He was on the radio for more than a half-century, and he was the very first voice viewers heard when ABC television affiliate "Colorful Channel 9" (WNYS-TV, now NewsChannel 9 WSYR-TV) debuted in 1962. Longtime Syracuse broadcaster Phil Markert has died at the age of 92.
SYRACUSE -- Longtime Syracuse radio programmer Gary Gallup, better known by his on-air name, Bob Paris, has lost his battle with leukemia the age of 78, according to a report on syracuse.com today.
SYRACUSE -- We're a bit late on this one, but big news for rock fans: Galaxy Media's KROCK stations are "rebooting" their legendary KRockathon concert series with a day-long concert featuring 6 returning bands at the New York State Fairgrounds in July.
SYRACUSE -- CNY Central is looking for a new weekend news anchor/producer. The position could pay up to $45,000/year, according to a job posting submitted to CNYTVNews.com by Sinclair Broadcast Group.
UTICA-ROME -- One colleague described him as a local "broadcasting pioneer." Longtime local radio engineer Gary Morgan died on Monday at the age of 80, after a long career that included stops at RCA in New York City before returning to the Mohawk Valley to work for stations including WUFM, WRUN and WADR.
SYRACUSE -- No big surprises at the top of the Syracuse radio ratings chart, with iHeart Country B104.7 (WBBS) leading the way. But there's some notable movement among "the best of the rest" in the latest audience estimates released today by Nielsen. The survey covered the months of January, February and March.
UTICA-ROME -- Townsquare Media's long-running adult contemporary Lite 98.7 (WLZW) is looking for a new morning co-host to sit alongside Dave Wheeler, following the recent exit of Envy McKee, who just joined the station last March. The posting calls for someone with "great on-air skills" along with the ability to be a "strong content creator and [...] to be the champion of the station on the streets."
SYRACUSE -- Nexstar-owned NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV) has some prominent titles among its current list of vacancies. Among them, the ABC affiliate is seeking a new Assistant News Director, and a new weekday morning co-anchor / reporter.
SYRACUSE -- Not long after Amanda Hull announced her exit from morning anchoring at CNY Central, longtime Spectrum News anchor Brad Vivacqua announced his own exit from TV. Now we know the pair are headed for new jobs with the same employer, and how much they'll be making.
SYRACUSE -- Last week, we reported on a morning news anchor job opening at CNY Central. Now, the mystery surrounding that vacancy is explained, as one of morning anchors on NBC3 (WSTM) has announced they are leaving the station.