from the Albany Business Journal
Local radio broadcasters are calling it a once- in-a-lifetime opportunity.
After a decade of dominating the airwaves with his syndicated morning show, Howard Stern has made the jump from terrestrial radio to satellite. That leaves tens of thousands of Capital Region listeners, and an estimated $1 million in advertising revenue, up for grabs, along with the chance for another morning show to earn bragging rights as the most popular with the area's young adults.
"This will affect every morning show in the market," said Bob Ausfeld, regional general manger for Covington, Ky.-based Regent Communications Inc.
The stakes are high, because for most radio stations, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. is the most important time of the day. Listenership is at its peak, and so are advertising dollars. As much as a third of a station's revenue comes on weekday mornings. Stations hope that by drawing people in during the morning, they can hold them all day. Morning personalities are the most visible and heavily promoted people at most stations.
So, the race is on. Among the competitors are several established morning shows, some of which have nipped at Stern's heels in the past, and two newcomers who hope to challenge them. Industry experts say it will take at least six months, and perhaps a year or more, for the ultimate winner to emerge.
"This is a chance for everyone to show what they've got," said Dan Austin, general manager of Latham-based Albany Broadcasting Co. Inc. "It's a chance to say, 'Hey, look at me!' "
Initial reactions
The immediate responses to Stern's Dec. 16 departure were somewhat dramatic.
His show had aired locally on "The Edge" simulcast of WQBK, 103.9 FM and WQBJ, 103.5 FM. When he signed off at 10 a.m., The Edge's ratings would fall. Owner Regent decided the way to handle losing Stern was to completely revamp the simulcast. The alternative rock format was replaced with mainstream rock, primarily from the 1980s. The name "The Edge" was dropped in favor of "Q103." Stern's slot was filled with "Free Beer & Hot Wings," a male-oriented talk show out of Grand Rapids, Mich.
A few weeks later, Syracuse-based Galaxy Communications put its two local stations--classic rock WRCZ, 94.5 FM and country WEGQ, 93.7 FM--together to form "The Bone," a new, broad rock simulcast. Controversial talk show host JR Gach, who had the afternoon slot of WRCZ, became morning host for The Bone. Galaxy president Ed Levine said the move had been planned for months, but was timed to take advantage of Stern's departure.
The Bone has an irreverent attitude it hopes will appeal to Stern fans. A TV advertising campaign launched Jan. 30 features a chimp dressed as Stern making fun of Gach.
Other local morning shows have continued as usual, but have reached out to Stern fans. In early January, classic rock WPYX, 106.5 FM sent out a direct-mail piece for its "Wolf in the Morning," with the message that, unlike Stern, Bob Wohfeld--aka "The Wolf"--and his crew were available and free of charge.
"We wanted to get that in people's hands as soon as they came back from Christmas," said John Cooper, operations manager for the Latham division of Clear Channel Communications, the San Antonio-based owner of WPYX. He said the station will do more advertising in the coming months, but declined to elaborate.
Counting heads
It is not clear exactly how many people are out there, punching buttons and turning dials in an effort to find a new morning show. Ausfeld estimated that Stern had anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 local listeners on any given morning. He based those figures on the show's "cume"--or number of different people over the age of 12 who tuned in for at least five minutes during each quarter-hour period--as measured by Arbitron Ratings Co. of New York City.
There is little doubt that the most rabid of those fans followed Stern to satellite. If one thing is clear from Stern's numbers, it's that his listeners tended to be loyal. That's one of the reasons for his high Arbitron share figure. In some cases, his cume was actually smaller than that of a competitor.
In Arbitron's Fall Survey, for example, Stern had a local cume of 68,800. This put him second in total listeners, to Sean McMaster and Richie Phillips on WGNA, 107.7 FM, Regent's country station. They had a cume of 72,800. Yet, Stern's share was higher at 10.2, compared to 8.7.
That's because the share figure is based not only on how many people tune in, but how long they stay. Those dialing up Sean & Richie listened for an average of 31/2 hours. Stern's listeners stuck around for an average of four hours and 45 minutes.
The difference is even more stark with the 18- to 34-year-old demographic. Here, Stern had 33,800 listeners, while the morning team of Candy & Potter on WFLY, 92.3 FM, an Albany Broadcasting-owned Top 40 station, attracted 41,100 people. But because Candy & Potter's listeners stayed for about half the time Stern's did, Stern had a share of 21.1, compared to the WFLY team's 13.
Stern did command the largest number of 25- to 54-year-olds, the group known as the "money demo," with a cume of 51,700 in the fall.
Although those people may have preferred Stern, cume numbers are not exclusive. There is always overlap.
"I think people, especially people under the age of 40, grew up with push-button tuning," McMaster said. "I think people who listen to us also listened to Howard Stern, and vice versa. We all share listeners."
With Stern gone, his fall numbers mean very little. Advertisers deciding where to buy time will not transfer them to Free Beer & Hot Wings, especially since The Edge itself no longer exists.
That means Sean & Richie, who ranked No. 2 in the money demo, and Candy & Potter, who were second with 18- to 34-year-olds, are, for all intents and purposes, the current champions.
"With Stern gone, Candy & Potter are now the No. 1 morning show 18-34," Austin said. "That is the first time that has happened."
A tough act to follow
Of course, the next few Arbitron books will be viewed with the most interest, as everyone tries to determine where the displaced Stern listeners have gone.
"Once we've gotten through February and March, we will see some good trends," Ausfeld said. "The spring book will be the first good pure book, but we won't have that until late July."
Observers say it is unlikely that Stern fans will move as a group. They are more likely to disperse in many different directions.
"The interesting thing about Stern's listeners was that they really crossed a variety of demographics," Austin said.
Since Stern's show contained no music, his fans may have very broad taste in tunes, but many seem to prefer one of two formats.
"In every market Stern has left, it was rock and country stations that gained," Ausfeld said.
WAQX in Syracuse dropped Stern's show last year, when the shock jock first announced his satellite move. So far, it is the morning show on Galaxy's classic rock simulcast that has benefited.
"The WAQX morning show fell 2.9 [share] points in the fall, and we gained 1.9 points," Levine said. "We got almost all of them."
With Stern, the WAQX morning show spent a decade as either No. 1 or No. 2 with both 18- to 34-year-olds and 25- to 54-year-olds. Now, it ranks seventh with 18- to 34-year-olds and 10th with the money demo.
That may be what Q103 is in store for, at least initially. Even Ausfeld does not expect Gregg "Free Beer" Daniels and Chris "Hot Wings" Michaels to do well for a while. For a Stern fan, any successor is bound to be found lacking.
"For all the Stern replacements, it's going to take time," Ausfeld said.
Levine agreed.
"It is really not fair for anyone who follows Howard," he said. "They almost have no chance. You don't want to be that guy. You want to be the guy after that guy."
Who will it be?
Observers expect the initial winners to be established morning shows with a "zoo" atmosphere, meaning several players are involved. This would include Sean & Richie, The Wolf and Candy & Potter.
Much speculation has focused on Wolf, whose audience, like Stern's, contains a a large number of males aged 18 to 49.
"I think if you look back over history, there was a lot of sharing between Wolf and Stern," Clear Channel's Cooper said. "There was a lot of flipping back and forth depending on who was in commercials or what the topic was on a particular day. So just from a sharing point of view, Wolf should be the one to benefit. But who knows?"
The Stern-Wolf overlap was evident in the Fall Arbitron book. As Stern's listenership peaked, buoyed by people eager to hear what he would do in this final weeks on terrestrial radio, Wolf's fell. With 18- to 34-year-olds, he tumbled from third place to seventh.
" 'PYX had a bad book, but that is actually good for them," Levine said. "That is now the standard for comparison, and they will start out looking like the winner."
Sean & Richie also appeared to lose listeners to Stern last fall and may be in a position to gain.
One potential dark horse is Don Imus, whose syndicated show airs locally on Clear Channel's sports station, WOFX, 980 AM.
"Imus could gain," Ausfeld said. "He is another one of those New York City radical guys."
But Imus' local audience has been relatively small, at less than 1 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds and about 2 percent of the money demo. Cooper does not expect him to pick up many Stern listeners.
"You'd think it's possible, but with the way Stern talked about Imus, I don't know if his listeners would gravitate toward Imus."
It is possible that listeners could go in the opposite direction, seeking a local morning show that has little in common with Stern. For example, Chuck Taylor and Kelly Stevens host mornings on Albany Broadcasting's adult contemporary WYJB, 95.5 FM. They refer to their family-friendly show as the "safe listening zone." And yet, Austin said, when Arbitron asked listeners to comment on morning shows, only two were noted--Stern and Chuck & Kelly.
"They could be No. 1 25-54," Austin said. "They were No. 2, right behind Stern, many times."
Levine believes the bulk of Stern fans will seek alternatives to the established shows.
"The Stern audience has been aware of all those other morning shows for years and made a conscious decision not to listen to them," he said.
Since Free Beer & Hot Wings is perceived as having little chance, at least for now, that leaves Gach on The Bone. Levine said that show has gotten a "huge" response since its Jan. 5 debut.
Everyone may have different ideas about who will win the morning show race, but they all agree on one thing.
"This will be a fascinating thing to watch," Levine said.
from the Albany Business Journal
The fall book by Arbitron Inc. is perhaps best viewed as the end of an era--and the start of a market in flux.
The book, which covered the last three months of 2005, was the last with Howard Stern on broadcast radio. It was also the last with "The Edge" alternative rock simulcast, which had been one of the most popular area stations with young adults. And it was the final book for two other stations, classic rock WRCZ, 94.5 FM and country WEGQ, 93.7 FM.
Stern, whose New York City-based show had aired on The Edge--WQBK, 103.9 FM and WQBJ, 103.5 FM--for more than a decade, left the market with a bang.
"The biggest thing with this particular book was that with all the hoopla about Stern leaving, there was an audience who may not have listened to him before, but wanted to see what the hoopla was about," said Bob Ausfeld, general manager for Regent Communications, which owns WQBK and WQBJ.
That appears to have drawn listeners from WGNA, 107.7 FM, Regent's country station, and WPYX, 106.5 FM, a classic rock station owned by Clear Channel Communications, both of which saw their audience shares drop. The Edge, meanwhile, had one of its best books ever.
Unfortunately for Regent, that book is useless. When Stern left the air Dec. 16, the company dropped The Edge and created "Q103," a mainstream rock simulcast focused on the 1980s.
The death of The Edge was followed by the birth of "The Bone," a broad rock simulcast created from WRCZ and WEGQ. Owner Galaxy Communications of Syracuse timed The Bone's debut to take advantage of the changes in the market brought on by Stern's departure.
"One thing I think is interesting--and we started to see some of it with this book but will see more in future books--is the very crowded, ever-changing arena of rock radio stations in the market," said Dan Austin, general manager of Albany Broadcasting Co. Inc. of Latham. "In this book, 'PYX had the biggest decline I've seen it have in years. Part of that was because of Stern, but the shift at 'QBK will have an impact and so will the change in the Galaxy stations."
Clear Channel general manager John Cooper is not concerned about WPYX. As he sees it, the station is well-postioned to attract Edge listeners going forward.
Another anomaly in the fall was that two area stations dropped their regular formats and played all Christmas music for all of December. Both gained listeners in the process, with Albany Broadcasting's WKLI, 100.9 FM coming out ahead of Clear Channels' WTRY, 98.3 FM with all listeners aged 12 and over.
Although both stations resumed their regular formats Dec. 26, advertisers are likely to consider the fall book a valid reflection of their performance.
"We've been [playing Christmas music] for five-plus years; it is part of the fabric of the station," Cooper said. "Advertisers don't discount it because we've been doing it so long."
from the Albany Business Journal
Ed Levine has a bone to pick with area rock radio stations.
Levine, president of Syracuse-based Galaxy Communications, believes broadcasters have gone too narrow in their formatting. Rock stations are "classic" or "modern" or "alternative." Even the new "Q-103" simulcast, which general manager Bob Ausfeld described as "not classic rock, not hard rock, just rock" focuses mainly on music from the 1980s.
Levine decided to go in the opposite direction. On Jan. 6, he took his two Capital Region stations--classic rock WRCZ, 94.5 FM and country WEGQ, 93.7 FM--and put them together in a new simulcast called "The Bone." The playlist will span the years from Jimi Hendrix to today's rocker.
"This will surprise some people," Levine said. "I believe radio has over-niched itself. It has dumbed itself down to 250 songs. I'm taking a bit of a risk here. While everyone else is going narrow, I'm going wide."
The simulcast is designed to appeal primarily to men aged 25 to 44. The name "The Bone" was chosen because it is "fun," Levine said.
"There is attitude in that name, and that will be matched on the air," he said.
On Sunday afternoons, The Bone will take a break from rock music and carry NASCAR racing.
Morning has broken
Levine timed The Bone's debut to follow the movement of shock jock Howard Stern from broadcast to satellite. Stern had aired locally on "The Edge" simulcast of WQBK, 103.9 FM and WQBJ, 103.5 FM, and dominated the morning drive period with adult males. His departure has created a void a number of morning shows hope to fill.
"There is a once in a lifetime opportunity in morning radio here," Levine said. "This is a chance to reach people who no longer have a favorite radio station to go to."
His answer was to move JR Gach from afternoons on WRCZ to mornings on The Bone. Gach has been in the market for about 10 years, and is perhaps best known for his dimissal from news/talk WGY, 810 AM because of manic-depression.
"We share a ton of audience with Stern," Gach said. "The faithful, the core audience, will follow us."
Levine had planned for months to respond to Stern's departure by linking his stations under a rock format and moving Gach to mornings, but said the extent of the format change was not decided until mid-December. That was when Edge owner Regent Communications dropped the simulcast's alternative rock format and created Q-103. Stern's slot was filled with "Free Beer and Hot Wings," a male-oriented talk show based in Grand Rapids, Mich.
"The Edge going away was kind of a shock," Levine said. "We wouldn't have gone as far as we did without that."
Ausfeld said Regent's research showed that "with Stern gone, everything was gone."
"If you're going to make a change, make a big change," he said.
A fighting chance
Levine sees The Bone as Galaxy's opportunity to make its mark in the Capital Region. The Syracuse company has operated here since WRCZ debuted about 31/2 years ago, but was held back by a relatively weak 3,000 watt signal. WRCZ typically attracted about 3 percent of adults aged 25 to 54.
"I felt like I was fighting with one hand tied behind my back," Levine said. "There are no more excuses now. We have a full-fledged, full-market signal."
The simulcast nearly doubles WRCZ's reach. In late April, 94.5 FM will boost its power to 6,000 watts, making The Bone accessible to about 70 percent of the Albany-Troy-Schenectady market.
The move also puts WEGQ to better use. As a country station it was up against Regent-owned powerhouse WGNA, 107.7 FM, and drew about 1 percent of 25- to 54-year-olds. Levine said he did not put resources into WEGQ because he knew he would be making changes.
"I sat through 2005 and took a ratings beating and a revenue beating," he said. "I took it because we thought if we went with this too early, we would lose our advantage. It was painful for me to sit on my hands and know the business plan I was executing was not the plan I was sticking with here. You can write off a month or a quarter in radio. We wrote off a whole year."
Barbara Pinckney
The Business Review
When Regent Communications Inc. says good-bye to Howard Stern Dec. 16, it will also say good-bye to The Edge.
The broadcaster (NASDAQ: RGCI) is using the New York City-based shock jock's jump to Sirius Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) as an opportunity to give its simulcast of WQBK, 103.9 FM and WQBJ, 103.5 FM a make-over.
Stern has been the morning man on The Edge for about 13 years, and was by far the strongest part of the active rock simulcast's daily line-up. He dominated his time slot with his target audience of 18-to-34 year olds, attracting as much as a quarter of that group.
Regent, of Covington, Ky., which has its local base in Schenectady, will fill the gap with "Free Beer & Hot Wings," a male-oriented talk show based at its WGRD in Grand Rapids, Mich.
"It's three guys talking about sports, women -- guy stuff," said Robert Ausfeld, vice president and general manger of Regent's area operations.
But rather than just replace Stern, Regent decided to overhaul everything. The simulcast's alternative rock format will be replaced by mainstream rock. The name "The Edge," which has been used for the past decade, will be dropped in favor of "Q-103," with the tagline "Where Rock Lives."
"It's a complete change," Ausfeld said. "This was the time to do it."
Q-103 will aim for men and women aged 30-to-44, an older market than The Edge attracted. Ausfeld sees this as a demographic not being served by the area's five other rock stations.
The Edge had shared the alternative rock audience with WHRL, 103.1 FM and WEQX, 102.7 FM out of Manchester, Vt.
from the Albany Business Journal
August 15, 2005 print edition
Howard Stern's leap from broadcast to satellite radio could come as early as Labor Day, meaning the simulcast of WQBK, 103.9 FM and WQBJ, 103.5 FM may be only one ratings book away from losing its edge.
Stern signed a $500 million deal last fall with Sirius Satellite Radio beginning Jan. 1, 2006. The word now, however, is that the controversial "shock jock" may make the move four months earlier.
That would force WQBK and WQBJ, active rock stations that simulcast as "The Edge," to replace, just before the holdiay season, the morning show more Capital Region adults listen to than any other. Stern's syndicated show, which WQBK has carried for 13 years, contributes more than 30 percent of The Edge's revenue base.
Robert Ausfeld, regional vice president for Edge-owner Regent Communcations Inc., is researching alternatives.
"We won't just pull something out of a hat," he said. "There are options--syndicated, local, some shows within Regent we could take. There is one out of Grand Rapids that could attract the same male listeners as Stern."
In the spring ratings book by New York City-based Arbitron Inc., Stern ranked No. 1 with adults aged 18 to 34 and 25 to 54. He had a 21 percent share of the former group, double that of runner-up Bob Wolf on classic rock WPYX, 106.5 FM.
Stern is by far the strongest part of The Edge's daily line-up and sets up the audience for the rest of the day. The simulcast finished first overall with 18- to 34-year-olds and was fifth with those 25 to 54.
Unfortunately, those numbers and those The Edge gets in the summer book, will be of little use to Regent if Stern leaves next month. Advertisers will not buy time based on the popularity of someone who is not there.
Stern's departure--now or in January--will shake up more than The Edge.
"He is one big competitor," said John Cooper, station manager for the Albany operations of San Antonio, Texas-based Clear Channel Communications, which owns WPYX. "To have him out of the mix will change the whole texture of the market."
Some Stern fans will move to satellite with him, but others are likely to do a lot of button-punching. Cooper expects many of them to land on WPYX.
"One thing you see in the ratings book is that there is a lot of sharing between Stern and [Bob] Wolf," he said. "During one of Howard's marathon commercial breaks, they are sampling 'PYX. Once Howard is gone, they'll stay with Wolf."
It may not be that easy. Other morning shows will do what they can to attract former Stern listeners.
"A lot of people in radio see this as a once-in-lifetime opportunity," said Tom Taylor, an editor with Inside Radio, an industry newsletter. "It's like the big store down the road going out business. It gives other people a chance to show their wares."
And listeners could land anywhere.
"There are closet Stern listeners," Ausfeld said. "They may be classic rock or country or oldies [listeners] but they listen to Stern and then when he is over they go to their regular station. All kinds of stations could benefit. You just don't know."
from The Albany Business Review
November 8, 2004 print edition
The competition for the adult radio listener has never been as tight as it was this summer.
When Columbia, Md.-based Arbitron Inc. released its summer audience survey, three stations, owned by three different companies, were tied for first place with adults aged 25 to 54. That coveted group is known as the "money demo" for its relative spending power and appeal to advertisers.
Sharing the spotlight were country WGNA, 107.7 FM; adult contemporary WYJB, 95.5 FM and adult rock WRVE, 99.5 FM. The stations each captured 9.7 percent of the money-demo audience.
All three stations have claimed the No. 1 spot before, but never all at the same time.
"It just shows you how close of a race it really is," said John Cooper, station manager for the Albany operations of Austin, Texas-based Clear Channel Communications, which owns WRVE. "It makes programming really fun. You have got to keep your eye on the ball."
Differences do emerge when the numbers are examined more closely. WGNA is pretty evenly split between male and female, WYJB, or B-95.5, is heavily female, and The River, as WRVE is known, has a bit more male listeners.
Robert Ausfeld, vice president and general manager of the local operations of Regent Communications Inc., the Covington, Ky.-based owner of WGNA, said the summer book tends to be tighter than others because listening patterns are disrupted, leveling the playing field. For this reason, advertisers tend to rely more heavily on the spring book.
WGNA was the sole victor with all listeners aged 12 and over, a category that provides bragging rights but is of little use to advertisers.
Among young adults, the favorite was another Regent property, the active rock simulcast of WQBK, 103.9 FM and WQBJ, 103.5 FM. The duo, known as "The Edge," drew 12.9 percent of 18- to 34 year-olds.
Most of The Edge's momentum comes from its morning show, featuring syndicated shock jock Howard Stern. Stern captured 25.4 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds, nearly tripling the numbers of the runner-up show, "Candy and Potter," on Top 40 WFLY, 92.3 FM. He also was No. 1 in the money demo and with the 12-plus audience.
The Edge will have to learn to do without Stern, now that he has signed a $500 million deal with Sirius Satellite Radio, beginning in 2006. Ausfeld said he is going to spend the next 15 months doing market research to determine who to put on the air in Stern's place. He expects that whoever claims the spot will lose some of Stern's audience, putting listeners up for grabs.
"There's going to be some pretty good windfall, no doubt about it," Ausfeld said.
Beneficiaries could include "Candy and Potter" and WGNA's "Sean and Richie Show." In the summer book, those shows ranked second and third, respectively, with 18- to 34-year-olds, and were separated by only half a ratings point.
Another contender is "The Wolf and Mulroney" on Clear Channel's WPYX, 106.5 FM. That show took third in the money demo, falling just behind "Sean and Richie."
With such a tight race in the morning and throughout the day, broadcasters are doing whatever it takes to attract listeners. That often includes conducting surveys and paying attention to listener comments.
"We listen, and listen some more, and then we act," said Kevin Callahan, operations manager for Albany Broadcasting Co. Inc., the Latham-based owner of WYJB, WFLY and five other stations in the Albany-Troy- Schenectady market.
Public appearances also are a large part of the game for most stations.
"WPYX alone did 66 events in the month of August," Cooper said. "That is at least two a day."
from the Albany Business Review
May 7, 2004
The area's newest country music station found an audience this winter, but not enough of one to knock powerhouse WGNA,107.7 FM off its pedestal.
WEGQ, 93.7 FM, a classic country station billed as "The Eagle," debuted Jan. 22. It had a 0.4 percent share of the listening audience in the Albany-Troy-Schenectady market in the winter ratings book released May 3 by Arbitron Ratings Co. of New York City. This is just about the same size audience the station had in the fall book, when it was modern rock WKRD.
Edward Levine, president of Galaxy Communications, the Syracuse-based owner of WEGQ, is encouraged by the numbers.
"I was able to extrapolate out that The Eagle had a zero in January, which makes sense, a 0.5 in February and a 0.7 in March," he said. "So clearly, it is moving up."
Meanwhile, WGNA sat atop the winter ratings heap with a 10.8 share of all listeners aged 12 and over. While this is down from 13.7 percent in the fall book, it is up from last winter. WGNA also took the lead with adult listeners aged 25 to 54, the group known as the "money demo."
"There was no waver from last winter," said Robert Ausfeld, vice president and general manager of Regent Communications Inc., the Covington, Ky.-based owner of WGNA.
Another Regent property, "The Edge" simulcast of active rock stations WQBK, 103.9 FM and WQBJ, 103.5 FM, ranked No. 1 with the other coveted demographic group, young adults aged 18 to 34. The Edge's carriage of Howard Stern also gave it the top morning show with both 18- to 34-year-olds and the money demo.
In fact, Stern doubled his share of the 25 to 54 audience, from 7.5 percent in the fall to 15.4 percent in the winter. Observers attributed this to the buzz that has surrounded the Shock Jock since the Federal Communications Commission declared his show indecent.
"The FCC hype surrounding Stern was the best promotional campaign he could have done," Levine said. "Howard's numbers were just gargantuan. The last time I saw numbers like that for Howard, he had a movie out."
Stern, and the FCC's crackdown on indecency on the airwaves. may have helped more than just The Edge. Most local rock stations had larger audiences, and listeners spent more time tuned in. With 18- to 34-year-olds, for example, album rock WHRL, 103.1 FM went from a 5.6 percent share to a 6.8 percent share, and classic rock WPYX, 106.5 FM's share rose from 6.6 percent to 8.3 percent. Both stations are owned by Clear Channel Communications, the San Antonio-based media giant that removed Stern from six of its stations in other markets.
"See what Howard Stern did for rock?" Ausfeld said. "He made everyone listen to radio. People heard about the controversy and tuned in to see what was going on. Radio became hot again."
Levine's rock station, WRCZ, 94.5 FM, also improved its standing, going from 1.4 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds to 2.3 percent. Levine said it was strongest with males, attracting 4.5 percent of that group.
In January, Levine surprised observers by shifting his own controversial on-air personality, J.R. Gach, from mornings on the former WKRD to afternoon drive on WRCZ. The move apparently worked.
"I was nervous that putting a talk show on during afternoon drive would blow out that audience, but apparently not," Levine said.
from the Albany Business Review
April 30, 2004
Robert Ausfeld would rather pay a fine to the Federal Communications Commission than take Howard Stern off the air in Albany.
Ausfeld is the vice president and general manager of Covington, Ky.-based Regent Communications Inc. operations in Albany and Utica, which includes "The Edge."
Stern's controversial morning show, which is based in New York City, has been carried on The Edge simulcast of WQBK, 103.9 FM and WQBJ, 103.5 FM for the past 12 years. The "shock jock" ranks No. 1 in the Albany market with two key demographic groups: 18- to 34-year-olds and 25- to 54-year-olds.
With the latter group, which is known as the "money demo" for its appeal to advertisers, Stern had an 11.3 percent share in the Winter book from Arbitron Ratings Co. He had a 23 percent share of 18- to 34-year-olds, putting him a full 10 points ahead of the No. 2 morning team on Top 40 WFLY, 92.3 FM.
Stern has been in the spotlight for the past several weeks, since Janet Jackson bared her breast during the Super Bowl half-time show and the FCC and Congress started squawking about indecency on the airwaves.
Congressional hearings were held and lawmakers vowed to crack down on broadcasters. The House of Representatives passed legislation to raise fines--currently limited to $27,500 per violation--to as much as $500,000. The Senate is considering a bill that would raise fines to $275,000 for a first violation and also roll back relaxed media ownership limits.
On April 19, the broadcasters fought back by filing a petition with the FCC, warning regulators that stiffer penalties would hamper free speech. The next day, the FCC defended its decency rules and called on the industry to better police itself.
"It's a political year," said Joseph Reilly, president of the New York State Broadcasters Association in Albany. "The politicians are all whipped up because the people are all whipped up."
It's nothing Reilly hasn't seen before.
"About every 10 years this issue gets recycled," he said. "I remember when George Carlin had his seven words you couldn't say on television. He made a whole career out of that. Howard Stern created an enormous amount of controversy with his show, which was probably cleaner when he started it than it is now."
The FCC declared Stern's show indecent, and in early April fined Clear Channel Communications $495,000 for carrying the syndicated program in six major markets. The San Antonio-based media giant immediately dropped Stern.
The FCC has yet to fine Infinity Broadcasting, which owns Stern's show, but there has been talk of a $1.5 million penalty. Infinity, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA) has vowed to fight back.
It is not clear if the FCC would then turn its attention to smaller broadcasters that carry Stern, including Regent. Ausfeld said The Edge does not plan on doing anything differently.
"We're staying the course," he said. "Stern is a big part of this station, both in terms of ratings and revenue."
So big, in fact, that if the FCC does impose a fine, Ausfeld said he would look at it in relation to the revenue Stern brings in and pay up rather than take the shock jock off the air.
Other broadcasters are hastening to please regulators. Even before Clear Channel dropped Stern, the company--which owns 1,200 stations nationwide, including 10 in the Capital Region--announced a new "Responsible Broadcasting Initiative." The company instituted a zero-tolerance policy that included automatic suspensions for anyone the FCC alleged had violated the rules. Clear Channel also modified its contracts with on-air performers to state that the DJs share financial responsibility if they utter indecent material on the air.
Albany Broadcasting Co. Inc., the Latham-based owner of WFLY and seven other area stations, already programmed its stations with the FCC in mind.
"The owner and I are very sensitive to this issue," said Stacy Rogers, general manager of Albany Broadcasting. "Our policies and procedures mimic those of the FCC. That is one of the reasons I joined this company."
Still, even Rogers is uncomfortable with the idea of government mandates.
"I think the industry can regulate itself better than the government can," she said. "If we as an industry can show the government we can regulate ourselves, maybe they will monitor the situation but not be overbearing."
Reilly predicted that if the government does get overbearing, the industry will fight back--and win.
"I would expect someone--and by someone I mean Viacom, maybe free speech advocates--to sue, and it would go all the way to the [U.S.] Supreme Court," he said. "And I have to imagine the Supreme Court would come down on the side of the First Amendment. I don't know how it couldn't."
from the The Business Review
May 3, 2004
From the April 30, 2004 print edition
"We're staying the course," Ausfeld tells Business Review reporter Barbara Pinckney for her story this week. "Stern is a big part of this station, both in terms of ratings and revenue."
Ausfeld tells Pinckney he would pay up rather than take the shock-jock off the air.
Clear Channel Communications dropped Stern after being fined nearly half a million dollars. It remains to be seen if the FCC will come down on the smaller broadcasters. Other stations, wary of FCC fines, are backing away from content that may attract the commission's attention.
Joseph Reilly, president of the New York State Broadcasters Association, dismisses the brouhaha as just politics.
Reilly predicts the broadcast industry will win any Supreme Court showdown because it has the Constitution on its side.
As distasteful as Stern can be, it would be unfortunate if fines become the cost of doing business in this political climate because of Janet Jackson's infantile and self-promoting Super Bowl half-time stunt. Government should not intrude on the industry and the First Amendment must trump Janet Jackson.
from the Albany Times Union
March 1, 2004
"(Expletive) indecency."
This editorial comment on the federal government's recent crackdown on "indecent broadcasts" is brought to you -- off air, of course -- by Bob Wolf.
If the morning host at Clear Channel's WPYX (106.5 FM) had said it on-air, he would be canned. Rightly so. That's called common sense.
There have got to be limits, right? Sure -- but the question is where. These days, everyone in Washington is sprinting to a microphone to call for something -- decency -- that they can't define. It may not even be definable.
Clear Channel, which recently fired a Florida host and benched Howard Stern at its six stations that air him, is going beyond common sense. The mega-giant has adopted a "zero-tolerance" policy toward indecent programming in the wake of an election-year crusade in Washington.
On board are the Federal Communications Commission, politicians who know campaigning on values is a no-lose proposition, and media conglomerates trying to get on the FCC's good side so it will push through measures allowing for greater corporate consolidation.
One problem is the corporation -- which like its dwindling competitors pushes jocks to push boundaries for ratings -- implemented a sentence for a crime with an extremely slippery definition.
The FCC states obscene speech is never appropriate, but uses only the most abstract and general language to define it: "(1) an average person, applying contemporary community standards, must find that the material, as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest; (2) the material must depict or describe, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by applicable law; and (3) the material, taken as a whole, must lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value."
"Indecent broadcasts" are restricted to between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. (the supposed "safe harbor" period):
"The Commission has defined broadcast indecency as language or material that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory organs or activities."
Because of conglomerations in the media (Clear Channel owns 1,200 stations), personalities are already scared about saying the wrong thing: Getting fired from one station means you're fired from a thousand. Now the chilling effect is dialed up a few degrees.
There should be limits on decency and content -- in certain programming. Even the FCC acknowledges that what you can get away with depends to a certain extent on where and when it airs: I had a problem with Janet Jackson's Super Bowl performance, but none with the violence, profanity or bare flesh in "NYPD Blue." Jackson's revealing performance was unexpected; questionable content is the essence of Stern's show, and anyone tuning in knows it.
If this comes down to clearer warnings for viewers/listeners and parents, fine. But if this push is an ill-defined scare tactic that leaves personalities and producers cowering, the First Amendment concerns grow.
The flashpoint (pun intended) was the baring of Jackson's breast. But we've been building to this for several years, as TV and radio broadcasters expanded what content was "in play."
Stern, who with Don Imus can claim to be the grandfather of the shock-jock genre, is the logical accelerant to this growing conflagration. He initially sounded scared, but on Friday was back talking about lesbians and the particular hot qualities of the in-studio babe du jour.
Clear Channel fired its Florida host "Bubba the Love Sponge" for indecent broadcasts and put Stern on hiatus last week, right before executives testified before a House subcommittee looking at broadcast standards and penalties. Not since the days of the Aztec high priests has a sacrifice been so public.
Stern airs locally on WQBK (103.5 FM) and simulcast station WQBJ (103.5 FM), both owned by Regent Communications. WQBK Program Director Chili Walker said Stern is not going to the sidelines in the Albany area.
"There will always be a few people upset about his content," Walker said. "That is the beauty: the listener is always in control. They can always change the station."
The FCC and Congress aren't likely to settle for that argument, but the conundrum remains: Decent to you might be different from decent to me, or a family in Wichita, Biloxi or Sacramento.
"I asked my bosses, 'What's indecency?' " Wolf said. "They don't know."
"I have no answer," said local Clear Channel Vice President Dennis Lamme. "No one has an answer right now. I'm waiting for a game plan."
"Until Washington makes a decision .... safe mode is where everybody is right now."
from The Business Review of Albany
August 11, 2003
The spring book by Arbitron Ratings Co. indicates that Regent Broadcasting made the right decisions when it changed the format of WABT and left WGNA alone.
--snips--
A new program director also made subtle changes at the Regent-owned "Edge" simulcast of WQBK, 103.9 FM and WQBJ, 103.5 FM. Ausfeld said Chili Walker "tightened up the music a bit."
The Edge captured 13.4 percent of its target audience of adults aged 18-34, up from 12.1 percent in the winter. It was No. 1 with this group.
The Edge's success is in many ways tied to the popularity of its morning host, the syndicated Howard Stern. Stern drew 17 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds. That put him five points ahead of runner-up Bob "The Wolf" Wohfeld on WPYX, 106.5 FM. Stern and The Wolf also were the top two in the money demo.
The market's former morning king, Bob Mason, was No. 10 in the money demo, up from 13th place in the winter. Mason spent time at both WPYX and WQBK and now is at 18-month-old WRCZ, 94.5 FM.
WRCZ's sister, modern rock WKRD, 93.7 FM, also has drawn some attention with its morning show. On Jan. 31, the station put J.R. Gach, formerly of news/talk WGY, 810 AM, on the air. WGY-owner Clear Channel Communication had fired Gach after he was diagnosed with manic depression.
Gach's show had a 1.1 rating with the money demo. This compares to the 0.5 share WKRD's morning show had in the winter.
"That was a mild surprise because he did it with no marketing support," said Ed Levine, president of WKRD-owner Galaxy Communications. "He did it all on word-of-mouth. That told me we definitely have a morning show there."
from the Albany Times Union
May 23, 2003
Readers' choice
The people -- or at least 911 of them -- have spoken.
Yes, that rather ominous number of readers responded to our annual Best of the Capital Region Readers' Poll, making themselves heard on the topics found on these two pages.
More than 750 responses were entered online.
--snips--
Best Radio Show
1. David Allen on WMVI (1160 AM)
2. Howard Stern on WQBJ/WQBK (103.5/103.9 FM)
3. Boom Boom Branigan on WPTR (1540 AM)
--snips--
from the Albany Business Review
May 9, 2003
WYJB has knocked WGNA off its throne.
According to the winter audience survey released last month by Arbitron Ratings Co. of New York City, WYJB, 95.5 FM, was the most-listened-to station with all listeners aged 12 and over in the Albany-Troy-Schenectady market. The adult contemporary station, better known as B-95.5, also was tops with adults aged 25 to 54, a coveted group dubbed the "money demo."
Both are spots country station WGNA, 107.7 FM, has held in most surveys for the past several years.
"You can't be No. 1 all the time," said Robert Ausfeld, vice president and general manager for the local operations of Covington, Ky.-based Regent Communications, which owns WGNA. "WGNA did OK, but B-95 got in there. What can you say? We go back and forth with them. They push the family-type radio and so do we."
Stacy Rodgers, general manager of WYJB-owner Albany Broadcasting Co. Inc. of Latham, agreed WYJB's success could be tied, in part, to its family-friendliness in a time of international unrest.
"It's refreshing to have no blue programming, no one screaming at you, no naked women in the studios," she said. "I think what this book shows is that you give the people what they want and they will come."
Rodgers said the station's climb was not a matter of luck.
"There was a plan, and it worked," she said. "It's a re-energized focus on the basics, and making sure people know that we are local, and our DJs are local."
WYJB made its strongest move in the money demo, where its audience share went from 8.9 percent to 11.6 percent. WGNA, meanwhile, fell two ratings points with the money demo.
WYJB was not, however, No. 1 with the money demo audience during the morning-drive period, the time when listening peaks and advertising is heaviest.
That honor went to Howard Stern, who airs locally on "The Edge" simulcast of WQBK, 103.9 FM, and WQBJ, 103.5 FM. WYJB's morning show, with Chuck Taylor and Kelly Stevens, was a close second, having added three ratings points. WGNA's Sean and Richie Show was third.
Stern attracted a larger share of listeners aged 18 to 34, drawing 23 percent of that audience. That helped The Edge, which is owned by Regent, rank No. 1 overall with the 18- to 34-year-olds. It nosed out Top 40 station WFLY, 92.3 FM.
Further down the list, Albany Broadcasting's WAJZ, 96.3 FM, an urban station better known as "Jamz," bounced back after a tough fall book.
It seemed to trade places with album rock WHRL, 103.1 FM, or "Channel." In the fall book, Jamz had 3.9 percent of its core audience of 18- to 34-year-olds, down from 7 percent in the summer. Channel had a 7.7 percent share, up from 4.2 percent in the summer. But in the winter, Jamz was back up to 7 percent and Channel, which is owned by San Antonio-base Clear Channel Communications, was down to 3.9 percent.
Another Albany Broadcasting station to rise in the winter book was WROW, 590 AM, a news/talk station that apparently got a boost from listener interest in international events and the war in Iraq. WROW went from 10th place to sixth with all listeners aged 12 and over. Interestingly, ratings were relatively flat at Clear Channel's WGY, 810 AM, the region's premiere talk station.
"It is outstanding that a station the size of WROW [5,000 watts] can go head-to-head with 50,000-watt WGY," Rodgers said. "I am not going to give the war all the credit. I think people like what they heard and stuck around."
Because of the timing of combat in Iraq, the war's full effect on listening patterns will not be known until the spring Arbitron book.
"I think that will be the interesting book," Ausfeld said.
from the Albany Times Union
January 31, 2003
--snips--
WGNA tops -- again
Stop me if you heard this before: Country music radio giant WGNA (107.7 FM) is again tops in the ratings, according to the fall Arbitron books. The syndicated "Howard Stern" on WQBJ/WQBK (103.5 FM/103.9 FM) regained the top spot in the mornings in what continues to be a topsy-turvy ratings race in the a.m.
from The Business Review of Albany, NY
August 9, 2002
--snips--
WRCZ also had little impact on The Edge, the active rock simulcast of WQBK, 103.9 FM and WQBJ, 103.5 FM. Its morning show with syndicated shock jock Howard Stern ranked a solid No. 1 with both 18- to 34-year-olds and 25- to 54-year-olds.
--snips--
from the Albany Times Union
August 1, 2002
WGNA (107.7 FM) remained in first place among all listeners in the spring Arbitron ratings book, but adult contemporary station WYJB (95.5 FM) jumped over the country station to the top spot among listeners ages 25 to 54.
Meanwhile, WFLY (92.3 FM) rebounded from sixth to third place among listeners ages 12 and older, and from third to second in listeners ages 18 to 34.
The book examines the period of April through June. "GNA has been number one (for ages) 25 to 54 for a long time," said Mike Morgan, vice president of programming for the Albany Broadcasting Co.
"It was nice to knock them off." Albany Broadcasting owns both WYJB and WFLY.
Much of the gains made by WFLY came from program director Donny Michaels' afternoon drive-time show. The time slot went from a 4.7 to a 6.2 among adult listeners. "I couldn't be happier," Morgan said.
The syndicated Howard Stern (WQBJ/WQBK 103.5/103.9 FM) again took the top spot among listeners 25-54 in the morning, followed by Bob Wolf on WPYX (106.5 FM). The WGNA morning team of Sean McMaster and Richie Phillips dropped from third to fourth, behind WYJB's Chuck Taylor and Kelly Stevens.
Also of note was classic rocker WRCZ (94.5 FM), which went from a 1.9 (tied for 16th place) to a 2.5 (12th place) among listeners ages 12 and older. Bob Mason's WRCZ morning show is now challenging Don Weeks' show on WGY for eighth place among listeners 25-54.
from the Albany Times-Union
May 16, 2002
Best Radio Show (434)
1. David Allen on WMVI (1160 AM)
2. Howard Stern on WQBJ/WQBK (103.5/103.9 FM)
3. Pete Powers and Niki on WEQX (102.7 FM)
Best Radio Station (521)
1. WEQX (102.7 FM)
2. WRVE (99.5 FM)
3. WMVI (1160 AM)
Albany Times Union
May 3, 2002
Mark McGuire
The morning race remains exceedingly tight. The syndicated Howard Stern (WQBJ/WQBK 103.5/103.9 FM) took the top spot among listeners 25-54, followed closedly by Bob Wolf on WPYX (106.5 FM) and Sean McMaster and Richie Phillips on WGNA. All are within one ratings point (10.8, 10.3, 9.8).
Mason's ninth-place showing was good, since classic rocker WRCZ was in its first ratings book.
from the Albany Times Union
WGNA continued its strong showing in the recent radio ratings book, taking top honors among adult listeners and those ages 25 to 54.
The WGNA (1460 AM/107.7 FM) morning duo "The Sean & Richie Show" was top among all listeners and adults 25 to 54. In the mornings, Howard Stern of WQBK/WQBJ (103.5/103.9 FM) regained the top slot among adults 18 to 34, ousting "Wakin' Up with the Wolf" (106.5 FM), which fell to second.
In other news from the Spring Arbitron ratings book:
WFLY (92.3 FM) saw an uptick among adults and all listeners.
WABT (104.5 FM), the '80s station, took a hit, falling from a 4.0 rating among adults 25-54 to a 2.9. Among all listeners, it fell from a 2.6 to a 1.9.
Among adults, WYJB (95.5 FM) moved from third to second place overall among adults 25 to 54, flipping slots with PYX 106. WRVE (99.5) remained fourth.
In the sports radio race, WTMM (1300 AM) has overtaken WOFX (980 AM) among those 12 and older and adults 25 to 54.
from the Albany Times Union
May 3, 2001
Maybe.
Howard Stern, who was knocked out of the top spot in the New York City radio ratings recently for the first time since 1994, also took a precipitous fall in the Capital Region ratings, according to Arbitron ratings released Wednesday.
In the latest book for the first quarter of the year, the syndicated "King of All Media" (heard locally on WQBJ and WQBK/103.5- FM and 103.9-FM) fell from a close second to a distant fourth in the key 25-to-54 age demographic. He lost 27 percent of his ratings points at The Edge.
WGNA's (1460-AM/107.7-FM) "The Sean & Richie Show" finished first in the morning among key adults, followed closely by WYPX (106.5- FM).
The No. 1 morning show for the fall book was The River's "Rock & Roll Breakfast" with Tred Hulse and Lisa Reichwein on WRVE (99.5- FM). But Reichwein left, and The River lost nearly half its ratings as it fell to fourth place. Overall, however, the station is doing well by drawing female listeners.
Edge Program Director Dave Hill noted that Stern is still tops in the morning among 18- to 34-year-olds (although his ratings fell dramatically there as well). Hill said it's premature to count the veteran jock out as a dominant ratings force.
"As all of us know as programmers, you never know," Hill said. "Howard is having a rough point right now, (but) saying that is over with is very naive."
Stern was tentatively slated to marshal an alternative St. Patrick's Day parade in Albany, and played up the appearance on his national show before backing out. "I guess he should have come to the parade," Hill joked.
Meanwhile, Bob Wohlfeld's move back to Albany from Cleveland and his nasty breakup with partner John Mulrooney has dominated radio news the past several months. But his "Wakin' Up with the Wolf" morning show (with John Tobin and Ellen Z) finished a strong second, just a tenth of a ratings point behind "The Sean & Richie Show."
"It was very gratifying for me, because this is the first book with the new show," Wohlfeld said.
--snips--
from the Capital District Business Review
May 2, 2001
WGNA, 107.7 FM/1460 AM was the most-listened to station in the Capital Region this past winter--again.
The country music simulcast had the greatest number of both all listeners 12-and-over and all adults aged 25-54--the so-called "money demo--in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy market, according to The Arbitron Co. of New York City. It had held the same positions, with very similar audience share figures, in Arbitron's fall report. In fact, WGNA has been at the top of ratings heap--and usually in the No. 1 position--for several years.
Among 18-34 year-olds, the favorite station was rocker WPYX, 106.5 FM, which moved up from a third place finish in the fall. Contemporary hits station WFLY, which had been No. 1 with 18-34 year olds in the fall, this time tied for second with WGNA.
During the morning drive period, when stations hope to grab listeners for the day, WPYX's Bob "Wolf" Wohfeld lead the money demo while Howard Stern attracted 18-34 year olds to "The Edge" rock simulcast of WQBK, 103.9 FM and WQBJ, 103. FM. WGNA's "Sean and Richie" morning show was tops with all those aged 12 and over.
The newest local station, WABT "The Buzz" 104.5 FM, had a good Arbitron debut. The station, which plays music from the 80s and 90s, had a 12-plus share of 3 percent, a slight improvement over the previous rhythmic oldies format. It also improved with both 18-34 group--where it took fourth place--and 25-54 year olds.
from the Albany Times-Union
March 12, 2001
By Mark McGuire
Stern's blarney: You could see this one coming.
Syndicated radio host Howard Stern vowed to come to Albany to lead an alternative St. Patrick's Day Parade, but later backed out of coming north this weekend.
"The parade is dead," said Dave Hill, program director at Stern's Albany outlet, WQBJ/WQBK (103.5 and 103.9-FM). "They called me and said they were concerned because of the short time frame of (planning) it."
from the Albany Times Union
March 7, 2001
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., appeared Tuesday to back off reported plans to march in New York City's St. Patrick's Day parade -- which bars homosexuals from taking part -- by saying she intends to step out at parades in Albany and Syracuse.
--snips--
Jennings said in a phone interview that "Howard Stern is the only one we tried to keep out this year.'' He was referring to the radio shock jock who recently told Albany officials he would not apply for a permit to participate in an alternative parade after being blocked from the main event.
--snips--
Feb-Mar. 2001 - Howard has since announced on the show he won't be making the trip to Albany for the parade because of the logistics of getting everyone from the show there...
from the Albany Times Union Editorial pages
February 20, 2001
He was back in town -- in court, actually -- that summer, too, trying to worm his way out of one of the few state campaign finance laws with any teeth to it. He wound up dropping out of the race rather than having to disclose any personal financial information.
Seven years later, he's planning to pay us another visit. Mr. Stern is complaining that the local stations that broadcast his brand of early morning, shock-effect radio were told they can't participate, at least not officially, in Albany's St. Patrick's Day parade.
The parade's organizers have come to be wary of sharing the stage, so to speak, with radio personalities and their followers. Mr. Stern and what he might bring out has them especially on guard. So now Mr. Stern's stations, WQBJ (103.5-FM) and WQBK (103.9-FM), want to stage their own parade, an alternative parade of sorts.
This gets better. Mayor Jerry Jennings did the smart thing. He called Mr. Stern's bluff.
The mayor is giving Mr. Stern a permit for a parade along the same Central Avenue and Washington Avenue route.
Maybe Mr. Stern and the radio stations known collectively as The Edge won't go through with this. But if they do, we hope the attention will be on the main event.
St. Patrick's Day is a big deal around here, even bigger, as Mr. Stern is about to find out, than he is.
from the Albany Times-Union
February 16, 2001
As far as Mayor Jerry Jennings is concerned, there's room for more than one St. Patrick's Day parade, as he granted permission Thursday to Stern's local radio affiliate to hold its own march an hour before the main festivities on March 17.
"I just told them they could have it," Jennings said. "We would be more than willing to accommodate it."
Stern's interest arose after he learned that his local station -- the show is simulcast on WQBJ (103.5-FM) and WQBK (103.9-FM), collectively known as The Edge -- was allegedly denied a chance to participate in Albany's official parade.
According to station officials, the organizer gave two different reasons for the denial: first stating they did not want commercial enterprises involved, then saying they were rejecting the station due to its raucous programming.
"We have to make a stink about this," Stern said on the air last week. "That ain't right. Our friends need to see our float."
The official parade down Central Avenue is run by United Irish Societies of the Capital District, a consortium of Irish organizations.
Parade Chairman Michael "Mick" Ryan said on Thursday he told Edge officials that parade organizers frowned on including radio stations, and that they would probably be denied entrance.
"We try to avoid putting radio stations in," Ryan said. "We've had times where various radio stations got out of control -- that was a number of years ago. Maybe I'm a little bit overprotective at times."
Stern first broached the notion of coming to the area for the Irish holiday on Feb. 9, after talking on the air with WQBK Program Director Dave Hill.
"We're too out of control for the drunks on St. Patrick's Day? Unbelievable," said Stern, whose show originates from WXRK (92.3-FM) in New York City.
"I'm like a gay guy," he added, a reference to the controversies in past years over gay groups being barred from the New York City parade.
On the air Thursday, Stern reiterated his desire to come to Albany. The Stern parade would follow the same route as the official parade.
from the Albany Times Union
January 26, 2001
For the second time in two years, a Capital Region morning radio team has risen to the top of the ratings before leaving the local airwaves: The River's "Rock & Roll Breakfast" was No. 1 among adults this past fall, according to Arbitron.
The show starring Tred Hulse and Lisa Reichwein on WRVE (99.5-FM) was tops among adults ages 25-54 in the fall book, a hair ahead of Howard Stern (WQBK/J 103.5/103.9-FM) and another defunct show, "Waking Up With the Wolf & Mulrooney" on WPYX (106.5-FM). John Mulrooney is no longer with the show.
Reichwein left in January, and was replaced by Randi Tyler. In the fall of 1998, the WFLY (92.3-FM) morning team of "Woody & Jim" took over the top spot in the last ratings period before the team departed for Nashville.
WRVE Operations Manager Randy McCarten noted that, despite Reichwein's departure, The River's morning show is still basically the same. "You have some shows that are mostly talk-based," McCarten said. "Ours is a combination of information and fun with a lot of music."
Among all listeners, WGNA (1460-AM/107.7-FM) was No. 1 overall, followed by WYJB (95.5-FM), WGY (810-AM), the River and PYX-106.
The recent Arbitron book demonstrates that The Point, WCPT (100.9- FM), continues to struggle, falling from 12th to 18th in overall listeners. Also, WOFX (980-FM), the old WTRY-AM, logged in at 20th, taking most of its listeners from The Team (WTMM 1300-AM), which lost half its audience.
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