by SCOTT FYBUSH

And so we arrive at the true millennium's end, at the close of a year that saw few major changes in the region's radio and television scene, yet brought the promise of significant developments in the decade that's just beginning.

2000 brought the end -- for now -- of the consolidation boom, as the big groups found there was little room to get bigger. It brought the close of several long-running Northeast broadcast careers (we miss you, Charles!) and the beginning of a significant expansion of the Canadian FM dial.

As the year drew to a close, it brought politics, too, in the form of a Congressional vote that ensured LPFM would remain the province of religious translators instead of local voices, and in the form of a presidential election that ensured deregulation would continue to be the order of business at the FCC for the next four years.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

First, the Year in Sales:

January: Clear Channel still had some room to maneuver in the region in 2000, and upstate New York was one of the big growth areas for the nation's biggest radio operator. For $20 million, CCU entered the Binghamton market with the former Majac group, one AM (WENE) and four FMs (WKGB, WMXW, WMRV, and WBBI), none of them actually licensed to Binghamton.

Beasley Broadcasting entered New England by paying $6 million to Peter Arpin's ADD Media for WRCA (1330 Waltham).

February: A big buy in the Bangor market, as Communications Capital Managers assembled a big cluster from two smaller ones: WVOM and WBYA from Moon Song and WKSQ, WLKE, and WBFB from Mark Osborne and Natalie Knox. Total price tag: just over $12 million.

Up in north central Massachusetts, Jeff Shapiro dealt WCAT AM-FM in Orange and Athol to Citadel for $875,000; just down the road, Central Broadcasting sold WINQ to Aritaur.

Here in New York, Floyd Dykeman sold venerable religious FM WJIV Cherry Valley to Jon Yinger's Midwest Broadcasting for $1.3 million, while Howard Green exited Elmira by selling WENY AM-FM to White Broadcasting for $1.5 million.

March: George Souhan exited Seneca Falls broadcasting by selling WSFW AM-FM to Family Life Ministries, which traded the stations to George Kimble's Radio Group for WLLW Clyde. Price tag: $875,000.

Clear Channel unloaded some of its "spare" properties, passing Northampton's WHMP AM-FM to Saga, Rhode Island's WWRX to Steve Mindich's Phoenix group, and working out a complicated deal with Regent that gave that group Albany's WQBK/WQBJ, WTMM, WGNA AM-FM and WABT, plus 3 Michigan stations, in exchange for 11 Ohio and California stations and $67 million cash. (Clear Channel also planned to spin WTRY 980 to Chase, but found later on that it could keep that signal.)

Vox Media entered the Glens Falls market by buying nearly the whole thing, picking up WMML, WHTR and WZZM from Starview media and WNYQ, WENU, WHTR and WBZA from Bradmark.

Downstate, Arthur Liu's Multicultural paid Bonita Bequet $850,000 for Long Island's WNYG, while Nassau made plans to buy Aurora's Westchester and Connecticut stations for $185 million, never guessing that the market would turn before the deal could close.

Up in Maine, Communications Capital Managers added one more station to its Bangor cluster, picking up WGUY Dexter from Innovative Advertising Consultants for $1.475 million. Farmington's WKTJ also got new owners; Marc Fisher and Nelson Doak took over that little community operation.

April: Vox kept growing, entering western New York and adjoining Pennsylvania with a group of stations that included Dunkirk-Fredonia's WDOE and WCQA and Jamestown's WKSN-WHUG.

Arthur Liu shed one of his New York City stations, trading WKDM (1380) to Mega Broadcasting in exchange for two Washington, DC stations and $24.5 million.

So much for independent FMs in Buffalo: holdout John Casciani sold country WNUC to giant cable operator Adelphia.

May: Clear Channel filled in another big gap, dropping $24 million to pick up the ten stations of Straus Media in the Hudson Valley (though the final price tag would be only $18 million after several of the stations were spun off.) The San Antonio gang also grew in Syracuse with the $5 million buy of Cram's WVOA.

J.J. Jeffrey added to his Atlantic Coast group with the $3.5 million purchase of Portland's WLOB and Rumford's WLLB/WLOB-FM, some of the Carter stations that never made it to closing in 1999.

The year's first big TV deals saw Entravision enter Hartford by paying $26 million for WHCT (though bankrupt seller Astroline ended up with just a fraction of that money, the rest going to two license challengers).

The massive CBS/Viacom merger put Boston's WSBK in the same family as WBZ-TV, and put CBS in charge of New Bedford's WLWC, too.

Radio One LMA'd Boston's WILD; the actual sale would come later.

June: Way up north in New Hampshire, Berlin's WMOU was saved from permanent silence when Arnold Hanson Jr. and Stephen Griffin bought the little AM from Bob and Gladys Powell.

Clear Channel spun WCKL/WCTW Catskill and WHUC/WTHK Hudson to Concord Media for $6 million, then turned around and grabbed Kingston's WGHQ/WBPM and Poughkeepsie's WBWZ/WRWD as part of a $65 million purchase of Roberts Radio. Sabre Communications solidified its cluster in the Southern Tier, paying $1.8 million for Bilbat's WHHO/WKPQ Hornell.

Up in Littleton, N.H., Bruce James turned his LMA of White Mountain FM's WMTK into ownership.

July: Saga picked up most of Ithaca, paying $13.4 million for Eagle's WHCU, WTKO, WYXL, and WQNY. Galaxy added one more station to its Syracuse group as Ed Levine paid Robert Short $3.75 million for WRDS.

Down on Long Island, Peter Ottmar's AAA added two more FMs, paying $2.7 million for MAK Communications' WBSQ and WBAZ.

ABC finally entered New England, though only in Radio Disney form with the $49.8 million purchase of Hibernia, including Boston's WMKI, Rhode Island's WHRC and Connecticut's WDZK.

Clear Channel set down stakes in the Bangor market, paying Communications Capital Managers $10.2 million for the group it had spent the spring assembling. A few hours north, McDonnel Smith picked up Presque Isle's WEGP.

Robert Howe bought Bennington's WBTN(AM) from Vermont Public Radio with a promise to return it to local programming, while Vox added one more station in the Pioneer Valley as it bought WPVQ Turners Falls from Cardwell Broadcasting.

August: Vox grabbed three more in western New York, picking up Olean's WMNS, WMXO and WRLP from Magnum. Binghamton dentist Paul Titus agreed to sell WINR to Clear Channel after a deal to trade frequencies with Citadel's WNBF and WKOP fell through. Rochester's WWWG passed from American General Media to HHH Broadcasting for $975,000. Over in Albany, Ernie Anastos added WMVI Mechanicville to his three-station group, while to the south in Kingston, Clear Channel spun WBPM to Concord for $4.6 million.

The big TV deal was Fox's purchase of Chris-Craft's TV stations, putting New York's WNYW and WWOR under common ownership.

Up in Buffalo, Sinclair announced its own revised duopoly plans, paying $51.5 million for Grant's WNYO to pair with its own WUTV.

New Hampshire's most powerful AM, Derry's WDER, changed hands from Spacecom to Blount.

September: The biggest single-station deal of the year in the region was the long-rumored sale of Manchester's WMUR-TV to Hearst-Argyle, netting seller Imes Communications $185 million. For $185 million, Canadian, Metromedia CMR sold its four Montreal stations (CINF, CINW, CFQR and CKOI) to Corus, while down the street Standard bought CHOM and CKGM from the Chum Group.

Clear Channel moved west from its new Bangor cluster, adding Cumulus' WFAU, WCME, WKCG, WABK and WTOS in the Augusta area (though still leaving a big gap between that cluster and its next stronghold in New Hampshire).

Binghamton's WBNG-TV and three other Gateway Communications stations were sold to SJL, while an hour or so away, Delaware County Broadcasting sold its WDLA AM-FM, WDHI and WIYN to growing group operator BanJo Communications.

October: The Hudson Valley radio scene, already abuzz over Clear Channel's purchases, was rocked again when Rob Dyson announced the sale of his Crystal group to Aurora. For $55 million, the Aurora folks got to move north from Westchester/Putnam towards Poughkeepsie and the Catskills with WEOK/WALL, WCZX/WZAD, WPDH/WPDA, WRRV/WRRB and Kingston's WKNY, all just a few weeks after announcing that the sale of the Westchester/Connecticut cluster to Nassau was off.

Vermont and New Hampshire had their share of sales, with Clear Channel paying $11 million for Bob and Cheryl Frisch's WTSL, WGXL, WVRR and WXXK, Family Broadcasting selling WGLV to Vox, and Dynamite selling WRRO to the Addison Broadcasting Company for $434,000.

On the Spanish-language broadcasting front, Entravision picked up WUNI-TV Worcester from Jasas for $47.5 million, while TV Azteca announced a $37.5 million purchase of WSAH-TV Bridgeport that was never consummated, leaving the upstart network without a flagship in market numero uno.

And we can't forget the $50,000 spin of Carter's WLLB Rumford from J.J. Jeffrey's Atlantic Coast to Richard Gleason's Mountain Valley Broadcasting, can we?

November: It wasn't the biggest deal of the month, but the $5 million sale of Nash's WILD Boston to Radio One was certainly the longest in coming. Out in Fitchburg, Live Air bought WEIM from Frank Fillipone.

Clear Channel filled more Vermont gaps, paying Excalibur $5.8 million for the Rutland cluster of WSYB/WZRT, WWWT/WCVR and WLCQ.

LIN Broadcasting ended the long WNEQ saga in Buffalo (for now, anyway) by agreeing to pay $26.2 million for the station, with an option to take sister station WNED-TV instead (for an additional $5 million) if the FCC won't switch the noncommercial reservation in Buffalo to WNED's channel 17.

Across the border in Canada, Telemedia bought Affinity's CKTB/CHTZ/CHRE in St. Catharines, CHAM in Hamilton, and CKSL in London.

December: A few big deals went down at year's end, including the $1.1 billion sale of USA Broadcasting to Univision, dooming the upstart independent WHUB-TV Marlborough in favor of "Univision Duo."

Across the border, the CRTC gave its approval to BCE's C$2.3 billion purchase of CTV. On a smaller scale, Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures dropped $100 million for One-on-One's three stations, including Boston's WNRB.

Clear Channel opened the checkbook again, spending $3.5 million in Maine for the Orne family's WMCM/WRKD Rockland, $1.1 million up the coast for Scott Hogg's WNSX Winter Harbor, $2.15 million in central New York for Kenneth Roser's WOWZ-WOWB and WLFH, and agreeing to pick up Vermont's WMXR and WCFR at year's end, too.

Eastern Media bought WESO in Southbridge back from Evergreen. Up in northern Vermont, Bob Steele sold WMOO and WIKE to Northstar Media. John Bulmer traded his upgraded WWFY in the Barre market to Vox for WDOE and WBKX in the Dunkirk, N.Y. market and $775,000.

On the TV side, Clear Channel sold Providence's WPRI to Sunrise, while LMA partner WNAC went from Smith Broadcasting to Sunrise partner STC. And up in Canada, CHUM Group paid C$800,000 for Lindsay, Ontario's CKLY.

It's hard to pick out many format developments this year that promise to change the future of radio in any long-term fashion. Rhythmic oldies faded, to be sure, and 80s pop came on strong at year's end to take the title of this year's fad format. Adult standards made slow gains in markets from Toronto to Albany. FM talk settled in for the long haul in Boston and New York, albeit without much to show -- yet -- for ratings. Sports made slow gains, debuting on FM in Buffalo and adding AM outlets in places like Troy and Groton. Comedy radio, albeit on satellite, made its debut in Syracuse.

Let's take a look at the whole 12 months, then, in the Year In Formats, Calls, and People:

January: One last-minute 1999 change happened too late for last year's review, as WVVE Stonington (New London) ditched oldies for active rock December 29, becoming WAXK, "Rock 102."

The first development of 2000 came just seconds into the year, as daytimer WKZE in Sharon, CT popped on the air for a well-heard "emergency" broadcast.

The dial spun in New Hampshire's capital city, as Concord's WKXL-FM moved from 102.3 to 107.7, ditching the WNHI simulcast that had been on the latter frequency (as WRCI) and flipping 102.3 to country as WOTX, "Outlaw."

Religion gave way to standards in Albany on January 9 when Crawford's WDCD 1540 returned to the WPTR calls as "Legends." Standards also made a comeback at WMSA Massena, replacing an AC format there.

Entercom consolidated its Buffalo radio newsrooms, flipping WGR to all-sports, leaving WBEN as the only commercial radio news source in the Queen City and throwing several WGR staffers out of work. Entercom also ended the satellite sports on WWKB, leaving the 50 kilowatt flamethrower as a temporary simulcast of hit radio WKSE-FM for several months.

Two New England veterans said goodbye in January, with Al Needham retiring after decades in the WESX (Salem) newsroom and George Taylor Morris being shown the door after a stint as PD of WBOS (which, we'd add, once more ended the year without a format change!)

A set of heritage calls returned to Boston January 24 with the debut of the "new, new" WMEX on 1060 Natick, providing a new radio home (for a while, anyway) for Jerry Williams, Gene Burns, and Upton Bell. The WJLT calls and religious format that had been on 1060 moved to the former WRPT (650 Ashland).

Call changes: Up in Maine, the WCLZ calls were replaced by WTPN at 98.9 Brunswick, then landed on 95.5 Topsham to replace WXGL. Rhode Island Disney affiliate WDYZ (1450 West Warwick) became WHRC ("Hercules"). In the Catskills, WWHW ditched Weather Service broadcasts for AP all-news as WDNB.

Up in Canada, CFMO (101.1 Smiths Falls) dumped soft rock for modern rock as "XFM," later changing calls to CIOX. Out in London, classic hits "The Hawk" and dance "Energy Radio" traded dial spots, with the Hawk moving from CFHK 103.1 to CKDK 103.9 and Energy doing the opposite.

Feburary: More changes at WBOS, as morning host Robin Young left Morrissey Boulevard, but still no sign of the oft-rumored format changes.

Down on Long Island, Ralph Tortora and Donna Donna landed at WBAB just as PD Eric Wellman left. Ralphie Marino moved from afternoons at Boston's WJMN to mornings at New York's WKTU. Kevin Hilley departed Concord's WJYY for a brief stay at Albany's WCPT, while Maynard High School's WAVM and UMass/Boston's WUMB tangled over the 91.7 frequency in Boston's far western suburbs.

March: The "Jaws" theme brought an end to the "Arrow" on the New Hampshire seacoast, as WXBB/WXBP resurfaced as "the Shark," WSHA/WSAK.

The sale of George Souhan's WSFW AM-FM brought programming changes, beginning with a sentimental tribute to the old guard and ending with the move of WLLW ("The Wall") from 93.7 Clyde to the old WSFW-FM 99.3 signal. 93.7 went religious as Family Life's WCOV, while WSFW(AM) went to satellite standards for a few months.

Oldies returned to the New London market when Hall's WTYD dumped soft AC and its old calls for WKNL "Kool 101."

Rhode Island also-ran "The Hawk" ditched classic rock and the WHKK/WHCK calls for a minor shift to classic hits "Z100" as WZRI/WZRA. Of greater note in the Ocean State, veteran WPRI-TV anchor Walter Cryan did his last newscast March 3.

At WBOS, Shirley Maldonado took over as PD, and even though her last stint with Greater Media was programming smooth jazz WSJZ, there was still no format change at 92.9.

Buffalo's WBEN and its Entercom sisters moved out of their old homes in the city (for WBEN and WMJQ, the old NBC-built studio on Elmwood Avenue) to an Amherst office park. Down the street in Williamsville, country WNUC took on a new image as "the Bullet, high caliber country."

Call changes: Rockland County's WLIR(AM) to WRCR; Watertown's WWLF to WBDI (to match "Border" CHR sister WBDR); Auburn Disney outlet WKGJ to WWLF (to match Syracuse sister WOLF); and in Peterborough, N.H., WNHQ to WFEX as the station flipped to a simulcast of Boston's WFNX.

New on the air: Sound of Life's WLJH (90.9 Glens Falls); WGBH's WNAN (91.1 Nantucket, on March 15); and low-power Allston-Brighton Free Radio (on AM 1580, March 11).

April: The AC "Magic" on WMXR/WCFR-FM in the Upper Valley area of Vermont and New Hampshire disappeared April 7, replaced briefly by "Quickradio" (a stunt, of course) and permanently by country as "Bob." Across the state, WXPS in the Burlington market ditched country to become the year's only convert to smooth jazz (in this region, anyway). Central Vermont's newest station found a permanent format when WEXP (101.5 Brandon) hired Jay Gadon as general manager, flipping from automated CHR to classic rock as "the Fox."

Buffalo's WMJQ shifted AC gears, ditching "Q102.5" for hotter AC as WTSS and "Star," and allowing Brockport's WASB-FM to grab the WMJQ calls (albeit still simulcasting WASB 1590).

Up in Conway, N.H., WBNC AM-FM switched from country to oldies. In Maine, Bangor's WWBX and WABI were crippled by a fire in their downtown studios.

On the TV dial, Liz Walker announced cutbacks in her WBZ-TV schedule, giving up the 5 and 11 PM newscasts to do the noon show and attend to her family.

New to the air: WNSX (formerly WAKN) Winter Harbor, Maine, simulcasting WMDI Bar Harbor. New calls: WCKP granted to the 91.9 Putney VT CP.

Gone: CIQC (600) and CKVL (850) Montreal, ending their simulcasts of the new CINW 940 and CINF 690 at midnight April 23.

May: Berlin, New Hampshire's WMOU (1230) went silent while its owners looked for a buyer. Down in Portland, Hal Knight departed WPOR (101.9) after more than a quarter-century.

In Albany, Clear Channel killed classic rock WXCR (102.3), flipping to its prefab "Kiss" format May 26 (and playing flyswatter noises, a dig at competitor WFLY). New WKKF calls followed shortly.

Crosstown, Tele-Media turned WZEC (97.5 Hoosick Falls) from a simulcast of Pittsfield's WBEC-FM into a clone of Albany's WCPT, playing modern AC for the Bennington market.

The CRTC granted two new licenses in Ontario, for a smooth jazz station on 94.7 in Hamilton and for a new station on 107.5 in Barrie.

On TV, WLWC in the Providence market swapped its WB affiliation for UPN.

June: WUMB and WAVM buried the hatchet, announcing a deal to share time on a powered-up WAVM 91.7 signal in Maynard. Little WPNT 1600 in East Longmeadow dropped its simulcast of WAQY-FM to do travel information for the summer, rented out to Six Flags amusement park. Over in Worcester, WORC-FM (98.9) switched from classic rock back to oldies, getting out of the way of sister classic rocker WWFX.

Up in Canada, the big changes were in Fredericton, N.B., where country CKHJ moved from FM (105.3) to the AM/FM simulcast (1260 and low-power 95.5 and 103.5) that used to be CHR CIHI. Replacing CKHJ on the big FM signal: AC "Fox" CFXY. Over in Ontario, CKDX Newmarket dropped country for rhythmic oldies.

The CRTC announced the winners of the last new licenses in Toronto. Michael Caine's CHWO (1250) got the big prize of 740 AM, while Denham Jolly got 93.5 FM for urban and Aboriginal Voices Radio got 106.5 FM for native programming.

Buffalo's WWKB dropped the FM simulcast of WKSE for business talk, still keeping leased-time talk on weekend mornings, truckers' shows overnight, and a smattering of sports.

The FCC released the first group of LPFM applications, including those for Maine and Rhode Island.

July: Jukebox Radio learned from the FCC that its unusual way of feeding translators (buying a primary 100 miles away to serve a translator that overlooked Manhattan) was, while technically kosher, not going to be permitted to continue. What will that mean for primary WJUX (99.7) in Monticello? We still don't know.

New York's WKDM (1380) went silent, sending its calls down to Washington in exchange for WNNY (more on this later in the fall). Up in Owego, WEBO (1330) ended a few years as an AM modern rocker to go standards from new studios downtown. Over in Elmira, WENY (1230) ditched talk for oldies. On the shores of Lake Champlain, WDOT (1070 Plattsburgh) became WLFE, simulcasting the FM of the same name in St. Albans.

Rhode Island's WLKW (550 Pawtucket) applied for WBZU, then went back to its old WICE calls instead. Way up in Monticello, Maine, WREM (710) went rock.

Satellite radio made its first big talent grabs in the region, as XM hired WRKO programmer Kevin Straley and WBCN/WZLX veteran Mark Parenteau.

Up in Canada, the CRTC approved the return of 1220 in Cornwall as a "new" station, using the facilities CJSS abandoned when it moved to FM in 1999.

August: The month's news began on the TV side, with the August 1 debut of indie WHUB-TV, replacing home shopping WHSH on channel 66 in Marlborough. Just a few days later, on August 4, Charles Laquidara said farewell to Boston, doing his last "Big Mattress" show on WZLX after more than three decades there and at WBCN.

Northampton's WHMP-FM became active rock WLZX, "Laser." To the north in Vermont, Wilmington's WMTT dropped its partial simulcast of WRSI Greenfield to return to its original calls of WVAY, simulcasting WEXP from Rutland.

In Maine, the country simulcast on WCME and WCTB was replaced by a relay of the sports format from Skowhegan's WSKW.

After decades in Erie, Pennsylvania radio, Myron Jones handed over the keys to WJET-FM and WFGO to Nextmedia.

Up in Canada, the CRTC approved a slew of new stations in New Brunswick: a move to FM for CKCW Moncton, a second FM for crosstown competitor CJMO, a new French outlet in Moncton on 99.9, and two religious low-power FMs there as well. In St. John, the CHSJ folks were granted a second FM on 97.3, as well as a new FM over in St. Stephen, across from Calais, Maine.

September: The WFNX network entered Rhode Island September 7 with the demise of classic rock on WWRX 103.7. Up in Central Massachusetts, WCAT-FM Athol switched from hot AC to 60s and 70s oldies.

Syracuse's WRDS, under new ownership, stunted with country as "Big Cow" before replacing its urban format with soft AC as "Sunny 102." In Albany, the WTRY calls left AM radio after half a century, replaced on 980 by sports as WOFX. George Kimble took his four Finger Lakes AMs (WCGR, WGVA, WSFW, and WAUB) to a mostly-simulcast news and talk format as the "Finger Lakes News Network." Poughkeepsie's WEOK (and Middletown's WALL) ditched talk for sports.

In Southington, Connecticut, WNTY (990) became the talk of the message boards with a brief silent period (brought about by a dispute with a leased-time operator) and a switch to hip-hop "Blaze 990" for much of its day.

The big news, though, came from New York's WOR, where John R. Gambling was shown the door. His September 11 show marked the end of more than seven decades of "Rambling with Gambling" on New York morning radio.

Call changes: Connecticut's WMMM to WSHU (officially, after some months of using the call unofficially), Fredonia's WCQA to WBKX, "the Bull," and Olean's WMNS to WOEN.

New on the air: CIWV Hamilton, with smooth jazz, and CHST London, CHR "Star," both Sept. 1; public radio WCAI Woods Hole, Sept. 25.

October: The region's AM stations looked for some new programming ideas this year, and Citadel brought one interesting idea to Syracuse's WNSS, flipping the station from AP all-news to a simulcast of Webcaster comedyworld.com.

In New York City, Spanish-language all-news radio made its debut on WNNY (1380). Over in Port Jervis, WDLC (1490) began simulcasting sister FM WTSX. Out on Long Island, WFOG Riverhead returned from a long silence to simulcast WRCN-FM. Across Long Island sound, WSUB (980) traded talk for ESPN sports, while up in Springfield, the Six Flags broadcasts on WPNT (1600) gave way to a simulcast of co-owned WHMP Northampton under new calls WHNP. Ernie Anastos began a new AC format in Albany on WMVI as "Sunny 1160," while to the north in Glens Falls, WBZA (1410) became WENU, simulcasting the standards on WENU-FM.

Sports came to FM in Maine, where WCLZ in Topsham began simulcasting WJAE-WJJB, and in western New York, where Adelphia flipped WNUC to sports as WNSA.

More changes on FM: The "Bug Country" trimulcast in the Mohawk Valley became a quadcast with the debut of WBGK (99.7 Newport Village). The upgraded signal of WWFY (100.9 Berlin VT) went country as "Froggy," serving Barre and Montpelier. In Syracuse, rimshotter WHCD dropped smooth jazz to return urban to the market as WPHR, "Power 106.9."

On TV, WWDP in Norwell went Spanish with Telemundo.

In Canada, Corus flipped Barrie's CHAY from soft AC to dance as "Energy." In Quebec City, Yves Sauve was granted a new AM 1060 signal, replacing the long-gone CJRP. John Wright, in partnership with Rogers, won the fight for 105.7 in Kingston, Ontario. Montreal's CIEL 98.5 became CKOO, "Kool."

One more call change: WSLK Saranac Lake, to WYZY.

November: After a good ratings book at a few stations that pioneered the format, the 80s pop sound landed in the Northeast, preceded by an election-night format change in Rochester that put the oldies sound of WBBF (98.9) on what had been classic rock WQRV (93.3 Avon) and standards WEZO (950). Later that week, WBBF left the 98.9 signal, replaced by 80s "Buzz" and the WBZA calls. (WQRV and WEZO then became WBBF-FM and WBBF, restoring the heritage call to its proper place on the AM dial.)

The 80s sound also made it to Long Island, as part of a broader rock-AC format that replaced country on WMJC, now "Island 94.3." In the Hudson Valley, standards landed at WHUC in Hudson and WKIP in Poughkeepsie, while Hudson's WTHK dumped country for oldies as "Cruisin' 93.5" and Catskill's WCTW split its "Cat" AC format from no-longer-sister-station WCTJ in Poughkeepsie.

Classical on AM? Marlin brought its favorite format to Hartford, replacing the FM simulcast on WCCC (1290) -- though Howard Stern remained on the station in the morning, creating what has to be one of the strangest transitions in a broadcast day anywhere.

Bennington's WBTN (1370) returned to local operation after a year of Vermont Public Radio simulcasting.

Over in New Hampshire, WNTK (1020) ended its simulcast of its FM talk sister, replacing it with a nifty Americana format. Elmira's WENY-FM dumped its own satellite AC format to simulcast satellite AC from Corning's WCBA-FM.

New to the air: WKZA Lakewood-Jamestown, with hot AC as "Kiss," and Conestoga College's CJIQ (88.3 Kitchener-Waterloo).

December: The 80s trend continued, with Albany's WABT (104.5) dropping rhythmic oldies to go "Buzz," followed by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's WSHG/WWFH.

Clear Channel made its first big move in the Hudson Valley, replacing "Thunder Country" on WTHN and "Cat" AC on WCTJ with CHR as (what else?) "Kiss."

Back on the air: Elmira Heights' WEHH, albeit on 1600 instead of its old 1590, and Toronto's 740, testing as CHWO after being denied the CFPT calls it wanted.

In Utica, WRUN changed simulcasts from WFRG-FM's country to the news-talk of sister AM WIBX.

Gone to XM: WBCN's Bradley Jay.

Call changes: Hartford's WHCT to WUVN and Univision, Binghamton's religious WJIK to WIFF.

And at year's end, two UPN affiliates switched to WB. In Syracuse, the change at WNYS leaves no UPN outlet in the market, while in Connecticut, WTXX takes WB but sends UPN to New Haven's channel 59, changing from WBNE to WCTX.

Of course, each year also brings with it some loss, as the industry says farewell to more of its pioneers. From this year's obituaries:

  • BOB LEMIRE, 59, WKVT oldies host (1/21)
  • JIM PANSULLO, 74, former WEEI, WHDH newsman (1/31)
  • TOM SHERMAN, 43, WBBS Syracuse jock (3/4)
  • JUDY JARVIS, 54, syndicated talk host (3/7)
  • MARION "Mickey" BRINE, 79, wife of Salty and mother of Wally (3/7)
  • BOB SHAW, 69, WLAM midday jock (3/9)
  • GEORGE LEIGHTON, 74, former WTEN-TV host (3/14)
  • MONROE "Bud" TOEVS, 77, former WPRO newsman (5/21)
  • WILLIAM SHIGLEY, WRVO Oswego founder (6/3)
  • ROBERT J. LURTSEMA, 68, "Morning pro musica" host (6/12)
  • LEO EGAN, 86, longtime Boston sportscaster (7/10)
  • WILLIAM "Rosko" MERCER, 73, NYC rock jock and CBS Sports announcer (8/1)
  • RICHARD M. FAIRBANKS, 88, WKOX/WVBF owner (8/11)
  • RALPH KANNA, Hartford TV program director (8/19)
  • RALPH HUBBELL, 90, veteran Buffalo sportscaster (9/14)
  • TOM KENNEDY II, 68, former WNAB Bridgeport GM (9/20)
  • FRANKIE CROCKER, 63, WBLS New York programmer (10/21)
  • JOHN MOUNTEER, 73, former WTRY programmer (11/4)
  • ROBERT TROUT, 91, veteran CBS newsman (11/13)
  • ROSS WELLER, 84, former WHAM-TV/WROC host (12/1)
  • DAVID BORST, 82, Intercollegiate Broadcasting System founder (12/1)
  • ROGER STAFFORD, 60, Connecticut traffic reporter (12/4)
  • RICK LARENCE (ANTHONY RICHARD LACOVARA), 63, N.H. jock (12/9)
  • TIM O'DONNELL, 57, ABC Radio News anchor (12/13)
  • JOE QUINN, former WRLH Taunton owner (12/19)
  • NORM SEBASTIAN, 44, WNYT Albany meteorologist (12/22)
  • MARTY SENDER, 53, former Boston TV reporter (12/23)

That's the list of what happened in 2000 in our region...but the Year in Review doesn't end here. What will satellite radio, consolidation, and the LPFM fight do to the industry, and what can broadcasters do to respond? Click here for NERW's opinion...in our Year End Rant!

NorthEast Radio Watch is made possible by the generous contributions of our regular readers. If you enjoy NERW, please click here to learn how you can help make continued publication possible. NERW is copyright 2000 by Scott Fybush.