"All News 99.1" WNEW to debut Thu. 1/19/12; Weekday Lineup Posted

[pjc1961]

From the news page here at www.radio-info.com:

CBS Radio's "All News 99.1" WNEW to debut in Washington DC on Thursday, 1/19

There is now a firm launch date for Bowie, MD-licensed WNEW (January 19) and also a firm lineup of weekday anchor teams:

- Bill Rehkopf and Amy Morris, 5am to 10am. Rehkopf is from CBS Radio's KDKA, Pittsburgh (1020) and he was previously news director at WPOC, Baltimore (93.1). Amy Morris is already in the D.C. market, having worked at Bonneville (now Hubbard Radio)'s WFED since 2005. She was also a general assignment reporter for Bonneville/Hubbard's WTOP - the chief target of "All News 99.1."

- Jenny Glick and Chas Henry, 10am to 2pm. Glick has been a news anchor at Baltimore's news/talk WBAL (1090). CBS says "Chas Henry has a well-established reputation having reported for ABC-7, News Channel 8, plus reporting and anchoring for WTOP" radio.

- Evan Haning and Nancy Lyons, 2pm to 7pm. Haning has worked in the D.C. market at WTOP and WWRC. Nancy Lyons is also a local, and her work includes anchoring newscasts for NPR's Weekend All Things Considered.

- Sarah Jacobs and Cheryl Simone, 7pm to 12am. Jacobs has spent the past dozen years in the Baltimore market. Simone put in a decade of anchor-work at CBS Radio's all-news "1010 WINS", New York, before migrating to Miami, where she has been at WIOD.

Robert Sanchez is the sign-on PD of "All News 99.1."

 

[wpb1999]

The really should rebrand to something different than "All News 99.1"

 

[DToTheJ]

In addition to the above talent roster, Chris Barnes, most recently the news director at WSYR in Syracuse, will be WNEW's overnight news talent. WSYR recently migrated to FM not too long ago, so he already has some experience with some sort of news format on the FM band.

 

[erwin33]

Still no website and stream?

 

[DToTheJ]

Website:
http://washington.cbslocal.com/station/wnew-99-1-fm/

Stream (kinda sorta unofficial):
http://player.streamtheworld.com/liveplayer.php?callsign=WIADHD2

 

[erwin33]

Mmm, that stream is not working anymore...

 

[kevinsealy]

When WNEW 99.1 hits the airwaves in Washington DC, are they going to use the FM suffix? How could we have two radio stations calling themselves WNEW without one or the other not using the AM and/or the other not using the FM suffix and both serve the Washington DC metro area?



Thanks,
Kevin L. Sealy

 

[DToTheJ]

Actually, 1580 is using "WNEW-AM" in their legal ID's. So both the AM and FM stations are using extensions in their legals.

 

[Rusty Muck]

When WNEW 99.1 hits the airwaves in Washington DC, are they going to use the FM suffix? How could we have two radio stations calling themselves WNEW without one or the other not using the AM and/or the other not using the FM suffix and both serve the Washington DC metro area?



Thanks,
Kevin L. Sealy

WNEW-FM only needs to call itself "WNEW-FM" for the top-of-the hour ID. Aside from that, they can call themselves "WNEW."

But with regard to 1580; they've been only known as "1580 AM - The Big Talker" for the past three years. And will continue to do so after the format's launch (assuming that it doesn't flip to either a relay of 99.1, a progressive talk format, or into a federal news copycat of WFED). Not to mention, the current format on 1580 has a minimal audience and mostly thrives on brokered or barter programming, so it won't be a massive issue right off the gate... and I honestly think most people still associate 1580 as WPGC (AM).

We are at the point where call letters don't matter much anymore. CBS calling the station "WNEW All News 99.1" is no big deal IMO.

Actually, 1580 is using "WNEW-AM" in their legal ID's. So both the AM and FM stations are using extensions in their legals.

If I'm not mistaken, a legal ID of "WNEW AM Morningside/Washington" isn't correct. There is never an AM suffix added to an AM station callsign unlike FM or TV stations - AM stations always have taken priority among shared callsigns dating back to the 1940s.

But if it's worded as "WNEW AM 1580 (or 1580 AM) Morningside/Washington," that does pass muster.

 

[w9wi]

If I'm not mistaken, a legal ID of "WNEW AM Morningside/Washington" isn't correct. There is never an AM suffix added to an AM station callsign unlike FM or TV stations - AM stations always have taken priority among shared callsigns dating back to the 1940s.

But if it's worded as "WNEW AM 1580 (or 1580 AM) Morningside/Washington," that does pass muster.

You're technically right. The FCC regulations include a specific list of what may be inserted between the call letters and the city of license, and "AM" is not on the list, even if it is an AM station.

It's pretty widely done though & to my knowledge has never been prosecuted.

And as you say, the station's frequency *is* a permitted insertion.

I suppose one might argue that "AM" is the station's frequency... as the regulation doesn't say how specific you must be when naming the frequency...

 

[stevewillett]

WZYQ, Stereo FM Braddock Heights. WZYQ, Frederick!

 

[spm1036]

Does a Laruel signal really have a chance against WASH?

 

[boppinvinnieb]

WZYQ, Stereo FM Braddock Heights. WZYQ, Frederick!

Circa 1980: WCBM, Metromedia Baltimore

I suspect that with all the other issues facing the FCC, as long as what you put between the official call letters and city of license is close to what's on the list, they're not going to worry about it.

BTW, isn't 99.1 licensed to Annapolis? (I've been away from the area for a while.)

 

[wpb1999]

Launch of 99.1 Has Been Delayed to To Issues - CBS Domain

From RadioINSIGHT:

Update 1/17: Due to some last minute engineering issues, CBS has postponed the launch of 99.1 WNEW’s News programming to Monday, January 23.

On another note, after failing to procure the CBSWashington.com domain from WTOP, CBS has acquired CBSDC.com and will be using that brand for its local Washington site.

Monday seems like A Better Time to launch.

 

[Radio-X]

BTW, isn't 99.1 licensed to Annapolis? (I've been away from the area for a while.)

It was until about a month and a half ago. In order for CBS to make it all work with buying WFSI, they moved the COL to Bowie, which makes it a DC station according to the feds. The former WFSI is on paper part of CBS Baltimore since its an Annapolis station...but I think they too are broadcasting out of Lanham with the other CBS DC stations.

BTW, has anybody noticed that both 99.1 and 107.9 come in better in VA over the last few weeks? 99.1 and 107.9 used to be a stretch going down 95 past Dale City, now my car radio routinely stops at 99.1 waaaay down in Fredericksburg with a local on 99.3. I'd imagine in mono 99.1 will be able to keep up with the Big Gun in most of Fairfax and Prince William counties.

What did they do? New antenna? Replaced some ancient, tired transmitters? Or am I just crazy?

Radio-X

 

[DToTheJ]

... with regard to 1580; they've been only known as "1580 AM - The Big Talker" for the past three years. And will continue to do so after the format's launch (assuming that it doesn't flip to either a relay of 99.1, a progressive talk format, or into a federal news copycat of WFED)...

The latter is what is being hinted at - I think CBS is going to get 99.1 up and running first before they concentrate on turning 1580 "all Fed-talk, all the time"...

 

[erwin33]

From DCRTV.com:

WNEW Up & Running, But You Can't Hear It - 1/18 - Yesterday, DCRTV told you that CBS's new all-newser WNEW would be delaying its launch from January 19th, just two months after the station was announced, to January 23rd. Now, we hear that the station is already up-and-running, with its newly-hired staff performing 24-hours daily of news programming - for in-house use only. However, the output is not yet connected to the 99.1 FM transmitter. Total Traffic is providing traffic every 10 minutes, WUSA's Topper Shutt is doing weather forecasts, the anchor line-up is live in the studio, and reporters are out in the field this week. Only you can't hear it. "We need to iron out some telecom and other technical issues," we're told. "We want to go on the air and sound like we're going to sound".....


--------------------

Interesting story. So still no stream we can hear something ? http://provisioning.streamtheworld.com/pls/WNEWFM.pls is still dead.

 

[Holland Cooke]

Because "you never get a second chance to make a first impression..."

SMART of 'em to wait the launch until they're ready and rehearsed.
A couple days, or a week?
Doesn't hurt.

What DOES hurt is going-on-before-you're-ready, as we heard in New York and Chicago, where Merlin got the horse laugh.

 

[nocomradio]

I dialed up 99.1 yesterday morning driving through Manassas, and got another dose of The History Of Rock 'N Roll. The promos now say they will be launching Monday.

As far as 107.9, its so cluttered with 107.7's signal, I can't imagine why anyone would want to try to utilize that frequency on this side of the Potomac. It still seems as garbled as ever. 99.1 is a little clearer, but then again, there hasn't been anything on it worth listening to in so long, I hadn't paid any attention.

 

[Rusty Muck]

Interesting story. So still no stream we can hear something ? http://provisioning.streamtheworld.com/pls/WNEWFM.pls is still dead.

They will probably put a stream up at the launch (best bet is repeatedly checking the "Listen Live" button at the CBSDC.com portal on Monday morning). Said link you posted might not work even when the launch takes place... there's always the possibility that StreamTheWorld could change the URL.

CBS is likely not streaming the "History of Rock & Roll" stunting phase not because of royalty issues with the songs... but more because of a distributor agreement with Dial-Global (the ultimate successor to original copyright holder RKO Radio Networks). The show hasn't been available for public purchase since 2005 - when Ken R. ceased operations - but when it was, included was a 99-year agreement for the owner to legally transmit the program.

And it goes without saying that CBS, Dial-Global and the Drake family don't want the show to be recorded online and pirated all over the place. It IS a copywritten presentation, after all.