Watertown

Cameras are being installed in the studios of the syndicated “Bob and Tom” morning show — in preparation for the show’s leap to TV this fall.  The new show will air nationwide on the “WGN America” cable channel, starting November 3rd.

It looks like Arbitron has chosen to remain tight-lipped about the ratings for the Watertown (market rank #281) and Ithaca-Cortland (#285) markets.  According to radio-info.com’s ratings page, Arbitron has withheld numbers for both markets for the Spring 2008 survey.

There’s one tiny thing that’s made being an observer of the CNY Radio scene a little frustrating for quite some time.  Arbitron hasn’t released ratings data to the public in a few years now, in any of the four markets covered by CNYRadio.com.  Many of you also indicated such frustration, so we went looking for answers.

In a move Citadel CEO Farid Suleman calls “an unusual deal, but it’s a deal for the times,” Sean Hannity’s show will be syndicated by both Citadel’s ABC Radio Networks and by Clear Channel’s Premiere Radio Networks, effective next year.

Nearly a month ago, we told you how WBLH/Black River (92.7FM) was LMA’ed from Randy Michaels’ Radioactive, LLC to a company called Intrepid Broadcasting.  At that time, it was just a construction permit, but now we’re hearing that the station seems to be stunting with some rather obscure music selections.

Contrary to the popular saying… it doesn’t stay in Vegas if you post it on the station website!  WFRY morning co-host James Pond alerted us to some pictures from a recent trip to Vegas after the show was nominated for an award from the Academy of Country music this spring.

Watertown engineer Michael Ring, whose work on rebuilding the WTNY tower was featured in our most recent Picture of the Week, writes in with some important information to help fellow engineers using the new Broadcast Tools DSC20 dual satellite controller. 

A CNYRadio.com reader tells us Stephens Media Group’s WVLF (“The Valley 96.1”) in Norwood flipped formats Monday.  After stunting all weekend, the station has traded in its Mainstream AC playlist for a Hot AC library, and a new name: “Mix 96.1.”  And some suspect Stephens could be making even more changes…

Many folks in radio don’t get the 4th of July off, so we’re not taking it off either!  We’re going back 10 years for this Picture of the Week, the rebuilding of the WTNY/Watertown tower, after it was destroyed in an unforgettable ice storm earlier that year.

UPDATED (1:05PM) – The 2008 New York State Broadcasters Association “Awards for Excellence in Broadcasting” have been unveiled.  We now have a complete list of winners, and they include stations in all four markets we cover… for a total of 11 radio awards, and at least 2 TV awards for former radio reporters.