WAMO-FM gets one more ratings boost
Pittsburgh: The March-April-May trends are out and it seems that stations are on a roller coaster. WDVE continues an upward trend remaining in first place. KDKA has fallen two whole points since the Winter book. Perhaps the biggest surprise is WAMO-FM's rise to 5th place garnering a 5.6 in the trend. WAMO was at 4.5 during the Winter book. Interesting...Bob-a-loo your Westinghouse Laundromat
Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix:Via Mark Evanier's News From Me:
It's a never-broadcast promotional film for Desilu Studios, from back in the days when Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball owned half the television industry. Westinghouse was one of their biggest sponsors so Desi and Lucy starred in this tour of their operation that was designed to show appliance dealers how Westinghouse was going to be selling washing machines like crazy. I think this was done in early 1958 and it runs a little less than half an hour. It's been posted to YouTube in three parts and they should play, one after the other, in the window I've embedded below.
McKees Rocks native Mays found dead
National News:CNN reports that OxiClean (and other products) pitchman Billy Mays was found dead in his Tampa, Florida home Sunday morning. He was 50. The cause of death is unknown at this time. Mays was on board a USAirways jet from Philadelphia to Tampa on Saturday. The plane had a rough landing in Tampa after its front tires blew out upon landing. Mays reportedly told a Tampa TV station that as a result of the tire blowout, the landing was rough and things began falling from overhead. "...all the things from the ceiling started dropping," he said, "It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head." An autopsy will be performed by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner.
Meanwhile, Mays' wife Deborah released a statement saying, "Although Billy lived a public life, we don't anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days. Our family asks that you respect our privacy during these difficult times."
Mays was born in McKees Rocks in 1958 and developed his pitchman style on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. He became the pitchman for Orange Glo International after meeting its founder, Max Appel, at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show in the mid-1990s.
Radio responds to Jackson's death
Pittsburgh: The unexpected death of pop icon Michael Jackson is being reflected in local radio programming. It's hard to find a commercial station that isn't playing some Jackson records today, no matter what their usual format.At Washington County oldies station WJPA-FM (95.3), reports Scott Beveridge of the Observer-Reporter, requests for Jackson's hits began at 5:05 a.m. this morning and never quit.
"It's really been something," morning drive host and program director Pete Povich tells the newspaper. Despite Jackson's odd personality and behavior, Povich says, "you cannot take away how gifted he was."
. . .
Jim Merkel's morning show on "3WS" WWSW-FM (94.5) had plenty of Jackson airplay today, too, ranging from the powerful title track off the "Thriller" LP to the 1987 ballad "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," done with Siedah Garrett.
According to Yes.com, which tracks radio airplay, more than half of the songs played by Sheri Van Dyke during the WWSW's noon hour were either solo Jackson hits, or songs done with the Jackson 5.
. . .
For wall-to-wall MJ, it was hard to beat Steve Harvey's syndicated morning show, heard (at least pending the station's sale) on WAMO-FM (106.7). The hours between 7 and 10 a.m. were all Jackson and Jackson 5 records, as was the noon hour on WAMO.
Even WDVE-FM (102.5) --- whose rock jocks wouldn't usually touch a bubblegum record with a sequined glove --- found time for the Jackson 5's 1970 No. 1 smash "ABC" during the morning show with Randy Baumann and Jim Krenn, while over at KDKA (1020), morning hosts Larry Richert and John Shumway got reaction to Jackson's death from longtime Pittsburgh broadcaster Eddie Edwards. (more)
Conlee to "Q92.9" Middays
Pittsburgh:Scott Fybush reports that Jim Conlee has joined WLTJ-FM (92.9) as the new midday man. Conlee has spent the last several years in the Houston and San Antonio, Texas markets.
Celebrating Ukrainian heritage for six decades
Pittsburgh:
Former WPIT (730) general manager Michael Komichak has a broadcasting record most stations would envy. In 59 years on Pittsburgh radio, he's missed one show --- because he had to have his appendix out.
Komichak, who began hosting the "Ukrainian Hour" on WPIT during the summer of 1950, will turn 90 in October.
He tells Craig Smith of the Tribune-Review that he will continue doing the program --- heard at 1 p.m. Sundays --- as long as he's able. Mark Le Roi, a host at WPIT and sister station WORD-FM (101.5) who serves as Komichak's producer, calls him "one of the masters of radio."
Pittsburgh had a large population of Ukrainian immigrants during the 20th century, and Komichak still wields influence among their descendants. Several years ago, when Pitt's Cathedral of Learning needed to raise money for a Ukrainian "nationality room," he took to the air on Father's Day to demand listeners support the effort.
"You must make a contribution in honor of your dead fathers," Komichak told his listeners. He raised $18,000 in an hour.
Black radio history explored
Pittsburgh:
Above, Mary Dee, one of the nation's first black female disc jockeys, was in the air chair at a special Hill District studio for what was then known as WHOD (860) in Homestead. (Pittsburgh Courier archives)
. . .
One legendary Pittsburgh media outlet is taking an in-depth look at another one on the eve of the latter's apparent demise.
With WAMO-FM (106.7) and its AM sister stations likely to be sold and switch formats, The New Pittsburgh Courier this week began a series of articles on the history of black radio in the city.
"The sudden demise of WAMO radio may seem shocking to many, but the station's trials and tribulations stem from a decades-long struggle to maintain a strong community identity that at the same time would attract sufficient white listeners (and advertisers) to survive and grow," writes Larry Glasco, associate professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh.
He writes that WAMO was important to African-Americans and white residents alike because it was "capturing and reflecting the music and culture of its residents as well as providing a forum where they could discuss public affairs and rally for racial justice."
Glasco goes back to 860's origin as Homestead's multi-ethnic WHOD and also touches on the brief 1950s incarnation of WEEP (1080) as "WILY" (named for Wylie Avenue in the Hill District).
And he reminds readers that WAMO was briefly a country and western station!
Ultimately, Glasco argues, changing tastes, shifting music trends (including the rise of hip-hop) and the growth of coverage of black issues by traditionally all-white stations, beginning in the '60s, started eroding WAMO's influence.
Rocket 101 turns 20
Erie-Meadville: OK let's go back 20 years. It was June 1989 and I had just graduated from Fort LeBoeuf High School in Waterford, Pa. Between mid 1988 to 89, radio as we knew it then was starting to change. WRIE 1330 signed off in December of 1988 and was sold to Burbach Broadcasting who would move WEYZ from 1450 to 1330 a few months later. (1450 was donated to Penn State Behrend and would become then talk station WPSE.) A few months before that, a young man from Rochester named Richard Rambaldo purchased with various loans an AM/FM combo in North East called WHYP 1530 / 100.9. The AM/FM mono simulcast was the home of country music from legends like Hank Williams Sr., Kitty Wells, Bob Wills, etc. Once the purchase was complete in mid '88, the country legends gave way to the Beatles. Yes, Erie had its first ever "All Beatles" format 24/7 on vinyl just like the previous format did (one LP album side at a time.) The call letters were changed to WRKT, which reminded me of another AOR rock station with similar calls known as "95 K-Rock" WRKU out of Grove City, Pa. which had a following in the southern part of Erie county in those days. Rambaldo would start an overhaul on the not so powerful stations, focusing mostly on the FM side updating its sound quality. CDs' would replace vinyl albums and stereo sound would be added to the FM side. Once the work was completed, June 20th would be a huge day as classic rock leaning "Rocket 101" was born at noon that day from the former "One Broadcast Park". With no advertising budget early on, "word of mouth" promotion would be key to the station's early success and make "Jet FM 102" and "K-104" take notice. Both even tweaked their playlists at various times more AOR to steal some of Rocket's ever growing audience with little success. All of this with a somewhat weak signal at 100.9 from North East that would eventually get a power increase. Chris Earl Phillips would be the station's first morning show host in the early days with different hosts taking mornings after that before Mojo McKay & Natalie Massing would become the current hosts of Rocket's morning show. 20 years ago, a "Rocket" of a station made an impact on Erie listeners looking for a true rock choice.Layne to the state capitol
Erie-Meadville: It was announced during "Action News 24" at 6pm Friday that reporter Craig Layne is leaving "Jet TV" and "Fox 66" for a reporting opportunity in the state capitol. He will become a reporter for "Fox 43" WPMT in the Harrisburg, York, Lancaster area. Layne spent two years and his big break in the business at Jet & Fox. Craig will handle reporting duties for the morning and 10pm newscasts. It's good to see a reporter leave a station on his own free will for another great opportunity down state instead of being shown the door, which has happened way too often lately. Hopefully one of the former reporters at the now vacant 1220 Peach street studios will find an opportunity just south of I-90."Ross on Radio" takes one last listen to WAMO-FM
Pittsburgh: Radio-Info writer (Sean) Ross on Radio realized the other evening that he had not tuned in to WAMO-FM lately and decided to give the station one more listen. Ross said there were signs that the station is "on its way out here," saying the songs in the music image promo and stager were six months old. He called the "read" lower-key and the feel being an updated version of a two-voice production style used in the early '80s. "WAMO-FM never sounded like a pre-fabricated Hip-Hop station making its imminent departure that much more frustrating," he said.A sight to behold...
Musings From Eric:Over the last few years that both analog and digital TV signals were on the air together, at the top of each hour, one might see the Legal ID as, for instance, "WTAE-TV/DT Pittsburgh".
Last night for the first time in several years this viewer saw, "WTAE-TV Pittsburgh". Ah the days of one signal are back...and Digital is the norm...
KDKA-TV in HD
Pittsburgh: KDKA introduced its new High-Def news set at Noon. We have to agree with Rob Owen, the more one looks at it, the more one thinks "WTAE". The color scheme is a little more exciting than the old one and there is actually a weather center on set. Stage right is equiped with a multi-purpose center including a place for anchor stand-ups, public affairs programming and musical guests for Pittsburgh Today Live.WZUM sold
Pittsburgh:Sovereign City Radio Services LLC has filed with the FCC to sell WZUM-AM (1590) to Dr. Katrina L. Chase of Chesapeke, Virginia. Chase does business as Believe & Achieve Family Educational Center Inc. The deal was made for $800,000. The deal includes an LMA dated June 9 between the two companies to run gospel music.
According to Patrick Cloonan's McKeesport Daily News article (not online) Dr. Chase has a stake in three other stations in Virginia, Louisiana and South Carolina.
The last local owner of WZUM, Michael Horvath, sold the station to Starboard Media Foundation in 2005. It was Starboard who operated the Relevant Radio Catholic network and put it on the air at 1590. In October 2008, Sovereign City took the station over in a deal and resell it. Both Starboard and Sovereign City had been founded by Mark Follett.
The Relevant Radio format was taken off of WZUM in May 2009 and a deal was in the works with Delmarva Educational Foundation, but Delmarva pulled out. Enter Dr. Chase who apparently will continue with the gospel format.
Tidbits...
Pittsburgh:Some notes from Patrick Cloonan of the McKeesport Daily News (Not Online or Online only for Subscribers)
- John Rohm, who has been head of Clear Channel in Pittsburgh for over 10 years is now also overseeing Philadelphia's cluster. Rohm was the CEO at the Cincinnati cluster beginning in 1996 and over saw both Cinci and Pittsburgh for two years.
- Randy Tantlinger's sports talk programs are moving to WLFP-AM (1550) in Braddock and expects to have them on the air within a couple of weeks. The programs had been airing on WPYT-AM (660) in Wilkinsburg, but Tantlinger says attempts to renew the contract with Langer Broadcasting were unsuccessful.
Reminder: Tune in to The Netio Show
Pittsburgh: Just a humble reminder that PBRTV Editor and Owner, Eric O'Brien will be "OnLine with Bill Alexander: The Netio Show" Tonight at 10:06. Pick up the stream here.WDUQ ends June pledge on a high note
Pittsburgh:The following is from WDUQ-FM (90.5) Director and General Manager Scott Hanley:
"WDUQ just finished its rare June pledge drive to help close our shortfall for the fiscal year.
As we had done previously for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, we gave our listeners the option of forgoing a premium and instead send the 10% to a worthwhile non-profit. Since the majority of our members don't take a thank-you gift, we knew there was a likelihood that we'd leave money "on the table," but we thought the case was compelling.
We are giving the 10% to NPR.
This may not be something other stations feel they can do, but given the challenges and shortfalls suffered by our leading programming and membership organization, it didn't seem right to ask for extra support for just WDUQ."
WQLN layoffs begin
Erie-Meadville: With drastic cuts in the state budget for Public broadcasting, WQLN is following the trend of commercial stations with layoffs. Today, 5 employees were let go including the chief engineer, TV program director and three others. The station will also begin weekly furloughs for remaining employees. If funding is not restored, more job cuts can be expected. (Note: Tom Lavery is an employee of WQLN Public Media.)More light on WICU DT 12
Erie-Meadville: WICU CE John Wilkosz shed some light on the new DT channel. There were some antenna issues which were resolved and the station went on the air at 5:31pm this past Sunday. WICU will only offer SD programming for about 2 weeks while cable outlets and Dish Network experiments with the signal. After which they will switch over to 12-1 from 35-3. At that point, they will upgrade to HD programming and shut down the station on 35-3. Thanks to John for sharing this with our readers.The last time we saw Stanley
Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix:
With the city about to host its first Stanley Cup parade in 17 years, Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix suddenly got all nostalgic for 1992.
We got out our big chunky glasses, stone-washed jeans and flannel shirts, which come to think of it, is the way we dress anyway.
We also were going to mousse our hair up in spikes, or was that the 1980s? Never mind, we don't have enough hair left to mousse.
But even with our bad fashion sense aside, June 1992 wasn't that long ago, was it?
. . .
It seems like only yesterday: George Bush was president, and in local broadcasting, Mike Lange was doing Penguins games, WDVE-FM (102.5) and KDKA (1020) were battling for the number 1 and number 2 positions among 12-and-up listeners (the rocker passed the talker for the first time in the fall of 1991) and the city's CBS, ABC and NBC affiliates were on KDKA-TV, WTAE-TV and WPXI-TV, just as they still are today.
Ah, but the devil's in the details.
Seventeen years ago this week, 970 AM was still simulcasting WWSW-FM (94.5), which was proudly billing itself as an oldies station and was the number one station among listeners 25-54.
Jim Quinn and "Banana Don" Jefferson were doing mornings at the original B-94 (93.7, which still had its WBZZ-FM call letters), while Cris Winter was the recently appointed music director at 'DVE.
. . .
Oh, and remember when 102.5 and 94.5 were owned by separate companies --- not to mention 105.9 and 104.7?
Yes, when it comes to changes in the local media landscape since 1992, it's hard to overstate the impact of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 --- so-called "deregulation" --- which allowed companies to own more than one FM and one AM station in a market for the first time. (more)
Western Reserve adds two new channels
Youngstown: Yesterday, Western Reserve Public Media announced the addition of two new channels you can see on WNEO 45-2 AND 45-3 as well as WEAO 49-2 AND 49-3 in the Akron / Cleveland area. The first is called "Fusion" which will carry non stop arts programming from PBS until August 1st. At that point, the station will have more local programs as well as favorites from PBS, American Public Television, the Ohio government channel and the BBC. "MHz Worldview" is the second new channel from Western Reserve which will feature various news, culture, sports and movies from around the world. It's programming for globally minded people in the U.S. Check your cable listings for channel locations in your area.PBRTV on the Netio Airwaves
Pittsburgh: PBRTV.com creator and owner, Eric O'Brien, will be the guest this Wednesday night (10:06 pm) Online With Bill Alexander: The Netio Show. We will talk about the Broadcast Media in Western Pennsylvania. There will be a link at Bill's Website when the show goes live Wednesday night.KDKA signs off appropriately...
Pittsburgh:The "Big 3" local stations were all embroiled in The Penguins winning the Stanley Cup last night at 11:59:59. WTAE (4; D51)made a brief mention that the analog signal was shutting off, and we suspect the same happened at WPXI (11; D48). But KDKA (2; D25) prepared a piece to sign off the analog signal in style. Click here for it.
Valley makes the digital switch
Youngstown: Yesterday was the swan song for full powered analog TV broadcasts across the country. The digital transition took place among Youngstown's 3 full powered stations. Both WKBN and WYTV shut off their analog stations at 12:05pm while WFMJ shut down their station at 11:59pm, which was good news for Pittsburgh Penguins fans who were not digital ready. According to vindy.com, the transition went very smoothly and stations are reporting a few calls from either people who waited until the very last minute to go digital or those who waited until June 12th to hook up their converter boxes. None of the stations decided to keep their analog signals on to provide "Nightlight Service" in order to explain what viewers need to do regarding the transition.WICU goes digital at 12-1
Erie-Meadville:An update from our readers and "Yours Truly". According to our comments section, WICU began broadcasting it's digital signal Sunday evening. I first caught the station around 8am today & had it on until it went off for more work. The station later returned and at my location I can get them around 54% but the station stayed locked in for me. They are currently not broadcasting in HD over the air as of yet but hopefully that will come soon. The station is also not carrying any additional channels as of yet. You can catch WICU over the air at 12-1 or 35-3 (16). Share your reception comments here to give us an idea as to how well the station is being received at your location.
Digital is officially here...
Pittsburgh:Goodbye Channels 2, 4, (analog) 11, (analog) 13, 16, 19, 22, 40, 53. We'll remember you virtually.
Hello Channels 25, 51, 48, (digital) 13, 38, (digital) 11, 42, 50 and 43.
Power failure shuts down 6 stations
Pittsburgh, Musings From Eric:I received a phone call from McKeesport Daily News writer Patrick Cloonan while at my place of work yesterday. "Eric, have you heard anything about the six Clear Channel stations going off the air last night (Monday) for about an hour?"
"No," I replied.
"I was told by a reliable source that all six stations went off the air last night around 10:00 and came on one by one an hour or so later, what do you think could be the cause," he asked. All of the stations had a carrier current so the transmitters were operating, but there was dead air."
"Sounds like a power outage to me," I said.
Turns out that "listner1" on the Pittsburgh Board at Radio-info.com heard it. He says, "Power failed at CC tonight. Gen/UPS apparently also failed. Luckily this was not during a Penguins game! Bad enough though I guess that it took the entire Pirates network silent. Do they not do a weekly check on the emergency power?"
It's a good question to ask, "listner1" (if that is your 'real name'). :-) The answer is, "who knows?" Perhaps the back up generator got a pink slip (or is that a red tag?) in the latest round of cuts? (Ba dum bum)
Clear Channel owns (and operates when there is electricity) WDVE-FM (102.5), WXDX-FM (105.9), WWSW-FM (94.5), WKST-FM (96.1), WPGB-FM (104.7) and WBGG (970).
Hugo Gernsback's future imperfect
Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix:
Previously on Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix ... We perused the March 1938 issue of Radio-Craft magazine, which celebrated "50 Years of Radio," or more specifically, 50 years since the first experiments in transmitting and measuring electromagnetic waves.
March 1938 seems like a primitive era in radio from our perspective. The first regularly scheduled FM radio broadcasts (from Edwin Armstrong's W2XMN in Alpine, N.J.) were still a month away, while commercial U.S. television broadcasting wouldn't begin until 1939.
Still, for anyone who had grown up without radio in any form, it must have been exciting to look back. In less than two generations, after all, radio had gone from spark-gap transmitters and crystal sets to national networks and high-fidelity consoles.
It was only natural for the radio professionals of 1938 to wax nostalgic. Muses Radio-Craft Research Editor Robert Eichberg:
Remember when it was hard to tell speech from music, and static might have been mistaken for either, so faithful was reproduction? Ah, my ancient ones, those were the "good old days"! ...(more)
Radio has become respectable. Sets are complete units, with self-contained speakers ... but is the radio listener of today as happy as the fan of yesteryear?
I doubt it, for though programs have improved along with equipment, the old thrill is largely gone. No more does one wonder, every time the set is switched on, whether it will actually work!
Brain broken, flagger ahead
Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix:
Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix will appear on Monday evening this week, except in Australia, where it will appear on Tuesday morning, and thus will be known as the "G'Day Fair-Dinkum Tuesday Morning Nostalgia Fix."
Your patience is appreciated, and if you're in Australia, remember there is no not drinking at the University of Woolloomooloo after lights out.
Q92.9 Morning...no, evening...no, morning show
Pittsburgh:A little of both acutally. Now WLTJ-FM (92.9) morning hosts John Cline and Kerri Griffith are the station's evening hosts as well as morning hosts. Each evening from 7- 10, the duo will be doing "The Q Morning Show: PM". According to Scott Fybush, the material will be fresh and will not be a "best of" show.
More as we hear it...
Tight Pennsylvania state budget could hurt Public TV
Misc. Pennsylvania: An article in Sunday's Erie Times-News focused on all of the state funding cuts proposed by Governor Ed Rendell. The article focuses on things like state parks, libraries the U.S. Brig Niagara and Public TV. While WQLN is mentioned, the drastic state funding cuts could have a huge impact on all of Pennsylvania's Public TV stations. The impact on WQLN could mean a loss of $800,000 as well as layoffs of 11 office employees according to WQLN President Dwight Miller. (These cuts would be in addition to 3 TV Engineer / Master Control Operator positions being eliminated in October for automation.) WQLN has been working on a campaign to have the state funding restored. Without it, the station would only air programs from PBS and would have to eliminate any independent or locally produced programs from its schedule. This could also mean even more TV pledge drives in an attempt to make up the difference.Lottery may once again appear on WTAE-TV
Pittsburgh:The drawing was once held in its studios, but if negotiations pass, WTAE-TV (4, D-51) could once again show the Pennsylvania Lottery drawings in the Pittsburgh market effective July 1. The Post-Gazette reports that five local stations sent proposals to air the lottery and the decision was based on viewership, promotional value, and the amount interested stations would contribute toward production of the drawings.
KDKA-TV (2, D-25) has carried the lottery for 25 years but PA Lottery Director Ed Trees said that WTAE would bring more value to the broadcast, especially with on-air support and promotions. Right now the advertising prices are being with the station. The commercial spots which the lottery airs on the affiliate station are purchased at specified levels.
KDKA General Manager Chris Pike didn't take the time to speculate what losing the lottery would mean for KDKA. Pike thinks that there will be a number of other factors this summer alone which will affect programming - next week's switch to digital-only transmission and a new Nielsen ratings system coming in July chief among them.
One week to go: Some DTV advice; Verszyla recovers
Pittsburgh:Rob Owen offers up some "last minute" advice on how to receive your local channels over the air. The remainder of the analog signals - WTAE, WPXI, KDKA, & WPCW will be shutting down next Friday at 11:59:59 p.m. WTAE and KDKA will keep a "night light" analog signal for 30 days with messages reminding viewers that they will need to get a converter box and antenna. Meanwhile, it will be WPCW's first venture into digital as the allocation is Channel 11 - the 50+ year analog home of WIIC/WPXI. Incidentally, it's not just about the converter box, it's also about the antenna and how it's pointed. One engineer offered the advice that the majority of the Pittsburgh signals come from the Northwest end of the city of Pittsburgh. WTAE and WPCB come from the Southeast and WQED is in Oakland. (Elevation is key!)
Meanwhile WTAE expects to lose some audience in Somerset and Cambria Counties. For those not getting Channel 4 (D-51) on the South Side slopes, Squirrel Hill and Lawrenceville, WTAE is planning on adding a repeater signal on WQED's Oakland tower perhaps as soon as this summer.
If you get "out of town" signals...the article suggests that you consider yourself lucky. Visit tvfool.com for a list.
.....
KDKA Meteorologist Jeff Verszyla took a hit last week while playing softball. Verszyla suffered a concussion after another player's knee met his face. "Just in time for HD," Verszyla told the Post-Gazette. (The station is expected to begin HD broadcasts on June 15.) The weather man was knocked out by the collision and received 23 stitches. Recovery is expected to take a week or two but Verszyla hopes to be back June 22. Freelancer Dave Trygar has been called in to fill the gap.
Radio & Records folding
National News:Trade Publication Radio and Records (AKA R&R) is folding after Friday's issue is released. The website says, "The current state of affairs has left The Neilsen Company with no other alternative but to immediately cease all services, products and events related to Radio and Records. The magazine's final edition is the June 5 issue. Electronic products end today, the website will be taken offline soon."
Hurry...you can see the 36-year time line of R&R on the site. Woops...nevermind. It's gone.
More on St. Joseph Missions & PPM technology
Pittsburgh:Ironically, the same day that the sale of WAMO-AM/FM (860/106.7) and WPGR-AM (1510) was announced (May 15), the FCC approved a "Notice of Inquiry" which is to address the claims that the Personal People Meter technology being used by Arbitron "undercounts and misrepresents the number and loyalty of minority radio listeners." This according to Patrick Cloonan of the McKeesport Daily News (not online). It's the beginning of an investigation over how the PPM technology will affect the broadcast industry and whether or not the ratings data will be accurate enough to gain merit by the FCC.
Sheridan Broadcasting didn't have faith in it. It was one of the factors leading to the sale of the stations. A spokesman for the company said that the system has, "negatively impacted the measurement of overall radio listening with a disproportionate impact on minority-targeted formats." Meanwhile, St. Joseph Missions and Sheridan await approval of the sale by the FCC.
St. Joseph Missions, meantime, is still seeking a non-commercial FM station in Ligonier. But the group, who would put the same EWTN programming on there as is planned for the WAMO stations, is having problems with their plans for the 500-watt signal on a 1000-foot tower = a 50,000 watt Pittsburgh FM. The proposed site is just across the Somerset County line from Ligonier. But there are two other applicants for the same frequency in that region. The Educational Media Foundation would like to use the signal with 2300 watts and a 521-foot tower in Westmoreland's Derry Township. Meanwhile, WYEP would like to have it for an 870-watt signal and an 837-foot tower in New Stanton. Any of these, if approved, would knock off a Johnstown 5-watt station at 91.7. The Bible Broadcasting Network relays a North Carolina station on there. But at 91.7, WCUC at Clarion University and WNJR at Washington & Jefferson College would both be affected. Both stations reach parts of Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties.
Cloonan's article states that former Allegheny Energy trader Matthew J. Gorsich is the president of St. Joseph Missions and Thomas Marinchak, Jr. is the Vice President. The company is based in Unity Township, Westmoreland County.
PBRTV Hat tip: Patrick Cloonan; McKeesport Daily News
WICU now airs Jeopardy not news at 5:30
Erie-Meadville: WICU has decided to no longer air a 90 minute newscast and has placed Jeopardy at 5:30. The decision appears to be more out of necessity in order to record a 6pm newscast for either WICU or WSEE at 5:30. This is due to the stations sharing the same studio where only one newscast at a time can be produced. No word on the fate of Wheel of Fortune at 7pm and Jeopardy which airs at 7:30 on WSEE, though both could move over to WICU only. Watching both newscasts since yesterday, there has not really been any attempt to make one different from another. The scripts are identical as well as reporters using generic outcues. There is also no word on when a 10pm live newscast will air on CW affiliate WBEP. They currently re air WICU's 6pm newscast.Obituary: Patrick Gmiter
Pittsburgh:Patrick Joseph Gmiter passed away Friday after an illness. He was 77. Gmiter was knwon in the local broadcast world as a successful salesman at KQV radio (1410) and at WPXI-TV (11) before rising to be the vice president of marketing at Cox Communications. But his friends knew him for his parties and pig roasts as the South Side's "Polish Prince."
Mr. Gmiter's start in media was at the Post-Gazette as a copyboy and messenger. He would attend Youngstown State University and was drafted into the Korean War. His position at KQV began after his service in Korea and around the time he married his childhood friend - Jeanne Melczak. In 1964, he joined WIIC-TV (11) and moved from local sales manager to general sales manager. He became the director of TV sales for Cox in 1973 and he served the company in New York at Atlanta. It was in 1978 that he became the vice president of broadcast sales.
Gmiter returned to Pittsburgh and Channel 11 in 1979 when he took the station manager position, soon became the vice president and general manager of WPXI and the executive vice president of the station. In the late 80s he was VP of marketing at Cox. He retired in 1995. It was around that time that he married his second wife and WPXI collegue, Marti Vautier. His first wife had died in 1990.
He was also known for his passion for cooking. Mr. Gmiter is remembered for the pig roast parties he held for friends, co-workers and family at his farm. He is also remembered for being a great friend and counselor and a strong father who made sure that his children were polite.
Patrick Gmiter is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter, step-daughter, a brother and sister and six grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are in the Post-Gazette.
WICU to shut off analog early
Erie-Meadville: Of course the headline is not a surprise since all full powered analog stations must shut down their signals on June 12th. However, WICU will shut down its analog station on Channel 12 on Monday, June 8th. This will allow for the transition work at the WICU / WSEE transmitter site to begin in order to convert WICU from analog 12 to digital 12 by June 12th. Most viewers will be able to watch WICU on WSEE's second sub channel on 35-3 during some of the time. I do say some of the time because work on the tower may require WSEE DT to also go off the air temporarily which would be similar to the Jet / Fox situation a few weeks back. We'll keep you updated.Nostalgic for nostalgia
Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix:
Two weeks ago, Mr. Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix went to the nation's largest radio hobby convention, Hamvention in Dayton, Ohio.
Besides eating too many hot dogs, buying too much rusty old junk, and generally acting like a geek, he also picked up a reprint of the March 1938 issue of Radio-Craft magazine, celebrating "50 Years of Radio."
. . .
"Fifty years of radio?" MMNF can hear you saying. "But radio began in 1920, when as every schoolchild knows, KDKA began operations in East Pittsburgh!"
True enough, Mr. or Ms. Strawman that MMNF made up just for this example. You could also have linked the beginning of radio to Reginald Fessenden's 1906 experiments. (more)