Bold Gold Buys Three Signals in the Catskills. This expansion of
Vince Benedetto-run
Bold Gold Media Group will add three more New York signals to the one it already owns there – country WDNB, Jeffersonville "Thunder 102." The
Watermark Communications signals being bought are classic hits combo
WVOS-AM/FM (licensed to Liberty, New York), and hot AC WSUL (licensed to Monticello, New York). Benedetto calls the pact "a coming together of two great, locally focused,
community-oriented broadcast operations." He adds, "I could not have more respect and admiration for these stations and their staff and their long legacy of serving the residents of Sullivan and Orange Counties. We look forward to working together and continuing important traditions, such as Watermark's annual WSUL/WVOS Heart-A-Thon which, for almost four decades, has benefited the Catskill Regional Medical Center in excess of $3 million. We believe in the long-term potential of Sullivan County and the Catskills and are excited to expand our investment in the region." Benedetto expects the deal to close this year and says he does not anticipate "any major changes or surprises" for the stations. When the deal is consummated, Bold Gold will own 12 stations in New York and Pennsylvania.
Kitchin to Consult The Mix Group. Radio exec
Kraig Kitchin is entering into a consultant relationship with
radio imaging and production firm
The Mix Group. Kitchin is co-president of
SoundMind LLC, which manages the businesses of high-profile broadcast personalities and companies. He's also the chairman of the
National Radio Hall of Fame. On joining The Mix Group, Kitchin says, "Once stations discover The Mix Group, there's no turning back.
Jason [
Garte] and his team of talented producers create an exceptional sound that differentiates a station from all others in the market. The individual attention to detail for each station client is really remarkable."
Cool Morning Show Gig. In the Hudson Valley market,
Townsquare Media is looking for a replacement for morning co-host
Deuce at its alternative WRRV (Deuce is heading off to law school!). Townsquare says, "Applicants must be social media savvy, regularly contribute content to the station's website and YouTube channel, and the successful candidate must be able to connect and engage with the station's target audience by keeping up with relevant trends and pop culture." If that's you, see more info about the gig
here.
Michael Harrison Chats with the 'First Lady of New York Radio' – Joan Hamburg. She is one of the most-honored, longest-running, and dazzlingly colorful talk radio personalities in the Big Apple – the quintessential live-and-local host.
Joan Hamburg's career in NYC goes back to the legendary WMCA in the early 1970s where she replaced
Bob Grant. From there, she moved over to WOR as a featured personality on the historic "Rambling with Gambling" show. She quickly had her own daily midday show where she stayed for more than three decades covering a wide spectrum of topics that included consumer advocacy, shopping, dining, arts & entertainment and "soft" politics. Joan Hamburg was a pioneer in modern remote broadcasting and regularly performed her show
from, among many locations, the storied Broadway celebrity hangout, Sardi's. For the past few years, Hamburg, now in her eighties, has been holding court live on-air every Saturday afternoon on WABC in addition to producing special features and stories for the station… and she still does remotes from Sardi's. The conversation between Harrison and Hamburg is a radiophile's delight – covering remarkable history including such names as
Sally Jessy Raphael, the three
John Gamblings,
Arlene Francis,
Dorothy Kilgallen,
Rick Buckley,
Barry Gray,
Dr. Joy Browne and many, many more. Harrison states, "It was an honor and privilege having this true 'grand dame' of radio on the podcast. We cover so much wonderful history including the golden era of Broadway. She harkens back to the day when talk radio offered a wide variety of lifestyle topics beyond politics and sports. I am really proud of this interview – it will always be a treasured addition to the amazing audio library of media history that I am gathering in this podcast series." To listen to the podcast in its entirety, please click
here or click on the "Up Close and Far Out" player box located in the right-hand column on every page of Talkers.com and RadioInfo.com.
iHeartMedia Names Personality Lineup for Rhythmic CHR KUBT, Honolulu. The morning show on iHeartMedia Honolulu's new rhythmic CHR KUBT "93.9 The BEAT" comes from Ohana Broadcasting's crosstown CHR KDDB "102.7 The Bomb" as Sam The Man and Hawaiian Ryan return to the signal at which they both began their careers back in the 1990s. The jock lineup is rounded out by former crosstown CHR KPHW "Power 104.3" personality Romeo Valentine in middays (he's also the new digital PD for the company's Honolulu market), Ray Styles in afternoon drive (from iHM's KYLD, San Francisco), and Julian Lee, a.k.a. The Night Ninja for evenings. iHeartMedia Honolulu SVP of programming Jamie Hyatt says, "Talk about a dream team lineup perfect for Honolulu. I've been a fan of Sam & Ryan from afar for years so I'm super-excited to finally get the chance to work with these extremely talented guys. The rest of our team on 'The Beat' is solid, too. At the same time, KUBT's HD2 signal/ K256AS simulcast flips from the EDM format "Evolution" to classic hip hop branded as "99.1 Jamz."
hosted by Tony Zazza and Cheree Carter – is being added to the morning drive daypart at Cumulus Media's CHR outlets WZNS, Fort Walton Beach, Florida "Z96," and WABD, Mobile, Alabama, effective Monday (9/26). Other changes at the two stations include WZNS' Gilligan moving from mornings to middays and Hayden starting the PM drive show at 2:00 pm. At WABD, John Marty move from mornings to PM drive and Sid Kelly slides down to middays. Cumulus regional vice president Pete DeSimone states, "This is true collaboration for our Florida and Alabama markets. It's an example of a talented morning show given the opportunity to grow within the new Cumulus. I worked with Tony and Cheree in Melbourne and I'm very confident they will bring the same successful listener experience to the Gulf Coast markets."
