Locally owned stations making noise

As part of two locally owned and operated radio organizations, it is really exciting to see a few others in the Erie region take over a few signals. It’s great to see Chris Lash take over a station he worked at in his younger days. A station from Corry that was known as WWCB 1370 when he was there. With Joe Vilkie giving Chris a chance (with an LMA) to take over what is now oldies formatted WHYP “Cool 1370”, it’s a chance for Chris to run a station that is near his hometown of Union City. (Listen online at www.cool1370online.com.) Longtime Erie broadcaster Bill Shannon is enjoying radio ownership with a 50% share in WWOW 1360 “1360 WOW.” The Conneaut, Ohio station dropped Catholic talk for oldies (with a similar format Bill helped to create at Mercyhurst College owned WYNE 1530 in North East.) It appears to be a natural fit for Bill. You can listen online at http://radio.1360wwow.com/. Of course, Joe Vilkie has been taking on the Forever stations in Meadville with WMVL “Cool 101.7” (www.cool1017online.com) for a few years now with the only station online in Crawford county (until Majic 99.3 and 104.5 begins streaming in January.) He will soon be extending his locally owned flavor into Mercer County with WGRP 940 (www.940wgrp.com) in Greenville and WLOA 1470 in Farrell. It’s definitely great to be a part of Vilkie communications as well as Mercyhurst College with Programming / Operations duties at WMCE “88.5 Jazz FM” (www.erieradio.com). It’s fun to be part of another locally owned station with something different from the corporately owned stations in the Erie marketplace. It’s also nice to see some local owners back in the market or nearby trying to shake up an otherwise sleepy market. Your thoughs are welcome.