- One of Boston's top-rated talk hosts is going network, at least in a
limited way. WRKO's Howie Carr will soon be heard in Providence on
talker WPRO (630). WPRO is picking up the 3-6pm portion of the
show, leaving the 6-7pm hour Boston-only for now. It's not yet clear
what happens to WPRO's local talker Bruce Newbury, who's currently
occupying afternoon drive on 630.
- Mega-opoly has arrived on the shores of Cape Cod, just in time for
tourist season. Car dealer Ernie Boch is buying adult contemporary
WCOD 106.1 (a Hyannis-licensed full B) and simulcast modern-rockers
WUNZ 101.1 Falmouth and WUNX 93.5 Harwich (both class A's, which
together cover the Cape.) Boch already owns talker WXTK 94.9 (a
West Yarmouth-licensed full B), as well as sports WUOK 1240 West
Yarmouth.
It's not yet known how much Boch paid to acquire the stations from
J.J. Taylor, or what changes he might make. WCOD is one of three
ACs on the Cape, in competition with WQRC in Barnstable and WCIB
in Falmouth, while WUNX/WUNZ have the modern-rock market to themselves.
What is clear is that Boston's major dailies did their usual
sloppy job reporting this one. The gossip column in one of them
identified WCOD as the modern rocker, while the other paper put
WCOD on "101.6 FM" and moved WUOK to the FM band as well. (That same
major metropolitan daily also gave WOAZ Lowell-Boston an unexpected
frequency change from 99.5 to 99.9 last week...)
- I'm amazed at the reaction that continues to pour in to my
mention of visiting Vermont and New Hampshire a few weeks ago.
It seems every station up there is on-line; I've heard from WTSL,
WHDQ, WMXR, and a former employee of WEQX. And with their help,
I can now say that WTSL 1400 is not automated, but in fact still
uses board ops on weekends; WMXR (93.9 Woodstock VT with translator
on 94.3 in White River Junction) is locally-programmed, albeit
automated on weekends; and there are a lot of very nice people
doing radio up there. Thanks, everyone...
- Judy Papparelli, the former traffic reporter/sidekick on the
"Matty in the Morning" show on Boston's Kiss-108 (WXKS 107.9 Medford),
has landed at WXLO 104.5 Fitchburg/Worcester, where she's now
co-hosting morning drive. She also co-hosts some syndicated
programming with John Garabedian of "Open House Party" fame.
- The Canton, Massachusetts based Talk America Radio Network, heard on
small AM stations around the country, will soon be available
on the Internet 24 hours a day. The network's press release
did not include a URL, but noted that the service will be
unveiled at the NAB convention next week. New England affiliates
of Talk America include WCAT 700 Orange MA, WSRO 1470 Marlboro/
WGAW 1340 Gardner MA, WSYB 1380 Rutland VT, and the now-undead
WDIS 1170 Norfolk MA.
- Calls have been assigned for the Laconia NH translator of WZID
95.7 Manchester. W243AH is expected to appear soon at 96.5, which
will also be the frequency of WAEF Bedford-Manchester NH, still in
construction-permit stage at this writing. Elsewhere on the
translator front, Idaho's Twin Falls Calvary Church has applied
for a few more low-power FMs, oops, I mean "translators" around
New England. The latest "FMedia!" includes apps for 91.1 Waterbury
CT, 91.9 Ellsworth ME, and 89.5 Burlington VT. There's some
question about the Waterbury frequency, as M Street lists it as
91.9. Either way, Calvary is doing sloppy frequency searches,
as the Burlington frequency is first-adjacent to the 89.7 CP
held by WCFE 91.9 across the lake in Plattsburgh NY. The Ellsworth
application is co-channel with 380-watt WMEB at the University
of Maine some 40 miles away in Orono. And if Waterbury really
is 91.1, that should be of some interest to first-adjacent WWUH
in nearby West Hartford on 91.3.
- NERW reader Barry O'Brien in Washington reports he attended the
Broadcasters' Foundation's "Golden Mike Awards" at the Plaza
Hotel in New York City this week. The guest of honor was veteran
New England broadcaster Norman Knight (of WTAG/WSRS Worcester
and WGIR Manchester NH fame). Speakers included Red Auerbach,
Curt Gowdy, and Pat Buchanan. Barry says of all the black-tie
affairs he's ever been to, this was the nicest. Thanks for the
tip, and a hearty congratulations to Mr. Knight, whose stations have
always been class operations in New England.
- And, thanks to NERW Connecticut correspondent Bill Dillane, here
is the complete list of affiliates for the Nutmeg State's
Eastern League baseball teams, as it appears in the local papers:
From the New Haven Register Sports Page 4/6/96
Ravens - WAVZ 1300 New Haven
WMMM 1260 Westport
WXCT 1220 Hamden (New Haven) (The station is Spanish)
From the Hartford Courant Sports Page 4/5/96
Rock Cats - WNEZ 910 New Britain
WCNX 1150 Middletown
WLIS 1420 Old Saybrook
WNTY 990 Southington
WNLK 1350 Norwalk
WSNG 610 Torrington (someone should tell the Courant station went
dark)
WINE 940 Brookfield (Danbury)
Navigators - WVVE 102.3 (Southeastern CT)
WILI 1400 Willimantic
Bill says a complete list of Boston Red Sox radio stations is available
here.
- Also from Bill: WKSS 95.7 Hartford, known to its fans as CHR "Kiss
95-7," is being sold to Multi-Market Radio for $18 million. Kiss
will become part of a Connecticut Valley group that includes
modern rock WMRQ 104.1 Waterbury-Hartford, rock WHCN 105.9 Hartford,
news-talk WPOP 1410 Hartford, classic rock WPLR 99.1 New Haven,
urban AC WYBC 94.3 New Haven (operated under an LMA), country WPKX
97.9 Enfield CT-Springfield MA, modern-rock WHMP-FM 99.3 Northampton
MA, and talker WHMP 1400 Northampton MA.
The deal leaves only three standalone FMs in Hartford: Buckley's
oldies WDRC 102.9 (along with standards WDRC 1360), locally-owned
rocker (and new Stern affiliate) WCCC 106.9 (and 1290 AM), and
WATR Inc's country WWYZ 92.5 Waterbury (co-owned with talker
WATR 1320 Waterbury). American Radio Systems is the other big
group owner in the area, with 70s WZMX 93.7, AC WRCH 100.5, news
WNEZ 910, and the pending purchase of news-talk WTIC 1080 and CHR
WTIC-FM 96.5.
- And finally, keep an eye on WADK 1540 in Newport RI. With the station's
pending sale to Philip Urso, a format change is reportedly imminent
at the 1 kilowatt daytimer. WADK currently programs an AC format,
similar to what's heard on Urso's other new purchase, WERI-FM (ex-WBLQ)
99.3 Block Island. No word on whether changes are planned at WADK's
sister station, WOTB 100.3 Middletown-Newport.
