In this week’s issue… Great Eastern’s latest simulcast – Cumulus makes early flip – WBZ vets retire – WTPA rocks Harrisburg again – Remembering Gary Starr
By SCOTT FYBUSH
Here we go again – it’s the start of our 29th year of providing news and information to broadcasters all over the northeastern US and eastern Canada. We hope you enjoyed all five parts of our big Year in Review 2021 special that filled this space over the holidays, and if you were lucky enough to be completely away from the screen and keyboard for the last week, catch up by clicking on the link for part one and go from there.
As always, Lisa and I (a true independent “mom and pop” operation for over two decades) thank you for all the support you show, whether it’s buying a Tower Site Calendar (there’s still a limited quantity of 2022 editions available at the Fybush.com Store) or through your ongoing subscriptions to NERW. For as little as 39 cents a week, you can get the full NERW experience, every week, all year – and make sure we’re still here for year 30 and beyond of reporting on all the stories of the region’s broadcasters.
*In VERMONT, Great Eastern is ringing in the new year with a new format in the Burlington market. When it acquired WXMS (97.9 Dannemora NY) from RadioActive for just under $100,000 last year, it installed a Christmas format there as a holiday stunt. Now we know that signal, like Great Eastern’s sister stations “Froggy” (WJKS 104.3) and “Frank” (WWFK 107.1), will be simulcasting one of Great Eastern’s signals over in the Barre/Montpelier market.
After a call change to WSNO-FM, 97.9 rang in the new year with a new simulcast of WSNO (1450 Barre). WSNO had been doing rhythmic top-40 as “105.7 the Beat,” but both signals have flipped to new branding as “The Penguin” and a new variety hits format.
The new Penguin picks up three former on-air staffers from Burlington competitor WXXX (95.5). Pete Belair and Sarah Mitiguy had moved from WXXX to sister talker WVMT (620) back in 2019 before leaving Vox; now Belair will be doing mornings (“Pete and the Morning Chill Out”) and Mitiguy will be heard on the midday shift. Former WXXX middayer Jackie Steele, who left that station in September, takes afternoons, while Great Eastern VP/programming Matt Houseman is programming the station.
Behold, the 2025 calendar!
We chose the 100,000-watt transmitter of the Voice Of America in Marathon, right in the heart of the Florida Keys. This picture has everything we like in our covers — blue skies, greenery, water, and of course, towers! The history behind this site is a draw, too.
Other months feature some of our favorite images from years past, including some Canadian stations and several stations celebrating their centennials (can you guess? you don’t have to if you buy the calendar!).
We will ship daily through Christmas Eve. Place your order now for immediate shipping!
This will be the 24th edition of the world-famous Tower Site Calendar, and your support will determine whether it will be the final edition.
It’s been a complicated few years here, and as we finish up production of the new edition, we’re considering the future of this staple of radio walls everywhere as we evaluate our workload going forward.
The proceeds from the calendar help sustain the reporting that we do on the broadcast industry here at Fybush Media, so your purchases matter a lot to us here – and if that matters to you, now’s the time to show that support with an order of the new Tower Site Calendar. (And we have the new Broadcast Historian’s Calendar for 2025 ready to ship, too. Why not order both?)
Visit the Fybush Media Store and place your order now for the next calendar, get a great discount on previous calendars, and check out our selection of books and videos, too!
In this week’s issue… WBUR backs off local talk - EMF's expansion in NY, nationally - Rochester broadcasters honored - Russell finds new PA radio home - Remembering Bruce Stevens - The new calendar's here!
In this week’s issue… Remembering WNY's Palvino, Harris - Will King sell Bangor stations? - Kay moves earlier - New signal on LI - Cumulus cuts hit PA, New England - Frizzell sells in NH
In this week’s issue… Saluting a small-town radio vet - Bell moves CP24 - Scott heads west - Burlington gets Air 1, "Experimental Radio" - Family Life heads down I-86
In this week’s issue… NY TV anchor, radio historian both retiring - XPN PD to retire - More Cumulus cuts - Rogers sells FMs as Corus makes big talent cuts By SCOTT FYBUSH Jump to: ME - NH - VT - MA...
