Power 106.9 (WPHR) has switched formats to urban adult contemporary.
The station's program director, Butch Charles, also picks up programming duties for sister Clear Channel station Hot 107-9 (WWHT), replacing Erin Bristol who stays on as program director of New Rock 105 (WWDG).
Power 106.9 has been Syracuse's only urban station since it switched from a jazz format in September 2000.
It looks like the dust hasn't settled yet over at Hot 107-9 (WWHT). On the heels of Nicole Wilcox's exit to Florida last week, comes word that her morning show partner, Dakota, has left the building as well.
Former 95X (WAQX) program director and afternoon jock Bob O'Dell is heading west to Canton, Ohio where he's landed a similar position with Rock 107 (WRQK). His first day is October 3.
The station was ranked 4th in overall 12+ numbers in the latest Arbitron book. Canton's market rank is 129.
Clancy-Mance Communications has applied for a call letter change for its station at 92.7 FM in Ogdensburg, and in those new letters is a hint of what other changes may be on the horizon.
The change from WPAC to WBDB seems to point to a possible switch in format and a simulcast of 'The Border' network which already includes Watertown area stations WBDR 102.7 FM and WBDI 106.7 FM.
Antoinette Flegal, the administratrix of the estate of her daughter, Jessica, who died last year in a LaFayette auto accident, has filed a $2 million lawsuit against the estate of the driver of the car involved. Jessica's father, Rick Flegal, is Syracuse radio and television veteran Rick Gary.
The Syracuse Post-Standard has more on the case...
Source (link may no longer work):
www.syracuse.com/news/poststandard/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1064392558312671.xml
The Central New York chapter of the Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE-22) holds their annual regional conference this Thursday, 9/25 at Turning Stone Resort in Verona.
The day-long event features the largest regularly-scheduled display of state-of-the-art production, video, audio, and editing equipment in the Northeast.
Source (link may no longer work):
www.sbe22.org/html/convention/convhome03.htm
Hot 107-9 (WWHT) morning co-host Nicole Wilcox is leaving Syracuse for a morning gig at B103.9 (WXKB) in Ft. Myers, FL. She'll team up with the Top 40 station's morning man and music director Randy Sherwyn.
Wilcox, who got her job on Dakota's morning show by winning a listener contest, made headlines last year after she was involved in a barroom scuffle with Syracuse University basketball player DeShaun Williams.
Bob Lonsberry, a conservative talk show host on WHAM 1180 AM in Rochester, has been suspended for two days after referring to that city
Buckley Broadcasting has purchased WDCW 1390 AM from Crawford Broadcasting for $1.2 million. The 5,000 watt frequency in Syracuse was home to WFBL for much of its history; Buckley acquired the WFBL call letters several years ago for its adult standards station at 1050 AM. WFBL switched to news-talk last year.
Will the WFBL call letters and format move down the dial? Will they decide to broadcast programming from Buckley's WOR Network? Only time will tell.
Art Bell is returning to syndication. The creator and former weeknight host of Coast to Coast AM will take over the weekend editions of the show which have been hosted by Barbara Simpson. George Noory will continue to hold down the fort during the week.
Bell was quoted as saying that his return to radio "is both mysterious and reassuring."
Coast to Coast AM is heard locally on 570 WSYR in Syracuse, WIBX AM 950 in Utica-Rome, and NewsTalk 920 (WKRT) in Ithaca.