As if he doesn’t get enough media exposure already, Ryan Seacrest may soon get an extra hour of radio airtime over 130 “On Air with Ryan Seacrest” affiliates, including a few here in Central New York.
Clear Channel-owned Premiere Radio Networks, which syndicates the show, says it will expand Seacrest’s program to four hours, effective Monday, May 4. In a press release issued Thursday, Premiere Radio EVP of Affiliate Marketing Julie Talbott attributes the expansion to “tremendous growth and success with the syndication of On Air in the last year.”
The show launched with 50 affiliates about a year ago, and Premiere says the tally today is better than 130, including a handful of overseas affiliates. Locally, that affiliate list includes Nova 105.1 (WWDG) in Syracuse, Z95.5 (WFIZ) in Ithaca, and Mix 96.1 (WVLF) in the Watertown market.
Had this news come down two months ago, it might be a foregone conclusion that WWDG, with its close ties to Clear Channel, would be a shoo-in for the extra hour. But as you’ll recall, last month, Aloha Stations Trust announced it is selling WWDG to local owner Craig Fox; and while Fox hasn’t announced his future plans for the DeRuyter-licensed signal, it’s a safe bet he’ll change the format, as Nova competes somewhat with his MOViN’ stations (WWLF-FM/WOLF-FM).
Elsewhere, neither WFIZ nor WVLF are owned by Clear Channel, so there’s no “direction from corporate” that could all-but-guarantee clearance of Hour #4. That is, unless Premiere is requiring all affiliates to accommodate the expansion; the press release did not specify if the extra hour is an option or a requirement.
I would love to see Craig Fox flip that station over to “Movin” in order to give him coverage deep into the south, right to Cortland-Ithaca area, since one you head south of Syracuse, the hills virtually wipe out any of the stations.