North East RadioWatch: 1997 in Review
Editors' note: part 2 has been added after the
end of part 1.
We'll begin by reviewing the broad trends
that defined the NorthEast radio dial in '97:
SALES: It was the year of the even bigger group deals, as
ownership consolidation moved from the sublime (think
CBS/Westinghouse/Infinity) to the ridiculous (think
CBS/Westinghouse/Infinity buying ARS), creating mega-groups that
encompassed markets as big as New York and Boston and as small as
Burlington and the New Hampshire Seacoast. The month-by-month
rundown, as reported in NERW...
- JANUARY
- Bob Bittner Broadcasting buys WJTO (730) Bath, Maine,
creating a 730-740 coastal combination.
- FEBRUARY
- As part of its deal to buy Infinity, CBS/Westinghouse
trades WBOS (92.9 Brookline) and WMMR (93.3) in Philadelphia to
Greater Media. Also going along with the deal is smooth jazz WOAZ
(99.5 Lowell). Crawford Broadcasting inks a deal to buy WCMF (990) in
Rochester from ARS, which was originally planning to donate the
station to a local college.
- MARCH
- Jacor goes deep in Rochester, buying WMAX-FM (106.7
Irondequoit) and WRCD (107.3 Honeoye Falls) from Auburn Cablevision,
and adding WMAX simulcast WMHX (102.3 Canandaigua) for good measure.
On the Cape, Ernie Boch donates WUOK (1240 West Yarmouth) to Boston
University, while down the coast, Hall buys WXZR (98.7 East Lyme CT)
to add to its group in Eastern Connecticut.
- APRIL
- The focus is on Rhode Island, as Citadel buys TeleMedia,
picking up WPRO AM-FM, WLKW, and WWLI in Providence. Back Bay
Broadcasting adds to its Ocean State group with WPJB (102.7)
Narragansett Pier from John Fuller. And Capstar tops off the month
with a $70 million purchase of Knight Quality Group, giving it
holdings in Worcester, Manchester, Burlington, and the New Hampshire
seacoast.
- MAY
- Tryon Seacoast grows in Maine with the purchase of WCME (96.7
Boothbay Harbor). Over in Vermont, Richard Lightfoot buys
Brattleboro's WKVT AM-FM (1490/92.7) to add to his Keene, New
Hampshire group. Lightfoot also plans to buy WVAY (100.7 Wilmington),
but this deal ends up falling apart. Later in the month,
ARS buys WNFT (1150) from Greater Media for $4.5 million, then
uses it as a simulcaster for the rest of the year. Radio Vermont adds
WVMX (101.7 Stowe) to its group. On the coast, WSTG (102.1 Hampton NH)
is sold to Fuller-Jeffrey, while Tryon Seacoast strikes again in Maine
with the purchase of WIGY (97.5 Madison). In upstate New York, Salt
City Broadcasting pays $1.7 million for Auburn's WPCX (106.9) and WMBO
(1340), Craig Fox buys silent WZOS (96.7 Oswego), and Crystal
Broadcasting buys WDSP (96.9 Arlington) from CHET-5 Broadcasting.
- JUNE
- ARS expands north into the New Hampshire Seacoast market with
the $6 million purchase of Precision Media's 2 AM/2 FM group in
Rochester and Exeter. On the TV side, Hartford's WFSB (Channel 3) is
traded from Post-Newsweek to Meredith. The sale of WNDS (Channel 50)
in Derry NH falls through as new owner Ramcast goes bankrupt, clearing
the way for the return of the station's independent format and
weatherman Al Kaprielian. Citadel grows again in Rhode Island, buying
WDGE (99.7 Wakefield-Peace Dale) and WDGF (100.3 Middletown). Mercury
Broadcasting in Buffalo sells out to Broadcasting Partners for $62
million, handing over its 3 FM-1 AM group there. On the smaller side
of things, Latino Broadcasting pays $550,000 for WLAT (1230 Manchester
CT) and Excalibur pays $608,000 for WMNM (92.1 Port Henry NY).
- JULY
- A group led by Albany Broadcasting's John Kelly antes up $14
million to buy WBNR (1260 Beacon) and WSPK (104.7 Poughkeepsie) from
Enterprise Media Partners. Sinclair picks up the radio and TV
properties of Heritage Media, being spun off by new Heritage owner
Rupert Murdoch. Those include a 3 AM/1 FM combo in Rochester and TV
interests in Vermont. NBC picks up affiliate WVIT-TV (Channel 30) New
Britain-Hartford in a trade that sends WLWC (Channel 28) New
Bedford-Providence to Viacom. Curt Gowdy announces he's bowing out of
New England radio with the sale of WCCM (800 Lawrence) to
Costa-Eagle. Hibernia buys WPZE (1260 Boston) from Salem, and Donna
MacNeil sells her WOXF (96.5 Bedford NH) to Saga, giving it a second
FM in the Manchester market.
- AUGUST
- Bob Bittner sells WNEB (1230 Worcester) to a local group
called Heirwaves, Inc. Tim Martz bolsters his northern Maine group
with WOZI (101.7 Presque Isle). Hicks, Muse buys LIN Broadcasting,
including WTNH (Channel 8) New Haven, and then picks up SFX
Broadcasting as well (including radio groups in Albany, Springfield,
Providence, and Hartford-New Haven, not to mention a Long Island
cluster that will prompt government review later in the year).
One-on-One Sports pays over $8 million to Communicom for Boston's WNRB
(1510), and Keating Willcox's Willow Farm Broadcasting buys WNSH (1570
Beverly), to be followed by WPEP (1570 Taunton) and WMVU (900 Nashua).
- SEPTEMBER
- The deal of the year rocks the NAB convention, as CBS
announces its purchase of American Radio Systems. The sale gives CBS
(at least temporarily) 6 FMs and 5 AMs in the Boston-Worcester area,
plus stations in Rochester, Buffalo, Hartford, and the New Hampshire
Seacoast markets. The Seacoast stations will later be spun to
Capstar. On a completely different level of existence, Maine's WHQO
(107.9 Skowhegan) is sold to Mountain Wireless, WMSJ sells its 91.9
facility in Harpswell, Maine to Bible Broadcasting, WVAY in Vermont
ends up in the hands of Jeff Shapiro's Border Broadcasting, WGBH takes
control of Cape and Islands Public Radio and its two construction
permits, and Mark Graham donates his now-silent WMMM (1260 Westport
CT) to Sacred Heart University.
- OCTOBER
- Roberts Radio pays $7.5 million for two Hudson Valley
stations, WBWZ (93.3 New Paltz) and WRWD (107.3 Highland). Ed Skutnik
retakes control of his AM station, WGAM (1520 Greenfield MA). Maine
Broadcasting ends a 70-year history of family ownership with the sale
of WCSH (Channel 6) Portland and WLBZ (Channel 2) Bangor to Gannett.
Majac becomes Binghamton's dominant group owner with two purchases, a
$6.7 million buy of WMRV (105.7 Endicott), WENE (1430 Endicott) and
WMXW (103.3 Vestal) from Enterprise Media Partners and a $675,000
purchase of WKGB (92.5 Susquehanna PA) from KG Broadcasting. Cumulus
enters the region with two Maine buys, WBZN (107.3 Old Town) and WQCB
(106.5 Brewer) from Castle and WTOS (105.1 Skowhegan) from Mountain
Wireless. Radio Works adds WNHQ (92.1 Milford) to its 3 New Hampshire
FMs. KJI Broadcasting expands across Massachusetts to buy Brockton's
WCAV (97.7) and WBET (1460). Family Broadcasting picks up WZBZ (1070
Plattsburgh NY) from Barry Lunderville.
- NOVEMBER
- A month of smaller sales, as WALZ (95.3 Machias ME) finds
a new home with the Goodine/McVicar/Holst partnership, WPMZ (1110 East
Providence RI) is sold to Video Mundo, WHIM (1450 West Warwick) goes
to Hibernia of Rhode Island, and David Covey announces his plans to
buy Glens Falls' WYLR (95.9) and WWSC (1450). Slightly bigger deals
later in the month included Marlin Broadcasting's purchase of WCCC
(1290 West Hartford/106.9 Hartford) from longtime owner Sy Dressner
and Capstar's $4 million buy of WHOB (106.3 Nashua NH).
- DECEMBER
- Year's end saw Heftel bring a new value to New York FM,
paying $115 million for WNWK (105.9 Newark NJ), in the only sale of
note this month.
CONSOLIDATION: Just a quick scan of the sales roster above
is enough to show how the big groups got even bigger in 1997. Among
the notable local owners who bowed out of the radio scene this year
were the Thompson family of Maine Broadcasting, the Rothschilds of
Vermont, Mario DiCarlo at Nashua's WHOB, Sy Dressner of WCCC in
Hartford, Mark Graham of WMMM in Westport, and most notably, the
Knight family. And in almost every one of those cases (with WCCC a
notable exception), the new owner was an outsider with few local ties.
Large-group ownership took its toll in other ways as well -- increased
simulcasting (WVAY in Wilmington VT, WPJB [now WAKX] in Narragansett
Pier RI, WNHQ in Milford NH, and WMNM in Port Henry NY were among the
stations that entered 1997 with their own programming and left it as
simulcasts), dismissals of veteran (but high-paid) talent (Boston was
hardest hit, with WBCN's Mark Parenteau, WBOS's Ken Shelton, and
WRKO's Marjorie Clapprood losing their jobs), and the continuing
disappearance of news jobs (WHYN in Springfield and WELI in New Haven
farmed their newsrooms out to Metro Networks, while WGR and WBEN in
Buffalo made the first inroads towards combining their news
operations).
PIRATE RADIO: It was the year of the pirates -- and the
year of the pirate busts. Emboldened by what looked like an
indifferent FCC, unlicensed broadcasters sprouted all over the region
during the spring and summer. Steve Provizer's Radio Free Allston was
among the most visible of the pack, along with expanded-band AM
operations in Lowell, Worcester, Bridgeport, and Westerly RI (the
latter claiming to be running legally). Quieter, but still part of
the movement, were stations like Rebel Music Radio in Boston, "WDOA"
in Worcester, and several religious pirates in Hartford. Syracuse
became a center of the pirate movement upstate, with several
unlicensed broadcasters in full swing. In New York City, the band
beneath 92 MHz teemed with micro-radio stations in many neighborhoods.
A few stations, most notably an 87.9 in Westford, played nothing but
music -- albeit still without a license. Even the tiniest of
communities found unlicensed radio voices during 1997 -- witness
"CRAMP FM" up in Houlton, Maine, and the long-running "EB 101" in a
few blocks of East Boston. And as soon as it all began, it all came
crashing to an end with the Halloween-week busts at Radio Free
Allston, "WDOA," and a college pirate in New Hampshire. Most of the
region's other microbroadcasters got the message and shut down their
transmitters and web pages, while the few that remained carried on
their business much more quietly than before. This is one story
that's bound to carry over into 1998, as Provizer and others launch a
court challenge to the rules that silenced them in 1997. Meantime,
the onslaught of religious satellite translators continued without
end; a list would take up the next several issues...
POWER INCREASES: While the expanded band remained mostly a
dream in 1997 (WZNN in Rochester NH was the only Northeast station to
win a berth in the 1610-1700 kHz band), several other stations were
big winners technically. Bob Vinikoor in Northern New Hampshire got
his CP for 50 kilowatts daytime in Hanover on 720 kHz. Cape Cod's
WXTK (94.9 West Yarmouth) escaped the interference from WHOM
Mt. Washington NH by moving to 95.1. In Canandaigua NY, WCGR moved
from its longtime days-only spot at 1550 to a new, more powerful
24-hour spot at 1310 -- and then kept 1550 anyway to serve the
downtown areas in the null of the 1310 pattern. Several Boston FMs,
including WROR-FM (105.7 Framingham) moved to the Prudential Tower
downtown to improve their city signals. Syracuse AMers WOLF (1490)
and WSIV (1540 East Syracuse) both filed multiple applications to move
around the dial, with WOLF looking for 1510 and 1090 and WSIV applying
first for 670 and then for 720 kHz. Alexander Langer pulled off the
near-impossible, moving WRPT from 1050 in Peterborough NH to 650 in
Ashland MA just in the nick of time, and returning WBIV (now WJLT,
1060 Natick) to the air as well before its license would have been
cancelled. Both stations are using the facilities of WKOX (1200
Framingham), which ended the year as the biggest winner of all,
finally getting the long-sought CP to run 50 kilowatts day and night.
The big loser in the deal? WGNY in Newburgh NY, which had to retreat
to its old daytime-only frequency on 1220 after years of temporary
authority to run on 1200, where it had long hoped to raise power and
go full-time. Across the border in Canada, the story was the same as
it's been the last few years -- AM stations going to FM. This year's
roster included CHNR 1600 Simcoe (now CHCD 106.7), CJEM Edmundston,
CHSJ Saint John, CFNB Fredericton, and most notably the CBC's CBL
Toronto and CBM/CBF Montreal.
FORMATS: It was a good year for oldies formats, with new
entries in markets such as the New Hampshire seacoast (WQSO 96.7
Rochester, ex-WSRI), Manchester (WQLL 96.5 Bedford, ex-WOFX), Glens
Falls (WHTR 107.1), and Binghamton (WYOS 104.1 Chenango Bridge, new to
the air). Classic rock did well, too, with stations in the Providence
market (WHKK 100.3 Middletown) and the Glens Falls area (WCQL 95.9)
changing to 60s and 70s rock. Modern AC took off in Western New York,
with Rochester (WZNE 94.1 Brighton) and Buffalo (92.9 WLCE) picking up
the format. Sports did very well, thanks almost entirely to
One-on-One Sports, with converts including stations in Boston (1510
WNRB), Manchester (1250 WKBR), Providence (790 WSKO), Hartford (1410
WPOP), Albany (1300 WTMM Rensselaer), Burlington (96.7 WXPS Vergennes
and 960 WEAV Plattsburgh NY), and Buffalo (1520 WWKB). Bangor and
Watertown both lost CHR outlets (104.7 WWFX Belfast and 93.5 WTNY-FM,
respectively), then got new ones (107.3 WBZN Old Town and 102.7 WBDR
Cape Vincent/106.7 WWLF Copenhagen). Losers this year included the
business format (dumped from 550 WPNW Pawtucket and - just before the
start of the year - 590 WBNW Boston; picked up later on by a network
of weak Boston-area stations led by 1120 WADN Concord) and the
childrens' format (with the demise of Kidstar on WNFT 1150 Boston and
the imminent demise of AAHS World Radio on WJDM 1660 Elizabeth NJ,
Radio Disney became the only game in town, heard on WPZE 1260 Boston
and WGSM 740 Huntington LI). Smooth jazz won converts (106.9 WHCD
Auburn-Syracuse and 96.9 WSJZ Boston) and lost them (92.9 WSJZ Buffalo
and 99.5 WOAZ Lowell-Boston). And religion kept growing on the
region's airwaves, with new full-power offerings including WJCX (99.5)
Pittsfield ME, WYFP (91.9) Harpswell ME, WHMX (105.7) Lincoln ME
(relaying WHCF 88.5 Bangor), WNEB (1230) Worcester, WJLT (1060)
Natick-Boston, and a slew of Sound of Life stations in eastern New
York -- WLJH 90.9 Glens Falls, WGWR 88.1 Liberty, WGKR 105.3 Grand
Gorge, WSSK 89.7 Saratoga Springs, WGKP 89.9 Rensselaerville, plus
several translators.
And so we move on to part two of our review of the
format changes, call changes, personnel changes, and obituaries that
made the news in 1997...
We'll start with the by-now-traditional month-by-month recap of call
and format changes (with major personnel moves noted as well):
- JANUARY
- WREF (850 Ridgefield CT) goes to a simulcast of new owner
WLAD (800 Danbury). WKAJ (900 Saratoga Springs NY) returns to the air
as an adult-standards station. WPOP (1410 Hartford) dumps talk for
all-sports and no-local. WYSR (98.3 Rotterdam NY) goes to a simulcast
of oldies WTRY (980), then takes the WTRY-FM calls. New to the air
this month: AC WNYQ (105.7 Queensbury NY), WNDR (103.9 Mexico NY,
relaying WVOA 105.1 DeRuyter). WCEG (1530 Middleborough Center MA)
comes back from the dark with radio reading, and later with the WVBF
calls. Portland's WCSO (97.9) becomes WJBQ - again.
- FEBRUARY
- Amherst's WTTT (1430) is leased to noncomm WFCR (88.5) to
run NPR talk during the day. In Maine, WPBC (99.5 Pittsfield) becomes
religious WJCX. Back from the dark just in time to beat the FCC
deadline are WRPT (now 650 Ashland MA with talk), WJLT (ex-WBIV, 1060
Natick). Missing the deadline (on purpose, though) and gone for good:
WLNG (1600) Sag Harbor NY and WQQW (1590) Waterbury CT, both
sacrificed to boost coverage of WWRL (1600) New York. KidStar folds,
leaving WNFT (1150) Boston with nobody to lease it. In Rhode Island,
WDGF (100.3 Middletown) ditches the modern-rock simulcast with WDGE
(99.7 Wakefield-Peace Dale) for dance. WREF goes to oldies. On the
call front: WEZE (1260 Boston) becomes WPZE, while WBNW (590) takes
WEZE. WNBX (100.5 Lebanon NH) becomes WVRR, then swaps frequencies
and formats two months later with country WXXK (101.7 Newport NH).
WQIX (820 Horseheads NY) becomes WWLZ "Wheels" and talk, and WLPZ
(1440 Westbrook ME) becomes WJAE, although it mainly uses the old
"WJAB" calls from back in 1440's history.
- MARCH
- WPZE takes on a separate religious format, dropping the 590
simulcast to become "Praise 1260." WVAY (100.7 Wilmington VT) makes
the first of many format changes, simulcasting WKVT-FM (92.7) down the
road in Brattleboro. WUOK (1240 West Yarmouth) starts simulcasting
WBUR in Boston; it'll later become WBUR(AM). WNEZ (910 New Britain
CT) dumps Spanish for urban. WMEX (102.5 Westport NY) debuts with
classical music. WAUB (1590) in Auburn NY returns as a simulcast of
rocker WLLW (93.7 Clyde) before switching to adult standards two
months later.
- APRIL
- New to the air is noncomm WAPJ (89.9) in Torrington,
Connecticut, joined later in the month by WLWC-TV (Channel 28) in New
Bedford MA. Format changes: WPJB (102.7 Narragansett Pier RI) goes to
a simulcast of dance-CHR WWKX (106.3 Woonsocket). WABH (1380 Bath NY)
drops its FM simulcast to go satellite oldies. Buffalo's WSJZ (92.9)
drops smooth jazz for "Alice" modern AC. Also going modern AC is ARS
sister station WAQB (94.1 Brighton-Rochester) as "the Zone." WCME
(96.7 Boothbay Harbor ME) returns to the air as an AC station. And
WGAW (1340 Gardner MA) switches simulcasts, to WEIM (1280 Fitchburg).
New calls: WWFX (104.7 Belfast-Bangor) applies for WEBR. In Maine,
WSNV (103.9 Howland) becomes WVOM, while Long Island's WLRI (98.5
Westhampton) takes the WDRE calls just dropped in Philadelphia. Gone: WTOX
(1450 Lincoln ME) is deleted.
- MAY
- WCGR (1550 Canandaigua) moves to 1310, spawns a "new" 1550,
WLKA. Back on is WSCP (1070 Sandy Creek NY), even when it's not
supposed to be. The curtain falls on "The Stage," WSTG (102.1 Hampton
NH), which becomes WXBP, simulcasting WXBB (105.3 Kittery ME) and its
classic rock format. "Morning Guy Tai," aka Tom Irwin, jumps from
modern rock WFNX (101.7 Lynn) to talker WRKO (680 Boston). Lots of
new calls this month: WPJB becomes WAKX. WWFX applies for - and this
time actually uses - WBFB. WSJZ becomes WLCE and WAQB becomes WZNE.
Downstate in New York, WDSP (96.9 Arlington-Poughkeepsie) becomes WRRB
as it switches simulcasts and owners to WRRV (92.7 Middletown). The
"Y107" country simulcasts on 107.1 in Briarcliff Manor (WRGX) and
Hampton Bays (WWHB) become WWVY and WWXY, respectively. Up north,
WKGG (102.7 Cape Vincent NY) becomes WBDR, CHR "The Border." So long
to translator W221AP (92.1 Westfield MA), which returns its license in
the wake of a massive complaint against Brian Dodge, the New Hampshire
religious broadcaster accused of controlling dozens of translators
illegally.
- JUNE
- Format changes include hit radio in place of 70s rock at WBZN
(107.3 Old Town-Bangor ME), classical in place of classic rock at
WVMX (101.7 Stowe VT, which becomes WCVT), and classic rock in place
of country at WLIE (102.5 Bridgehampton NY, which becomes WBSQ). WYUL
(94.7 Chateaugay NY) begins testing, while WKFD (1370 Wickford RI)
falls silent completely. One new call: WUZZ replaces WCIZ(AM) at 1410
in Watertown NY.
- JULY
- Oldies gains a foothold in the Manchester NH market as WOXF
(96.5 Bedford) becomes WQLL "Cool 96.5." Rhythmic CHR returns to WJPZ
(89.1 Syracuse NY) after a stint as modern rock. Also losing modern
rock is WXPS (96.7 Vergennes VT), which goes sports talk, just like
former talker WQBK (1300 Rensselaer-Albany, now WTMM). Joining WXPS
in a simulcast is WEAV (960 Plattsburgh NY), which had been dark. Religion
replaces a rock simulcast at 990 in Rochester NY, which switches from
WCMF to WDCZ. Plattsburgh college station WPLT (93.9) gives up its
calls to ABC/Disney's Detroit FM (ex-WHYT, now "the Planet") and
becomes WQKE, "the Quake." And for no reason anyone can think of,
Bennington's WHGC becomes WBTN-FM (94.3).
- AUGUST
- Two new UHF stations appear, Fox affiliate WFFF-TV (Channel
44) in Burlington VT and UPN outlet WPME (Channel 35) in Lewiston ME.
Country listeners in Boston spin the dial yet again as WKLB-FM moves
from 96.9 Boston to 99.5 Lowell, while the smooth jazz that was on
99.5 as WOAZ moves to 96.9 as WSJZ. Also going smooth jazz is WPCX
(106.9 Auburn NY), becoming WHCD. WWLF (106.7 Copenhagen NY) drops
rock to simulcast CHR WBDR as "the Border." WVAY flips format again,
simulcasting rocker WHDQ (106.1 Claremont NH) this time.
- SEPTEMBER
- Two AM stations go dark along Long Island Sound, with WVIP
(1310 Mount Kisco NY) the victim of a fire, while WMMM (1260 Westport
CT) succumbs to a poor economy. On the air is religious WLMW (90.7)
in Manchester NH. WVAY flips to a simulcast of AC WSSH (101.5
Marlboro), then to local programming again.
- OCTOBER
- On the seacoast, WSRI (96.7 Rochester) goes oldies
as WQSO. Another 96.7, WZOS Oswego NY, becomes WOLF-FM. WVAY
flips programming again, to a simulcast of AAA WRSI (95.3 Greenfield
MA). WWKB (1520) in Buffalo dumps satellite country for satellite
sports, and nobody much notices. WHTR (107.1 Glens Falls NY) goes
oldies, WDGF (100.3 Middletown RI) loses dance for classic rock as
WHKK, "the Hawk." Further confusing Ocean State listeners, the adult
standards sounds of WLKW move from 790 Providence to 550 Pawtucket,
formerly business-news WPNW. 790 then becomes sports WSKO, "the
Score." More simulcast action in New Hampshire, this time
to the south, as Milford's WNHQ (92.1) begins simulcasting adult CHR
WJYY (105.5 Concord), and in the Champlain Valley as well, as another
92.1, WMNM Port Henry NY, begins simulcasting talker WSYB (1380
Rutland VT). Ken Shelton loses his morning gig at WBOS (92.9
Brookline-Boston). And WRND (91.7 Manchester NH) disappears from the air
for good.
- NOVEMBER
- Mark Parenteau is fired after almost two decades at WBCN
(104.1) in Boston. Down the dial at sister CBS oldies station WODS
(103.3), morning man Austin of Boston gets the boot, replaced by John
Potter from Las Vegas. In Albany, WPTR (96.3 Voorheesville) goes from
classic to hot country, while just down the dial to the north, WYLR
(95.9 Glens Falls) dumps country for classic hits as WCQL. WPZE (1260
Boston) finally flips to Radio Disney. The month closes with a slew
of call changes, as Rumford, Maine's WWMR (96.3) becomes WLOB-FM and
WRUM (790) becomes WLLB, while Rhode Island's WDGE (99.7
Wakefield-Peace Dale) join the call-change brigade by becoming WXEX.
- DECEMBER
- WNEB (1230 Worcester) goes religious, WNRB (1510 Boston)
goes sports, and southern Maine gets an extra religious outlet as WMSJ
moves from 91.9 Harpswell to 89.3 Freeport and is replaced on 91.9 by
Bible Broadcasting's WYFP. New calls at year's end include "PX" calls
for all Lowell Paxson's stations, WQTH for Bob Vinikoor's new 720
construction permit in Hanover NH, WDOT for the 1070 in Plattsburgh NY
formerly known as WZBZ (closing an obscure circle that began a few
years back when WDOT Burlington VT left the air and its 1390 spot
became WKDR -- with the talk format and calls that had previously been
found on, you guessed it, 1070), and WWFY for John Bulmer's CP at
93.7 in Hague NY. The parade of star talent firings continues in
Boston radio, as Marjorie Clapprood is ousted from her morning spot at
WRKO (680). And once more, with feeling, all together now -- WVAY
modified its format once again, returning to locally programmed AAA on
Friday nights and Saturdays.
And so we come to the final portion of our Year in Review, as we
remember the broadcasters who passed away during 1997. We join in
mourning:
- ALAN OKUN, 44, owner of WGFP/WXXW Webster MA (12/30/96)
- MIKE MARDER, 35, GM of WHYN AM/FM Springfield MA (2/3)
- TALBOT HOOD, 71, former owner of WKBK Keene NH (5/2)
- JACK BARRY, 70, veteran Vermont broadcaster (5/4)
- EDYTHE MESERAND, 88, pioneering female newscaster (6/2)
- WALT DIBBLE, 67, WTIC Hartford newscaster (7/21)
- KIRBY PERKINS, WCVB Boston political reporter (7/24)
- BOB ELLIOTT, 47, Maine TV reporter (7/28)
- ROLAND NADEAU, 69, WGBH Boston announcer (9/22)
- WILLIAM PIERCE, WGBH and Boston Symphony Orchestra announcer (Sept.)
- "EMPEROR" BOB HUDSON, 66, Boston and Los Angeles DJ (Sept.)
- "OFFICER" BILL CONNELL, traffic reporter (9/25)
- AL "JAZZBEAUX" COLLINS, jazz DJ in New York and later California
(Sept.)
- JOEL LOY, 50, former Rochester TV reporter and "Inside Edition"
host (10/11)
- DAVID ADAMS, 63, gospel DJ at WILD Boston (10/28)
- CLINT BUEHLMAN, 85, WBEN Buffalo morning legend (12/2)
- ...and any of those whose passings we missed during the course of the
year.
And that's it...another year gone by and a new one underway. As we
do every year, our thanks go out to everyone who helps make NERW what
it is -- you, the readers, who send a constant stream of e-mail (not
to mention the occasional newspaper clipping and aircheck) this way
with all the tidbits of news that help to keep NERW the freshest, most
comprehensive source of information anywhere about broadcasting in our
region. Special thanks are due in particular to the readers who keep
the e-mail box hopping just about every week with the news of their
region -- our editorial hat is off to Dan Billings and Sid
Whitaker in Maine, Steve Sawyer in the Pioneer Valley,
Doug Bassett in Brattleboro, Gavin Burt in Albany (and
points north as well), Steve Medicis in Syracuse (who's just
updated his excellent Syracuse radio website), Carl Gorney in
Buffalo, the Connecticut gang -- Marty Waters, Dennis
Jackson, and Bill Dillane, the Boston folks who keep the
boston-radio-interest list well-stoked each and every day -- Peter
George, Donna Halper, Dan Strassberg, Joe
Ross, Bill O'Neill, Mark Shneyder, Pete
Ferrand, Bob Bittner, et al -- and all the rest of
you who've sent in anything from an insider tip to a videotape of the
local news in your area. Also, a NERW tank of gas and a big stack of
unscoped weekend-polka-show airchecks goes out to Clarke
Ingram, who joined your editor for several highly enjoyable
tower-hunting expeditions following our relocation to upstate New
York.
NERW couldn't reach you every week without information from a
variety of sources, both on- and off-line. We're indebted to the
on-line editions of the Boston
Globe, Hartford
Courant, Portland
Press-Herald, and Albany
Times-Union for some of the stories we've covered this year.
We miss our daily dose of the Boston Herald and Dean
Johnson, and hope this will be the year his columns make it to the
web.
We depend on club bulletins from the National Radio Club,
Worldwide FM-TV DX Association, and DecalcoMania each
week or month. Broadcasting & Cable magazine,
Inside Radio, FMedia!, and the M
Street Journal all keep us up-to-date. Our daily print diet
includes the often-excellent radio reporting in the Buffalo
News and Syracuse Post-Standard. And we don't
know how we'd live without the wealth of infomration that lives at the FCC's Web site. Our field
expeditions into the world of radio are made possible in part by maps
from DeLorme, MapArt, and Map Works, the M
Street and FM Atlas directories, and the diner
directories published by Randy Garbin's Roadside magazine.
(Hey, even a radio nut has to eat!) Our daily on-line existence is
made possible by the fine folks at Software Tool and Die in
Brookline and E-Znet in Rochester -- many thanks to all the
support folks who've helped us through the occasional technical
glitch.
NERW's origins rest within the rec.radio.broadcasting newsgroup and
AIRWAVES Digest, and we thank Bill Pfeiffer for
continuing to give us a forum there.
And the most special of thanks go out to two people without whom
NERW could ever exist. Garrett Wollman designed and maintains the Boston Radio Archives, NERW's
on-line home. He's the one who takes NERW and puts it in HTML form
for all our web readers each week, and it's his computer that plays
host to the NERW archives. Garrett is also a regular companion on the
NERW-mobile fact-finding missions, including this past summer's Canada
trip, often behind the wheel while your editor navigates and rolls
tape on top-hour IDs. We'll see if he's too modest to leave this in
place when he puts this issue on the web... (Nope. --GW)
Finally, a hearty standing ovation to Lisa Fybush,
"Mrs. NERW," whose patience with long nights in front of the computer
screen, long drives to obscure tower sites, and even the occasional
long visits with other radio folk makes it possible for NERW to reach
you each and every Thursday.
When last we wrapped up a NERW Year in Review, the column's name
began with "New England" and our home base was Waltham, Massachusetts.
Now it's "NorthEast" and Rochester, New York. Who knows what 1998
will bring -- except for this: There's a whole new year of radio and
TV out there. Join us again next Thursday, and we'll set off for
another year of adventures on the airwaves of New England and New
York. I can't wait!
Previous issues of North East RadioWatch
The Boston Radio Archives
The Upstate New York Radio Archives
fybush@world.std.com
bra@bostonradio.org