New England RadioWatch: March 20, 1996

by Scott Fybush

• After a too-short weekend in Philadelphia, I'm back, and so far the biggest news is that the lights are finally back on at the WMEX-1150 tower site along route 2 in Lexington, Mass. Since just before Christmas, the lights on the ~500-foot FM tower at the site (currently used only as a backup for WMJX 106.7) had been off. That tower is pretty much the highest point between Boston and Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, so I was a bit worried about what might have happened. Fortunately, the lights are now back on.

• A clarification about the status of folk station WADN 1120 Concord MA: A pair of trailers are in place at the transmitter site off Rt. 62 in South Acton, but they are NOT yet being used as studios and offices. WADN is planning to move out of its current studios in Concord's Damonmill Square complex, but has not done so yet.

• A reshuffling of the schedule at WABU-TV 68 in Boston means that Charles Adler's "Adler On Line" talk show is now radio-only on WRKO 680 from 7 to 10pm weeknights. The 8-9pm hour had previously been simulcast on TV 68. Now Adler is on TV from 4-5pm daily.

• More consolidation down in southwest Connecticut, as Commodore Broadcasting buys WSTC 1400-WKHL 96.7 Stamford. Commodore already owns WNLK 1350-WEFX 95.9 Norwalk, WRKI 95.1-WINE 940 Brookfield, and several stations in nearby Westchester County, NY.

• More information on the demise of WDIS 1170 Norfolk, MA. Reports in the local weekly indicate the station had its power cut off after failing to pay an electric bill in the neighborhood of $2,000. Owner Albert Grady is reportedly working on getting it back on.

• And that's about all I've noticed when it comes to radio hereabouts... but if you're interested in tapes of Philadelphia, Allentown-Bethlehem- Easton, Wilmington, Reading, or South Jersey radio, please contact me for a comprehensive aircheck list from this past weekend.