distance to the northwest. These days, W232AL
is relaying Connecticut oldies station WKHL (96.7 Stamford);
it's better remembered, though, as having been a link in the
chain that was "Jukebox Radio" through most of the
nineties.
New York's WOR (710) is shuffling its schedule: Ed Walsh's
morning shift gets extended one hour, to 10 AM, followed by two
hours of Joan Hamburg, an hour of "Food Talk" and two
hours of Dr. Joy Browne from 1-3 PM. Bill O'Reilly (3-5) and
Bob Grant (5-7) remain in place, but Tom Marr's short-lived nighttime
show is history, replaced by an hour of Jim Cramer at 7, two
hours of the Dolans, an hour of "Health Talk" and the
new addition (to New York, anyway; he's already syndicated on
the WOR network) of Lionel from 11PM to 1AM.
And "Dandy Dan" Daniel was back on the air at WCBS-FM (101.1) over the weekend, filling in on what's normally Dan Ingram's shift. Is a regular weekend slot in the works?  *And we'll close
in CONNECTICUT, where WMNR (88.1 Monroe) marks its thirtieth
anniversary later this month.
John Babina put the station on the air December 11, 1973 as
a low-powered high school station. A decade later, WMNR began
boosting power, adding relays around the Nutmeg State and programming
a full-time classical music format.
Next Saturday (June 21), Babina will host a reunion of the
student staffers from WMNR's first decade, with the help of former
WMNR student engineer Bill DeFelice; you can hear it on the Web
beginning at 2 PM at www.capitalradio.us.
*That's it for another week; see you in seven!
 *Have
you ordered your Tower Site Calendar 2003 yet? That spiffy
image of the WBEN transmitter site on Grand Island is just one
of a dozen exciting images...and it's accompanied by many others
(including Providence's WHJJ; Mount Mansfield, Vermont; KOMA
in Oklahoma City; the legendary WSM, Nashville; WGN, Chicago
and many more), more dates in radio history, a convenient hole
for hanging - and we'll even make sure all the dates fall on
the right days!
This year's calendar is currently shipping! Calendars
are in stock, and orders placed now will ship within 24 hours!
And this year, you can order with your Visa, MasterCard, Discover
or American Express by using the handy link below!
Better yet, here's an incentive to make your 2003 NERW subscription
pledge: support NERW/fybush.com at the $60 level or higher, and
you'll get this lovely calendar for free! How can you
go wrong? (Click here to visit
our Support page, where you can make your NERW contribution with
a major credit card...)
You can also order by mail; just send a check for $16
per calendar (NYS residents add 8% sales tax), shipping included,
to Scott Fybush, 92 Bonnie Brae Ave., Rochester
NY 14618.
International orders: Calendars are US$18 to Canada,
US$20 to the rest of the world, postage included. Send checks/international
money orders (in US dollars) to the address above, or e-mail
for credit-card ordering information.
*The twelfth edition of the M
Street Radio Directory will soon go to the printer,
and we'll have a special offer for NERW readers coming within
a few weeks. Stay tuned!
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2003 by Scott Fybush. |