UTICA-ROME -- Even though it doesn't look or feel like spring in Central New York, there's been some "spring cleaning" on at least one local radio station. Classic hits Oldiez 96.1 (WODZ) shuffled its jock lineup and made some other changes this week.
SYRACUSE -- Syndicated host Michael Baisden, heard locally on Power 620 (WHEN), announced this morning that he'll be ending his radio show at the end of this month. But when he and his staff reported for work today, Baisden said they were "locked out" of the studio.
UTICA-ROME -- One week ago: six people shot, four fatally, at two locations in Herkimer in Mohawk. For several hours, the suspect remains at large. Utica newsrooms scramble to cover the unfolding situation. Even news crews from Albany, Syracuse and Rochester hightailed it to Thruway Exit 30. A week later, one newsroom is getting some national press for its coverage of the standoff, which ultimately wound up running overnight and into the next morning.
SYRACUSE -- Congratulations to longtime local broadcast journalist Dave Bullard, who has exited his position as dayside assignment editor at ABC affiliate NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV) for a new venture. He won't be working for any local media outlets, but he'll be working with them -- all of them -- at the New York State Fair.
SYRACUSE -- Just about three years since Central New York's "News 10 Now" joined many of its sisters in rebranding as YNN -- short for "Your News Now" -- owner Time Warner Cable is considering another name change for its portfolio of local and regional cable news channels.
SYRACUSE -- Did you know Syracuse's first TV station set a new record the moment it signed-on? Or that the very same cameras which captured The Beatles' historic appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show would eventually be bought and used by one local station? These tidbits and many more are part of a new book about the history of Syracuse television, which goes on-sale later this month.
VERONA -- Longtime Onondaga Community College radio instructor and local sports radio broadcaster Vince "Vinny" Spadafora has died at the age of 65. His death is the result of a one-car rollover accident on Friday night.
ITHACA -- For many people, retirement provides an opportunity to pursue new interests that we couldn't realize while working full-time. So what has Rudy Paolangeli been doing since he retired from full-time duties at WHCU in 1988? More radio! This Sunday, it'll be exactly 25 years since his weekly post-retirement show started... and he's never missed a single week.
SYRACUSE -- Non-commercial radio stations and Syracuse TV stations dominated in their respective categories in the Syracuse Press Club's annual Professional Recognition Awards competition. The club released the list of winners for the contest, which was open to all media outlets within the SPC's 21-county service area.
SYRACUSE and UTICA-ROME -- Despite the odd selection of March 9 (as opposed to the seemingly more-obvious March 16) for Saint Patrick's parades in both Syracuse and Utica, crowds turned out in huge numbers. And as always, broadcasters were a big part of those parades. Today, we've got three "Pictures of the Week" submitted by local stations.