from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
(July 1, 2004) — Until February, the battle lines for morning rock-radio supremacy were clearly drawn.
There was Howard Stern’s shock-shtick on WNVE-FM (95.1).
A few button punches away, there was gravelly voiced Brother Wease on WCMF-FM (96.5).
There was no love lost between them, because Stern’s first stunt when he hit local airwaves in 1993 was to suggest that Wease had virtually abandoned his ex-wife and mentally retarded daughter.
Now, though, the two may have to get along publicly — no small feat for two men who pride themselves on being the same on the air as they are off it.
On Wednesday, Stern announced in New York City that his morning show is returning to Rochester airwaves — to WZNE-FM (94.1), owned by Wease’s employer, Infinity Rochester, the local arm of Infinity Broadcasting.
The show will be on weekday mornings from 6 to 11, beginning July 19.
In February, Stern was yanked from Clear Channel stations in six cities, including Rochester, in the wake of increased media scrutiny following Janet Jackson’s exposed breast at the Super Bowl halftime show. Clear Channel cited complaints to federal regulators about Stern’s program’s content.
Infinity Rochester general manager Kevin Murphy rejected the notion of an ongoing rivalry, personal or professional, between Stern and Wease, whose real name is Alan Levin. And Wease said he would put his personal feelings aside.
”Welcome back, Howard, it was no fun without ya,” cracked Wease.
”Now you’re on my team. Seriously, it’s better that he is in our group now. My show’s more legit with him in my town. I’d much rather have both of us in town, so people can hear us both.”
The two are expected to be paired for advertising purposes, and to pack quite a punch.
Murphy said that based on Arbitron ratings, about 40 percent of men ages 18-34 listen to either Stern or Wease.
Includes reporting by The Associated Press.
from the DemocratandChronicle.com
(June 30, 2004) — NEW YORK — Shock jock Howard Stern today announced that his syndicated morning show would appear in nine new markets, including Rochester -- WZNE-FM 94.1 -- and three others where his show was axed by the nation’s largest radio chain for alleged indecency.
The show will air weekday mornings from 6 to 11, beginning July 19, said Kevin Murphy, vice president and general manager of Infinity Rochester, local arm of Infinity Broadcasting. Infinity operates four area radio stations, including WPXY-FM 97.9, WRMM-FM 101.3 and WCMF-FM 96.5. The latter station broadcasts local radio personality Brother Wease in the same morning time slot.
Stern said his program would air on stations in Houston; San Diego; Tampa, Fla.; Pittsburgh; Orlando, Fla.; Austin, Texas; West Palm Beach, Fla.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Fresno, Calif., all owned by Infinity.
Clear Channel Communications suspended Stern in February and dropped the country’s best-known shock jock from its stations in Rochester, Orlando, San Diego, Pittsburgh and two other markets after complaints by federal regulators.
In early June, Clear Channel agreed to a record $1.75 million settlement with the Federal Communications Commission to resolve indecency complaints against Stern and other radio personalities.
Stern made the announcement at a morning news conference aired live on his radio show. Stern railed against the increased scrutiny he has received in recent months from the FCC.
”I’m not taking it sitting down,” Stern said today.
He said entering the new markets — in approximately two weeks — was a message to the FCC, which has tightened its enforcement of indecency standards. Stern and the FCC have battled for years, with Infinity paying $1.7 million in 1995 to settle various violations by the DJ.
Stern said the FCC’s enforcement “has a chilling effect on all broadcasters.”
”The FCC is on a witch hunt,” he said.
Federal law bars radio stations and over-the-air television channels from airing references to sexual and excretory functions between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., when children may be tuning in. The rules do not apply to cable and satellite channels or satellite radio.
Joel Hollander, president and chief operating Officer of Infinity, expressed his support for Stern in a statement today.
”Howard has dominated the radio landscape for more than 20 years,” Hollander said. Stern’s listeners are “one of the most loyal audiences in radio who will no doubt embrace his return,” Hollander said.
Clear Channel, in dumping Stern, said it feared any continued association with the DJ and his raunchy show might lead to losing their station licenses.
Stern’s nationally syndicated show features graphic sexual discussion and humor. With Wednesday’s announcement, the show appears on 45 stations — most of them owned by Viacom Inc.’s Infinity Broadcasting unit — and draws millions of die-hard listeners.
Staff writer Mary Chao contributed to this report.
from RadioandRecords.com
June 30, 2004
from fmqb.com
June 14, 2004
In addition to legal wrangling with Clear Channel and displacing existing morning shows, there could be other complicating issues for Infinity in some of the six markets. On the surface, making Modern Rockers WOCL/Orlando and WZNE/Rochester Stern affiliates sounds like a natural. But how would Stern on "The Zone" impact morning man Brother Wease on Infinity sister WCMF? Absent a format change, there's no obvious Infinity-owned home for Stern in Pittsburgh. And the company doesn't own any stations in Louisville or Miami, though it does operate in nearby West Palm Beach. Of course, Stern agent Don Buchwald could cut deals with non-Infinity owned stations.
As for Viacom's stance on their embattled jock, a topic that has been hotly debated on the show since the departure of Mel Karmazin, new Viacom Co-President Les Moonves recently reaffirmed his support for Stern. Moonves told USA Today he doesn't think Stern does anything indecent and declared, "I'm going to back him." Acknowledging the "important bond" between Stern and Karmazin, Moonves said: "Howard is very important to Viacom, and I genuinely hope that when his contract is up [in 18 months], he will stay with us for a very, very long time. We'll see what the future brings."
As for Karmazin, he told USA Today Stern should honor his Infinity contract and "continue to do the great kind of radio he's been doing. When his contract is up, he should stay with Viacom — and be paid a lot more money." But he also noted that Stern might be "forced to find a different platform" if FCC pressure becomes too much to bare. "It would be a shame if he was not on free over-the-air radio," Karmazin said. "Why deprive these people of their entertainment as they drive to work each day?"
These six markets (Fort Lauderdale, Rochester, Orlando, San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Louisville) lost Howard on February 25, 2004, when Clear Channel dropped Howard for indecency. Go here for more info.
from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
(January 23, 2001) -- A decision by Brockport school district officials to ban certain radio stations from being played on school buses is not unique to the Rochester area, though Brockport likely has taken the strictest stance locally.
Brockport last week banned the playing of two radio stations, WPXY-FM (97.9) and WKGS(KISS)-FM (106.7), because parents complained about the types of music being played and the chatter of the DJs.
And though Brockport has taken an aggressive, if not controversial, approach to the problem, many educators nationwide believe a school district's authority over students extends to appropriate radio programs on school buses.
Regulations and policies are as varied as the types of music on the dial: from outright station bans to letting each bus driver choose what is appropriate.
In October 1999, a parent and school bus driver in the Sevier County School District in Tennessee clashed over the radio station being played on the bus.
As he was putting his 11-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter aboard a school bus, a father asked the driver to change the radio station, which was tuned to Chicago-based shock jock Mancow Muller's morning show.
When the bus driver, 71, refused, the father grabbed the driver by the collar. The father ended up being charged with trespassing and assault, both misdemeanors.
Before the incident, no district policy or regulation existed on school bus radio programming.
"We didn't feel there needed to be one," said James Wade, the school district's director of personnel. "There is a policy now. Drivers are responsible for the kinds of things that are played over the radio."
Bus drivers are expected to use "reasonable discretion and common sense," Wade said. He said that the ban isn't "squelching" First Amendment rights.
"When you're dealing with school students, there are certainly inalienable rights that adults have, that youngsters don't have," he said.
Brockport's transportation director, Joseph LaMarca, told his drivers to stop tuning in to WPXY and KISS in response to at least 13 parents' complaints that his department began receiving the previous week.
Parents complained about the offensive language of disc jockeys and also the lyrics of music, especially the popular hit, "It Wasn't Me," by Shaggy.
A phone call from the mother of a kindergartner prompted LaMarca to take action Tuesday. Her child had recited the words to the song.
Frank Saunders, a driver with the district for eight years and a steward with the bus drivers union, agrees with the ban. "My personal opinion, it's pretty gross in the morning."
But playing music on the bus keeps the students "focused," he said. "They're not picking on each other. In the morning, it keeps them relaxed."
Before the WPXY and KISS banning, some bus drivers already were playing other stations, such as country-western and soft rock.
Kevin J. LeGrett, vice president and market manager with Infinity Broadcasting, owner of WPXY, said he was "disappointed and shocked that they (Brockport school officials) would make the unilateral decision to ban a station from being played."
His competitor agreed.
"I think it's unfortunate that they chose that (the banning)," said Erick Anderson, KISS station manager. "It is unfortunate, because you have a small number of people trying to control a large number of people's choices."
LeGrett said he is trying to arrange to meet with school district officials.
Brockport has now silenced four stations on school bus radios. In 1993, the district banned WNVE-FM (The Nerve-95.1) because of shock jock Howard Stern's show and WCMF-FM (96.5) because of local radio personality Brother Wease, LaMarca said.
Brockport students, however, can listen to those stations on their private headphones.
In the Rush-Henrietta school district, WCMF and The Nerve are banned all day and WPXY in the morning on school bus radios, said Deborah McGowan, transportation director.
After the Brockport decision, the Greece transportation director sent a memo to bus drivers reinforcing that "they are to use their professional discretion and judgment," said Bill DiCicco, assistant superintendent for finance and support. "At this time we don't feel it's appropriate to ban a specific station. We feel that's a form of censorship."
Shannon Zielinski, president of the Brockport Parent-Teacher-Student Association, and Jane Bernhard, president of the New York state Parent Teachers Association, said radios shouldn't be played on buses for safety reasons.
"Our position would be, any distraction to the driver who's driving the school bus, we would not be happy with," said Bernhard. "School drivers have a difficult job. Our concern is distraction."
Thanks to JS for sending this in.
Howard's winter ratings just came in for Rochester, NY, Howard's toughest market so far.
Its been 6 years in the making...................
Howard Stern..8.1
Brother Wease....8.0
Howard is the first person to tumble Wease who has been on top for 14 years.
Thanks to Roger for this additional info...
The Rochester Democrat And Chronicle says...
Howard Stern, the nationally syndicated shock-jock, has edged out local morning radio star Brother Wease for the first time ever among listeners 12 and older, according to the lastest ratings from Arbitron Co. Stern, who crowed about his numbers on the air, also beat Wease among Stern's target audience-men ages 18 to 34. But Stern was helped by uncharacteristically weak ratings for Wease who still handily beat Stern among his target audience-persons ages 25 to 54. Stern, at the Nerve WNVE-FM(95.1/95.5), was third, with a 8.1 share. And Wease, at WCMF-FM (96.5) was fourth with an unusually low 8.0 share. In the previous quarter, he had a 10.5 share.
Thanks to JS for sending this in.
OK, finally some info on the Rochester ratings!
(When Howard first came here he had a 2.9. his competition, Brother Wease, had a 20 share).
Howard is growing and Brother Wease is slipping.
Brother Wease (who used to be first), finished third.
Howard finished fourth, overall, in the latest ratings.
Wease was first in 18-54 year olds, but Howard was first in 18-34 year olds.
Howard is around a 7 share, Wease is at around a 11 share.
This is a tough market (lots of loyal Weasels), but Howard is getting bigger each ratings period.
Howard is 7th in the 12+ demographic with a 5.4 share.
The rush is on to de-throne the Wease in Rochester. Howard has climbed to 4th place. Howard's 12+ demographic rating is 5.1.
The Howard Stern Show is currently the #6 rated morning show with a 6.5 share of the audience.
Rochester is the toughest market for the Stern show because of WCMF's Brother Wease, who's been there for years and is a local favorite. He's been stealing from Howard for years and has his audience convinced he's the innovator and that Howard's the thief. Howard's got a 6.6 that puts him in 5th, well behind Wease's 13.2 share.
Back to ratings.
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