Regent Communications

Dick Carr’s syndicated Big Bands, Ballads & Blues has picked up its 40th affiliate station. Beginning next month, WRUN in Utica-Rome will carry the two-hour weekly show featuring a mix of adult standards and jazz masters. The program is hosted and produced by Syracuse resident Dick Carr and is marketed by the WOR Radio Network.

After Laura Ingraham switched syndicators last year, her show dropped from the radar screen in Utica-Rome. Fear not, Ingraham fans, she’s back on WIBX AM 950.

UTICA-ROME — WIBX AM 950 has a new news director. The Utica-Rome news-talk station welcomes Erica St. James who hails from Wisconsin where she worked for a six-station cluster in Wausau/Stevens Point. Erica’s hiring will no doubt come as good news to the staff who have been keeping the gears turning in the news department

After ten years at Lite 98.7 (WLZW), Trudy is moving on. The popular midday personality told listeners last week that she was recently married, and that her husband’s job requires that they move out of the area.

Without much fanfare, WRUN 1150 AM switched formats last week. The Utica-Rome station, which has gone through several format changes over the past few years, is now carrying ABC’s Stardust satellite network and is being branded locally as “Velvet 1150, your unforgettable memories station.”

This Sunday marked Trudy’s 10-year anniversary with Utica’s Lite 98.7 (WLZW). The station surprised her on the air Friday morning with a 10-minute montage featuring greetings from current staff members as well as past WLZW personalities including Randy Jay, Jeanne Ashley, and J.P. Hastings.

UTICA-ROME — It’s been a year and a half since the Utica-Rome radio market has had a sole station at the top of the 12+ ratings. For the past two books, Lite 98.7 (WLZW) and Big Frog 104 (WFRG) have been in a dead heat. For the fall 2002 ratings period, Lite 98.7 has pulled

‘Hopalong Cassidy’ is leaping off the afternoon lily pad at Utica’s WFRG 104.3 FM. Cassidy, known to his friends and family as John Raspante, is leaving Big Frog 104 after nine years to hop down to Harrisburg, PA to pursue a degree in law. Look for other frogs at the station to fill in until

SYRACUSE — Beginning Monday, Brent Axe will take over as the newest sports talker on Syracuse’s SportsRadio 620 WHEN with a two-hour daily call-in show called On the Block.

Regent Communications has set a price of $7.50 per share on its add-on stock offering, and because investor demand was higher than expected, the planned offering of 8.25 million shares was kicked up to 10.5 million.