Year in Radio
by Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times
January 3, 2005
Story of the Year - The biggest story in radio nationwide and in Philadelphia was the departure of Howard Stern from terrestrial radio. The top-rated personality here for almost twenty-years, Stern begins his new era on Sirius satellite radio Monday.
This leaves the door open for other stations to grab Stern’s audience that won’t follow him to pay-radio. For the first time in two decades, WYSP won’t have the guaranteed income generated from Stern’s highly rated show.
Format Changes - Y-100 changed from alternative rock to hip hop, WPEN 950-AM changed from Oldies to Sports Talk, 103.9-FM changed from “The Beat” to Gospel, 95.7-FM changed from adult contemporary to the “Jack” format, 94.1-FM changed to “Free FM.”
Goodbye – Christy Springfield and the WPEN oldies staff, Hy Lit, Chio, Rocco the Janitor on 96.5-FM, Carter and Sanborn, Rollye James (fulltime), the entire Mix 95.7-FM on-air staff.
New Address – Jerry Blavat from WPEN to WXPN, Preston and Steve to WMMR, Kim Douglas and Vinnie the Crumb to Free-FM, Tom Joyner from WDAS 105.3-FM to WRNB 107.9-FM“The Hawk” 94.5-FM and WPST 97.5-FM changed frequencies.
Hello – Jay Severin, John Tesh, John “Bubba” Stevens, Cindy Drue, Steve Harvey, Jody McDonald, Barsky, Kim Douglas, Vinnie the Crumb, Kidd Chris, David Lee Roth.
In Memoriam – Mark “The Shark” Drucker, best-known for his role on WMMR’s “The Morning Zoo,” and most recently for “The Buzz” on KYW 1060-AM, died of cancer at the age of 48.
Happy Anniversary – Sid Mark’s weekend Frank Sinatra show celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.
The iPodization of radio – The “Ben” format is patterned on the iPod shuffle, many stations provide “podcasts” on their websites, B101 airs a “Shuffle” lunch.
Harried – KYW 1060-AM’s Harry Donahue suffered through a winless season as Temple University’s football radio announcer.
Disc Jockeys: An Endangered Species – WSNI 104.5-FM doesn’t utilize a morning personality, Ben 95.7-FM employs no DJs, B-101-FM doesn’t utilize a live overnight disc jockey.