The CBC seems to already realize that the 88.5 signal is inadequate to reach the old CBM audience; they asked the CRTC this week for permission to boost power to 16900 watts (presumably directional to protect adjacent-channel WXLU 88.3 in Peru NY and WWPV 88.7 in Colchester VT), and they're reportedly being deluged with calls from listeners who can't hear the FM replacements. That number, should you, too, miss CBM is 514-597-4466.
For the next few months, DXers might get some interesting catches on 940, but Montreal won't be gone long. Expect the CRTC to decide within a few months among the several applicants for 940 and 690, abandoned earlier this year by CBF.
From the stunt file: Rutland's "Cat Country" (WJAN 94.5/WJEN 95.1 Sunderland) fooled the local paper a couple of weeks ago when it brought new morning jock Don Glaze to town. Glaze started his rutland career by standing on a street corner downtown with a sign that said "Will Work Now!" He told reporters he had just moved to Rutland from Illinois after driving out to follow the woman he loved, then being dumped. The newspaper ate it up, only to run a follow-up the next day admitting it had been duped. One station owner claimed she knew nothing about it, but others at the recently-sold station told the Herald the whole thing had been planned out as a way to draw attention to WJAN/WJEN following the departure of Glaze's predecessor Willie Clark.
We hear WBUR-FM (90.9 Boston) is no longer announcing WKKL (90.7 West Barnstable) in its station IDs -- and we look forward to hearing from our Cape readers whether the high-school station is still simulcasting WBUR, something that's become superfluous with the advent of WBUR (1240 West Yarmouth) in the last few years. Speaking of the WBUR network, we note a Providence Journal story about the Rhode Island affiliate, WRNI (1290 Providence), in which the station claims it will add a Newport outlet later this year. We'll keep watching for this one...
On the TV side of things, WBZ-TV (Channel 4) could soon have new viewers in the Canadian Maritimes. The Fundy cable systems which serve most of New Brunswick have asked the CRTC for permission to carry WBZ instead of WTOL (Channel 11) from Toledo, Ohio. WBZ is already seen on cable in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland.
Up the Hudson a bit, WRNQ (92.1 Poughkeepsie) has applied to move its transmitter into the hills across the river. WRNQ currently uses 2150 watts at 117 meters AAT from a residential neighborhood west of downtown; they want to go to 520 watts at 317 meters from the WTBY (Channel 54) tower -- which, ironically, is not where WTBY wants to put its new DTV signal on channel 27. That CP specifies Beacon Mountain, 30 miles or so to the south (and, of course, much closer to New York City!)
Plenty of changes this week in Albany, beginning at WKLI (100.9)/WKBE (100.3 Warrensburg), which has started using the "Point" nickname that briefly surfaced across town at 104.9 earlier this spring. We hear a new jock lineup will be unveiled soon to go along with the modern AC format. The competitor at 104.9 has been heard using the "WZMR" calls that the FCC has yet to acknowledge (they think the Altamont station is WAAP, a set of calls it never actually used on-air); it's also reportedly applying to increase power (although there's no sign of that in the FCC database, either). WABY-FM (94.5 Ravena) is now using ABC's Stardust satellite format outside of morning drive. On the TV side, Kathy Gazda is leaving Fox affiliate WXXA (Channel 23) to become news director of WB affiliate KSWB (Channel 69) out in San Diego. Gazda founded the Fox 23 news operation a few years ago after several years on-air at other Albany stations. WXXA's owner, Clear Channel, is one of two companies rumored to be looking at purchasing or LMAing WMHQ (Channel 45) after Sinclair's deal to buy the public TV outlet fell through.
In the Mohawk Valley, WODZ (1450 Rome) has dropped its simulcast with oldies FM WODZ-FM (96.1) to take on religion from new owner Bible Broadcasting and new calls WYFY. At rhythmic CHR WOWZ (97.9 Whitesboro)/WOWB (105.5 Little Falls), John Carucci takes over as PD from the departed J.P. Marks. Carucci was promotion manager at WSEN (92.1 Baldwinsville) in the Syracuse market.
And at Jacor/Rochester, some new voices on the air include Steve Simolo, who joins news-talk WHAM (1180) as evening and weekend news anchor after years at WSFW (1110/99.3 Seneca Falls), and a bunch of voice-tracked generic jocks from Tampa who are trying to sound local on "Kiss" WKGS (106.7 Irondequoit). We say "trying" because one was heard talking about the "ah-MERKS" (the Amerks, the local minor-league hockey team we all call the "AM-erks") playing at the "BCA," which we think is the venue now called the "Blue Cross Arena" but still universally known by its old name, the "War Memorial." Yes, we know voicetracking can and does have its place (just ask all the many Boston jocks -- Ed McMann, Dale Dorman, J.J. Wright, Mike Addams -- doing shifts for Chancellor and Greater Media stations in Chicago, Orlando, Detroit, and elsewhere), but when it's done without any attempt to make the "local color" believable, it shows.
That's it for another week! Welcome back to our readers on AIRWAVES/rec.radio.broadcasting, who rejoin us on "tape delay" (Monday publication) -- and a reminder that you can get NERW "live" (as soon as it's sent out late Friday night) by joining our free mailing list. Just send e-mail to <nerw-request@bostonradio.org> with the word subscribe (and nothing else) in the body of the message, and follow the simple instructions which we'll e-mail to you.
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