Archives

Updated 11:20am – ATLANTA — After three weeks of “exclusive merger negotiations” between Citadel and Cumulus, the latter (and larger) of the two companies announced this morning that the deal is done.  Cumulus Media will acquire Citadel Broadcasting, the owner of 225 stations, including four in Syracuse.

UTICA/ROME — Bill Keeler’s new show, which streams online at MOVARadio.com, is already running into some information superhighway speedbumps.  Keeler says “it’s been impossible for me to keep up” after losing two staffers, including one who unexpectedly exited for a competing station.

NEW YORK CITY — Andrew Siff, who worked as a reporter for Syracuse CBS affiliate WTVH in the early 1990s, is making headlines in the Big Apple. Siff, who now works for WNBC-TV, has been chosen to portray NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg in an upcoming press corps roast of local politicians.

SYRACUSE — Membership numbers have been booming for student-run media organizations on the Syracuse University campus… and starting this fall, the amount of floor space devoted to those organizations will begin to catch up. A grocery store inside SU’s Watson Hall will be closed down to make way for an expansion of Z89 (WJPZ-FM) and

UTICA/ROME — Dick Nellis, who worked at a number of Mohawk Valley stations including WLFH, WADR, WALY and WUTQ, has passed away.  Nellis, who also worked at stations in the Hudson Valley region south of Albany, was 70.

UTICA/ROME — You may remember reading here last week about big changes to the on-air branding of news/talker WIBX in Utica.  This week, the station unveiled a brand new logo to support those changes.

NEW YORK CITY — With a story as big as the Charlie Sheen “scandal” (for lack of a better one-word summary), it was only a matter of time until CNYTVNews.com would have some sort of local tie-in.  The troubled actor called Jeff Rossen, a former Syracuse and Utica TV reporter, a “rock star” after Rossen

SYRACUSE — From the “better late than never” file, we’re told Dave Smith has exited WSEN(AM) Oldies 1050.  A trusted source who wishes to remain anonymous tells CNYRadio.com that Smith — who doubled as PM driver and as a sales rep — has left for a non-broadcasting sales job.

WASHINGTON, DC — Former Hot 107.9 (WWHT) programmer Jason Kidd has some new duties with CBS Radio.  He’s the new APD at Washington DC rhythmic CHR 95.5 WPGC, reports Inside Radio.  So far, Kidd doesn’t appear on the on-air lineup at WPGC, but as of Friday evening, he’s still listed as co-host for afternoon drive

SYRACUSE — Did you know the Syracuse University Library has one of the largest collections of historical audio recordings in the country? The Belfer Audio Archives includes literally thousands of old cylinder recordings. Thanks to a new program on WAER 88.3, you can learn about another one of these historical pieces every day.