This weekend's Countryfest featuring Patty Loveless at the Oswego Speedway has been cancelled by WSCP 101.7.
WSCP's owner, Galaxy Communications, cited a Loveless promotion sponsored by competitor B104.7 (WBBS) and the country singer's management's failure to halt their participation with the B104.7 event as reasons for the cancellation of the show.WSCP released the following statement:
Classic Country WSCP regrettably announces the cancellation of this Saturday's Countryfest with Patty Loveless scheduled for Oswego Speedway. Refunds will be available beginning Monday at the place of purchase.
You may have read in the newspaper that a competing country station was trying to engage in a promotion designed to hurt our event. Despite WSCP's repeated calls to the manager of Patty Loveless, her management has refused to halt participation in the other station's promotion. WSCP was prepared to pay Patty Loveless $17,500 to perform and her manager turned around and granted B104 a promotion while our Countryfest event would still be going on. The unethical behavior by the management of Patty Loveless and Clear Channel Communications is disturbing to see and hurts country music in this area.
WSCP will continue to promote Country Music Concerts. We'll just have to be more careful about the groups that we work with.
As the last independent broadcasting voice in Central New York, WSCP will continue to compete honestly with the monopolistic Clear Channel B104.
You're entitled to more than one Country Station and WSCP is committed to providing that choice.