Notes and a brief commentary

Patrick Cloonan’s McKeesport Daily News (never online) roundup features two interesting tidbits this week.

• Frank Powaski begins his 43rd year of broadcasting polka music with his sixth annual “marathon” this Friday. The marathon marks a 6 month run of “Friday Night Polkas” on WKFB-AM (770) which is a complement to his “Polka Festival” heard year round on Sunday afternoons on sister station WKHB-AM (620). Powaski’s marathon will air on both stations beginning Friday night at 5:00 on 770 and switching over to 620 after the paid programming ends and going until 7:00 the next morning. Go Frank, Go!
• How about something to file under the category of “ironic”? WTAE-TV’s “Weather Watch 4” has expanded to 5 of the 6 Clear Channel Radio stations in town. WKST-FM (96.1) will be the only CC station not carrying 4’s forecasts. Why is that peculiar? 96.1 used to be co-owned with channel 4 and even once carried the WTAE-FM callsign. Furthermore, the announcement of this partnership came as a surprise to Renda Broadcasting officials where, for several years, Channel 4 has provided forecasts for all three of the stations there and has its morning newscast simulcast on WMNY-AM (1360). Renda’s VP Alan Serena says, “It is disappointing and disturbing and unlike WTAE.” Meanwhile a WTAE spokesperson tells Cloonan that the move will not affect relations with Renda. Meanwhile didn’t Channel 11 pull the same move some number of years ago?