PBRTV.com

Wolfertz named WTAE President/GM

Eric — Sat, 25 May 2013 07:17:09 +0000

Effective June 1, Charles W. Wolfertz, III will assume the role of President and General Manager of WTAE-TV (4). For a little over a year, Wolfertz has been the station’s General Sales Manager. He takes over for Michael J. Hayes who has been promoted to the role of Senior Vice President and Group Head of Hearst Television, Inc. Wolfertz arrived at WTAE in March 2012 from Belo Corporation where he was sales manager for WHAS-TV in Louisville, Kentucky and WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas. He also worked for Telerep as a national sales representative in a few locations.

(WTAE)

Official: WKZV Gone

Eric — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:27:02 +0000

The WKZV studios located on East Chestnut Street in Washington, PA.

In a letter dated May 16, 2013, attorneys representing My-Key Broadcasting asked the FCC to cancel the license for WKZV (1110 Washington) “due to adverse economic conditions and the health of its principal.” The letter goes on to explain that the tower site will be maintained until arrangements can be made for its removal. The callsign was deleted on May 21.

PBRTV reported last week that the land on which the tower sits had apparently been sold.

Minor leaving WTOV

Eric — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:17:54 +0000

Eric Minor; WTOV Photo

WTOV-TV (9; Steubenville) anchor Eric Minor is leaving the station after 16 years. He will assume the role of Director of Student Careers and Opportunities at West Virginia University’s Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism. Minor applied for the position while pursuing a Masters of Science degree at the university for the last three years. The decision comes not long after Minor turned 40 and health issues kept him from working for several months in 2012. Even though the station modified his schedule, the new job will allow him more time with his family including a 12-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son. Minor’s last day is Friday, June 7.

KDKA-FM hosting open auditions

Eric — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:03:14 +0000

Saturday, May 25 will be the first of five open audition opportunities where entrants will have an opportunity to host a program broadcast weekends on Sports Radio 93.7 The Fan (KDKA-FM). The location for this event will be Beer and Pop 4 Less on Washington Pike in Bridgeville.

At the open auditions, participants will be judged by station personnel on their ability to rant on a random sports topic. Ten entrants from the open auditions will be selected to move on to the semi-final round to be held at the Tilted Kill on the North Shore on June 24. From there, the top four entrants will move on to the final round at Sidelines Bar and Grill in Sewickley to be judged during a live broadcast with Andrew Fillipponi on June 27.

KDKA-FM’s program director, Ryan Maguire said, “We’re looking for the next great Pittsburgh Sports Talk Show host, someone who can grow into a superstar. We’re eager to see which member of this passionate fan base can take advantage of this very rare opportunity.”

Participants must be 18 years or older and reside in Pittsburgh. The first 20 people to register at each audition will be guaranteed a chance to try out.

Dates and times for auditions:
May 25 – 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. – Beer and Pop 4 Less; 1155 Washington Pike; Bridgeville
May 29 – 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Dad’s Pub & Grub; 4320 Northern Pike; Monroeville
June 6 – 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. – Cricket Wireless; Medical Arts Building; 3710 5th Avenue; Oakland
June 10 – 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Joey D’s Bar and Grille; 2801 Freeport Road; Harmarville
June 19 – 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. – Jergel’s Rhythm Grille; 285 Northgate Drive; Warrendale
Semi-Final
June 24 – 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. – The Tilted Kilt; 353 North Shore Drive; Pittsburgh
Final
June 27 – 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. – Sidelines Bar and Grille; 518 Locust Place; Sewickley

More information: Click Here

WBVP/WMBA celebrate 65 years

Eric — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:34:12 +0000

As many AM stations are leaving the airwaves for good, a combo in Beaver County is marking 65 years on the air this week. WBVP (1230 AM Beaver Falls) and WMBA (1460 AM Ambridge) will mark the 65th anniversary for WBVP which aired its first official broadcast on May 25, 1948 at 6:00 p.m. The stations will hold a birthday party luncheon at the Center At the Mall beginning at Noon on Thursday, May 23.

Among other activities, the event will include lunch from Chick-Fil-A in the Beaver Valley Mall, entertainment from WBVP and WMBA news anchor Pat Septak on the accordion and Diane Brosius’ “Joy Song”, appearances from local and state officials, past WBVP and WMBA alumni, displays of historic station photos and memorabilia and and various giveaways. Station host John Nuzzo will serve as master of ceremonies. Listeners were to have the opportunity to win tickets to the event over the weeks leading up to the event.

WBVP was formed in 1948 when three Pittsburgh broadcasters – Frank Smith, Tom Price and Charlie Ondurka – pooled together $25,000, went to Beaver Falls, built a tower site in Pulaski Township and put the station on the air. The original broadcast studio was on the third floor above “The Rio Grill” which was located about a block of the current location along 7th Avenue. Chuck Wilson, who later became the station’s program director and assistant general manager, spoke the first words on the air on that May 25: “Good Evening Beaver County, you’re listening to WBVP.” The original slogan for the callsign was “We Boost Valley Progress”.

Meanwhile, WMBA didn’t come on the air until 1957. The McGuire Brothers from central Pennsylvania founded the station. Ken McGuire served as the station manager. The station was originally headquartered in the office space above Action Tire on Duss Avenue in Ambridge. It is said that the McGuires, who also had coal mining interests, chose the call letters to stand for “Miners Broadcasting Association”.

The two former competing station became one company when Frank Iorio, Jr., who owned WBVP, purchased WMBA in 2000. The stations simulcast but both have always put the interest of the community first.

Rumor Mill: WKZV off air for good

Eric — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:50:47 +0000

We’re hearing that Washington, PA-licensed WKZV-AM (1110) is now off the air for good. Apparently the land on which the tower sits has been sold and the tower site is expected to come down soon. The station signed on in 1970 as WKEG and held a variety of formats and owners until 1991 when the station went off the air. In 1992, the station went back on the air as WKZV and was sold again in 1993 to the current ownership of “My-Key Broadcasting”. Mike Panjuscek (AKA “Polka Mike”) and Helen and Stanley Supinski were the key shareholders. Panjuscek died in 2011 and Mrs. Supinski continues to hold the reigns. The format has long been Classic Country and specialty programming (including “The Peddler Hour” on which PBRTV was featured in 2002).

Ratings Madness

Eric — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:28:08 +0000

About a year ago, I said I wasn’t going to report on the ratings anymore. Arbitron announced that it would no longer publicly publish the numbers for stations who didn’t subscribe, and since that affects many stations within this market, it makes the monthly book appear inaccurate.

However, it’s been interesting to see how drastic the changes to each book have been over the last few months. For February, we celebrated the fact that KDKA-AM (1020) was at the top once again – a title it held almost exclusively for years under the old diary system. March saw WRRK (96.9 Braddock) hit the top for the first time ever.

Now WDVE (102.5) reclaims the top spot for April. WRRK has slipped to third and KDKA-AM is back to sixth. Meanwhile, WWSW (94.5), while ranking fifth in the ratings, rates number 1 in station cume.

Remember, that the unsubscribing stations could affect the ranks in the complete ratings… which we’ll never see. Meanwhile, here’s what you can see via AllAccess.

From the e-mail files…

Eric — Sun, 12 May 2013 21:45:57 +0000

What happened to Saturday talk show host, Dimitri Vassilaros. He left with no explanations, there are some others there, that leave me cold. One Called Eddie Crow. WHERE IS DIMITRI?

Eric’s response: I posted a week or so ago that KDKA hired a few hosts specifically for that time slot. One is John McIntire who most notably worked as the host of NightTalk on PCNC several years back. Ellen Gamble, who for years did traffic reports in the area. And Eddy Crow who has been on WDVE and WEAE most recently. They are filling the spot, as I understand it, on a rotating basis. It looks like Dimitri, meanwhile, is working on a project of his own which he has yet to announce via his Facebook page. I don’t want to hazard to guess what that is, and I’m not 100% sure that he’s officially departed KDKA.

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Scaife sells shares of KQV

Eric — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:32:09 +0000

All Access reported today that Richard M. Scaife is selling his 700 shares (about 70%) of Calvary Inc. to 22 MIN LLC. The new company is owned by Cheryl Scott and Robert Dickey, Jr. the heirs of the late Robert W. Dickey who died in 2011. The Senior Dickey owned the lesser part of Calvary Inc. The “22 MIN” name comes from the all-newser’s motto, “Give us 22 minutes, we’ll give you the world.”

WLFP sold

admin — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:08:45 +0000

“AM Guys LLC” – made up of Ed DeHart and Stephen Zelenko – has purchased WLFP-AM (1550 Braddock) from receiver Mike Craven for $14,515. This according to this morning’s Tom Taylor NOW Newsletter. DeHart managed the station prior to the sale. Business TalkRadio bought the facility in 2007 for $225,000 and operated it as a 4-station syndication operation. The company now owns one station in Greenwich, Connecticut.

UPDATE: Pat Cloonan has more information, including how DeHart and Zelenko were able to get the station so inexpensively.