ESPN Radio sports talker Tony Kornheiser will give up his daily talk show at the end of March.

Kornheiser, who is also a popular Washington Post columnist, will focus his efforts on his ESPN television job on Pardon the Interuption.

ESPN Radio has affiliates in Syracuse, Utica-Rome, and Watertown.

Q Country (WQNY) dropped nearly seven ratings points from the spring to fall ratings period, but the Ithaca station managed to hold on to the top spot in the market with a 12.1.

In Arbitron numbers released last week, Q's sister Eagle Broadcasting station, Lite 97 (WYXL), also lost ground in its share of the market after losing more than three points, but maintained its number two rank.

Galaxy Communications is pulling out of the Utica-Rome market.  

As the Federal Communications Commission continues its examination of media ownership rules and the resulting consolidation, the local Clear Channel Communications stations are taking a look at the issue themselves here in Central New York.

This week's Syracuse New Times looks at the company's local efforts and gets reactions from Clear Channel's Joel Delmonico and Syracuse University Dean Dr. David Rubin.
Source (link may no longer work):
newtimes.rway.com/2004/012804/shakin.shtml#2

The latest Arbitron numbers are out for the Utica-Rome market and Regent Communications is once again on top.

Regent's Big Frog 104 (WFRG) and Lite 98.7 (WLZW) have been neck-and-neck atop the ratings heap for the past couple of years. In numbers released this week for the fall ratings period, WFRG moved ahead of WLZW to become number one with a 13.8 rating.

What do the latest ratings from Arbitron say about the Syracuse radio market?

William LaRue of the Syracuse Post-Standard breaks down the numbers and gets reactions from WSEN's Doug Fleniken and Citadel's Tom Mitchell.
Source (link may no longer work):
www.syracuse.com/entertainment/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-7/1075282583121760.xml

B104.7 (WBBS) once again came out on top in the Fall 2003 Arbitron ratings for the Syracuse radio market. With a 12.1 rating, the country station held on to much of the huge boost it received in the summer book, keeping the station well ahead of the rest of the pack.

The real battle shapes up for second place where 570 WSYR, 93Q (WNTQ), and 95X (WAQX) are all within a tenth of a ratings point.

Syracuse-based Galaxy Communications has one less K-Rock and one more country station after flipping formats in Albany over the weekend.

Stunting got underway last Thursday at WKRD 93.7 FM with the sound of construction noises before the newly-branded classic country station, 'The Eagle', was unveiled.

A few months ago syndicated shock jock Howard Stern sued ABC Television for $100 million claiming the network stole the idea for its reality series 'Are You Hot?' from Stern's radio show. It looks like they've kissed and made up.

Stern has signed a deal with the network to produce a one-hour prime-time interview special this spring. The show is said to be a test run for a longer term commitment.

Stern's radio show can be heard weekday mornings in Syracuse on 95X (WAQX).

For the second year in a row, Grant Thatcher of Y94FM (WYYY) has earned the dubious honor of being crowned Central New York's 'Munch Master.'

Thatcher won this year's Munch Master Contest sponsored by the Girl Scout Council of Central New York held January 10 at Carousel Center. In the competition, which heralds the start of the Girl Scout's annual cookie sale, Thatcher managed to eat 30 cookies in under a minute.
Source (link may no longer work):
newtimes.rway.com/2004/011404/shakin.shtml