NYC/Philadelphia Radio/TV/Media News Archive

Latest items listed first.....

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August 25, 2008
More Hard Classics For YSP
Ratings-starved CBS alt rocker WYSP (94.1 FM) has tweaked its format to include more harder-edged classic rock. A la AC/DC, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, Van Halen, and Aerosmith. The rocker is up against three other rock/classic rock stations in the Philadelphia market.

August 18, 2008
Guy Lebow Dies
Guy Lebow, a veteran NYC radio and TV sportscaster and former owner of Newark NJ's WNWK (105.9 FM), died on 8/14 at age 92. Lebow did recreations of Giants baseball games for WMCA in 1958, after the team moved to San Francisco, and also anchored sports at WNBC-AM and Channel 7/WABC. His voice also appeared as a sportscaster in Woody Allen's 1987 "Radio Days" film.

August 15, 2008
Le Roy Akins Dies
Le Roy Akins, who once was an engineer for Philadelphia's WFIL, has died of cancer at age 66.

August 14, 2008
"Mad Dog" Leaves FAN
Two weeks shy of its 19th anniversary, the "Mike And The Mad Dog'' show is no more. CBS sports talk WFAN (660 AM) announced early Thursday evening that Chris Russo is leaving the company, making Mike Francesa the sole host of the popular afternoon drive time show. "Mike and Chris pioneered the genre more than 18 years ago and have shaped the sports talk format into what it is today," WFAN operations director Mark Chernoff said in a statement. "As we embark on this next step in WFAN's history, we wish Chris nothing but the best and look forward to all that Mike will do in a role in which he has excelled at for years.'' Chernoff said he did not know where Russo was headed, but he is expected to land at Sirius Satellite Radio.The announcement of Russo's departure coincided with the announcement of a new contract for Francesa, whose deal was believed to be expiring around the end of the year.For now, he will be the sole host of the show, including Friday. But over time new elements will be added.

August 11, 2008
Isaac Hayes Dies, Once Hosted WRKS Show
Before he started his vocal characterization as "Chef" on "South Park", Hayes was adding "radio personality" to a long list of accomplishments that included singer, songwriter, pianist and sax player, and creating a persona that anticipated rap and hip-hop style. He was a personality on "Kiss" WRKS, New York from 1996 to 2001 and he also worked on the radio in Memphis. Emmis Radio President Rick Cummings tells Radio-Info that "Isaac was a huge factor in the re-build of Kiss into a great brand. He was delightful to work with, and he did morning radio like he seemingly did everything: very well. The Emmis family will miss him." "Theme From Shaft" writer and performer Isaac Hayes died Sunday at age 65, after being found on the floor near a treadmill in his Memphis house.

August 8, 2008
6 Announcer Paul Norton Dies
Paul Norton, a longtime announcer at Philadelphia's Channel 6/WPVI, died on 8/7 at Christiana Hospital in Newark DE. He was 79. More soon.

August 8, 2008
Ragan Henry Dies
Ragan Henry, who owned Philadelphia's WWDB radio in the 1970s, died on 7/26 after a long illness. He was 74. Henry, who also owned radio stations in Baltimore, Washington DC, and Atlanta, was the first African American to own a TV network affiliate. He was named as one of the Library Of American Broadcasting's "First Fifty Giants Of Broadcasting" in 2003.

August 6, 2008
Salem Launches Talker On 970
Salem has unveiled talker WNYM, "AM 970 The Apple," using Salem's syndicated Bill Bennett, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, and Hugh Hewitt. And Westwood One's Jim Bohannon. It's being programmed by Peter Thiele. A number of 970's former brokered religious shows have moved to sister religious outlet WMCA (570 AM).

August 4, 2008
Miss Jones Gone From PHI
Philadelphia urban outlet WPHI (100.3 FM) has removed the "Miss Jones In The Morning" show. It's been replaced by "The Morning Beat," an all-music show. Before coming to PHI, Jones had been heard on NYC WQHT, Hot 97.

July 30, 2008
Edie Huggins Dies
Edie Huggins (right), a trailblazing reporter who became one of Philadelphia's most beloved broadcasters, died this morning after a lengthy illness. Huggins, 72, was the first African-America woman to report on television in Philadelphia. She began her career as a broadcaster in 1966 as a features reporter on "The Big News Team" with John Facenda on WCAU-TV. Her 42-year career at the station, now known as NBC10, included stints as anchor and presenter of numerous investigative series.

July 25, 2008
WBUD Sold
Millenium Radio sells Trenton sports talker WBUD (1260 AM) to Domestic Church Media Foundation for $2.3 million. The buyer, based in Fairless Hills PA, has also applied for a non-comm FMer in Roosevelt NJ.

July 21, 2008
RKS Tops NYC Radio Ratings
The spring '08 Arbitron books started rolling on Monday, and Emmis urban AC WRKS took a giant leap to No. 1 12+, going 3.9-4.9. Pulling in second was Clear Channel CHR/top 40 WHTZ, which retreated 5.0-4.8, while longtime market leader Clear Channel AC WLTW sank 5.1-4.4. Rounding out the top five, Inner City urban AC WBLS improved 4.2-4.3, and SBS tropical WSKQ climbed 3.8-4.1. Elsewhere inside the top 10, CBS Radio news WINS was off 4.2-3.9, but Univision Latin rhythm WCAA showed growth (3.0-3.8), as did Emmis rhythmic WQHT (3.4-3.7). Citadel talk WABC was flat at 3.6, while both CBS Radio classic hits WCBS-FM and SBS Latin pop WPAT crossed the finish line in a tie (3.7-3.5). Also of note: Clear Channel urban WWPR (3.2-3.2) and classic rock WAXQ (3.2-2.8); CBS Radio news WCBS-AM (2.4-2.8), AC WWFS (2.1-2.6) and rock WXRK (1.3-1.7); Citadel hot AC WPLJ (2.0-2.4); and Emmis triple A WRXP (1.6-1.0).

July 17, 2008
NJN's Kent Manahan To Retire
NJN News anchor Kent Manahan will retire after more than 30 years as an anchor and reporter, the New Jersey Network announced today. Manahan, who has won five Emmy Awards, has filed for the state’s retirement incentive, which has specific deadlines of August 1 or a later date, with the potential of an extension until July 2009. Manahan and NJN are seeking an extension to provide for an orderly transition.

July 15, 2008
CBS-FM's Al Meredith To Retire
WCBS-FM newsman Al Meredith is retiring after a 44-year career in broadcasting. The morning of 7/16 will mark his final newscast during "The Dan Taylor Morning Show" on NYC's 101.1 FM. Meredith joined WCBS-FM as a newscaster in 1980 and has served as director of news and public affairs the now-CBS station for nearly 28 years.

July 15, 2008
Dave & Jerry Return To WKTU
After a two-year hiatus, David Allen Pratt and Jerry Beebe have returned to classic hits WTKU, Kool 98.3, in Atlantic City for "The Dave And Jerry Show" in mornings under the new ownership of Atlantic Broadcasting. Beebe has come out of retirement, while Pratt was across town with Millennium Radio pulling shifts on adult contemporary WFPG, Lite Rock 96.9, and WPRU, Cat Country 107.3.

July 13, 2008
Yankee Vet & Broadcaster Bobby Murcur Dies
Bobby Murcer succeeded Mickey Mantle, played in pinstripes with Don Mattingly and watched proudly from the broadcast booth when the New York Yankees returned to power. A cherished link from former Yankees greats to the club's current stars, Murcer died Saturday due to complications from a malignant brain tumor, the team said. He was 62. Always a fan favorite in New York and known for his folksy manner as a broadcaster, Murcer won three Emmy Awards for live sports coverage.

July 8, 2008
Canned Oldies For WMTR
WMTR (1250 AM), a Greater Media oldies outlet in Morristown NJ, installs the Good Time Oldies satellite feed and cans most of its airstaff. Gone are Mark Dombrowski, Robert Gasciogne, Mark Mitchell, and Pete Torriello. General Manager Nancy McKinley and Operations Manager/Program Director Chris Edwards will continue to do morning drive live.

July 6, 2008
7 Veteran Murphy Martin Dies
Murphy Martin, who anchored Channel 7/WABC's local news during the pre-"Eyewitness" era of the mid-1960s, passed away in late June, only hours before what would have been his 83rd birthday. Musicradio WABC fans would also recall him anchoring radio network newscasts at 0:55 past the hour. Martin later moved to Dallas, where he enjoyed a long and successful career anchoring for ABC affiliate WFAA-TV.

July 2, 2008
WCTC Goes Oldies
New Brunswick NJ's WCTC (1450 AM) drops talk for oldies. Morning man Jack Ellery will stay at the Greater Media station, as well as Rutgers sports coverage.

June 30, 2008
Miss Jones To WPHI
Philly is getting Miss Jones all for itself again. The morning-radio host also known as Jonesy, heard since November on WPHI (100.3) in a syndication deal with New York's Hot 97, last week got the ax in the Big Apple. Elroy Smith, operations manager for Radio One in Philly, yesterday said Jones would start exclusively on WPHI (The Beat) on July 7, becoming Philly's only local urban morning show on a commercial FM station. Jonesy (Tarsha Jones) parted company with The Beat (then at 103.9) in 2003 after an 18-month career capped by two suspensions and a slander suit that was settled out of court.

June 24, 2008
Elvis Duran To Q102 Mornings
Clear Channel will pipe-in Elvis Duran to Philadelphia's contemporary hit Q102 for mornings. From format sister Z100, WHTZ, in NYC. The Q102, WIOQ morning slot has been vacant since Booker left in May. Duran is also heard on Clear Channel hit outlet WHYI in Miami.

June 24, 2008
3 Fires Mendte
CBS3 has released anchorman Larry Mendte from his contract 3-1/2 weeks after FBI agents seized his home computer amid allegations that he illegally broke into former coanchor Alycia Lane's e-mail. Sources said an internal investigation at CBS3 disclosed that software that secretly captures keystrokes - including passwords - had been installed on a station computer. Mendte's firing came nearly six months after CBS3 fired Lane, following her arrest in New York for allegedly hitting a cop. What began as a series of gossip-page scandals embarrassing Lane has morphed into a federal criminal investigation and a sexual-discrimination lawsuit.

June 18, 2008
29 Yanks Tollefson
Fox29 sports director Don Tollefson's contract at WTXF was not renewed. Tollefson, 55, returned to Fox29 Sunday night after being out since early April recovering from a car accident, but was off air Monday night, when the station said he was "back on leave."

June 4, 2008
Rob Morrison Leaves 4
Veteran local news anchor Rob Morrison is leaving Channel 4/WNBC. For the past several years, Morrison has anchored "Today In New York," the lead-in to NBC's lucrative Today.

May 23, 2008
Booker Gone From WIOQ
"The Booker Show" is over in mornings at Clear Channel contemporary hit WIOQ (102.1 FM) after two years, as the Philadlephia station goes in a more music-intensive direction. Co-host Angi Taylor and producer Blaire Galaton are also out, but that longtime stunt boy Diego Ramos is staying. Before Philly, Booker spent many years in NYC at WXRK during its first K-Rock run and then nights at WFNY, also at 92.3 FM. He also spent some time at WHTZ and briefly did a morning show with then-girlfriend Lynda Lopez on the late WNEW-FM as "Blink 102.7."

May 16, 2008
YSP's Kidd Chris Fired
WYSP (94.1 FM) morning host Kidd Chris has been fired over a racist song performed by an in-studio guest in March. WYSP program director John Cook also lost his job over the fallout from the song "Schwoogies," sung to the tune of Blondie's "Call Me," that was performed March 21 in studio by a guest named Lady Gash. "We found the song to be highly offensive and completely inappropriate for broadcast on our airwaves. When senior management of the station learned that it had been played, they took immediate steps to prevent it from ever appearing on the station again," CBS Radio spokeswoman Karen Mateo told the Philadelphia Daily News. "At the same time, we launched an extensive internal investigation into the situation including a thorough review of the editorial controls and systems we have in place to prevent this type of content from airing. We instituted additional educational training for the station, and have taken appropriate disciplinary action, including termination of the individuals involved." Mateo declined to comment on whether Kidd Chris would be paid out the life of his contract, which was to last another three years. The lyrics to the song included: "Coloreds steal your wallets and coloreds have pink feet. Coloreds are loud and obnoxious, when they watch movies. Sticky fingers, what they are, Always try to jack my car, Schwoogies!"

May 1, 2008
James Day Dies
Public television pioneer and former President of PBS predecessor National Educational Television James Day died on 4/24 of respiratory failure. In 1969, Day become president of NET and Channel 13/WNET. He also produced and hosted a nightly interview show and served as a professor of radio and TV at Brooklyn College.

April 30, 2008
Gambling Returns To WOR
NYC talker WOR (710 AM) announces that John R. Gambling is returning to the station where his family ruled morning drive for more than 75 years. Gambling, who exited WOR in 2000 and worked most recently in middays at talker WABC, is taking over mornings at WOR starting 5/5th. "Rambling With Gambling" started with Gambling's grandfather in 1922, with his father John A. Gambling taking over and John R. succeeding him in 1985.

April 29, 2008
WLTW Holds On To Top Radio Spot In NYC
Despite a dip (5.5-5.1), Clear Channel AC WLTW (Lite FM) held on to the 12+ crown in New York for Arbitron's winter 2008 ratings period, but sister CHR/top 40 WHTZ (Z100) is hot on Lite's heels with its 4.3-5.0 surge. Also in the top five, Inner City urban AC WBLS stepped up 4.1-4.2, CBS Radio news WINS advanced 3.7-4.2, and Emmis urban AC WRKS retreated 4.3-3.9. Rounding out the top 10, SBS tropical WSKQ was off 4.6-3.8, CBS Radio classic hits WCBS-FM and SBS Latin pop WPAT were both flat at 3.7, Citadel talk WABC improved 3.3-3.6, and Emmis rhythmic WQHT moved back 3.7-3.4.

April 27, 2008
"Big Ron" O'Brien Dies
"Big Ron" O'Brien (left), afternoon disc jockey on WOGL (98.1 FM) and a former WFIL "Boss Jock," died Sunday of complications of pneumonia. O'Brien, believed to be 56, had been ill for nearly two months and was hospitalized at Paoli Memorial Hospital before being transferred to a rehabilitation center in West Chester. He seemed to be improving about a week ago, Jim Loftus, the station manager, said. O'Brien had been at WOGL, a classic hits station specializing in music from the 1960s and 1970s, since 2002. Loftus described O'Brien as a musicologist who not only knew his play list but was well-versed in contemporary music. O'Brien's first stint in Philadelphia was at the top-40 WFIL (560 AM), a home of rapid-fire disk jockeys, from 1976 to 1979. After several years in other markets, he returned to Philadelphia in 1996, when he joined WYXR (Star 104.5). In 2002, he joined WOGL, where he hosted the afternoon shift.

April 19, 2008
WIP & CSN's Marzano Dies
Philadelphia-based baseball analyst John Marzano died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 45. He was found in his home on Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia Saturday afternoon. Marzano, a graduate of Temple University, played major league baseball for nine years. He appeared on WIP and Comcast SportsNet, and worked fulltime for mlb.com.

April 9, 2008
New ND For 5
WNYW/Channel 5 has officially named Dianne Doctor vice president and news director. The Fox station also gave Jim Driscoll, who had been news director at sister station WWOR/Channel 9, the title of vice president. Doctor, a market veteran, fills a slot that has been open since mid-January, when Scott Matthews left Channel 5 for a job at CNN.

April 8, 2008
LTW Tops NYC Radio Revenue Heap
Clear Channel adult contemporary WLTW took the top spot in revenue for 2007 ($62.8M) in the nation's No. 1 radio market according to figures released by BIA Financial Network. The remainder of top five in '07 revenue included CBS Radio news WINS ($57.7M), sister news WCBS-AM ($53.7M), Clear Channel contemporary WHTZ ($52.3M), and CBS Radio sports WFAN ($37.5), which was actually off by $13 million when compared to 2006 ($50.6M). No doubt Don Imus' being fired one year ago this month played a major factor in the Fan's decline.

March 31, 2008
New ND For 4
Vickie Burns is leaving her news director job at top-rated WRC-TV in DC to become news director of NBC's NYC sister station, Channel 4/WNBC, which has been struggling with anemic news ratings for the past few years. She replaces Dan Foreman. Burns has been with WRC since 2003. She came from NBC's Chicago station, WMAQ-TV, where she rose from producer to news director.

March 26, 2008
Tierney Land XRK PD Post
CBS Radio rocker WXRK, 92.3 K-Rock, has promoted assistant program director/music director Mike Tierney to program director. Tierney joined the NYC station in 2007 from the PD post at sister station active rock KUFO in Portland, Oregon. He takes on the day-to-day programming responsibilities of the station in addition to his role as music director, a position he has held for the past six months. His promotion fills the void left by Tracey Cloherty, who exited the station in February.

March 19, 2008
WPEN Adds ESPN
Greater Media will flip Philadelphia sports talk WPEN (950 AM) to "950 ESPN" on 4/1 with Mike and Mike anchoring mornings. Other new lineup details will be forthcoming. WPEN also adds the NBA Playoffs, MLB Playoffs, and World Series to its lineup, which includes, Sunday and Monday Night Football and the Super Bowl, the Final Four, and Villanova Basketball.

March 17, 2008
Stamford's WCTZ Seeks Nassau Move
Cox's adult contemporary WCTZ (96.7 FM) in Port Chester NY has applied for a move into the Nassau-Suffolk market by moving its tower to Roslyn, on Long Island. The station, which is presently in the Stamford-Norwalk market, applied for two minor changes, first applying for modification of its site to move to a tower in Roslyn, giving it a stronger signal in Nassau County, and also applying for modification of the tower site and antenna pattern of co-channel WTSX in Port Jervis NY to eliminate any countour overlap.

March 5, 2008
Ronnie Italiano Dies
Sometimes the most modest radio shows have the most interesting stories behind them, and that was surely true with Ronnie Italiano, better known as Ronnie I, who died Monday night after a long battle with liver cancer. Ronnie was a champion of rhythm and blues vocal group harmony music in the style of the 1950s, and he played it on WNWK, WHBI, and WNYE for 23 years. As recently as last year, he sat in for Christine Vitale on WFDU, where she is one of a handful of hosts on various stations who still play that music on "specialty" shows.

February 28, 2008
4's News Director Out
Dan Forman, Channel 4/WNBC's news director, will leave the NBC-owned station at the end of March. Forman's departure comes after a tumultuous period for the station's news division, one that has resulted in changes in newscasts and personnel in an effort to boost low ratings.

February 26, 2008
Alycia Lane Walks Free
Alycia Lane, the former Channel 3/KYW Philadelphia television news anchor who was arrested in December for punching a police officer in Manhattan, walked out of Criminal Court in Manhattan a free woman on Monday. Prosecutors promised to drop the charges, Judge Dena Douglas told her, if she stayed out of trouble for six months and performed one day of community service.

February 11, 2008
Pulse 87 Signs On
Dance music returned to NYC early this morning, as Pulse 87, formerly an all-Russian language station, using the the aural frequency of low-power Channel 6/WNYZ, debuted. Former WQHT and WTJMer Joel Salkowitz is the program cirector chair, and former WQHT and WWPR morning duo of Star and Buc Wild are set to debut their morning show next week.

February 7, 2008
K-Rock PD Gets Heave-Ho
CBS Radio is the latest radio company to slash its workforce, with a 5-ish percent cutback. Among those let go is the suprise firing of WXRK, K-Rock Program Director Tracy Cloherty. Plus: Rick Martini, program director of Fresh 102.7, WNEW, and Crys Quimby, program director of all-news WCBS-AM. And: Theresa Beyer, promotions director of oldies WCBS-FM, and Jocelyn Taub, promotions director of sports talk WFAN.

February 5, 2008
WQCD Drops Smooth Jazz For Rock
Emmis drops smooth jazz from NYC's 101.9 FM, as WQCD becomes adult rocker WRXP. That gives the Big Apple three major rock stations, including Clear Channel's classic rock WAXQ and CBS's alt rock WXRK. Look for WRXP to play a mix of new music, classic rock, alternative, and local bands. "On-air personalities will play a direct part in choosing the music," announced WRXP Program Director Blake Lawrence. "It's unheard of in radio these days, but 101.9 RXP is about the music and not so much the music business - we're merging rock styles and generations into a singular community that we call 'The New York Rock Experience'." Adds Jimmy Steal, Emmis's vice president of programming: "Having grown up on the great New York rock radio of the past, I'm absolutely thrilled that Emmis has identified an unserved audience that now has a great new three-dimensional rock brand!" The new 101.9 RXP launched with Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground's "Rock And Roll" and the brand-new REM track "Supernatural Superserious." Core artists will include Nirvana, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, U2, Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band, the Police, the Who, Radiohead, Social Distortion, and the Arcade Fire. NYC's WQCD played smooth jazz for 20 years.

January 31, 2008
WBEB Tops Philly Radio Heap
Arbitron has released the results of the "Holiday 2007" Portable People Meter period (Dec. 13, 2007-Jan. 9, 2008) in Philadelphia, and the age 6+ cume for Jerry Lee's adult contemporary WBEB (B101) soared from 2,318,200 in December to 2,481,400, no doubt fueled in a major way by the wall-to-wall holiday music the station featured through Christmas Day. Meanwhile, the station's age 6+ share shot up 15.8 to 17.1. Rounding out the top five: KYW, WOGL, WIOQ, WRDW.

January 23, 2008
PD Jim Ryan To Leave LTW
Jim Ryan leaves the program director gig at Clear Channel's top-rated adult contemporary WLTW (106.7 FM) in NYC. He'll be starting his own radio programming consultancy firm. Veretan AC programmer Chris Conley has been tapped as Ryan's replacement.

January 18, 2008
K-Rock's Chiusano To Give Up GM Duties
WXRK, K-Rock General Manager Tom Chiusano is relinquishing his role as GM of the NYC alt rocker. Contrary to reports elsewhere, Chiusano told FMQB he is not resigning from the station and will stay on with CBS Radio in a consulting capacity until "at least June." In the meantime, the K-Rock management icon is heading out for a vacation before he resumes his duties with the company. Chiusano has been with CBS Radio, and its Infinity predecessor, for 25 years.

January 18, 2008
Former 880er Susan Cantrell Dies
Susan Veatch Cantrell, formerly an editorial director with CBS Radio all-newser WCBS (880 AM), has died. She was 63. More recently, she worked in the public affairs department an Indiana's Wabash College.

January 16, 2008
WLIR To Become WEPN Relay
ESPN Sports WEPN (1050 AM) in NYC inks a deal with Morey's WLIR (107.1 FM) in Hampton Bays on Long Island for a relay. WLIR has been simulcasting sister rhythmic contemporary WDRE (105.3 FM) since dropping alternative rock at the beginning of January. The WEPN simulcast in WLIR starts on 1/21. WEPN just signed a deal to be relayed via Nassau's WCHR, an AMer in Flemington NJ.

January 16, 2008
5's News Director Head For CNN
Scott Matthews, news director at NYC's Fox-owned Channel 5/WNYW, leaves to become the director of daytime programming at CNN. Matthews joined WNYW in May 2004 from Fox-owned Channel 29/WTXF in Philadelphia.

January 15, 2008
Atlantic City's 62 Sold
ZGS Communications will acquire Atlantic City area Telemundo affiliate Channel 62/WWSI from Hispanic Broadcasters Of Philadelphia for $10 million, per an FCC filing.

January 9, 2008
Nassau Puts Religion On WPHY
Nassau is replacing the ESPN sports format on Trenton's WPHY (920 AM) with religion from sister WCHR (1040 AM) in Flemington. As DCRTV previously reported, WCHR becomes a relay of NYC's sports talker WEPN (1050 AM). As part of the change, afternoon host Dan Schwartzman leaves WPHY.

January 9, 2008
Lite Back To Top Spot In NYC
The fall 2007 Arbitrends, covering the months of October, November, and December, were released on 1/8. The ratings were marked by significant gains and losses. Lite FM (106.7), aided by XMAS music listeners, rebounded to its familiar #1 spot with a 5.5 audience share, up from #3 and a 4.3 share in the Summer book. Moving up 0.5 share from the summer is Mega (WSKQ, 97.9 FM), which was #2 overall, while Z-100 (WHTZ) slipped to a 4.3 share and a tie for #3. WCBS-FM (101.1) held steady with a 3.7 share, tied for #6 overall.

January 8, 2008
Bryant Lands KTU AM Slot
Paul "Cubby" Bryant will become the new morning show host on Clear Channel rhythmic contemporary WKTU (103.5 FM) come 1/14. He replaces Bartel, who stepped into the shift on an interim basis after comic and actor Whoopi Goldberg got the boot in November. Bryant will end his run as co-host of the nationally-syndicated "Whoopi" show.

January 7, 2008
3 Fires Alycia Lane
CBS has officially fired Alycia Lane. Channel 3/KYW President and General Manager Michael Colleran said in a statement, "After assessing the overall impact of a series of incidents resulting from judgments she has made, we have concluded that it would be impossible for Alycia to continue to report the news as she, herself, has become the focus of so many news stories. We wish to make clear that we are not prejudging the outcome of the criminal case against Alycia that is pending in New York. We understand that Alycia expects to be fully vindicated in that proceeding. We hope that this is the case and we wish her the best in all her future endeavors." Lane, who is accused of punching an NYPD police officer after a night out last month, joined CBS3 in 2003.

January 3, 2008
WLIR Drops Alternative Rock
A DCRTVer tells us: "On Thursday, WLIR 107.1 Hampton Bays NY switched formats from alternative to a simulcast of (the) Dance Station Party 105.3. This is probably the end of an era in Long Island Radio as there are no FM stations that are playing alternative or classic alternative in the Long Island-East Long Island area."

January 3, 2008
WEPN To Get NJU Relay
ESPN Sports' NYC WEPN (1050 AM) does something about that pesky signal null in NJ, inking a deal with Nassau's religious WCHR (1040 AM) in Flemington, which will become a WEPN relay in mid-January. The 1040 relay will improve WEPN's coverage in Hunterdon, Mercer, Montgomery, Northampton, Somerset, and Warren counties in NJ, and will provide additional Pennsylvania coverage in Bucks, Philadelphia, and Burlington counties.

December 31, 2007
Smaldone Out At LTW
After 24 years at NYC adult contemporary powerhouse WLTW (106.7 FM), midday host Valerie Smaldone has decided to exit the Clear Channel station. In a 12/31 e-mail to staff, Jim Ryan, senior VP of AC programming for Clear Channel and WLTW program director, wrote, "It is with mixed emotions that I tell you all that Valerie Smaldone has decided not to renew her contract with the station. Valerie has become so much more than a radio personality. We will all watch her continued growth and success in whatever direction she chooses and wish her the best of luck."

December 28, 2007
New News Director For Fox29
Fox29 has hired its third news director in a year. Kingsley Smith, last at Fox's KTVI in St. Louis, today was named to run the station's news department, ranked fourth among the town's four stations that present original news. Those Fox newsies are a mobile bunChannel Smith, who was in St. Louis a year and a half after a long turn at the Fox station in Dallas, follows Phil Metlin, who started in May and left this month to run news at the Fox station in Washington. Metlin replaced Holly Gauntt, who left suddenly in January after 21/2 years. Gauntt is now news director at KOMO, the ABC station in Seattle.

December 27, 2007
Stu Nathan Dies
Stu Nathan, 81, the original play-by-play voice of the Philadelphia Flyers, who later was a sports reporter in Los Angeles, has died of lymphoma at his California home. While in Philadelphia, Nathan did play-by-play for the hockey Flyers and the football Eagles, and served as host of a kiddie TV show.

December 26, 2007
Luis Jimenez To WCAA
Luis Jimenez will return to NYC mornings on 1/17 on Univision Radio's Latin rhythm WCAA (La Kalle) with "The Luis Jimenez Show." The show is also set to return to Puerto Rico's airwaves on Uno Radio Group's tropical Salsoul network, which includes WPRM, on 1/3.

December 17, 2007
CBS3's Lane Arrested In NYC
Channel 3/KYW anchor Alycia Lane was arrested early yesterday after allegedly punching a plainclothes female New York City police officer in the face around 2 AM in Manhattan. Lane, 35, was charged with assault. New York Police Sgt. Carlos Nieves said Lane's attack left the officer bloody and lacerated. Lane could not be reached for comment, but an attorney representing her said last night that she "never hit or said any derogatory comments to anyone."

December 6, 2007
Phil Metlin Exits 29 For DC
Channel 29/WTXF News Director Phil Metlin heads down I-95 to DC to become news director at Fox sister station WTTG. His career includes news director stints at WTVT in Tampa and WHNT in Huntsville AL, a news producer gig for Miami's WPLG, and a managing editor job at "America's Most Wanted."

December 4, 2007
Crowley Heads WOR
Talker WOR (710 AM) picks Jerry Crowley to be its vice president and general manager. Crowley, who has been director of ad sales, replaces longtimer Bob Bruno.

December 3, 2007
WINS Death: Larry Wachtel
Larry Wachtel, the stock market analyst who gave financial advice to CBS Radio's all-news WINS for more than 30 years, up until 2005, died at the age of 77. The Yonkers resident died unexpectedly of a heart ailment at the Westchester Medical Center.

December 3, 2007
Imus Debuts On 770
Don Imus returned to the airwaves Monday eight months after he was fired for a racially charged remark about the Rutgers women's basketball team, introducing a new cast that included two black comedians. As he did several times in the days after his comments, Imus condemned his remarks and said he had learned his lesson. "I didn't see any point in going on some sort of 'Larry King' tour to offer a bunch of lame excuses for making an essentially reprehensible remark about innocent people who did not deserve to be made fun of," he said Monday during the debut on WABC (770 AM). He said that every time he would get upset about how he was treated - he was fired from CBS Radio and MSNBC - "I would remind myself that if I hadn't said what I said, then we wouldn't be having this discussion."

November 26, 2007
Marc Howard To Retire
Philadelphia television institution Marc Howard (left) will retire from TV Friday afternoon, his artist wife Susan Howard confirmed. CBS3, KYW, where Howard has co-anchored the 4 PM news for four years, is expected to announce Howard's retirement later today. Howard, who looks years younger than the 71 he'll celebrate in February, would have marked 54 years in broadcasting on Saturday. Before CBS3, Howard is remembered for his 26 years at Channel 6/WPVI anchoring "Action News." Howard has declined to discuss his retirement or his future, but Susan says the couple are looking forward to spending a few weeks traveling through Southeast Asia. She's also hoping that Howard, a skilled photographer, will continue in that hobby and maybe take up a cooking class.

November 17, 2007
Hy Lit Dead
For more than a half century Hy Lit (left) was one of the most popular disc jockeys in one of the greatest music cities in the country. He died Saturday at the age of 73. Hy emceed shows with the Four Tops, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys and many, many others. His weekly sock hops were very popular with teens in the 1960s. He was on several radio stations, most notably "top 40" outlet WIBG and then oldies WOGL, during a career spanning five decades. He also worked at WHAT, WRCV, WDAS, WPGR, and WSNI at one time or another. He was also on syndicated television shows across the country. Hy was inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers Of Philadelphia Hall Of Fame four years ago. Hy lost his wife to cancer several years ago, and about 10 years ago Hy was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. In recent years, Hy has been a leading spokesman for finding a cure for Parkinsons. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Hy died at Paoli Memorial Hospital of what his son termed "bizarre complications" after a knee injury. Sam Lit said his father fell on 11/4 and was admitted to Lankenau Hospital to have the knee drained. What followed, the son said, was a "terrible situation that should have never happened." Over the next week and a half, the DJ, heavily sedated, was transferred to Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital and, on Thursday, to Paoli Memorial, Sam Lit said.

November 1, 2007
Imus To WABC
Citadel makes it official. Don Imus will return to the airwaves on 12/3 on NYC talker WABC (770 AM), only nine months after the cantankerous shock jock's career seemed doomed over his racist, sexist remark about a women's college basketball team. Citadel made the announcement Thursday, confirming long-rumored reports that Imus was returning to morning drive time in the same city where he was banished in April. "We are ecstatic to bring Don Imus back to morning radio," said WABC President/General Manager Steve Borneman. "Don's unique brand of humor, knowledge of the issues and ability to attract big-name guests is unparalleled. He is rested, fired up and ready to do great radio." Imus will return with his longtime newsman, Charles McCord, and other members of his morning team, Citadel said in announcing the move. It did not specifically mention Bernard McGuirk, the producer who was fired along with Imus. Imus will be heard from 6 AM to 10 AM and his show will be syndicated by ABC Radio Networks.

October 31, 2007
Mal Johnson Dies
Mal Johnson (right), a key figure in the birth of the National Association Of Black Journalists, died Saturday at a hospital in Fairfax County VA, after suffering complications from diabetes. She was 85. In the 1960s, Johnson worked at Philadelphia's old Channel 48/WKBS, where she was a reporter. She later became the first female reporter employed at Cox radio and TV news, where she worked for 27 years. As its first female White House correspondent, Johnson covered five presidents, as well as Capitol Hill, the State Department, and various federal agencies. In 1980, Johnson was promoted to senior Washington correspondent and assigned additional duties as national director of community affairs. Journal-isms has more.....

October 30, 2007
XPN Improves Harrisburg Coverage
University Of Pennsylvania's adult alternative WXPN, 88.5 FM, in Philadelphia gets a better relay in the Pennsylvania capital region. It's swapped the signal of its WXPH, 88.1, in Harrisburg for the signals of contemporary Christian WZXM - and can be heard via 88.7 and 99.7 come 11/1.

October 24, 2007
O&A Gone From YSP
CBS Radio rocker WYSP (94.1 FM) has parted ways with Opie and Anthony (right), its syndicated morning show. WYSP, which last month announced it would return to rock, will play music in morning drive tomorrow and for the foreseeable future, said its general manager, David Yadgaroff. Since April 2006, the freewheeling, NYC-based personalities aired on WYSP and as many as 11 CBS stations in a unique partnership with XM Satellite Radio. But they've lost several broadcast affiliates lately. Kidd Chris, WYSP's afternoon host, is one of several candidates for 94.1's morning show, Yadgaroff said.

October 24, 2007
Rebecca Campbell Jumps From 6 To 7
Rebecca Campbell has left Philadelphia's Channel 6/WPVI, where she was president and general manager, to take the same role at NYC's Channel 7/WABC. Both stations are owned by ABC. She replaces Dave Davis, also a former WPVI president, who was promoted to executive vice president for ABC News. Campbell has led WPVI since 2003.

October 16, 2007
Z100 Is Tops In NYC
Clear Channel contemporary hit WHTZ, Z100, is the new number one station in NYC - for the first time since the 1980s, according to Clear Channel/New York senior VP of programming and marketing Tom Poleman. The station powered up 4.6-5.1 12+ and also placed number one persons 18-34 and number two persons 25-54, as well as increasing its cume to 2.71 million, Poleman says. Emmis urban AC WRKS, 98.7 Kiss FM, leaped up 3.7-4.4 to take second 12+. Rounding out the top-five 12+, Clear Channel AC WLTW is third, going 5.4-4.3; SBS tropical WSKQ is fourth with a 4.4-4.1 move; and CBS Radio news WINS jumped 3.6-3.9 for fifth.

October 12, 2007
Anita Brikman Leaves Philly For Anchor Job In DC
Anita Brikman, the medical reporter since 1994 at ABC's Channel 6/WPVI in Philadelphia, is jumping to Gannett's Channel 9/WUSA in DC for an "anchor's job." DCRTV hears that Brikman will co-anchor WUSA's 5 PM and 7 PM weeknightly newscasts, starting in January.

October 11, 2007
BEB Tops Philly Ratings
Arbitron has released the Philadelphia Portable People Meter radio ratings data for September and it showed that, just like in Houston, the cume was down for the market’s top stations 12+, with the top five suffering cume losses in Philly. With an average daily in-tab of 1,449 and an average weekly in-tab of 1,170 for September, here's how the market shook out:
WBEB-FM: 1,806,900 - 1,705,800 (WEAZ-FM Radio Inc.-AC)
WOGL-FM: 1,274,900 - 1,267,200 (CBS Radio-Classic Hits)
KYW-AM: 1,092,300 - 1,071,200 (CBS Radio-News)
WMGK-FM: 1,095,100 - 1,063,100 (Greater Media-Classic Rock)
WBEN-FM: 1,013,600 - 947,400 (Greater Media-Adult Hits)
WIOQ-FM: 934,000 - 936,800 (Clear Channel-CHR/Top 40)
WRFF-FM: 939,300 - 934,400 (Clear Channel-Alternative)
WMMR-FM: 860,900 - 927,700 (Greater Media-Rock)
WRDW-FM: 981,100 - 902,200 (Beasley-Rhythmic)
WISX-FM: 840,700 - 865,900 (Clear Channel-Rhythmic AC)
WPHT-AM: 654,600 - 796,600 (CBS Radio-Talk)
WUSL-FM: 661,500 - 740,500 (Clear Channel-Urban)
WXTU-FM: 718,800 - 727,200 (Beasley-Country)
WDAS-FM: 706,600 - 688,900 (Clear Channel-Urban AC)
WPHI-FM: 685,500 - 675,600 (Radio One-Urban)
WYSP-FM: 440,100 - 621,600 (CBS Radio-Active Rock/Talk)
WIP-AM: 450,400 - 534,800 (CBS Radio-Sports)
WJJZ-FM: 435,400 - 470,800 (Greater Media-Smooth Jazz)
WRNB-FM: 470,100 - 433,300 (Radio One-Urban AC)
WPST-FM: 450,300 - 421,900 (Nassau-CHR/Top 40)
WHYY-FM: 307,000 - 400,000 (WHYY Inc.-News/Talk)
WPPZ-FM: 347,300 - 363,700 (Radio One-Gospel)
WSTW-FM: 299,700 - 337,700 (Delmarva-CHR/Top 40)
WJBR-FM: 366,600 - 300,500 (Beasley-AC)
WXPN-FM: 285,500 - 291,600 (University of Pennsylvania-Triple A)
WRTI-FM: 263,900 - 283,200 (Temple University-Classical)
WKXW-AM: 177,000 - 211,500 (Millennium-Talk)

October 9, 2007
7 Chopper Pilot Killed In Taxi Mishap
WABC-TV's NewsCopter7 pilot Captain Paul Smith, 60, was killed when a cab smashed into people on a crowded sidewalk outside a popular restaurant in midtown Manhattan Sunday night. Authorities are hoping surveillance video will shed some light onto what happened.

September 26, 2007
7's GM Upped At ABC
Dave Davis, who has run Channel 7/WABC as president/general manager since 2003, yesterday was named executive vice president of ABC News. Davis' promotion, which makes him number two at ABC News to president David Westin, is part of a restructuring of the management team at the news division. All news programs will now report to Davis.

September 24, 2007
CT Sportscaster Found Dead In Home
Bill Gonillo, an affable fixture of the southern Connecticut sports landscape for two decades, was found dead in his home in Woodbridge on Sunday. Gonillo, 44, was sports director at News 12 in Fairfield for the past 12 years. News12 did not release any information, other than to lead its 10 p.m. newscast with the tearful news. Gonillo was a diabetic and has suffered from bouts of diabetic shock in the past. Before assuming his role at News12, Gonillo was a familiar voice on WELI radio in New Haven and was Yale football play-by-play announcer in the mid-90s. He also worked as sports anchor on WVIT-30 and was a pregame and postgame host for Hartford Whalers hockey and Boston Celtics basketball on WTWS-TV in New London and WTXX in Waterbury.

September 20, 2007
LI Changes: WBON To Spanish
Changes at Jarrod's Long Island's radio cluster. Vic Latino joins contemporary/dance WDRE, Party 105, as morning show co-host and operations manager of sister stations alternative rocker WLIR and WBON, which is flipping to a Spanish tropical format.

September 19, 2007
Jill Quayle From WSTW To WJBR
Jill Quale, who recently left the morning show at Wilmington's Delmarva contemporary hit WSTW after 12 years, has reappeared at crosstown Beasley adult contemporary WJBR as the morning co-host, alongside Program Director Michael Waite.

September 18, 2007
Surge For CBS-FM
WCBS-FM (101.1) seems to have rocketed out of the box with its return to "the greatest hits of the '60s, '70s and '80s." While monthly audience estimates for radio are notoriously imprecise indicators, extrapolated figures released yesterday for August show this: Among advertisers' favorite age group, 25 to 54, WCBS-FM had 67,300 listeners in the average quarter hour, nearly double the 36,900 estimated in June under the station's old Jack format.

September 13, 2007
Rock Returns To YSP
CBS Radio's WYSP (94.1 FM) has dropped its all-talk format and will return to a mix of rock and talk. Philadelphia's WYSP will begin using the slogan "The Rock Is Back." It has been two years since the station aired music on weekdays. WYSP fired most of its on-air staff yesterday. After "The Barsky Show," co-host Kim Douglas was fired, but Paul Barsky was retained for an off-air job. Co-host "Vinnie The Crumb" will continue hosting the 'YSP Eagles pre-game shows. Matt and Huggy, who were music DJs on the station before they hosted a talk show, have been fired, as were Scotty and Alex. Kidd Chris remains in the afternoon drive slot, although his producer, Brad Maybe, and crew member Monkeyboy have been let go, while Thomas remains. NYC-based Opie and Anthony, also heard on XM Satellite Radio, will continue on the station.

September 10, 2007
Marilyn Russell Joins WBEN
Marilyn Russell joins Dave Cruise to do mornings on Philadelphia's adult hits WBEN (95.7 FM). Russell comes from a variety of radio gigs around the Philadelphia area, including at alternative WXPN, talker WYSP, classic rock WMGK, and old alternative outlets WPLY and WIBF (WDRE).

September 6, 2007
Bandiero Leaves KTU
It's the end of an era at NYC's WKTU, as the station parts ways with market fixture Al Bandiero. In a memo to the staff, WKTU Program Director Rob Miller remarked to Radio And Records, "Al has done an amazing job as host of 'The KTU Studio 54 Clubhouse' for the past few years... bringing the show into the top three in the Arbitron ratings during its time period. We thank him for his passion and energy during this incredible run." The final edition of the show aired this past Sunday as 'KTU prepares to go in another direction.

September 5, 2007
Changes At WURD
New WURD (900 AM) GM Kernie Anderson has made some changes, but says there's "no way" the Philadelphia African-American talk station will change formats. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Anderson says he hopes to embellish the format and maintain a stronger local presence and local committment. To that end, he's hired former Daily News Sexy Single Al Butler, formerly of WHAT (1340 AM). Anderson's also hired Thera Martin Connelly, also a WHAT alum. Butler's show this week airs from 3 PM to 5 PM, but next week starts 4 PM to 7 PM. Connelly, the new program director, hosts a show from 10 AM to 2 PM. Author and motivational speaker Iyanla VanZant said her on-air goodbyes last week. Chrystal Holmes and national program director Bob Law, and nighttime host Brother Rob have also left the station. WURD recently hired state Representative Louise Williams Bishop to host weekday mornings and a Sunday-morning gospel show.

August 31, 2007
Philly's 1340 Goes Sinatra
Marconi Broadcasting flips Philadlephia's WHAT (1340 AM) from its alternative rock "Skin" format to nostalgic standards tunes, a la Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Harri Connick, and Michael Buble. It now calls itself "Martini Lounge Radio."

August 28, 2007
Sam Sylk Gone From WUSL
WUSL, Power 99 morning show host Sam Sylk is no longer with the Clear Channel urban station. He transferred from afternoon drive at Clear Channel's urban WGCI in Chicago about a year ago, replacing the syndicated "Star And Buc Wild Morning Show." Night hosts the Hot Boys are filling the shift on 98.9 FM, for now.

August 23, 2007
Bob Grant Returns To WABC
Longtime NYC radio talker Bob Grant is returning to Citadel-ABC talker WABC (770 AM) to take over Jerry Agar's 8 PM to 10 PM slot, starting 8/23. Agar will give up his WABC duties to focus on his midday gig at WABC's Chicago radio sister, WLS. Grant, who made the announcement of his return on Sean Hannity's Wednesday afternoon show, began his radio career in the 1940s at Chicago's WBBM. He's since worked at NYC's WOR and WMCA, Philadelphia's WWDB, and LA's KNX and KABC. Grant's first WABC stint began in 1984, but abruptly ended after the 1996, airplane crash that killed Clinton-era Commerce Secretary Ron Brown. Grant was fired by then owners Capital Cities/ABC for saying on the air, "My hunch is (Brown) is the one survivor. I just have that hunch. Maybe it's because at heart I'm a pessimist."

August 23, 2007
Uncle O Charges Dropped
While a judge has dismissed all charges against WUSL, Power 99's Uncle O, the DJ shouldn't uncork any champagne just yet. Charles Ehrlich, chief of the Municipal Court unit of the Philadelphia district attorney's office, is reviewing the case and considering re-arresting and refiling charges against Uncle O, aka Tracy Jackson. Jackson, 36, turned himself in to police 6/10, and was charged with felony aggravated assault. He was alleged to have pulled a gun on a nightclub owner and his father on 6/3. Jackson has a permit to carry a gun. His felony charge was reduced to several misdemeanor charges at a July preliminary hearing.

August 14, 2007
Esiason To WFAN Mornings
CBS Radio sports talker WFAN (660 AM) will put former Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton, afternoon co-host on Trenton's WKXW (101.5 FM), in Don Imus's old morning slot as of 9/4. In addition to continuing to serve as studio analyst for CBS television's "The NFL Today" pre-game show, Esiason will continue to call games for Westwood One's radio version of "Monday Night Football" and NFL playoff and Super Bowl radio broadcasts, a position he has held since 2000. He will also host a show on the Madison Square Garden Network.

August 14, 2007
Phil Rizzuto Dead
Phil Rizzuto, the Hall Of Fame shortstop during the Yankees' dynasty years and beloved by a generation of fans who delighted in hearing him exclaim "Holy cow!" as a radio and TV broadcaster, died on 8/14. He was 89. Rizzuto had been in declining health for several years and was living at a nursing home in West Orange. Rizzuto also became known for saying "Unbelievable!" or "Did you see that?" to describe a great play, and would call somebody a "huckleberry" if he did something Rizzuto didn't like. He would frequently wish listeners a happy birthday or anniversary, send get well wishes to fans in hospitals, and speak well of restaurants he liked, or of the cannoli he would eat between innings. Rizzuto's broadcast partners included Mel Allen, Red Barber, Joe Garagiola, Tony Kubek, Jim Kaat, Billy Martin, Tom Seaver, and Rick Cerone.

August 9, 2007
Fox5 Copter Lands In Field
A Channel 5/WNYW news helicopter looking for storm damage to show on the evening broadcast made an emergency landing in a field on Wednesday after an engine cover came loose and began flapping around near the blades. No one was injured. Fox5 News reporter Chris Cristi and pilot Roland Rinnerburger emerged unscathed from the soft landing in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. "Oh my God," one of the men can be heard exclaiming on video of the incident. The helicopter took off at around 4:30 PM from Teterboro Airport to cover the region's bad weather for the 5 PM newscast.

August 6, 2007
Famous 56 Engineer Dies
Ray McCloy, the former chief engineer with Philadelphia's WFIL (560 AM), back when it was the Famous 56 legendary "top 40" outlet in the 1960s, died on 8/2.

July 30, 2007
3 & 4 Veteran, NBC Talk Show Legend Tom Snyder Dead
Legendary newsman and former Channel 3/KYW pioneer broadcaster Tom Snyder (right) passed away on 7/29 in San Francisco from complications of leukemia. In 1965, Snyder, along with Marciarose Shestack, anchored what was said to be the first noon local TV news show in the country. The show was broadcast from the "Eyewitness News" studios in Philadelphia. He also anchored for NYC's Channel 4/WNBC as well as KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. In the 1970s, Snyder gained national attention as the host of the talk show "Tomorrow With Tom Snyder," which aired late nights on NBC, after the "Tonight Show." He was 71.

July 27, 2007
4 To Dump 5 PM Newscast
NBC-owned Channel 4/WNBC will become the first major station in the NYC market to abandon its 5 PM newscast. On 9/10, WNBC will replace the "ratings-challenged" 5 PM news with the entertainment show "Extra." As part of the shift, Channel 4 will launch a 7 PM newscast anchored by Chuck Scarborough. Sue Simmons - now anchoring at 6 PM with Scarborough, with each reportedly pulling down $3 million a year - will do only the 11 PM news.

July 24, 2007
WLTW Again Tops NYC Radio Ratings
From Radio And Records: Clear Channel adult contemporary WLTW (106.7 FM) was still number one in the spring '07 Arbitron ratings released Monday with a 5.4 12+, but it has dropped from a 6.2 in winter '07 and a 7.1 in fall '06. Pulling in to the number two slot with a flat 4.6 was Clear Channel contemporary hit WHTZ (100.3 FM). Rounding out the top five were Spanish Broadcasting System tropical WSKQ (97.9 FM), down 4.8-4.4; Inner City urban adult contempoarry WBLS (107.5 FM), rebounding 3.6-4.0; and Citadel talk WABC (770 AM), improving 3.5-3.9. The remainder of the top 10 shook out like this: SBS Spanish contemporary WPAT (93.1 FM), 4.1-3.8, Emmis urban adult contemporary WRKS (98.7 FM), 3.5-3.7, CBS Radio news WINS (1010 AM), 3.9-3.6, Emmis urban WQHT (97.1 FM), 3.2-3.6, and Clear Channel urban WWPR (105.1 FM), 3.2-3.5. Also of note, CBS Radio adult contemporary WWFS (102.7 FM) continued its forward momentum, 2.7-3.1; Clear Channel classic rock WAXQ (104.3 FM) dipped, 3.1-3.0; CBS Radio news WCBS (880 AM) surged, 2.4-2.7, and CBS Radio sports WFAN (660 AM), minus Imus, improved, 2.1-2.3, as did Citadel hot adult contemporary WPLJ (95.5 FM) 1.9-2.1.

July 12, 2007
CBS-FM "Does It Again"
Launching with the Beach Boys' "Do It Again," NYC's WCBS-FM (101.1) returned to oldies at 1:01 PM on 7/12. Says a poster at the special "WCBS-FM Back To Oldies" section of the NY Radio Message Board, the post-Jack musical format is "heavy '70s, a medium amount from each year of the '60s starting at 1964, and a smaller level of '80s." Says David Hinckley: "All the deejays and half the employees of CBS Radio piled into the studio for the launch, breaking into applause before demolishing a spread of hot dogs, pizza, cupcakes and champagne. The mood was as upbeat and giddy as the music, with the 59-year-old (Bob) Shannon back at the microphone. The Jack format that replaced oldies in June 2005 had done all right but never shook off a blanket of resentment over supplanting the much-loved oldies format." In other CBS-FM news, Ziggie Pelzer returns to the station, where he's been the voice for almost 20 years.

July 6, 2007
WFAN Turns 20
When Emmis' Jeff Smulyan flipped country WHN (1050 AM) to all-sports as WFAN, The Fan, on July 1, 1987, there were more than a few people who thought he had a screw loose. "The conventional wisdom at that time was that this was a really dumb idea," Smulyan says now. But 20 years later, WFAN (660 AM), which has spawned hundreds of similarly formatted stations - there are 560 sports stations in the USA, according to M Street Journal - is alive and well. WFAN is now owned by CBS.

June 30, 2007
ABC Film Critic Joel Segal Dies
Surrounded by family and friends, ABC's beaming and insightful movie critic Joel Siegel has died in New York, after a long and remarkably courageous struggle with cancer, at the age of 63. "No one had more fun writing about a bad movie than Joel," said Dave Davis, president and general manager of NYC's Channel 7/WABC, where Siegel signed on as movie and theater critic in 1976. Siegel worked as a feature reporter for Channel 2/WCBS in 1972 and hosted "Joel Siegel's New York" on WCBS-AM (880).

June 28, 2007
New News Director For 2
Valerie Feder has been named assistant news director for Channel 2/WCBS. She comes from LA's VAF Television Consulting and KABC-TV. Also, Anchor Lonnie Quinn is leaving WTVJ-TV in Miami and will be taking a job at WCBS-TV. He'll be handling the CBS station's 11 PM newscast.

June 27, 2007
2 Debuts New News Lineup
NYC's Channel 2/WCBS has debuted their new anchor lineup. Seven months after they were paired to anchor Channel 2's noon and 5 PM newscasts, Chris Wragge and Kristine Johnson have now taken over the key 11 PM show from Jim Rosenfield and Dana Tyler. Rosenfield and Tyler maintain their 6 PM slot while also picking up the noon newscast. First night on the air at 11 PM, Chris Wragge and Kristine Johnson won their time slot.

June 26, 2007
Atlantic City AMer Goes Lefty Talk
Atantic City's WTAA (1490 AM) drops a simulcast of oldies WTKU-FM for Air America's lefty talk. WTAA is owned by Access 1, which also owns AA's NYC flagship, WWRL (1600 AM).

June 26, 2007
CSN's Shroeder Dies
Sam Schroeder, 66, an executive of Comcast SportsNet, has passed away in his native Philadelphia. "Sam was here at the beginning and was an integral part of our success," a co-worker tells DCRTV. "A large part of the excellence of Comcast SportsNet can be attributed to Sam." Schroeder hosted "Daily News Live" on the Philadelphia-based version of Comcast SportsNet in the mid-1990s. He then rose to become CSN's senior vice president for special projects.

June 26, 2007
WLTW Keeps Top Slot
Clear Channel's adult contemporary WLTW, 106.7 FM, keeps the top slot in the latest monthly radio ratings roundup for NYC, although it dips a bit. It looks like CBS's new female-oriented ACer WWFS is nipping at WLTW's heels. CBS's 102.7 FM is getting its best ratings in many years - numbers it hasn't seen since it was rocker WNEW. CBS's now defunct Free FM talker WFNY, 92.3 FM, which flipped back to alternative rock WXRK a few weeks ago, continued its anemic performance.

June 22, 2007
New PD At K-Rock
Resurrected CBS Radio alternative rocker, WXRK K-Rock, names Tracy Cloherty as program director. She comes from Emmis's rhythmic contemporary WQHT, Hot 97.1. Only weeks ago, CBS's 92.3 dropped its Free FM talk format and WFNY calls to return to its WXRK calls and previous rock music format. Opie and Anthony remain in mornings.

June 21, 2007
WRKS PD Resigns
Toya Beasley, program director for Emmis's urban adult contemporary WRKS (98.7 FM) has resigned. She will transition from her former role as PD into a consultancy position. In this newly created role she will focus on the KISS Inspirations HD2 Channel. Beasley was the first African-American female programmer of NYC's WRKS. She began her career there in February 1989.

June 21, 2007
NY Times To Shrink Size & Cost More
The NY Times is raising its price and at the same time shrinking its pages. Janet Robinson, the Times' president and CEO, said at an investor conference yesterday that the company planned to hike the price for its daily and Sunday papers. As of 7/16, the price of the daily paper will jump 25 cents to $1.25 for both the city edition and the nationally circulated edition. On July 15, the price of a Sunday paper on newsstands in the NYC area will jump to $4 from $3.50, a spokeswoman said. The price for the national edition on Sunday will remain $5. Home delivery prices are expected to rise 3 percent to 4 percent.

June 20, 2007
6 Breaks Ground For New Digs
Philadelphia's Channel 6/WPVI held groundbreaking ceremonies for a new studio facility to be built next door to its 1964-vintage landmark building on City Line Avenue. The new 110,000-square foot building will go up on land purchased from the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. When it opens in 2009, the old building will be used for parking and for expansion space.

June 18, 2007
Veteran NYC Newsman Steve Powers Retires
Steve Powers has retired after 45 years as an NYC radio and TV newsman. "My first New York job was at WMCA, and when I got there, we had a news staff of 13," Powers says. "WNEW and others had huge staffs then, and there was this tremendous competition in covering every story." Then WINS went all-news, and the FCC loosened news requirements for local radio. Today, most stations pay only cursory attention to news. But Powers, who spent his most recent years as a newsman at WQXR (96.3 FM) after leaving Channel 5 in 1993, doesn't see the situation as all bleak, he tells the NY Daily News.

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