In this week’s issue… Toucher & Rich rehire producer – iHeart ups McCabe, makes PA moves – Remembering CBS’ Saviet, WINS’ Klein – Toronto permit changes hands
By SCOTT FYBUSH
*While we wait for the week’s expected big news on Thursday (and we’ll have more on the launch of WINS-FM in New York later in the column), our lead story from the week just ended is the return of one of the WBZ-FM (98.5 the Sports Hub) staffers who lost his job in Beasley’s big cuts earlier in October.
It’s good news for listeners to the top-rated Toucher and Rich show that producer Mike Lockhart is back on the job, filling a role that hosts Fred Toettcher and Rich Shertenlieb insisted was essential to keeping their broadcast going. But while Beasley was willing to agree with the hosts that they still needed Lockhart on the job, the company still wasn’t willing to pay for him – and so Shertenlieb said he’d pay Lockhart’s salary, plus (as he told listeners) a “38% markup” to cover Beasley’s administrative costs and Lockhart’s benefits.
Is any of this good for our business? Not especially. While there are some higher-profile morning shows that function as their own separate businesses, where the station pays a lump sum for the show and the hosts and producers then get paid out of that revenue, it’s our understanding that that wasn’t how Beasley had things set up with Toucher and Rich, and so effectively Shertenlieb was forced to take a cut in his own pay to keep Lockhart as an essential part of his team. It might be sustainable as a one-off situation, but it’s no way to run a radio station in the long run – and it will surely come up whenever Shertenlieb’s contract is up for renewal.
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...
