WSYR

Nothing like a good “Friday night news dump.” Bloomberg reports iHeart, the owner of multiple Syracuse radio stations, is in “preliminary” merger talks with satellite radio operator SiriusXM.

WEST READING, PA — “I had a good run…” That was the final Facebook post from Chris Barnes on Monday. Barnes, whose 45-year radio career included a brief stint as News Director at Newsradio 570 WSYR in Syracuse, died Tuesday night at the age of 66.

SYRACUSE — Former longtime 570 WSYR afternoon talk show host Jim Reith is making a comeback… with some help from a familiar name. After dropping some hints recently, a social media post this morning announced Reith is looking to bring his talk show back — in the form of a new podcast.

SYRACUSE — Colleagues of Steve Hyder are sharing memories and condolences after learning the former Syracuse sportscaster passed away over the weekend. He was 62 and leaves behind two daughters and a partner.

SYRACUSE — The recent death of longtime Syracuse broadcast journalist Dave White got one of his former colleagues thinking. Former 570 WSYR talk host Jim Reith took to Facebook to reminisce about how much the Syracuse news media scene has changed — in not-so-good ways — over the past few decades.

SYRACUSE — Local broadcasters are mourning the death of one of their own tonight. Longtime radio and TV newsman Dave White passed away Monday at the age of 71. Younger journalists and audiences may recall White as the former media relations contact at SUNY-ESF.

There are no longer any Syracuse-based hosts on heritage AC station Y94 (WYYY), in the wake of a nationwide staffing purge carried out by corporate owner iHeart Media on Tuesday. The cuts include 5 people in Syracuse and others elsewhere with connections to Syracuse. We’ll keep this post updated if any more names come in.

SYRACUSE —  Chances are, you’ve never heard his voice, but Joel Delmonico has enjoyed a long and influential career in Syracuse radio.  CNYRadio.com recently chatted with Delmonico just before he retired from the VP/Market Manager post at Clear Channel Media + Entertainment’s Syracuse cluster at the end of December.

SYRACUSE — One longtime veteran of local radio will be replaced by another, when Clear Channel Syracuse Market Manager Joel Delmonico calls it a career at the end of the month. The company announced General Sales Manager Rick Yacobush as the heir to the company’s highest-ranking position in Syracuse.

Updated 12/10 — SYRACUSE — Shortly after former WSYR news anchor Tara Howard lost her battle with cancer in October, one of her former colleagues remembered having a group photo that included Howard from a Syracuse Press Club awards luncheon during her time in Syracuse.  Chris Weidman found that photo and shares it with us