UTICA/ROME -- Less than two weeks after crosstown competitor Mix 102.5 (WUMX) went all-Christmas, the market's heritage AC station, Lite 98.7 (WLZW) has made the switch. Today's start date is notably earlier than years past: in 2009 and 2010, WLZW waited until the day after Thanksgiving to roll out its holiday playlist.
HAMDEN, CT -- Two well-known local journalists who used to work at Syracuse CBS affiliate WTVH are featured in a new documentary about
the television news business. The documentary was produced by two Quinnipiac University journalism professors. Shooting started in 2009, and the finished product just recently hit the web.
WASHINGTON, DC -- For months, broadcast engineers across the country have been counting down to November 9. That's the date federal authorities have set for the first-ever national-level test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). If the system works as expected, you'll notice the test interrupting normal programming on nearly every radio and TV station in the country at 2pm on Wednesday.
SYRACUSE and UTICA -- Plenty of news to share this weekend from local PBS affiliate WCNY-TV. The station is set to debut three brand new locally-produced series tomorrow. Construction is now underway for the station's future home in Syracuse. And observant CNYTVNews.com readers say the new digital repeater in Utica appears to be up and running.
ALBANY -- Former NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV) reporter Jennifer Lewke, who left the Syracuse ABC affiliate earlier this year, is back on television. Our thanks to an observant CNYTVNews.com reader, who spotted a report from Lewke yesterday on CBS 6 (WGRB) in Albany.
OSWEGO -- With so many choices on the radio dial, a clear, memorable logo is an important part of any station's branding strategy. And anytime a station "updates" its logo, it has to update lots of other things -- from letterhead and vehicles, to billboards, coffee mugs and ... mic flags. This week, a look at how WRVO's mic flag has evolved over the past 40+ years.
SYRACUSE -- It's been a full week since longtime WSYR radio talk show host Jim Reith was replaced by syndicated programming, as part of Clear Channel's latest nationwide "reduction in force." (Three others in Syracuse were also let go.) While quite a few naysayers were quick to express their delight with Reith's cancellation, many more fans have expressed hope he'll return. One fan has even launched an entire website devoted to getting Reith back on local airwaves.
SYRACUSE -- After working in various capacities at Cumulus Media's 95X (WAQX) for most of the past nine years, Kevin Keefe is moving upward -- both in terms of geography and title. As of next Monday, he'll officially start as the General Manager of a three-station cluster in Ogdensburg, along the Saint Lawrence River.
SYRACUSE -- If she's lucky, NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV) reporter Racquel Asa won't have to do any more live shots in mounds of lake effect snow. TVSpy.com says Asa is one of three new hires at ABC affiliate WFTV in Orlando, Florida. She's expected to report for duty in the Sunshine State "early next month."
SYRACUSE and UTICA/ROME -- Just like the previous few years, the start of November has brought about the start of wall-to-wall Christmas music on radios across Central New York. As expected, Galaxy's Classic Hits Sunny 102 (WZUN) in Syracuse and Hot AC Mix 102.5 (WUMX) in Utica/Rome are first to jump in the all-Christmas pool.