In this week’s issue… “Hot” cools down in Providence, CT studios closed – GBH to sell Cape studios – A HEBA in Hamden? – New HDs in New York – Another Canadian AM to close
By SCOTT FYBUSH
*Fans of hip-hop in RHODE ISLAND are looking for a new station this week after Cumulus pulled the plug on the long-running “Hot 106.3”, WWKX Woonsocket/Providence, ending 25 years of the format on the little class A signal that rimshots Providence from the northwest.
The end of “Hot” didn’t happen all at once: first, morning hosts Mike DaSilva and Alexus Lee lost their jobs on Wednesday after what turned out to be their last morning shows.
“I’m still trying to process it,” DaSilva posted after the show. “There’s no ill will or anger, just business. In any business, nothing is guaranteed. Right now, I mostly feel sadness. I grew up here, not just in my career but personally too. So much of my life happened while working at Hot 106. Things I dreamed of and cherished, things I shared with our audience along the way. It feels like leaving your childhood home. Even if you get a new place, there’s something special about the one you leave behind.”
A 12-year WWKX veteran, DaSilva had only recently been joined by Lee, a local singer-songwriter.
After their dismissals, WWKX began stunting, spending all day on Halloween playing songs with spooky-themed titles, then kicking off November (the “Day of the Dead”) with 24 hours of Grateful Dead music before relaunching early Saturday morning as “106.3 the Wolf.”
The new “Wolf” is branding on the air as “102.3 and 106.3 the Wolf,” but it’s not exactly a simulcast with WMOS (102.3 Stonington), the classic rock station Cumulus has been running from a studio at the Mohegan Sun casino in CONNECTICUT. Instead – at least for now – the two signals are sharing a common playlist, but with separate legal IDs and spot loads.
Why create a semi-simulcast of two signals that don’t really overlap at all, with a big gap over central Rhode Island between them? It’s part of Cumulus’ cost-cutting, which has reportedly closed down the remaining local operations the company still had in the New London market. That wasn’t a very big cluster – just WMOS, with its studios at the casino, along with top-40 WQGN (105.5) and talk WXLM (980), with an entirely syndicated schedule.
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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!).
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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?)
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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...
