Boston Radio Watch 06-27-95
Mark Shneyder 2-4219
* Smooth Jazz is back... :
This weekend brought a change of format to Plymouth Rock Broadcasting's
50Kw WPLM 99.1FM. On Sunday, June 26th, the station, along with co-owned
5Kw WPLM AM 1390, flipped from AC to satellite-delivered
NAC/Smooth Jazz. It's now known as 'Smooth 99.1FM'.
For some 30 years 'PLM was known for its big-band sound. In 1993,it
entered into a crowded and very competitive AC race in the Boston
market. It promoted itself as 'The New Variety 99.1'. It didnt
fare well against such big AC players as WBMX-FM, WMJX-FM and WSSH-FM.
Earlier in the week, WPLM-AM/FM let go most of its on-air staff
including Larry King who's reportedly headed to take a night-time show
on the local Plymouth area rival AC WATD 95.9FM in Marshfield.
The 'PLM was playing automated selection of AC tunes from Thursday
till early Sunday morning when Smooth Jazz was introduced.
SideNote : 'PLM's switch to Smooth Jazz marks the return of this
format to the Boston airwaves for the first time since May 6th,1993
when Greater Media acquired WCDJ-96.9FM from Emmis for $13 million
and made a decision to go with Country and Western sound(now
WBCS 96.9FM)...
* Same News, different newsroom...:
On Monday, June 26th, in what seems to be a cost-cutting move,
Westinghouse's full-service WBZ AM 1030 started using Metro Networks'
customized newscasts from 7pm until 4am. WBZ now joins its main
AM competitor, American Radio Systems' all-talk WRKO AM 680, in getting
its evening/night-time news from the same newsroom at the Metro
Networks offices in the Prudential Center. Bob Ames who's been
doing part-time work at WBZ since relocating from all-sports
WEEI AM 850 earlier this year, now anchors MetroNetworks'
WBZ on-the-hour news updates during David Brudnoy's show.
Back in early April, American Radio Systems made news when it
arranged for a couple of its news staffers(Rod Fritz and Pat Carrol)
to become employees of Metro Networks and keep delivering the news
on WRKO.[Since then, Fritz has been reassigned to anchor local AM-drive
news on WRKO's cousin all-business WBNW AM 590; Carrol still delivers
local night-time updates on WRKO].
TriviaTime : The first MetroNetworks'[world's largest traffic info
gathering organization] customized newscast in Boston
first aired on January 11,1993 on the old all-sports
Celtics-owned WEEI AM 590.
* Captain Ken silenced....:
On Thursday, June 22, Boston area radio vet 'Captain' Ken Shelton was
let go by Infinity's Classic Rock WZLX-100.7 after almost 2 years of
doing AM drive at the station.
Ken who was at the end of his 2-year pact which paid him slightly over
$200,000/year was looking to double his salary based on the fact that
in the latest rating books he outrated his former colleague, Boston's
best known and highest-paid morning man Charles Laquidara. [Shelton
followed Laquidara for 13 years while he was the mid-day voice at
Infinity's legendary WBCN-104.1FM. On July 26.1993, Ken was shifted
from his 'Mighty Mid-Day' duties at WBCN to host AM-drive on WZLX. At
the time, he offered the following quote, "I dont feel I'll be going up
Charles, but that I'll be alternative to him."]
WZLX management refused Shelton's asking price and instead opted not
to renew him. After almost 22 years on the Boston airwaves(15 on WBCN
and WZLX; 7 on no longer existing WCOZ-FM, WEEI-FM, and WBZ-FM). Captain
Ken has been silenced.
'ZLX's PM-drive jock Chuck Nowlin temporarily takes over morning
drive while weekend/fill-in Stretch is covering for Nowlin...Rest
of 'ZLX line-up stays the same for now....
* Prorgamming Notes :
- Pyramid's CHR WXKS-107.9FM will introduce a new voice to its
syndicated 'Matty in The Morning' show. Local talent Sue Tabb
will deliver traffic for the Boston audience during Matt Siegal's
show starting on July 3rd. Current traffic voice Hank Morse goes
back to his work at WXKS-AM. He's been doing AM traffic reports
since March when Siegal's sidekick traffic reporter Judy Paperrelli
abruptly left the show....
In other Kiss-108 news, its new overnight(2am-6am) voice is
Pete Mar. He replaces long-time Kiss personality June Knight who
remains with the station in the lifestyle reporter capacity...
- If you're looking for Joshua B's reggae show which used air on
WERS 88.9FM, for the past 3 years, he has moved to a new home
at WMBR 88.1 FM. The new show is called First Class. It features
reggae singers with a touch of R&B. The show is on early Saturday
morning from 12:30a-2:30am. If anyone wishes to get in touch him,
he can reached by e-mail at teri...@ix.netcom.com. Or his
beeper / voice mail is 617.683.0814.
-Mark
nh...@gauss.med.harvard.edu
Mike & Annie Fields
In article <3sq8eq$b...@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>
nh...@gauss.med.harvard.edu (Mark Shneyder 2-4219) writes:
> This weekend brought a change of format to Plymouth Rock Broadcasting's
> 50Kw WPLM 99.1FM. On Sunday, June 26th, the station, along with co-owned
> 5Kw WPLM AM 1390, flipped from AC to satellite-delivered
> NAC/Smooth Jazz. It's now known as 'Smooth 99.1FM'.
Which satellite? SW Networks? Who's consulting? (If anyone?)
And regarding WBZ'S 7p-4a news... What does this mean for Daryl Gould?
Wasn't he doing live news at night? They didn't fire him, did they?
He's such a nice guy! I worked with him a lifetime ago...
Annie in Philadelphia
"She's the color, he's the credibility"