 DCRTV Front - Boston - Contact Us - Mailbag - Advertise - Support DCRTV - DCRTV Plus Boards: RI NYC Radio - RI Philadelphia Radio - RI LI Radio - RI NJ Radio - NYRMB WLIU Could Be Silenced - 7/29 - The voice of the Hamptons is in danger of being silenced. After bidding more than $850,000 for the broadcast license to Long Island University's radio station WLIU, 88.3 FM, Peconic Public Broadcasting is still more than $500,000 away from making good on its offer (LIU put the license on the block in a cost-cutting move). If the not-for-profit broadcaster can't persuade Hamptons players to come to the rescue by August 31, its East End identity could go south. The NY Daily News has more..... Vickie Burns To Head NBC LA TVer - 7/29 - Vickie Burns gets named president and general manager of NBC's LA TVer, KNBC. For the past 15 months she's been vice president of local media content and audience development for NBC's NYC TVer, WNBC..... Spanish Sports To 860 - 7/28 - Philadelphia's WWDB (860 AM) will drop business talk on August 2 to run ESPN Deportes Spanish sports talk..... Simpson Leaves CBS NYC - 7/28 - Sammy Simpson leaves his gig as director of integrated marketing for CBS Radio's New York City radio cluster..... WPEN Adds Rutgers Football - 7/27 - Greater Media Philadelphia sports talker WPEN, 97.5 The Fanatic, joins the Rutgers University football network. WPEN-AM, 950, aired nine Rutgers games last season..... Calder To XRK - 7/26 - Will Calder joins CBS contemporary hits WXRK (92.3 FM) as production director. The station also taps late night host Brandon "Buster" Satterfield for assistant music director duties..... Castello To WLIE - 7/26 - Michael Castello gets named vice president and general manager Principle Broadcasting's ethnic WLIE (540 AM) on Long Island. Most recently, Castello was vice president for syndication ad sales for American Latino Syndication-LATV Networks..... Stein Leaves WHAT - 7/26 - Philadelphia's WHAT (1340 AM) says goodbye to morning talk show host Missy Stein, a breast cancer survivor..... Profit Up At NY Times - 7/22 - The New York Times Company second-quarter operating profit rose to $60.8 million from $23.5 million, while earnings per share from continuing operations increased to 18 cents from 8 cents in the period a year earlier. Circulation revenue grew, and a double-digit increase in digital advertising helped offset a decline in print advertising. More at nytimes.com..... Comcast-NBC Might Have To Sell 4 & 10 - 7/22 -  Comcast may have to sell some NBC television stations - including NYC's Channel 4/WNBC and Philadelphia's Channel 10/WCAU - to get US government approval for buying General Electric's NBC Universal. According to Bloomberg, these are among the remedies the Federal Communications Commission or the Justice Department may require to ease fears about keeping television markets competitive following the $28 billion deal, antitrust analysts said. Comcast, the largest US cable operator, would get control of the NBC television network and broadcast stations, plus its Comcast SportsNet sports networks, in Washington, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco, six of the biggest US television markets. Comcast also would acquire NBC's national cable networks, including Bravo, USA Network, MSNBC, and CNBC, and national sports and Olympic Games programming.....STW Yanks AM & PM Hosts - 7/22 - Wilmington's contemporary hit WSTW (93.7 FM) says adios to morning host Dana McDonald and afternoon host Rob Acampora. Nancy Johnson and Spencer, McDonald's former co-hosts, stay in mornings, with night jock Jo Alan doing afternoons. McDonald has been with WSTW for 17 years. Acampora has been with the Delmarva station more than nine years..... New Show For 1050's Bernstein - 7/20 - Bonnie Bernstein has left Michael Kay's show on 1050 ESPN, WEPN. Starting July 26, she will co-host 1050's "New York Football Live" at 7 weeknights on the NYC sports talker..... Dunn Leaves NYDN - 7/20 - Martin Dunn tells the NY Daily News staff that he's leaving "to devote time to dealing with a personal family issue" and that "later this year, when that issue is resolved, it is my intention to take advantage of some exciting offers in new areas of the media." Boston Herald editor Kevin Convey succeeds Dunn. Gawker has more..... WLTW & WBEB Top Radio Heaps - 7/16 - The June monthly radio ratings. WLTW tops NYC and WBEB tops Philadelphia..... NYC TVers Cover Steinbrenner Death - 7/14 - Many NYC TVers interrupted regular programming Tuesday to cover the death of Yankees owner Geroge Steinbrenner. More in the NY Daily News..... Jericka Duncan To 3 - 7/14 - Jericka Duncan joins CBS's Channel 3/KYW and sister Channel 57/WPSG as a general assignment reporter. She spent the past four years at WIVB-TV in Buffalo..... Rush Sells Plush NYC Pad - 7/10 - A year after railing about the high tax burden on wealthy New Yorkers, Rush Limbaugh, the conservative radio talk-show host, is severing one more tie with New York, selling his lushly decorated Fifth Avenue penthouse to an undisclosed buyer. Limbaugh's 10-room condominium, which features a 30-foot-wide living room with fireplace and four terraces overlooking Central Park at East 86th Street, went into contract Thursday for a bit under the final $12.95 million asking price, wsj.com reports. The final price was about $11.5 million. Limbaugh paid just under $5 million for it in 1994..... More Subs For Satrad - 7/7 - Sirius XM Radio added about 583,000 net subscribers in the second quarter, bringing its total base to 19.5 million as healthier car sales lifted demand for satellite radio. Reuters has more..... AC's 102.7 Goes "Wild" - 7/6 - Atlantic City rocker WJSE (102.7) goes rhythmic contemporary as WWAC, with the "Wild" moniker. WJSE is also changing city of license from Petersburg NJ to Ocean City, with a power hike..... Dave Davis Returns To 7 - 7/2 - Dave Davis is leaving his post at ABC News and returning to his old job as general manager of ABC's flagship station Channel 7/WABC in NYC, TVNewser reports. Davis joined ABC News as #2 to David Westin in September 2007. He was tasked with, in Westin's words, being the "single, senior executive to oversee all of our television broadcasts, replacing the structure in which the programs reported to several different people"..... WLIU Sale Delayed - 7/2 - Long Island University has agreed to give Peconic Public Broadcasting an extra two months to make the final payment on its purchase of the 88.3 FM radio station and its broadcasting equipment - but it will be the final extension granted. The payment was originally due on June 30, according to the deal inked in February that secured the sale of the former WLIU station to Peconic, a local grassroots group led by many of WLIU’s employees, including longtime station manager Wally Smith. Under the extension negotiated last week, the future owners made an interim payment of $63,000 and the final installment - $537,000 - is now due on August 31. Southampton News has more..... LA Country Outlet To Offer NYC Service - 7/1 - The LA area's Go Country 105 is launching a country music service directed at largely country radio-free NYC via GoCountryNY.com. A smart phone app is also planned..... AP Vet Michael Collins Dies - 6/29 - Michael Collins, a longtime former broadcast editor at the Associated Press and a mentor to many radio journalists, died at his Connecticut home, police said Monday. He was 63. Police say that he was poisoned by ethylene glycol, an antifreeze. Collins ran the broadcast wire in the AP's New York City bureau from 1973 to 1988, feeding AP news to radio and TV outlets throughout the metropolitan area. Before coming to the AP, Collins was a newscaster at WICC in Bridgeport, Connecticut. More from AP..... DirecTV & Dish Wants Access To CSN - 6/26 - DirecTV and DISH have requested access to Comcast's terrestrially-delivered regional sports network in Philadelphia, Comcast SportsNet. B&C has more..... Richie Rich Leaves CC Philly - 6/25 - Richie Rich loses his on-air gigs with Clear Channel's WIOQ (102.1 FM) and WISX (106.1 FM) in Philadelphia. He's an 18-year Delaware Valley radio veteran..... John Cook Out At WBEN - 6/25 - Programmer John Cook gets bounced from Greater Media's "Ben-FM," WBEN (95.7 FM) in Philadelphia. Cook, the son of legendary WFIL personality and programmer Jay Cook, grew up in Philadelphia, and previously programmed rocker WYSP for CBS..... New Name For New Philly Newspaper Ownership Group - 6/24 - The new management group for the Philadelphia Inquirer is slowly taking shape, according to recent court filings that revealed a new name for the company, four directors, and the makeup of the collective ownership. The new owner of the Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com will be known as Philadelphia Media Network. The company plans to take over from Philadelphia Newspapers, which sold the local media firm at auction for $139 million in April to settle its bankruptcy case. More at philly.com..... Pfeffer To Head Marketing At CC NYC - 6/23 - Clear Channel promotes Darren Pfeffer to director of marketing and promotions for its NYC cluster. He will be responsible for overseeing promotional and marketing efforts at WHTZ, WWPR, WLTW, WAXQ, and WKTU..... Golden Girl Gone Fron WUSL - 6/23 - Golden Girl leaves the late night slot at Clear Channel's urban WUSL, Power 99, in Philadelphia. The Hot Boys move an hour later, to the 7 PM to midnight slot..... Parker To Head QXR - 6/22 - Graham Parker, the executive director of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, gets named vice president of classical WQXR (105.9 FM) by parent New York Public Radio..... Palmeri To NY Post - 6/21 - Gossip columnist Tara Palmeri leaves the Washington Examiner for a like gig at the New York Post's "Page 6" gossip column. She replaces Neel Shah, who is moving to LA to be a TV writer..... Former WaPoer Becomes Ombud At NYT - 6/21 - Arthur Brisbane, a former Washington Post reporter, gets named public editor (aka ombudsman) at the New York Times. Brisbane was a columnist for the Kansas City Times and then worked as a reporter and editor at the Post, where he covered then-Mayor Marian Barry and was later on the paper's national staff. He then returned to Kansas City to work at that city's Star, becoming the paper's editor and publisher before moving to San Jose to be senior vice president of the paper's parent company, Knight Ritter, until it was bought by McClatchy in 2006..... NY Broadcasters Name Hall Inductees - 6/21 - The New York State Broadcasters Association has announced its 2010 Hall Of Fame inductees: FM radio pioneer Scott Muni, veteran radio broadcaster Jim Roselle, film critic and entertainment reporter Dan DiNicola, political and business leader Percy Sutton, and television news broadcaster Don Alhart. The nominees will be inducted June 28 at the NYSBA's annual conference..... Changes Coming To RXP - 6/21 -  Tom Taylor in his Monday TRI radio biz newsletter: Prediction
here is that Emmis will de-emphasize the older stuff and rock out more at NYC rocker WRXP (101.9 FM). And that
it will quit trying to play a musical game of "Twister," touching all kinds of
sub-genres of rock. The "Experience"¯ tag was gone as of late last week and now it's just "Rock 101.9 RXP." Emmis shelves heritage smooth jazz WQCD in February 2008 and this may be another case like 93.9 in Los Angeles, where Emmis may wish it could hit the "rewind"¯button and retrieve a previous format. WRXP has a large cume of 2 million to 2.2 million. But its low Time Spent Listening is keeping it down around 20th place with age 6+ AQH shares. While Clear Channel's classic rock "Q104.3" WAXQ is tied for fifth place and pulls a cume that's 50% larger, in the latest May PPMs. In specific demos, WRXP is 17th
with adults 25-54, while WAXQ is fourth. With 25-54 men, WRXP is 11th, while Q104.3 is second behind all-sports "Fan" WFAN. With 18-49 men, WRXP is 10th.....Koppel's Son Died Of Overdose - 6/19 - The NYC medical examiner's office has ruled that Andrew Koppel, the 40-year-old son of DC-based newsman Ted Koppel, died of an accidental drug overdose. He was found dead in an NYC apartment May 31 after a day of binge-drinking. Andrew, who had a history of alcohol abuse, was an attorney for the New York City Housing Authority. The ME reported that Andrew died from "acute intoxication" from a mix of alcohol, heroin, cocaine, generic Valium, and other drugs. Andrew was convicted in 1993 of punching out a senatorial aide in a drunken dust-up in DC and was ordered into alcohol treatment. Three years earlier, he got into a drunken fender bender while driving his father's Mercedes in their home state of Maryland..... 7's Scott Clark To Retire - 6/18 - Scott Clark, the top sportscaster at the number one NYC TV station, is hanging up his press pass. Clark will retire in January, having decided that after more than two decades at WABC/Channel 7, it was time to enjoy life away from the desk. And he's doing it on his own terms - a rarity in TV these days. The NY Daily News..... CBS-FM, BEB Top Radio Ratings - 6/17 - Classic hits WCBS-FM takes the top spot in the NYC radio ratings for the month of May. The numbers are at radio-info.com. And, adult contemporary narrowly holds onto its top spot in Philadelphia. More at radio-info.com..... Flores Out At SBS - 6/16 - Tom Taylor in his TRI newsletter is reporting that Frank Flores has resigned from Spanish Broadcasting System. Flores managed “Mega” WSKQ-FM (97.9) and “Amor” Spanish AC WPAT-FM (93.1) in NYC..... Spitzer Talked To WABC Radio - 6/15 - New York magazine reports that former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer had talks with news talker WABC-AM about doing a radio show..... XPN Trims Y-Rock - 6/8 - FMQB tells us that due to budget cuts at adult alternative WXPN (88.5 FM) in Philadelphia, Operations Manager Josh Landow will exit on July 8. "Y-Rock On XPN" will continue online at yrockonxpn.org and XPN's HD2 digital signal. However, it will no longer be heard Wednesday through Friday nights on the main FM signal..... 11 Yanks GM & Anchor - 6/8 - WPIX/Channel 11 president and general manager Betty Ellen Berlamino was fired Monday. Word of Berlamino's departure came just days after evening and late-news anchor and market veteran Jim Watkins was told his contract would not be renewed when it expires in August, sources said. Both moves shocked insiders, because Berlamino and Watkins are well-liked at the station. She got there in 1994 and was elevated to general manager in 2000. Watkins arrived in 1998, following a run as weekend anchor at WNBC/Channel 4. The NY Daily News has more..... O'Brien Leaves GM Gig At 4 - 6/7 - Tom O'Brien, who had been vice president general manager of NBC's Channel 4/WNBC since 2008, becomes executive vice president of NBC Local Media's NY Nonstop Network. He will be charged with launching new digital channels on all NBC stations. His replacement in the VP/GM gig at NYC's NBC 4 will be Michael Jack, from NBC's DC TVer, WRC..... 3's Kammerer To DC - 6/7 -  DCRTV hears that Doug Kammerer (right) is the new chief meteorologist at NBC's Channel 4/WRC in DC. He comes from CBS's Channel 3/KYW in Philadelphia, where he's been doing morning weather duties. He's been at KYW since 2007, and worked at NBC's Channel 10/WCAU in Philadelphia since 2003.....SB Nation Launches NYC Site - 6/7 - Sports website SB Nation launches its NYC site at newyork.sbnation.com. It's among 20 local sites being launched by SB Nation this month. SB Nation reports from the fan perspective, building communities and engaging fans socially. All of the regional sites will continue this model and blend news, opinion, and conversation among fans. The new regional sites will join the more than 250 team-centric and sport specific communities SB Nation owns and operates, each with their own name, URL, writers, and guidelines..... Stein Sees Return Of Cancer - 6/7 - Missy Stein, who hosts middays at adult standards WHAT (1340 AM) in Philadelphia, told her audience that she is again battling breast cancer after being cancer-free for eight years. Stein had a double mastectomy after the first battle. This time she found it herself before the doctors did..... Himan Brown Dies - 6/7 - Golden Age radio producer Himan Brown died Friday age 99. He began his radio career reading poetry on the old WRNY-AM in NYC and comics in Yiddish dialect on the old WEAF-AM in NYC. His credits include "Inner Sanctum," "CBS Radio Mystery Theater," "Dick Tracy," "Flash Gordon," and more..... Maternity Leave For Pilenza - 6/7 - Michele Pilenza, midday talk show co-host at Trenton's WKXW, 101.5 FM, will be taking the summer off on maternity leave, after welcoming her second child, Bradley, into the world. Replacing her in middays will be Dena Blizzard..... Citadel Emerges From Bankruptcy Protection - 6/4 - Citadel, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late last year, is no longer under the court protection and its former shareholders are holding worthless shares. The company's former creditors now own the company. Earlier this week, RBR reported that there was no longer any threat of a further legal challenge to the company's reorganization plan by Aurelius Capital Partners, which had thrown in the towel and sold its shares. There's also talk that Citadel might sell some of its smaller market stations, and maybe even get back into the buying arena. Locally, Citadel owns WABC-AM and WPLJ-FM..... WSHR Picks Up CHR - 6/1 - WSHR (91.1 FM) in Lake Ronkonkoma, Long Island, drops jazz and oldies in favor of contemporary hit tunes, as "The Arrow"..... Koppel's Son Found Dead After Booze Binge - 6/1 - Andrew Koppel, the 40-year-old son of DC-based newsman Ted Koppel, was found dead in an NYC apartment Monday after a day of binge-drinking. Andrew, who had a history of alcohol abuse, was an attorney for the New York City Housing Authority. The NY Post reports that Andrew was convicted in 1993 of punching out a senatorial aide in a drunken dust-up in DC and was ordered into alcohol treatment. Three years earlier, he got into a drunken fender bender while driving his father's Mercedes in their home state of Maryland..... Cruise Joins JBR's Morning Show - 5/25 - Dave Cruise joins Jill Quale for morning co-host duties at adult contemporary WJBR in Wilmington..... Kasell, Stern Nominated To Hall Of Fame - 5/25 - Longtime National Public Radio newsman Carl Kasell and shock jock Howard Stern make the list of nominees for the National Radio Hall Of Fame. The voting starts June 14th. More at radiohof.org..... CT's WPKN Ends LI Relay - 5/24 - Connecticut public radioer WPKN has decided to transfer its 88.7 FM signal transmitter in Montauk/New London to the Hamptons Community Radio in a lease-to-own deal expected to launch Memorial Day weekend. More at theday.com..... Philly TV & Radio Legend Bill Webber Dies - 5/23 -  Philadelphia radio and TV legend Bill "Wee Willie" Webber (left) passed away Sunday morning from a heart attack, BroadcastPioneers.com reports. Webber, just a few days shy of his 81st birthday, was hospitalized a few days ago for tests and preparation for open heart surgery this coming week. During his 62-year career, Webber worked at numerous Philadelphia TV stations, including the old WFIL (now WPVI), the now-defunct WKBS, as well as WPHL. He also worked at many radio stations, including WIP, WPEN, WHAT, and WVLT. Your friendly webmaster, who lived in the Philadelphia area in the late 1960s and early 1970s, remembers Webber when he did a radio show at then Metromedia-owned adult contemporary WIP (610 AM) as "Bill Webber" and also did a kiddie show on Channel 17/WPHL as "Wee Willie Webber".....11 Fires DeMentri - 5/22 - TV news bad boy Vince DeMentri lost his job at WPIX/Channel 11 Friday - just days after allegedly slapping a chauffeur during a fight over a parking space. "Vince DeMentri is no longer with the company," a WPIX spokeswoman said Friday night, noting that he did not appear on the channel's news program Friday night. The trouble-prone reporter was busted by the NYPD Thursday after a bloody-lipped chauffeur went to cops to report the assault on East 41st Street. The NY Daily News has more..... More Troubles For DeMentri - 5/21 - From the NY Post: TV news bad boy Vince DeMentri is in trouble again after angrily slapping the Bahamian UN ambassador’s chauffeur during a rage over a parking spot, authorities said. DeMentri, of WPIX/Channel 11 news, was facing an assault charge because of his Wednesday afternoon meltdown at the northwest corner of Third Avenue and East 41st Street, near his WPIX office. Sources said driver Hurley Senanayake, 54, was waiting for the ambassador when DeMentri, 46, confronted him and complained that he had parked in an NYP zone, reserved for New York press..... Cullen Sues CBS - 5/21 - The former chief meteorologist at CBS News is suing, charging his bosses were looking for "an excuse" to can him after nearly 30 years at the network. George Cullen, who contributed to the "CBS Evening News" and "The Early Show," claims he was unfairly axed last month by network honchos plotted to bring in a "younger and less qualified" replacement. More in the NY Daily News..... More Power For 7's Campbell - 5/20 - Rebecca Campbell, president and general manager of NYC's Channel 7/WABC, has been named president of ABC's 10 owned-and-operated stations, including Philadelphia's Channel 6/WPVI. She replaces Walter Liss, who announced his retirement earlier in the day. Liss will remain on as a consultant to ABC..... WLTW Tops NYC Radio Heap - 5/20 - From Radio-Info.com: In New York City – It’s still “Lite” here, as Clear Channel AC WLTW stays #1. But the rest of the field’s a bit closer. Lite has moved 7.9-7.7-6.8 since February, with age 6+ AQH shares. Classic hits WCBS-FM is second. (Lite’s total cume of 5.9 million still dwarfs the rest of the field and must the largest in America.) April is a good month for stations like rhythmic AC WKTU, up 3.9-4.1-4.6. Also urban “Hot 97” WQHT, which ratings student Chris Huff determines has its best topline share in years, at a 3.8. AC “Fresh” WWFS improves, 2.7-2.9-3.6. The fast season-opening start of Mets baseball pays off for sports “Fan” WFAN (2.4-2.4-3.5). Yankees flagship WCBS-AM (5.0-4.0-4.6) gets an early boost with 25-54s. And speaking of 25-54s – the top five this month are WLTW, WKTU, CHR “Z100” WHTZ, classic rock WAXQ and (tied for fifth) WCBS-FM and “Fresh"..... WBEB Tops Philly Radio Heap - 5/20 - From Radio-Info.com: Philadelphia – Again, most major-market ACs would be content with an 8.0. But for Jerry Lee’s B101/WBEB, that’s down from a 9.2 in February. Chalk Philly up as another market where classic hits is a strong #2. That’s WOGL, 6.1-6.6-7.0. Among 25-54s – it’s B101, WOGL, rock WMMR, urban AC WDAS-FM and classic rock WMGK..... Court OK's Citadel Bankruptcy Exit - 5/18 - Citadel, the third-largest radio station owner in the US, has won court approval to exit bankruptcy over the objections of shareholders who said the company is worth more than executives and bankers assert. Bloomberg has more. Locally, Citadel owns WABC-AM and WPLJ-FM..... 11's Kaden Back To Work - 5/17 - Pregnant Channel 11/WPIX reporter Allison Kaden is back at work six weeks after being hit by a car. The NY Daily News has more..... Mainelli Working With NewsMax On Radio Show - 5/14 - Former WABC-AM Program Director John Mainelli consulting with conservative news organization NewsMax to develope a radio show. NewsMax Media is also looking for an executive to oversee the new radio division, and to be the lead with Mainelli to hire the on-air talent for the proposed radio show, which will be based in New York City..... Emmis Up D'Aurelio - 5/13 - Emmis names Brian D’Aurelio operations manager for the three-station NYC cluster, including Hot 97 (WQHT), 98.7 KISS FM (WRKS), and 101.9 RXP (WRXP). D’Aurelio is also part of the on-air team of Brian and Chris, which is moving to weeknights from 7 PM to midnight on WRXP effective May 17. Most recently, D’Aurelio served as the director of marketing and digital media for the Emmis NY cluster..... Spano To WVOX - 5/12 - Former Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano joins New Rochelle's WVOX as a talk show host..... Sirius XM Channel Adds Beck - 5/12 - Sirius XM's righty talk Patriot Channel (Sirius-144, XM-166) adds Fox News superstar Glenn Beck to its weekday line-up starting 5/17. Beck's radio show will be heard from 9 AM to noon. Also, Sirius XM is rolling out a Patriot Plus righty talk channel that'll cost extra and carry Bill Bennett and Laura Ingraham..... Comcast Biggie Salivates Over NBC News - 5/12 -   Comcast head honcho Brian Roberts on his proposed merger with NBC: "The single most awesome asset that comes from this deal is NBC News," he said, "NBC News will help define Comcast." With heat from Washington about what the merger of the country's most powerful cable company with a content giant would mean to consumers, Roberts opened his Tuesday session at a big cable confab in LA with a display of Comcast's latest on-demand capabilities that will offer subscribers as many as 11,000 available movies. The test markets are its hometown of Philadelphia and the nation's capital, where the lawmakers and regulators who will decide the fate of the Comcast-NBC deal reside. More from latimes.com.....ABC Newsers Ratify Contract - 5/10 - ABC News employees represented by the Writers Guild Of America-East have ratified their new contract agreement overwhelmingly. The three-year contract is effective immediately and affects newswriters, editors, desk assistants, production assistants, graphic artists, and researchers in national and local television and radio in NYC and DC. Under the terms of the agreement, which were announced on April 9, WGAE-ABC employees will receive wage increases of at least 2% per year in each year of the contract. In addition, for the first time, the contract provides a substantial minimum salary and enhanced severance package for writers who produce shows for WABC-TV, as well as a training stipend for WABC-TV newswriters if any are laid off because of a change in the seniority list - no such layoffs are in the works. Several other payments to members, including the promo/continuity availability fee and acting editor fee, have been increased. In addition, the WGAE gave ABC greater flexibility in work assignments in return for improved job security protections for any members who might be affected..... Mexican Billionaire Eyeing Newsweek? - 5/10 - Might Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, who already owns a big chunk of the New York Times, be eyeing the purchase of Newsweek from the Washington Post Company? The NY Post has more..... More Rumors That Emmis Might Sell RXP - 5/10 - Emmis has "one station in New York City and two in Chicago” it might consider selling. According to Tom Taylor, in this Monday TRI Radio-Info newslatter, the exact language in the 10-K annual report filed on Friday was this – those are stations “where we believe the sale value could exceed the prospects for cash flow generation as part of our portfolio.” Emmis is still “optimistic about the growth potential” of the properties. But “as the market for buying and selling radio stations improves, we may from time to time explore sales of one or more of these stations.” Okay, let’s fill in the blanks. New York has to be the 101.9 that Emmis flipped from smooth jazz WQCD just over three years ago to the hybrid “New York Rock Experience", now tagged as WRXP. An earlier paragraph in the Emmis SEC filing says “our cluster in New York trailed the performance of the overall radio market during the 12-month period ended February 28.” It says the gross revenues of WRXP, urban AC “Kiss 98.7” WRKS and urban “Hot 97” WQHT were down 19.5%, whereas Miller Kaplan reported that New York radio market total gross revenues were off 12.4%. ESPN has been craving an FM signal for WEPN (1050) since Mayor Bloomberg’s second term – and maybe his first term..... Brian & Chris To RXP Evenings - 5/6 - NYC adult rocker WRXP (101.9 FM) promotes overnight team Brian and Chris to the 7 PM weeknight slot, which became vacant when Brian Phillips moved into afternoons on the Emmis station..... Imus: Scarborough's Radio Show Cancelled - 4/30 - Don Imus believes that Citadel actually cancelled Joe Scarborough's morning radio show, rather that putting it on "hiatus." The Huffington Post has more. Scarborough is heard late mornings on Citadel talker WABC (770 AM), while Imus does early mornings on the station..... Hedge Fund Gets Inquirer - 4/29 - An NYC hedge fund beats out a local group for control and ownership of the Philadelphia Inquirer and its sister Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphis Newspapers LLC gets acquired by its senior lenders in a $139-million deal that includes $39.2 million in debt and $69 million in cash equity, plus the value of the company's real estate, estimated at $30 million for the purposes of the bankruptcy auction. More from philly.com..... More Cuts At ABC News - 4/28 - The LA Times have more on those on-going cuts at ABC News - 22 more this week. The network has shuttered many bureaus except for DC and NYC, where the cuts have also been felt..... Allen Swift Dies - 4/28 - Allen Swift, the voice of Mighty Mouse, Dinky Duck and, for a brief period, Howdy Doody, not to mention an Eveready battery, a toilet plunger for Drano, Vita’s Beloved Herring Maven and other characters both human and inanimate in more than 30,000 television and radio commercials, died on April 18 at his home in Manhattan. He was 87. The NY Times has more..... KTU Moves Wendy Wild - 4/27 - In NYC, Clear Channel's rhythmic contemporary WKTU, 103.5 FM, moves Wendy Wild from weekends to weekday middays..... NY Times On Non-Comm Classical Music Rise - 4/27 - The NY Times looks at the rise of classical music radio on the public, non-commercial radio dial. Including the re-launch of the paper's former WQXR last year..... Circ Drops For NY Times, Daily News, Post - 4/26 - Most newspapers continue to post big declines in their print circulation numbers. The New York Times, the New York Daily News, and the New York Post are all down for the six months ending in March. The Wall Street Journal is up slightly. More from E&P..... Scarborough's Radio Show Goes On Hiatus - 4/26 - Citadel is putting Joe Scarborough's 10 AM-to-noon radio show on hiatus, as it says it's developing a longer version of the show, which features Mika Brzezinski. It airs on NYC's WABC radio, but got yanked from Citadel's DC talker WMAL after failing to generate ratings last summer. More from nytimes.com..... Citadel Sees Revenue Spurt - 4/26 - Citadel Broadcasting posts a net radio revenue growth rate of 5.5 percent for the first quarter of 2010. Lead mainly by stations in LA, Detroit, and Dallas. In NYC, Citadel owns WABC-AM and WPLJ. Citadel is currently in the process of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and a confirmation hearing on its plan is slated for May 12..... New Relay For FUV - 4/23 - Adult alternative WFUV, 90.7 FM, in NYC starts a new transmitter on Mount Beacon via 94.5 FM, which will boost reception in the Newburgh area..... Verdict In NY1 Harassment Suit - 4/23 - A federal jury in Brooklyn sided with NY1 in reaching a verdict Thursday in the sexual harassment lawsuit brought against the cable TV local news outlet by former reporter Adele Sammarco. The NY Post has more..... NJ To Spin-Off NJN - 4/22 - New Jersey's public television network is planning its transformation into an independent nonprofit, the network's top executive told the Senate Budget And Appropriations Committee. Howard Blumenthal, interim executive director of New Jersey Network, told the panel that NJN would continue to focus on news, public affairs, and Jersey-centric programming, not just on television but across various media platforms, including the internet. Governor Christie has called for NJN - the only network to broadcast his budget address live in March - to operate independently as of January 1, 2011, ending close to 40-years of state ownership. More at philly.com..... WLTW & WBEB Top Radio Heap - 4/22 - WLTW tops the March radio ratings in NYC. More at radio-info.com. WBEB tops Philadelphia. More at radio-info.com..... More On Roth Choice To Replace Stern - 4/22 - CBS Radio fantasized about getting Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, or Jon Stewart to replace Howard Stern when he left his ultra-successful terrestrial morning radio show - heard locally on WXRK and WYSP - at the end of 2005, says the then-CBS executive in charge of the search. CBS ultimately settled for David Lee Roth, said former CBS exec Rob Barnett, because he was the only viable candidate with an ego large enough to think he could step into Stern's shoes. Barnett guested on Stern's Sirius XM show Tuesday. He and Stern both said the drama led to many dead ends and some lingering hard feelings. More in the NY Daily News..... Howard Dorsey To 11 - 4/20 - From the NY Post: Reporter Emily Frances thought she had seen the last of producer Howard Dorsey 11 years ago at WCBS/Channel 2 when she accused him of harassment and he left the station after just three months. But now, they're working together again. Frances has covered entertainment at WPIX/Channel 11 since 2001. But her old boss at Channel 2, Bill Carey, took over Channel 11 news in November and hired Dorsey as morning producer last month..... Gammons To WFAN - 4/19 - Baseball expert Peter Gammons will be joining CBS sports talker WFAN (660 AM) on a weekly basis. He will be heard Tuesdays at 5:05 PM on "Mike'd Up" with Mike Francesa..... WOR Garden Show Host Dies - 4/19 - WOR (710 AM) veteran Ralph Snodsmith died on Saturday of complications from a broken hip. He was 70. Snodsmith hosted "Garden Hotline" on WOR for more than 35 years..... 10's Jamison Uhler To Tampa - 4/19 - Jamison Uhler, a reporter for Channel 10/WCAU, jumps to WFTS-TV in Tampa to be a weekday evening news anchor. Uhler was a reporter at Tampa's WFTV-TV before jumping to Philadelphia in 2006..... Booster For WFUV - 4/16 - Fordham University's adult alternative rock WFUV (90.7 FM) has activated a new booster antenna in Manhattan, which will improve reception in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn..... Citadel Ups Mascaro - 4/14 - Citadel ups Tony Mascaro to operations manager of contemporary hit WPLJ (95.5 FM). He's been music director for the station since 1997..... Sirius XM Subs Up - 4/14 - Sirius XM says it added 171,441 net subscribers in the first quarter of 2010, compared to a net subscriber decline of 404,422 in the first quarter of 2009. The satellite radio company ended the first quarter with 18,944,199 subscribers, an increase of 344,765 over the year-ago quarter..... Jim Ryan To Program WWFS - 4/13 - Jim Ryan joins CBS Radio to program WWFS (102.7 FM), hot adult contemporary "Fresh" in NYC. The former Clear Channel programmer will also serve CBS as its adult contemporary format captain. Ryan is a veteran of Clear Channel's adult contemporary WLTW (106.7 FM) and later did consulting work for the company. Current WWFS programmer Brian Thomas will continue to handle classic hits WCBS-FM (101.1) and function as the CBS format captain for the format..... Clear Channel Faces "Collapse" - 4/13 - If radio giant Clear Channel Communications can't restructure its debt in the next few years, it will likely collapse, sources told the the NY Post. And that is exactly what some of its large creditors want. Clear Channel, the nation's largest radio station owner - and which locally operates WKTU and Z-100 - has been unsuccessfully negotiating with some lenders to refinance its crippling debt, a source said..... Cancer Surgery For FIL Great Dooley - 4/12 - Legendary "top 40" WFIL "boss jock" Tom Dooley is recuperating from brain tumor surgery. The tumor has left him "functionally paralyzed" on his left side..... Cumulus Gets Cash Infusion, Eyeing Citadel? - 4/8 - Atlanta-based radio station owner Cumulus and private equity firm Crestview Partners said Wednesday that they formed a strategic investment partnership that may spend over $1 billion acquiring radio broadcasting companies. Crestview will head an investor group that will contribute as much as $500 million in equity to the partnership that is being named Cumulus Radio Investors. AP has more. DCRTV wonders: Might the new group be eyeing stations from bankrupt, cash-strapped radio companies like Citadel, which owns NYC's WABC-FM and WPLJ-FM? Stay tuned..... MSNBC Back To Satrad - 4/7 - MSNBC is returning to the satellite radio line-ups of Sirius XM. The NBC-owned news and largely lefty political talk channel (Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow, Joe Scarborough) can be heard on Sirius-90 and XM-120 starting April 12th. MSNBC got dropped from XM in 2006..... 3's Don Bell To ESPN - 4/5 - Don Bell, weekend sports anchor at CBS-owned Channel 3/KYW since 2005, starts next month at ESPN. His departure leaves KYW with one sports anchor, Beasley Reece..... Malcolm Poindexter Dies - 4/5 - Malcolm Poindexter died on 3/30 of Alzheimer's disease at 85. His reporting career dated back to 1947. He was one of the original reporters at KYW-AM when it launched all-news in the 1960s. He then moved to Channel 3/KYW in 1967 as a reporter, co-anchor, and public affairs show host..... Sponge Maker Stiffs CBS Radio - 4/5 - Now SpongeTech Delivery Systems is facing static from radio giant CBS Radio. The owner of WFAN is taking the New York-based seller of soap-filled sponges to court for failing to pay more than $366,000 for radio ads, according to papers filed with the state Supreme Court in Manhattan. The NY Post has more..... Changes At RXP - 4/2 - Some changes at NYC adult rocker WRXP (101.9 FM). Brad Maybe is named producer of "The Rock Show" with Matt Pinfield and Leslie Fram. Also, Nik Carter exits afternoon drive after a year at the Emmis station. Brian Phillips replaces Carter in afternoons.... Snow Boosts KYW-AM & CBS-AM - 3/25 - A snowy February saw Philadelphia's all-news KYW-AM jump 7.3-9.1 and grew its cume from about 1.2 million in January to nearly 1.4 million. Up in the Big Apple, WCBS-AM was third overall with a 4.5-5.0, while “1010 WINS” was a snowman's smile away from #4 CHR Z100 with a 4.5. Radio-Info.com has the NYC and Philadelphia February PPM monthly numbers..... Senor Says No To Senate - 3/24 - Dan Senor, former Bush advisor and husband to CNN anchor Campbell Brown, has announced that he is not running as a Republican for Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand's US Senate seat in New York. So reports AP..... FCC Warns 5 NYC Area Pirates - 3/23 - The FCC says it has sent "Notices Of Unlicensed Operation" to five unlicensed "pirate" radio operations in the NYC area. Including 91.3 in Queens Village, 105.5 and 107.9 in Brooklyn, 90.9 in Elmont, and 107.9 in South Orange. The Commission warns the alleged operators that the stations must be discontinued immediately..... John Bell Leaves Z100 - 3/22 - John Bell leaves the syndicated "Elvis Duran Morning Show," based at NYC's Z100. He spent two-plus decades on what began as the "Z100 Morning Zoo" on contemporary hit WHTZ (100.3 FM). One of his regular contributions has been "John Bell's Stupid News"..... Spanish Mets To WQBU - 3/22 - The Mets Spanish broadcasts move from Univision's WADO (1280 AM) to sister Spanish language WQBU (92.7 FM). WADO just picked up the Yankees' Spanish broadcasts..... New GM For WURD - 3/22 - David Brown joins Levas-owned gospel outlet WURD in Philadelphia as general manager. He replaces Kernie Anderson, who moves to the company's board of directors..... Maxwell To Q102 Evenings - 3/19 - Maxwell takes over the 6 PM to 10 PM shift at Philadelphia contemporary hit outlet WIOQ, Q102. He'll also take on the role of assistant program director and music director at the Clear Channel station. He comes from WNCI in Columbus OH..... WADO Nabs Spanish Yankees - 3/19 - Univision's WADO (1280 AM) is the new Spanish language home of the New York Yankees. The team will continue to be heard in English on CBS's WCBS-AM (880 AM), which will produce the games for WADO..... 4 NYC Radioers Make Top 10 Rev List - 3/18 - LA's KIIS was the top ad revenue billing radio station in the nation. With DC's WTOP in 2nd. Rounding out the top 10: NYC's WCBS-AM was 3rd, NYC's WINS 4th, LA's KROQ 5th, NYC's WLTW 6th, LA's KFI 7th, Chicago's WBBM-AM 8th, NYC's WHTZ 9th, and Chicago's WGN-AM 10th..... More Cuts At NY Times - 3/16 - The New York Times plans to eliminate 100 newsroom jobs - about 8 percent of the total - by year's end, offering buyouts to union and non-union employees, and resorting to layoffs if it cannot get enough people to leave voluntarily. More at nytimes.com..... Ron Lundi Dies - 3/16 - Ron Lundy has died, as feared last week when he returned to the hospital following a wave of mini-strokes. Lundy was a signature jock at NYC's "top 40" WABC (770 AM) from 1965 to 1982. He joined WCBS-FM (101.1) in 1984 and retired from there in 1997..... Court OKs Citadel's B'ruptcy - 3/16 - Citadel Broadcasting, the third-largest US radio-station owner, won court approval to send its reorganization plan to creditors for a vote after agreeing to better terms for holders of unsecured claims. US Bankruptcy Judge Burton Lifland said Monday in Manhattan that he will approve Citadel's disclosure statement, which explains the prepackaged Chapter 11 reorganization plan, despite the objection of some shareholders. More from Business Week. Locally, Citadel owns WABC-AM and WPLJ..... WOR Picks Up Noory, Drops Reynolds - 3/10 - The overnight "Coast To Coast AM" with George Noory picks up Buckley talker WOR (710 AM). The show has been without an NYC affiliate since Citadel talker WABC (770 AM) dropped it for Doug McIntyre's "Red Eye Radio." As part of the move, WOR will drop its overnighter, Joey Reynolds, after 14 years..... Radio Great Ron Lundy Suffers Poor Health - 3/10 - Ron Lundy, one of the great jocks of New York's "Top 40" radio history, is fighting his way back from a series of ministrokes. He came to WABC (770 AM) in September 1965 and was sitting beside Ingram for its final "Top 40" broadcast on May 10, 1982. He joined WCBS-FM (101.1 FM) in 1984 and retired on September 18, 1997. The NY Daily News has more..... Guilty Plea In Letterman Extortion - 3/10 - In a move that spares David Letterman a potentially messy trial that would have focused on his affairs with "Late Show" staffers, a former CBS News producer pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempting to extort $2 million from the comedian. Howard Kurtz has more in the Washington Post..... WPST Makes Changes - 3/9 - Changes at Nassau's hot adult contemporary WPST (94.5 FM) in Trenton. Dave McKay, who's program director, joins the "Chris And The Crew" morning show. Also, interactive Jelli programming will air at 10 PM, with night host Shin moving to the 7 PM slot..... WaPo's Appelbaum To NYT - 3/9 - Binyamin Appelbaum, an anchor of the Washington Post's national business coverage for two years, is leaving the paper for the rival New York Times. So reports washingtoncitypaper.com..... Newsweek's Meacham To Do PBS Show - 3/9 - The editor of Washington Post-owned and DC-based Newsweek, Jon Meacham, is negotiating to add a television job to his schedule. He is in final talks to be the co-host of a new PBS Friday night public affairs series called "Need to Know," produced by NYC's WNET. More at nytimes.com..... WEPN Makes Sked Changes - 3/9 - NYC sports talker WEPN, 1050 AM, makes some schedule changes, effective 4/5. Seth Everett will host the 10 AM hour, with the syndicated Colin Cowherd moving up to the 11 AM to 1 PM slot. Jody MacDonald, formerly of WFAN and WPEN, jumps into the early afternoon slot with former middayer Brandon Tierney. During afternoon drive, Michael Kay loses an hour. Also, "The Leadoff Spot" with Ryan Ruocco, will air at 5 AM to discuss the previous night's games..... Tre Black Dies - 3/9 - Tre Black died Sunday of an apparent heart attack, ending a an on-air and voiceover career that had him heard in some of largest markets, including NYC via urban WWPR (105.1 FM)..... ABC Back On Cablevision - 3/8 - ABC returned to the televisions of Cablevision's 3 million NYC area subscribers late Sunday, allowing viewers to catch most of the Academy Awards. But the companies didn't say whether they had ended their tense and bitter impasse over how much the cable operator should pay Walt Disney Company, the parent company of ABC, for transmission fees. More in the Washington Post..... Cablevision Pulls Plug On ABC - 3/7 - Just after the stroke of midnight, 3 million Cablevision viewers in the NYC area lost their ABC channels because of an impasse by the cable operator and broadcaster to resolve their feud over transmission fees. The companies immediately published press releases, blaming each other for the failure to reach a deal. Users on Twitter expressed their frustration, saying they shouldn't be deprived of ABC shows, including the Oscars on Sunday, because of a multi-million-dollar deal gone awry. More at washingtonpost.com..... WNET To End "Worldfocus" - 3/6 - Due to the bad economy, NYC's WNET is pulling the plug on its "Worldfocus" evening newscast. More from TVNewser..... Rush To Sell NYC Pad - 3/2 -  It looks like Rush Limbaugh is moving ahead with his threat to leave New York City. He's finally put his palacial Fifth Avenue apartment (right) up for sale. The cost of ridding NYC of Rush once and for all? $13.95 million. Gawker has more. Titantic righty Limbaugh is heard locally on WABC-AM and WPHT.....Gonzoles & Sikahema Do WPEN Show - 3/2 - Sports writer John "Gonzo" Gonzoles and former Eagle Vai Sikahema for new show will do a 10 AM show on Philadelphia sports talker WPEN, 97.5 The Fanatic. Gonzales has been with the station as a guest on the Mike Missanelli show, while Sikahema does sports anchoring and reporting for Channel 10/WCAU..... Cablevision Could Drop 7 - 3/2 - There'll be no Oscars this Sunday. And you won't be "Dancing With The Stars" either when season 10 debuts in a few weeks. That is - if you get local ABC on Cablevision. Cablevision customers in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Westchester County, and elsewhere could lose WABC/Channel 7 at 12:01 AM Sunday in the latest big money showdown between a cable company and a network. The dispute centers on whether Cablevision should start paying fees to carry WABC-TV as part of its basic package. There's more in the NY Daily News..... 3's Maria LaRose To TWC - 3/2 - NewsBlues tells us that Maria LaRosa, morning weather reporter at Channel 3/KYW, has been hired by the Weather Channel as an on-camera meteorologist..... WNYG Sold - 3/1 - All Access tells us that Multicultural Radio is seiing WNYG (1440 AM) in Medford NY to Radio Cantico Nuevo for $150,000. The station, previously licensed to Babylon, has a construction permit to move to Medford, further east on Long Island..... No "Idol" For Stern - 2/28 - Sirius XM shock jock Howard Stern won't be getting a judging gig at "American Idol." So reports Deadline Hollywood..... Opie To Be A Dad - 2/26 - Gregg "Opie" Hughes said on his Sirius XM "Opie And Anthony" show that he'll be a father in two months. Hughes and his wife Lindsay had kept the news a secret until yesterday. It's going to be a boy, expected in April. Opie and Anthony used to be heard on WXRK and WYSP..... Greater Media Signs With Metro Traffic - 2/26 - Greater Media's Philadelphia radio cluster signs a deal with Metro Traffic to supply traffic and news information for classic rock WMGK, rocker WMMR, adult hits WBEN, and sports WPEN-FM/AM..... Stern To Hold Tiger Mistress Pageant - 2/26 - Howard Stern is looking to crown Tiger Woods' best mistress. The Sirius XM shock jock has confirmed that a beauty pageant featuring the disgraced golfer's many ex-lovers will take place on March 10. Four out of Woods' 13 alleged mistresses are set to compete for a $100,000 prize. The NY Daily News has more..... Small Profit For Sirius XM - 2/25 - Sirius XM Radio posts a small profit for the fourth quarter of 2009 as it added subscribers and cut costs. The satellite radio broadcaster was on the brink of bankruptcy just a year ago, hurt by plummeting auto sales, which meant fewer of its radios were installed in new vehicles. It's turned that trend around, adding a net 257,028 subscribers in the fourth quarter. The company also says the results demonstrated the economic benefits of the merger of DC-based XM and NYC-based Sirius, which was completed in July 2008 after some controversy. In the quarter, it cut expenses in several areas, including on-air talent and customer call centers. AP has more..... Weather Boosts Newsers In NYC & Philly - 2/25 - In New York, all-newser WCBS-AM surely wasn’t up 3.8 to 4.1 to 4.5 (total week age 6+ AQH) and into a tie for third place because of the baseball Yankees. It was likely the region’s January snowfalls. In Philly, all-news KYW’s 6.5-7.1-7.3 rise since the December book probably has something to do with the weather. Check on the January monthly PPMs at Radio-Info.com..... Peconic Inks Deal For WLIU - 2/24 - The Southampton News reports that Long Island University announced this week that it has inked an agreement with Peconic Public Broadcasting for the purchase of the only locally-based public radio station, WLIU, 88.3 FM, and now Peconic is set to begin moving the station's broadcasting studios from the Stony Brook Southampton campus, possibly to the landmark former Rogers Memorial Library building in the center of Southampton Village, in the next few days. The signing of the contract of sale is an all-important, but not final, step in the months-long effort by staff and supporters of WLIU to save the station and its programming format and keep its broadcasts in and about the East End community. Peconic, a non-profit corporation founded last summer by WLIU supporters specifically for the purchase of the station, still must complete the sale. The group made an initial $158,000 down payment on the $850,000 sale price on Monday morning. The balance must be paid by June 30, according to the contract..... Rape Charge For Former 7 Sportscaster - 2/24 - Former Channel 7/WABC sportscaster Marvell Scott was charged Tuesday with raping a terrified 14-year-old runaway - and claims he's being framed. More from the NY Daily News..... Bankruptcy Costs Weigh On Philly Media Holdings - 2/22 - From Romemesko: Its bankruptcy case has cost Philadelphia Media Holdings $26 million in past year. These costs swamped what otherwise was a $15 million operating profit in 2009 for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, and "that's disgraceful," says Philadelphia Media Holdings CEO Brian Tierney. He and associates filed for bankruptcy a year ago today. More at philly.com..... Mendte To Do Commentary For 11 - 2/19 - NewsBlues tells us that, starting tonight, former Channel 3/KYW anchor Larry Mendte will do commentaries on Tribune and Local TV LLC-owned stations, about 30 of them, including Channel 11/WPIX in NYC, where he will be seen five nights a week..... WLIU "In A Fight For Its Life" - 2/18 - From the Independent in East Hampton: Though the major players continue to voice optimism, there are strong indications National Public Radio affiliate WLIU (88.3 FM) is in a fight for its life. Though ownership pushes for donations and has led the public to believe it can save the radio station by making contributions, the problem is far more complicated - the station is a money losing machine. Housed at the Southampton campus of what is now Stony Brook University, WLIU is still owned by Long Island University, which sold the campus to SUNY-Stony Brook more than three years ago. Part of the deal allowed the station to stay on campus for three years. After granting the radio station two extensions, Stony Brook has issued an ultimatum to vacate the campus by March 31. WLIU is the only National Broadcasting Radio affiliate on Long Island..... JR Nelson Dies - 2/17 - JR Nelson, who had once been heard on Z100, WHTZ, has died. He'd been suffering from cancer and heart problems. He was part of Scott Shannon's old "Morning Zoo" show at Z100, and also worked at Cleveland's WMMS..... McGowan Leaves WEZN - 2/17 - Mike McGowan leaves the the morning gig at adult conteporary WEZN (99.9 FM) in Bridgeport CT. No word on his replacement..... Daily News' Bunch Joins Media Matters - 2/16 - Journalist and author Will Bunch is joining Media Matters as a senior fellow and will be contributing to the progressive media watchdog's blog, County Fair. Bunch, in a release, said he'll be working with Media Matters "in support of my new book, 'The Backlash,' which looks at how the conservative media is driving the tea party movement.” He'll continue at the Philadelphia Daily News, where he writes the "Attytood" blog. The Politico has more..... Pulse 87 Returns Via Web - 2/16 - Although it's no longer on 87.7 FM, NYC dance music outlet Pulse 87 lives on via the web at the new pulse87ny.com..... Mosey Debuts On 29 - 2/16 - SallyAnn Mosey, a former reporter at Channel 6/WPVI and Channel 4/WNBC, debuted Monday as the new morning traffic and weather reporter on Channel 29/WTXF's "Good Day Philadelphia." She replaces Sue Serio, who joined the morning show in 1997 and has now quietly moved to weekends at Fox29..... CBS Shares Sports Talent Between 2 & WFAN - 2/11 - Tom Taylor at Radio-Info.com tells us that Channel 2/WCBS’s Samantha Ryan used to be the overnight anchor of WFAN (660 AM) before her TV gig, and she and Otis Livingston will be heard on WFAN, ID’d as Channel 2 sports talent. Going the other way, WFAN gets what programmer Mark Chernoff calls “visibility on the sportscasts at Channel 2, plus a ticker across the screen” during the sports segment of the evening news. Expect to see and hear more of this. CBS big cheese Les Moonves is asking radio boss Dan Mason and his TV counterpart to tour their markets together, soliciting ideas about local synergy and probably proposing a few of their own. (Their road show is due in Philadelphia soon.) It’s not hard to imagine the TV sports departments in CBS radio+TV markets such as Philly, Detroit, Boston, Chicago, Baltimore, and Dallas working with their local “Fan” or “Ticket” or “Sports Hub"..... Income Up For NYT - 2/11 - The New York Times Company stayed ahead of the continued decline in advertising with deep cost-cutting in the fourth quarter, the company reported on Wednesday, as it posted net income of $90.9 million, up from $27.6 million in the period a year earlier. More at nytimes.com..... Stern To Replace Cowell On "Idol"? - 2/5 - "American Idol" producers are eager to hire Howard Stern to replace Simon Cowell as the show's tough-talking judge, the NY Post reports..... Comcast To Launch Xfinity Brand - 2/4 -  Comcast plans to rebrand its cable TV, internet, and phone services as Xfinity TV, Xfinity Internet, and Xfinity Voice in 11 markets starting next week. Comcast will remain the name of the parent company. A Comcast spokesman said that last year's switch from analog to digital cable laid the groundwork for the switch to Xfinity by freeing up bandwidth for new services, including 100 megabit-per-second broadband, additional high-def channels, and a larger On-Demand catalog. More at comcast.com and seattletimes.nwsource.com.....AirAm Has $17M In Liabilities - 2/4 - The media has been pouring over the Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing court papers to see who is an unsecured creditor for lefty radio network Air America, which went belly-up in January. Air America lists assets of $1,549,910 and liabilities of $17,152,302..... Citadel Hopes To Erase $1.4B In Debt - 2/4 - Speaking of bankruptcies, Citadel Broadcasting has filed its Chapter 11 reorganization plan with the court, which it's hoping will extinguish $1.4 billion in debt. The firm, which owns locals WABC-AM and WPLJ-FM, hopes to have about $72 million cash on hand by the end of April. More from Reuters..... 4 To Start AM News At 4:30 - 2/3 - Channel 4/WNBC will start its morning news "Today In New York" program a half-hour earlier starting March 1, when it will kick off at 4:30 AM. B&C..... Prior Leaves WKTU - 2/2 - Diane Prior exits the midday post at urban adult WKTU (103.5 FM) in NYC..... Metro Traffic Plane Lands On NJ Turnpike - 2/1 - AllAccess tells us that a Metro Networks plane reporting traffic for CBS's all-news KYW-AM and Channel 3/KYW in Philadelphia made an emergency landing on the New Jersey Turnpike during morning rush hour on Monday. The Cessna plane leased by Metro from Out One The Blue landed on the turnpike's northbound lanes near Cherry Hiill NJ at about 6:45 AM. Neither the pilot nor a passenger were injured in the incident, which caused a backup of several miles. More at philly.com..... Joe Kelly Adds PD Duties - 2/1 - FMQB tells us that Joe Kelly, program director at country WPUR in Atlantic City-Cape May, adds similar duties at hot adult contemporary sister WSJO. Kelly takes over for Eric Johnson, who will concentrate on the programming of talker WKXW in Trenton..... Minervini Fills In On MSG - 2/1 - DCRTV hears that Long Island native Craig Minervini filled in for Howie Rose as play-by-play announcer on Sunday's MSG Plus broadcast between the New York Islanders and the Florida Panthers. Minervini worked for MSG Network during the late 1980's as Craig DeGeorge on World Wrestling Federation monthly broadcasts from Madison Square Garden..... Copyright Dave Hughes/DCRTV.....  |
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