SYRACUSE -- Your News Now, or YNN, is celebrating ten years on Time Warner Cable. The 24/7 local news channel, which started out as "News 10 Now," still has 17 of its original staff members on board, including GM Ron Lombard. Today on syracuse.com, Katrina Tulloch interviewed Lombard about his reflections on the past decade.
SYRACUSE and UTICA -- At least two former Syracuse TV reporters enjoyed victories on election night. Jean Kessner was re-elected to the Syracuse Common Council. Stefan Mychajliw was re-elected as Erie County Comptroller in his hometown of Buffalo. And in Utica, longtime WIBX "Auto Talk" host Ed Welsh was re-elected to the Oneida County Legislature.
SYRACUSE -- The early October launch of all-Christmas "Holly-FM" was accompanied by some call sign changes for a few local stations. There was some confusion earlier due to the federal government shutdown, but thanks to the FCC's monthly report of call sign changes nationwide, we can report the following:
Updated 11/4 -- ONEIDA -- From the "while we were on hiatus" backlog, longtime WMCR operations manager Joel Meltzer has exited the station--and the state. After 25 years with the station, Meltzer has reportedly decided to pursue other interests in Florida. His duties have since been assumed by someone familiar to longtime Syracuse-area radio listeners.
UTICA-ROME -- It's been a long time in the works, and the signal has been on-again/off-again several times over the past two years. Today, some sure signs of progress -- management has announced the station's eventual format, and they're taking applications for a number of job openings.
SYRACUSE -- After more than 30 years in local radio -- the last 21 as VP and General Manager of the market's Clear Channel cluster of radio stations, Joel Delmonico is ready to call it a career. He announced his retirement plans today.
SYRACUSE -- Holly-FM (WNDR), the station that made national headlines by launching an all-Christmas format on the still-unbelievable date of October 5, is giving Santa and his Elves the day off tomorrow. From midnight to midnight, it'll be "Holly-ween FM" 95.3 and 103.9.
UTICA/ROME -- Classic rocker 92.7 The Drive (WXUR) is getting ready to move on up... to new studios and offices currently under construction upstairs from the Arjuna Broadcasting station's current facilities. That and more from the station tonight, as we catch up on items missed during your editor's summer hiatus.
SYRACUSE -- After years of going "all-Christmas" on November 1, classic hits Sunny 102.1 (WZUN) is pushing back the start of its annual flip to holiday mode until mid-November. Co-owned Utica-Rome hot AC station Mix 102.5 (WUMX), which used to also flip on November 1, will be holding off even longer -- until Thanksgiving.
ALBANY -- Dan Austin, who ran the former Citadel (now Cumulus) radio cluster in Syracuse from 2008-2010, is on the move again. Today, he announced he's leaving the GM position at Townsquare Media's Albany cluster to take a sales management position in southern California.