SYRACUSE -- Change is already in the air at the Buckley Radio compound in Baldwinsville, just a day after Leatherstocking Media Group's LMA on the cluster went into effect. WSEN AM and FM are no longer simulcasting the same "Classic Hits" format. Instead, WSEN 1050AM is simulcasting WFBL's "Oldies 1390" format.
Observant CNYRadio.com readers who wrote in Wednesday night say they noticed the change as early as 8:00 that morning. There's no obvious explanation or theory for the switch, nor any word yet from station management about the reason for the change.
Could it be a temporary engineering fix to prepare one of the AMs for a completely different format? Could Leatherstocking be simply replacing/upgrading studio equipment as they did shortly after buying WMCR in Oneida earlier this year? If and when we hear back with any answers, we'll update the story.
UPDATE 9/3/09 at 8:30AM - A new format is in the works for WSEN(AM).
Buckley's $2.1 million sale of the cluster to Leatherstocking was announced in mid-August. Even though the sale isn't yet official until the FCC gives its blessing, the two parties formed an LMA allowing Leatherstocking to take control of the stations as of September 1, 2009.