June 2002

Next month, the WRVO stations will begin “playing the Fool.” Financial experts David and Tom Gardner, whose commercially syndicated Motley Fool Radio Show was canceled last September, resurrected the program in January on National Public Radio (NPR) stations across the country. Locally, WRVO FM 90 and its affiliate network will begin airing the weekly one-hour

After 27 years The Ackerley Group is no more. Clear Channel Communications, which completed its acquisition of the company on Friday, now has 12 months to divest itself of radio and/or television stations in five markets across the country in order to remain within federal ownership guidelines.

B104.7’s annual summer outdoor concert at the New York State Fairgrounds is moving inside. Due to heavy rains on Friday which left the field at Cole Muffler Court soggy and the risk for showers this weekend, B-Jam, featuring Diamond Rio and Confederate Railroad, gets underway Sunday at noon inside the Center of Progress Building.

On the heels of wrapping up WAER’s weekly show Women’s Voices, Lorraine Rapp is launching a new line of skin care products. The former 95X personality writes in to the Syracuse New Times to thank them for helping to kick-start her new venture…

Former Y94FM and 570 WSYR operations manager, Bob Neil, has filed to sell 167,645 shares of Cox Radio Class A common stock worth nearly $5 million. Neil, who is the radio group’s CEO, was recently ranked eighth in a list compiled by Radio Ink magazine of the top 40 most powerful executives in the radio

Citadel Communications, a publicly traded company until it was purchased by Forstmann Little who then took it off the market last year, has filed an offering with the New York Stock Exchange to raise $575 million.

In Arbitron trend numbers released today, Hot 107-9 moved from fourth to second in the rankings of number of listeners 12+ with the Clear Channel station gaining a full ratings point. 93Q was down a full point resulting in a swap in ranks for the the two contemporary hits formatted stations.

Citing the wording in an article in last week’s Syracuse New Times about Jeff Healey’s performance at 95X-Fest, Chuck Egan of Syracuse slams the writer for his offensive tone and/or ignorance about Healey. He takes a shot at local Syracuse radio stations as well…

Things got a bit wild at KISS-FM in Utica over the weekend as a nasty storm knocked out windows, took down satellites, and kicked the station off the air for a few hours. The four hours of high winds and intense rain also washed out the station’s outdoor ‘Survival Weekend’ promotion as 24 competing listeners

WCNY’s Bill Baker and Tim Fox of WIXT TV 9 will play musicians-on-the-lam in Syracuse Stage’s annual Old Time Radio Show production which, this year, is based on the 1959 film Some Like it Hot. The single performance gets underway this Friday at 8:30 p.m. at Syracuse Stage. Call 443-3275 for ticket information.