UTICA-ROME -- What was originally supposed to be one month off-air has turned into more than half a year of silence from WUTI 1150. Repairs following some serious vandalism at the station's Oriskany transmitter site have taken much longer than anticipated. But today, the GM tells CNYRadio.com he hopes WUTI will sign-on again sometime early next year.
SYRACUSE -- Even though Chris Brandolino announced his plans to leave NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV) last month, one of his colleagues from the Storm Team has a surprise: she's going to beat him to the door by a couple of days. Weekend meteorologist Julia Weiden's last day on-air with the ABC affiliate will be Sunday, December 29.
SYRACUSE -- After eight months away, sports talk radio host Mike Lindsley is returning to his old shift at The Score 1260 (WSKO). Starting next Monday, Lindsley will be back in the studio weekdays from 3-6pm, replacing the nationally-syndicated host that replaced him when he initially left the station in March.
SYRACUSE -- The Syracuse University mens' basketball team is now 8 games into its first season as a member of the Atlantic Athletic Conference. Before the season started, Syracuse Orange radio network flagship station TK99 (WTKW) invited clients to a cocktail hour where Head Coach Jim Boeheim offered his insights on this season's team.
SYRACUSE -- The "shared services agreement" that brought CBS5 (WTVH) under the same roof as NBC3 (WSTM-TV) and CW6 (WSTQ-LP) could be ending in 2017. Sinclair Broadcast Group, which recently closed on its purchase of former WSTM/WSTQ parent Barrington Broadcasting, says it's not interested in renewing the deal Barrington had with WTVH's owner.
SYRACUSE -- Less than a day after NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV) announced a big staffing shuffle, here comes another -- one that could arguably be even bigger than the rest. After five years away from TV, former chief meteorolgist Dave Eichorn will return to the ABC affiliate in 2014.
UTICA -- Earlier this evening, we reported WUTR reporter Rachel Polansky is moving to Syracuse sister station WSYR-TV. We just learned she's not the only Eyewitness News staffer whose daily trips up and down Smith Hill are numbered. Anchor Elsa Gillis announced she's also leaving -- for a new job in Louisiana.
SYRACUSE -- Tomorrow is Tanja Babich's last day co-anchoring The Morning News on NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV), and in just a little over a month, meteorologist Chris Brandolino will be leaving the same two-and-a-half-hour newscast. Today, the ABC affiliate announced who will take their places, along with a few other staffing moves.
Updated 8:20pm -- UTICA-ROME -- For the first time in its 25-year history, perennial market leader Big Frog 104 (WFRG) is playing "the best and most country" without its longtime morning host. Matt Herkimer's bio and photo disappeared from the station website over the weekend, and he's not on the air this morning.
UTICA-ROME -- Since we've resumed our "Picture of the Week" feature earlier this month, we're pleased that we've been able to go "around the horn," featuring a photo from each of the markets we cover. Not only does this week's photo take us to Utica-Rome (after last week in Ithaca and the week before in Syracuse), it's also a "blast from the past!"