RadioInsight

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Mary Walter Departs Mornings At WMAL

Posted: 13 May 2021 11:12 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...nings-at-wmal/



After a little over four years in mornings at Cumulus Media Conservative
Talk 105.9 WMAL-FM Woodbridge VA/Washington DC, Mary Walter announced her
departure from the station this morning.

Walter joined WMAL in February 2017 from nights at iHeartMedia’s 840 WHAS
Louisville after spending much of her career in New Jersey at “New Jersey
101.5� WKXW Trenton and 1450 WCTC New Brunswick.

In announcing her exit, Walter noted that the decision to exit was made by
the stations decision to bring all talent back to the station. She had
spent the past year working remotely from her home in New Jersey as opposed
to the Maryland apartment she spent her weekdays at during her tenure at
the station.

Vince Coglianese, who joined Walter in July 2017, will remain in place in
mornings at WMAL.




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Rash Of Retirements Hits Audacy News Stations

Posted: 13 May 2021 09:56 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...news-stations/



A handful of anchors and reporters at Audacy All-News stations have made
sudden retirements the past few weeks.

A pair of veteran anchors at 1010 WINS New York announced their departures
last week. Midday co-anchor Larry Kanter had been with WINS since 1992
after stints at 570 WMCA and 710 WOR. Evening anchor Paul James preceded
Kanter retiring at the end of April. James spent 37 years on air in New
York including stints as News Director at 101.9 WPIX-FM and at ABC News
Radio.

Mark Abrams retired as a reporter and anchor for 1060 KYW/103.9 WPHI
Philadelphia last week after 24 years at the station. Abrams joined KYW in
1997 after serving as a reporter and columnist for the Reading Eagle and
weekend news anchor early in his career at 610 WIP and 950 WPEN
Philadelphia.

Friday, May 14 will be the final day on-air for 740 KCBS/106.9 KFRC San
Francisco morning sports anchor Steve Bitker. Bitker has been with KCBS
since 1991 after tenures as a sportswriter for the Redwood City Tribune,
newswriter at 560 KSFO and news anchor at 680 KNBR plus a few years in
Tokyo as a news and sports anchor for Japanese Cable Television. He also
served as play-by-play voice for the now defunct Sonoma County Crushers
minor league baseball team. In an internal memo Director of News and
Programming Jennifer Klurfeld Seelig wrote, Without a doubt, Steve delights
in his job.Â*He is an exemplary broadcaster, a fastidious journalist and a
revered Bay Area sports historian.Â*But he is also a husband, father, doting
grandfather and world traveler.Â*Steve has a substantial bucket list, and
he’s decided it’s time to tackle it – without the intrusion of an alarm
clock and twice-per-hour deadlines.

Additionally three staffers have reportedly been let go from 1070 KNX Los
Angeles. Alan Oda reports that business correspondent Frank Mottek, morning
sports anchor Randy Kerdoon, and production coordinator Rich Hudson. Mottek
spent 29 years at KNX where he also anchored the former KNX Business Hour
and previously worked at 940 WINZ Miami. Kerdoon had been with KNX since
2003 and has also been a sportscaster for 980 KFWB, KTTV-TV, and Fox Sports
Net.

Congratulations to Larry Kanter on an amazing career and enjoy
#retirement !!! We’ll miss you always at @1010WINS
pic.twitter.com/dl11Wqklyy

- Jim Powers (@JRNYJim) May 7, 2021





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Same Frequency, Two Very Different Lite FMs

Posted: 13 May 2021 09:00 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/ross/207831...rent-lite-fms/



I’ve written about 106.7 Lite FM (WLTW) New York at relatively frequent
intervals, most recently in last October’s look at “PPM’s Five
Highest-Rated Stations.� It’s hard not to come back to Lite FM. The station
helped create Soft AC in the ‘80s, but has spent the last 25 years pushing
the contemporary edge of the format.

Now, there’s a very different Lite FM on 106.7. West suburban Montreal’s
CHSV was, until this week, one of several Soft ACs operated by Canada’s
Evanov group as “The Jewel.� Those stations were relatively soft and
eclectic. This week, CHSV and its Ottawa sister became “Lite,� while two
other Breeze stations flipped to Country. Lite PD Ted Silver tells Montreal
media writer Steve Faguy that the modernization centers the station in the
‘80s, making it more comparable to other stations that have been part of
Soft AC’s rebound in recent years.Â*

Here’s Lite 106.7 just before 1 p.m. on May 4:

Aretha Franklin & George Michael, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)�
Bryan Adams, “Lets Make A Night to Remember� (Canadian)
Ed Sheeran, “Perfect�
Glass Tiger, “My Song� (sounds like Rod Stewart’s “Rhythm of the Night,�
but came first) (Canadian)
Sarah McLachlan, “Ordinary Miracle� (Canadian)
Whitney Houston, “How Will I Know�
Ken Tobias, “Every Bit of Love� (Canadian) (‘70s pop hitmaker with a song
reminiscent of Andy Kim)
Deniece Williams, “Let’s Hear it for the Boy�
Sade, “No Ordinary Love�
Dexy’s Midnight Runners, “Come On Eileen�
Bob McBride, “Pretty City Lady� (Canadian) (more ‘70s pop from the lead
singer of Lighthouse)


English-language music stations in Ottawa and Montreal deal with government
regulations requiring a certain percentage of non-hit music. Lite FM still
plays some of the Adult Standards and instrumental music heard on the Jewel
in its 8-11 p.m. program, The Lounge. Tonight’s show ranged from Gladys
Knight singing “Someone to Watch Over Me� to Enya’s “Orinoco Flow� to some
Easy listening instrumental covers, including one of Conway Twitty’s “Don’t
Cry Joni.â€�Â*

Both CHSV’s regular and evening format are worth a listen to this column’s
many Soft AC fans. They’ll also be happy to know that unlike many major
Canadian group-owned stations, the new Lite 106.7 FM isn’t geo-blocked to
American listeners.Â*

Back here in New York, there was a period last year when it looked like
Mainstream AC might be losing its super-powers as the result of changed
listening habits. Work schedules were less regimented and there was no need
for a station the whole office could agree on. But WLTW is the market
leader, up 6.5-6.8-7.1 6-plus since January, and no other station is closer
than a 5.8.

It was noticeable in October as well, but Lite FM’s successful formula
these days seems to be one song from Mainstream AC and one from Hot AC.
Sister WKTU has been working to fill the hole left in the market by WPLJ
nearly two years ago, but Lite FM seemed to get a boost from WPLJ’s
departure as well. The era and stylistic spread is wide enough that it’s
one of the things the station talks about on-air.

Here’s WLTW just before 4 p.m. on May 5:

Backstreet Boys, “As Long As You Love Me�
Madonna, “Like A Virgin�
Doja Cat, “Say So�
Chris de Burgh, “The Lady in Red� (preceded by an ‘80s stager)
Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now�
Kylie Minogue, “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head� (frontsold by p.m. driver
Rich Kaminski as one of the “different songs� the station has been playing
recently and soliciting listener feedback via website)
Wham, “Careless Whisper�
Chris Brown x Young Thug, “Go Crazy�
Bryan Adams, “Heaven�
Bruno Mars, “Just the Way You Are�
Ace of Base, “All That She Wants�
Katy Perry, “Firework�
Justin Timberlake, “Cry Me A River�
Lionel Richie, “You Are�
Harry Styles, “Watermelon Sugar�




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Connecticut Gold 1220 WATX Debuts In New Haven

Posted: 13 May 2021 07:39 AM PDT
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...-in-new-haven/



Nearly two years after Quinnipiac University’s Full Service Standards 1220
WQUN Hamden/New Haven CT ceased operations at the end of May 2019, the
station has relaunched.

Now owned by Clark Smidts Clark Media under WATX call letters, the station
resumed programming last weekend as Oldies Connecticut Gold. Smidt acquired
the license last October in exchange for up to $3000 in legal fees
connected to the license transfer after the University sold the stations
transmitter site to Vertical Bridge.

Smidt told the New Haven Register, It was a little more complicated than I
had expected. I only made one trip to the Connecticut before getting the
station back on the air and the rest was done remotely. But Im fortunate to
have a lot of old friends in radio who live in Connecticut, many of whom
are engineers.

WATX is running jockless with imaging voiced by former Boston and New York
personality Dick Summer. The station is operating under STA using a
temporary whip antenna with 250 watts day and 76 watts night while
attempting to find a new permanent site.