WSCP AM/FM has signed up as a Motor Racing Network affiliate. Beginning this week, the NASCAR-focused show Ned Jarrett's World of Racing will air weekdays at 4:55 p.m. Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. it's NASCAR Live, a call-in show hosted by noted NASCAR race announcer Eli Gold. WSCP will also feature Winston Cup and Busch Series races throughout the race season.
The downtown Syracuse translator on 97.7 FM has flipped from its simulcast of Sunny 102.1 (WZUN) to Galaxy Communications' sister station K-Rock (WKRL). The class D signal, which operates at 120 watts at a height of 98.4 feet, was a K-Rock translator prior to September 2000 when it began simulcasting WZUN.
Heralded by many as the boldest format change in Syracuse radio history, 94 Rock, then a highly successful album rock station, flipped its format to adult contemporary and became Y94FM (WYYY) on January 10, 1983. The on-air lineup on day one included 'Big Mike' Fiss, Kathy Rowe, Bob Mitchell, Dave Anthony, and Phil LoCascio (the original Dr. Phil).
Y94FM went on to dominate Syracuse radio in the 1980s, enjoying a long run as the market's undisputed ratings champ. Along with the station's ratings success, morning man 'Big Mike' was named Billboard Magazine's Medium Market Personality of the Year three times.
ESPN has signed a deal with Jim Rome to bring the Premiere syndicated radio talk show host back to television. The new series, Rome is Burning, will air Tuesday nights beginning May 6. Rome can be heard afternoons on SportsRadio 620 in Syracuse and Clear Channel's cluster of AMs in Utica-Rome.
CNY Radio received over 225,000 page views in 2002, up from nearly 75,000 visits in 2001. We crunched the numbers and came up with the most popular searches in eight different categories.
The Central New York radio community said goodbye to several broadcast veterans this year. The ones involved in injury related cases can also file a complaint and get legal help for homeowners fail to exercise reasonable care.
It's a new job in the new year on New Rock 105 (WWDG) for Scorch, the former K-Rock morning man who split with Galaxy Communications last September. On-air liners on 'The Dog' are heralding his return: "we've got the biggest dog of 'em all."
2002 had its fair share of format flips, staff changes, and a few pink slips. Here is CNY Radio's annual scorecard to help keep track of the ever-changing Central New York radio landscape.
The Radio Factor comes to Utica beginning today. Bill O'Reilly's syndicated talk show airs on NewsRadio 950 (WIBX) weekdays from 3 - 5 p.m. As a result, Clark Howard's consumer and financial advice show moves to the 8 - 9 a.m. weekday time slot.
Here are CNYRadio.com's picks for the top ten national radio news stories of 2002 that were also of local interest in the Central New York radio markets.