Vermont Association of Broadcasters 500A Dalton Drive Colchester, VT 05446 (802) 655-5764 Email: [email protected] Website: www.vab.org The VAB CHEEK WINS FRICK AWARD Voice December, 2012 OWNERSHIP MERRY-GO-ROUND AS NASSAU EXITS VERMONT You may need a Shapiro sold two of those stations, Tom and Shirley Cheek scorecard to keep WMOO-FM and WIKE-AM, to Bruce Just four days after being in- track of all the James’ Vermont Broadcast Associates. ducted into the VAB Hall of radio stations that James, in turn, is selling WQJQ-FM Fame (see story & photos on officially changed (100.3 MHz, Barton) to Capital Broad- page two), the Baseball Hall hands last week, cast Associates. of Fame announced that Tom all the result of To stay under the ownership cap, Cheek, the longtime radio Nassau Broadcasting’s bankruptcy and voice of the Toronto Blue Shapiro also sold two other stations auction. Jays, is the winner of the (WEXP-FM and WWOD-FM) to Bill and 2013 Ford C. Frick Award. Nassau was forced to Gail Goddard’s Elec- The award is the highest hon- auction stations in Ver- tromagnetic Company or given to sportscasters by mont, Maine and New for $600,000. the Hall of Fame in Cooper- Hampshire. Most of WWOD had already stown, NY. them (30) went to Bill won approval to move Cheek, who was a sportscast- Binnie’s WBIN Media to Keeseville, NY in er and salesman at WEAV, for $12.5 million. Bin- the Burlington market, WDOT, WJOY and WVMT, nie then spun off 13 of so its assumed the broadcast an amazing 4306 the stations (eight in Bill Binnie new owners will pur- Jeff Shapiro straight games for the Blue Jays. He passed away in Vermont) to Jeff Shapiro’s Vertical Capi- sue that move. And, as part of that tal Partners for $4.4 million. transaction, WWOD will swap its call 2005. Binnie will keep two Vermont-licensed signs with Shapiro’s WMXR. The vote by the 21-member awards committee marked the stations: WXLF-FM (95.3 MHz, White There is another call sign change to first time the winner of annual River Junction) and WZLF-FM (107.1 note. WORK-FM, which will stay with fan balloting has actually won MHz, Bellows Falls). the Great Eastern cluster, has changed the award. Cheek will be hon- to WRFK-FM. Shapiro had seven stations already op- ored at the Hall of Fame’s erating under the Great Eastern Radio In New Hampshire, Shapiro picked up: Awards Presentation on Sat- banner out of West Lebanon, NH, in- WLKZ-FM (104.9 MHz, Wolfeboro, NH) urday, July 27 in Cooper- cluding Vermont signals WKKN-FM stown, WWHQ-FM (101.5 MHz, Meredith, NH) (101.9 MHz, Westminster) and WMXR- WHDQ-FM (106.1 MHz, Claremont NH) GET YOUR RADIO WORLD FM (93.9 MHz, Woodstock). WTSV-AM (1230 KHz, Claremont, NH) Shapiro picked up the following Vermont WFYX-FM (96.3 MHz, Walpole, NH) stations from Binnie: Besides the aforementioned WKKN and Like a FREE subscription to WEXP-FM (101.5 MHz, Brandon) WMXR (now WWOD), Great Eastern Radio World magazine? Visit WIKE-AM (1490 KHz, Newport) already owned: www.vab.org and click on the WMOO-FM (92.1 MHz, Derby Center) Radio World logo. It is the WTSL-AM (1400 KHz, Hanover, NH) WORK-FM (107.1 MHz, Barre) WGXL-FM (92.3 MHz, Hanover, NH) definitive source for infor- WSNO-AM (1450 KHz, Barre) mation on technology, indus- WTPL-FM (107.7 MHz, Hillsboro, NH) WTHK-FM (100.7 MHz, Wilmington) try news, engineering and WXXK-FM (100.5 MHz, Lebanon, NH) production articles and new WWFY-FM (100.9 MHz, Berlin) WEEY-FM (93.5 MHz, Swanzey, NH) product information. Enjoy! WWOD-FM (104.3 MHz, Hartford) All in all, a busy week in local radio! BIG CROWD USHERS CHEEK, JAMES AND SANDS INTO VAB HALL OF FAME A crowd of more 220 peo- WCAX President and Gen- ple gathered December 1 eral Manager Peter Martin at the Burlington Hilton to presented a VAB Distin- enjoy great food and great guished Service award to friends at the VAB’s annual longtime Channel 3 weather Awards Banquet. forecaster Sharon Meyer. The late sportscaster Tom Cheek, WPTZ-TV General Sharon Meyer Manager Paul Sands and VAB Executive Director Jim Northeast Kingdom radio Condon and Radio Vermont’s station owner Bruce James Ken Squier presented the other Distinguished Service Award to Candis Leopold with Shirley Cheek were all inducted into the VAB Hall of Fame. WDEV AM & FM talk show host Mark Johnson. Hall of Fame member Mark Johnson George Commo presented Community Service Awards were bestowed upon TJ the Hall of Fame trophy to Michaels of Barre radio stations WORK/WWFY/ Cheek’s widow, Shirley WSNO and to Ed Flanagan of Montpelier radio sta- Cheek. tion WNCS-FM. Rick Davis, who owns radio stations in Maine, inducted Bruce James, a former busi- ness partner, into the Hall of Bruce James Fame. VPT President and Hall of Fame member John King Ed Flanagan Jon Noyes and Bruce Zeman inducted Paul Sands into TJ Michaels The Alan H. Noyes Community Service Award was the Hall. King’s remarks presented to Bruce Zeman and Hobbes of WVTK-FM followed a video tribute to by Jon Noyes, son of the late Al Noyes, the longtime Sands narrated by WPTZ’ VAB Executive Director. meteorologist Tom Mess- ner, a former VAB Distin- A special VAB “Friend of guished Service Award win- Broadcasters” award was ner. presented to recently-retired Paul Sands Vermont National Guard Lt. Radio Vermont’s Eric Michaels, Col. Lloyd Goodrow. And who is also in the VAB Hall of special recognition was given Fame and is the current VAB to longtime VAB Hall of Fame President, served as the member Don Mullally, who is evening’s master of ceremo- celebrating his 50th year on nies. He presented former the air at WSTJ-AM in St. VAB President Judy Leech of Johnsbury. Lt. Col. Lloyd Goodrow WVNR-AM/WNYV-FM with the Our next major event will be the VAB’s 58th Annual 2012 VAB Broadcaster of the Convention, Thursday, May 16 at the Capitol Plaza Judy Leech Year Award. in Montpelier. Hope to see you there! .