WIBX

According to the Drudge Report, Premiere Radio Networks and Rush Limbaugh have signed a deal that will keep “America’s Anchorman” on the air through the year 2016, and “the package is valued north of $400 million, according to media insiders.”

In an e-mail sent to its Listener Club today, Utica’s Newsradio 950 WIBX says it will begin a two-week long food drive on Monday, to benefit the Community Food Bank of Greater Utica.  WIBX is also promoting that it is the only radio station with live coverage of this year’s Boilermaker Road Race.

Laura Ingraham’s syndicator, Talk Radio Network, tells affiliates she will be back on the air by Monday… after a long absence which — according to national radio columnist Tom Taylor — angered many affiliates.  Ingraham’s show is carried in Syracuse, Utica and Watertown.

Longtime WIBX news reporter/anchor Jeff Monaski has been promoted to News Director, according to AllAccess.com.

We go to Utica for this installment of the CNYRadio.com Picture of the Week.  Newsradio 950 WIBX spent two days broadcasting live from the Utica College gymnasium during the weekend of March 8-9, to raise more than $17,000 for the American Heart Association, during it’s 37th annual Heart Radiothon, a part of America’s Greatest Heart Run & Walk.

We told you last week that WIBX News Director Stacey Lynn McAdams moved to mornings on sister station WFRG, to fill the morning show co-host position vacated by Annie Croakley.  Now, somewhat of a “reverse trade,” as one of Big Frog 104’s part-time jocks temporarily adds news reporting duties for WIBX.

Big Frog 104 (WFRG) has a new co-host for longtime morning personality Matt Herkimer, replacing “Annie Croakley,” who left earlier in the year.  Thanks to a tip from a CNYRadio.com visitor a few weeks ago, we were expecting this one anytime now — and we now finally see confirmation on WFRG’s new website.

An observant CNYRadio.com reader alerted us of some brand-new websites for the Utica-Rome cluster of Regent Communications stations.  For those of you who like to get technical, our tipster also mentioned the websites have switched from PHP-based technology to ASP-technology.

The numbers are in from America’s Greatest Heart Run and Walk from Utica this past weekend.  More than $1.2 million was raised in total, and Newsradio 950 WIBX is proud to report this year’s Heart Radiothon accounted for $17,000 of that total.

Echoing what has been reported in many national trades lately, small-market radio is often doing better than large-market radio.  And that holds true for Regent Communications.  In the company’s Q4 2007 Earnings Conference Call this week, CEO Bill Stakelin cited growth for several of the company’s markets, including Utica-Rome.  In fact, Stakelin specifically gave the