Radio/TV Notes
February 27, 2018
PBRTV notes that Whiplash Radio LLC recently surrendered licenses of two Youngstown-area stations. WYCL (1540 Niles) and WHTX (1570 Warren). The move ends a 5-year long attempt to sell the stations. We recently announced that Whiplash was able to rescue a Western New York AM in the meantime.
WTAE-TV morning anchor Michelle Wright, who has shown off her beekeeping and honey-making talents on social media, has a new business venture. Over the last year, Wright has been restoring a church building in Tarentum. The former St. Paul’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church is now Tarenbee – a wedding chapel and event venue.
Speaking of WTAE, the station has teamed with The League of Women Voters Greater Pittsburgh to host the second debate between Democrat Conor Lamb and Republican Rick Saccone. The candidates seek to win a special March 13 election for the seat in the 18th Congressional District. It will be moderated by anchor Shannon Perrine who will be joined by panelists Bob Mayo (WTAE reporter), Elaine Effort (recently of KQV-AM), and Kathleen Kleinmann (League of Women Voters). The debate airs on channel 4 on March 3 at 7:00 p.m. KDKA-TV hosted the first debate last week.
Radio ratings calmed down to “normal” in January after WWSW (94.5) and WSHH (99.7) experienced their all-Christmas holiday highs. AllAccess has the details.
Finally, we note the passing of Raymond “Big Ray Edwards” Bashaw over the weekend. Big Ray was known most recently as an oldies host at WKFB (770 Jeannette). He had also been on WEDO (810 McKeesport) and a slew of other stations in the market. He was 73.
Former in-the-seats Pirate reporter Trenni Kusnerek, who left Pittsburgh to return to Milwaukee, was on the winter Olympics as a reporter during the curling contests
So sorry to hear about the passing of Big Ray. Remember listening to him playing 50’s and 60’s tunes on 770.
Big Ray was a nice man. I talked to him just a couple of months ago, just to see how he was doing. I hadn’t seen him in a few years but it seemed like we had just talk yesterday.. He sure loved what he did, RIP Ray.
What is up with 620 AM? An early morning program change is on the horizon for March 1st? I enjoy Bill reading the venerable History Report at 0630.
Further time slots sold. Added to which there are more demands for the other stations in the fleet.
Good job of picking debate panelists by WTAE. All of those people have long and distinguished track records when it comes to local issues.