North East RadioWatch: April 9, 1998

WAAF Fires Jocks

by Scott Fybush

• The fallout continues from the April Fools stunt in which WAAF (107.3 Worcester-Boston) afternoon jocks Opie and Anthony announced the "death" of Boston mayor Tom Menino.

  If the station's goal was to get publicity, WAAF succeeded -- there have been articles in the Boston papers almost every day since the stunt -- but at a price. The mayor was not amused by WAAF's offer to put the jocks in a gallows on City Hall Plaza so Menino could throw pies at them. Instead, an angry mayor reportedly faxed a letter to the FCC on city letterhead, asking the commission to investigate the incident.

  The letter comes at a very bad time for WAAF owner American Radio Systems, which just last week received Justice Department approval to sell its stations to CBS (although WAAF is one of several stations that must then be spun off). It's now up to the FCC to approve the sale, and an angry mayor can't help matters much.

  This week, ARS fired Opie and Anthony, suspended WAAF general manager Bruce Mittman for a month, and placed program director Dave Douglas on a one-month suspension. No permanent replacement has been named for the PM drive slot.

• Elsewhere in MASSACHUSETTS, commercial digital TV came one step closer this week, as WHDH-TV (Channel 7) applied for a license for WHDH-DT on Channel 42. Channel 7's longstanding refusal to lease space on its Newton tower is finally paying off; it's one of the few major-market TV stations that won't have to make expensive modifications to its tower, evict other tower occupants, or build a new tower to accomodate the weight of a DTV antenna.

  Could one of the oldest construction permits in the northeast finally be coming to the air? NERW notes that WEIB (106.3) in Northampton has applied for a license to cover...and we hope to hear soon from our Western Massachusetts readers about the status of 106.3. That frequency's been in FCC limbo for literally decades.

  Boston's One-on-One Sports outlet, WNRB (1510), is adding local content. Mike Adams (formerly of New England Cable News) has signed on to do weeknights from 7 till 9.

  Cape Cod's new "Star 93.5," WYST Harwich Port, has picked up the Scott Shannon and Todd Pettengill morning show out of New York.

• There's a new set of calls on MAINE's "Mix" station. The former WKZS (99.9 Auburn) is now WMWX, which is likely to cause some confusion with Portland's well-established classic rocker WMGX (93.1). The former "Kiss" became "Mix" last year, and has been heavily promoting its Portland translator on 96.9.

  Say goodbye to W243AC in Dexter; the FCC has cancelled the CP for the never-built translator. It was to have relayed WDME (103.1) from Dover-Foxcroft.

  Missing in action: WHRR (102.9 Dennysville), which had been relaying WQHR (96.1 Presque Isle) but was not heard this week by a NERW listener on the road Down East.

  The mysterious Cumulus group that's bought a slew of stations in Maine and elsewhere over the last year or so is changing its name. Cumulus has filed with the FCC to reorganize its ownership under the "Quaestus" name. In the Pine Tree State, that includes WCME (96.7 Boothbay Harbor), WKCG (101.3 Augusta), WABK (104.3 Gardiner), WFAU (1280 Gardiner), WTOS (105.1 Skowhegan), WIGY (97.5 Madison), WQCB (106.5 Brewer), and WBZN (107.3 Old Town).

• For once, there's nothing to report from NEW HAMPSHIRE, so we move on to VERMONT, where Joel Hartstone is selling a half-interest in his three stations (news-talk WSYB 1380 Rutland/WMNM 92.1 Port Henry NY and CHR WZRT 97.1 Rutland) to Jim Champlin and Martin Beck, who were involved in the old Beck-Ross Broadcasting, former owners of WSNE in the Providence market and WBLI on Long Island. Another change at WSYB: veteran sportscaster Jack Healey is leaving Rutland after three decades on the air to join the staff of WVMT (620) up in Burlington.

  Congratulations to Louie Manno and Jim Condon. The morning team at Burlington's WKDR (1390) is celebrating fifteen years on the air together. The partnership began back in 1983 in southeast Connecticut at what was then WFAN (now WVVE 102.3 Stonington). A year later, the pair moved to Burlington and WQCR (now WOKO 98.9), moving to WKDR (then on 1070) in 1988. Speaking of WKDR, it's getting ready to move into a new home in downtown Burlington next month.

• Heading down to RHODE ISLAND, we find a new program director at WSNE (93.3 Taunton, Mass. [Providence]). Scott Keith comes to 'SNE from KMZQ (100.5 Henderson) in the Las Vegas market.

• In CONNECTICUT, there are new calls for the dark 1510 in New London. The longtime WNLC will become WWJY when it returns to the air; the WNLC calls and standards format live on over on the FM dial at 98.7 in East Lyme.

  The FCC has approved the sale of WRDM (1550 Bloomfield) to Hibernia, so NERW expects a format change to Radio Disney real soon now.

  Country WWYZ (92.5 Waterbury) went all the way to Canada to find a new morning jock. Neil Hedley comes to 'YZ from Kitchener, Ontario. Music director John Saville had been doing mornings and now returns to nights.

  On the web: You'll find a new site for Waterbury's WATR (1320). Check out that schedule -- yes, that really is live, local programming, even on the weekends!

• And it's been a quiet week in NEW YORK radio. Here in Rochester, Jacor modern rocker "the Nerve" (WNVE 95.1 South Bristol/W238AB 95.5 Rochester) sent Erick Anderson (aka "the E-Man") to the top of the sign outside Frontier Field for several days, accompanied by the "stolen" championship trophy from last year's Buffalo Bisons baseball team. "Ransom" for the trophy was money raised for Hunter's Hope, the research fund started by the Buffalo Bills' Jim Kelly.

  The FCC has deleted two unbuilt FM translators. W229AB Broadalbin was to have relayed WJIV (101.9 Cherry Valley) on 93.7, while W246AE in Rochester would have been a rebroadcast of WCMF (96.5), which puts a fine signal over the tower across town where the 97.1 signal would have been.

  Binghamton's WKGB (92.5 Susquehanna PA) has a new program director. Jim Free replaces Ben Smith, the former 'KGB owner who sold the station last year.

• Across the border, we're told the CBC's new Toronto FM outlet is testing on 99.1 from atop the First Canadian Place building. We're getting ready for the long goodbye to CBL on 740...and wondering where we'll turn for interesting talk in the car now when the locals get boring.

Are you ready for some baseball? The majors started playing earlier in the week, and now the minors have started, too -- all except the short-season A New York-Penn League, which doesn't begin play until later in the season. Here's where you'll find the action this season around our region:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

The Red Sox flagship once again this season is WEEI (850) in Boston, although DX listeners anywhere to the west and south will get a better signal at night from WTIC (1080) in Hartford. A few changes to the network this year: WJTO (730) in Bath, Maine has been replaced by WXGL (95.5 Topsham) after 'JTO owner Bob Bittner decided not to continue carrying the Sox. On the New Hampshire seacoast, WTSN (1270 Dover) was outbid by WTMN (1380 Portsmouth) for Sox rights, though for night games the signals of WQEZ (104.7 Kennebunk) and even WEEI are likely to be better for Seacoast listeners outside Portsmouth itself. On the Cape, Ernie Boch's WWKJ (101.1 Mashpee) will carry the games.

The Yankees keep WABC (770) as their New York flagship, along with the usual smattering of southern New England affiliates, while the Blue Jays move from CJCL (590) to CHUM (1050), which should be an easier catch in the US. Other Jays affiliates with decent signals to the south include CHAM (820) Hamilton, CKLY (910) Lindsay -- although it'll move to 91.9 FM mid-season, CJBK (1290) London, CHOK (1070) Sarnia, and even CJCH (920) up there in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

WFAN (660) remains the place to turn for Mets action, while Expos fans on this side of the border try to tune in CIQC (600).

INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE

The Pawtucket Red Sox will apparently be on WSKO (790 Providence), although the official team website isn't completely clear on this one. Syracuse's SkyChiefs and the Rochester Red Wings remain on WHEN (620) and WHTK (1280), respectively. The Buffalo Bisons are new to the IL this season, fresh from the defunct American Association, and DXers everywhere will hear their games on WWKB (1520).

EASTERN LEAGUE

The Portland Sea Dogs play on WZAN (970) again this season. In Connecticut, we ran down the Rock Cats and Ravens networks last week; the Norwich Navigators will play their entire season on flagship WSUB (980 Groton) along with WILI (1400 Willimantic) and WERI (1230 Westerly RI). WICH (1310) in Norwich will join the network for 103 games, and the WMRD (1150 Middletown)/WLIS (1420 Old Saybrook) simulcast will carry Navigators action as well. The Binghamton Mets return to WNBF (1290) for another season.

NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE

When action starts in June, here's the tentative radio lineup: The Auburn Doubledays will be on WMBO (1340). WBTA (1490) will be home to the newly-renamed Batavia Muck Dogs. The Hudson Valley Renegades will be heard on WBNR (1260) in Beacon. Jamestown's Jammers will play on WKSN (1340), while the Lowell Spinners will be heard on WLLH (1400). The Pittsfield Mets stay on WBRK (1340), and the Vermont Expos continue their long relationship with WVMT (620) in Burlington. Across the border, CHSC (1220) carries the St. Catharines Stompers. And pity the poor fans of the Oneonta Yankees, Utica Blue Sox, and Watertown Indians; they have no radio coverage at all.

And that's it for this week; we'll see you again next Thursday!