SYRACUSE -- Almost a year since "Yo! Sunny Joe" Allen exited Foxfur's MOViN 100.3/96.5 (WMVN), he's back on the air again. According to AllAccess, he just started this week doing afternoons for Saga-owned WKNE, a top-40 station in Keene, New Hampshire. In Syracuse, Allen also served as production director for sister stations New Country WOLF 105.1 and Radio Disney (WOLF 1490AM).

SYRACUSE -- You've heard her on the radio, you've seen her on television, and for the next few weeks, you'll even see the smiling face of 93Q (WNTQ) morning co-host Amy Robbins all over the area -- in supermarket checkout lanes, on newsstands, and elsewhere.  She's featured on the cover of the premiere issue of a new local magazine.

ASHEVILLE, NC -- Cleve Mathews, whose career highlights include helping to create NPR's All Things Considered and nearly 15 years as a professor and administrator at Syracuse University's Newhouse School, has died. Mathews was 84, when esophageal cancer claimed his life in North Carolina late last week.

SYRACUSE -- While Time Warner is the only cable TV option for most of Central New York, two Syracuse suburbs are about to have three cable companies to choose from.  In addition to TWC and Verizon FiOS, a locally-based company that already offers high-speed internet and digital phone service is about to begin offering cable TV too.

SYRACUSE -- When Clear Channel eliminated the sports format on AM 620 (WHEN), as part of a two-stage move to create an AM/FM simulcast of dominant news/talk station WSYR, two local sports shows hosted by Mike Bristol were left homeless. Now, both shows are "back and better than ever," across town at the four ESPN Radio stations owned by Galaxy Communications.

ITHACA -- Observant CNYRadio.com readers have noticed some changes at Saga's Lite Rock 97.3 (WYXL) over the past couple of weeks: about a week after morning co-host Brian Stoll disappeared from the station, a new co-host is in place.  Dave Ashton, a familiar name to local listeners, is back in the market -- not only for mornings, but to program the station as well.

SYRACUSE -- While your editor was away for a road trip this weekend, Sinclair Broadcast Group stations Fox 68 (WSYT) and My43 (WNYS) were supposed to disappear from local Time Warner Cable systems.  But they didn't -- the cable company says it and Sinclair have reached an "agreement in principle" to keep the stations on cable.  But it's not a done deal just yet.

UTICA/ROME -- For the first time in two years, Arbitron's audience estimates for the Utica-Rome market are NOT embargoed from the general public.  But there's one very noticeable "asterisk" on the results -- stations owned by Galaxy Communications do not appear on the list.  Arbitron didn't provide a reason, but we suspect it has something to do with the fact Galaxy has has been a subscriber to the Eastlan Ratings service for the past few years.  Check out the complete Arb chart here.  And compare with Eastlan here.

Updated 1/17 -- SYRACUSE -- As national radio news websites like Radio-Info.com report on job cuts at Clear Channel stations across the country, we've heard rumblings that those cuts include two reporters at FM Newsradio 106.9 WSYR.  While the cuts have not been confirmed by Clear Channel management, we've heard from multiple readers known to us as trusted sources.

ALBANY -- He worked for many years in the Utica/Rome market, mostly at WRCK and WTLB.  Larry Oyer, who went by the name "Big Larry Williams" on the air, has died at the age of 57, following a brief illness.  Calling hours and a funeral are set to take place today near Albany, but a memorial service closer to Utica has been scheduled for next weekend.