Meantime on the commercial side of things, Saga is suing Citadel over a non-compete agreement in Portland. Saga, which owns WMGX (93.1), says former WMGX morning co-host Lori Voornas is sending letters to advertisers on Citadel stationery in violation of her non-compete. Citadel, which bought the Fuller-Jeffrey group in Portland earlier this year, says the non-compete covers only on-air appearances, and Voornas hasn't been on any of its stations -- yet.
A familiar face in Portland TV is coming home. John Dougherty made a name for himself at WCSH-TV (Channel 6) in the 1980s before moving down to Boston and WBZ-TV. He leaves WBZ November 19 to return to Portland, this time as lead anchor at WMTW-TV (Channel 8).
More talk shuffles at WRKO (680) this week, as Tai loses his 7-10pm slot to a reincarnation (sort of) of "Two Chicks Dishing," with ex-Chick Lori Kramer and ex-morning host Darlene McCarthy.
It must be no fun to be an LPTV these days, what with all the channel shuffling necessitated by the impending arrival of DTV. In Boston, two LPTVs fought for the chance to move to channel 40, and as usual, the big guys won. The FCC is allowing W54CN to become W40BO, relaying Paxson's WPXB (Channel 60) from Merrimack NH. The loser in this deal is "little guy" WCEA-LP (Channel 19), aka "Cuencavision," which had also applied for channel 40, replacing the channel it's losing to WGBH-DT.
Up in the Merrimack Valley, we hear TalkAmerica programs have disappeared from WCCM (800 Lawrence), replaced by Music of Your Life. We also hear the station's new studios in Lowell are looking pretty nice...
And congratulations to the folks at WBUR-FM (90.9 Boston), whose "Hear and Now" midday show is adding Maine and New Hampshire's public radio networks to its Boston-Cape Cod-Rhode Island markets via WBUR's own network.
Down on Long Island, longtime WBAB (102.3 Babylon) PD Bob Buchmann is moving to the city, filling Bill Weston's vacancy as PD at WAXQ (104.3 New York). No replacement has been named so far.
Oops! The FCC has reinstated the calls and license of Cazenovia College's WITC (88.9 Cazenovia), which were cancelled by accident back in July. Now if we could just hear the station on the air once in a while when we drive through that area...
Just outside the Rochester market, the rock format wars have claimed a victim. Bob Pfuntner's WNNR (103.5 Sodus) has struggled against Rochester-based WCMF and WNVE since signing on a few years ago. With Clear Channel's WVOR staking its spot in the rock wars as well last year, WNNR decided to choose a different course...so Monday morning (11/1) found "The Winner" becoming "Big Dog Country." Woof!
Speaking of WCMF, its outspoken morning host, Brother Wease (aka Alan Levin) is being sued for sexual harassment by former co-host Cindy Pierce. Pierce has been on disability leave from CBS-owned WCMF (96.5) since the summer. Wease is also being sued by an account executive at the station for allegedly making sexual remarks about her on the air.
Across town at WHAM (1180), look for reporter Susan Ashline to return to the airwaves. She's been working strictly off-air since becoming a candidate for Town Justice in the small town of Ontario -- but after losing her race Tuesday night, she's back in the world of radio full-time.
Religious translators on the march: Family Life Radio is applying for 91.9 in Greece to relay WCIY (88.9 Canandaigua). Expect opposition from public broadcaster WXXI (91.5), which was turned down on its own bid for a new west-side FM last year. In Buffalo, W207BB are the calls granted for the new WPCS (Pensacola) translator on 89.3.
And just across the state line in Pennsylvania, we note a call change from WWCC to WPSN on AM 1590 in Honesdale (across the Delaware River from the Catskills...)
No news from CANADA this week...except that we'll be there next week, exploring Vancouver, Victoria, and Seattle. NERW will appear sometime Saturday (11/13) upon our return. See you then!