NorthEast Radio Watch 3/24/2025: WJIB Makes Its Move
In this week’s issue… New signal for Boston's WJIB - "New Standards" changes stations - New home for Maine FM - Remembering NYC's Diaz, Maine's "Mr. Mike," Albany's McGrath, Rochester's Petschke
NorthEast Radio Watch 6/5/2023: Toucher Comes Clean
In this week’s issue… More turmoil on Boston sports radio – Audacy changes looming? – Remembering John La Barca – Toronto hosts exit – Radio Days arrive
By SCOTT FYBUSH
Jump to: ME – NH – VT – MA – RI – CT – NY – NJ – PA – Canada
*There’s never any shortage of drama on Boston sports radio, but at least there’s now an explanation of what’s been going on with the city’s top-rated morning show, “Toucher and Rich’s on Beasley’s WBZ-FM.(98.5 the Sports Hub).
Co-host Fred Toucher was off the air for much of this year battling throat issues, then returned briefly in May before again disappearing from the show amidst a flurry of cryptic tweets that at one point suggested he was in danger of self-harm.
After several days without either co-host – it was a scheduled vacation for Rich Shertenlieb – Toucher returned to the air Friday to fill listeners in on what has been going on: beset by depression after his throat issues and in the midst of a divorce, Toucher said he was in a dark place in the days leading up to the Memorial Day weekend.
“Half the time I live alone, without my kids, all right,” he told listeners. “So then there was the whole throat thing with the possible cancer, and I was out of work for five weeks, and there was a lot of time alone.”
Toucher asked his father to come to town to stay with him, but before he could arrive, Toucher made the social media posts, began drinking out of embarrassment, then voluntarily checked himself into a detox facility where he rehabbed during the holiday weekend and for a few days afterward.
Describing it as the most challenging days of his life, Toucher told listeners he’s working with his therapist and plans to give up drinking for good.
After a few turbulent months, will Toucher’s openness ease some of the tensions that have plagued the show? No doubt Beasley hopes so, especially as its crosstown rival, Audacy’s WEEI, continues to have its own struggles.
(Read on for more on Audacy’s woes in our subscriber-only section below…)
SPRING IS HERE…
And if you don’t have your Tower Site Calendar, now’s the time!
If you’ve been waiting for the price to come down, it’s now 30 percent off!
This year’s cover is a beauty — the 100,000-watt transmitter of the Voice Of America in Marathon, right in the heart of the Florida Keys. Both the towers and the landscape are gorgeous.
And did you see? Tower Site of the Week is back, featuring this VOA site as it faces an uncertain future.
Other months feature some of our favorite images from years past, including some Canadian stations and several stations celebrating their centennials (buy the calendar to find out which ones!).
We still have a few of our own calendars left – as well as a handful of Radio Historian Calendars – and we are still shipping regularly.
The proceeds from the calendar help sustain the reporting that we do on the broadcast industry here at Fybush Media, so your purchases matter a lot to us here – and if that matters to you, now’s the time to show that support with an order of the Tower Site Calendar. (And we have the Broadcast Historian’s Calendar for 2025, too. Why not order both?)
Visit the Fybush Media Store and place your order now for the new calendar, get a great discount on previous calendars, and check out our selection of books and videos, too!
Related Posts
Site of the Week 3/21/2025: VOA Remembered
A look at two of the Voice of America facilities that were abruptly shuttered this month
NorthEast Radio Watch 3/17/2025: Delete, Delete, Delete
In this week’s issue… FCC seeks rule changes - Townsquare, Cumulus close struggling stations - WIRY shuts down - Cumulus spawns "Cat Country" - Toronto's Citytv moves
NorthEast Radio Watch 3/10/2025: Audacy Cuts Deeper
In this week’s issue… Audacy cuts hit nationwide - Townsquare takes more signals silent - Buffalo's Lillis signs off - Mass Broadcasters name new HOF inductees - PA anchor sues Nexstar
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