Highlights from the author’s last two weeks of (always decidedly random) listening and the week’s radio headlines, ending September 1, 2011. Stations I’ve worked with recently in my Edison Research (or any other) capacity are asterisked.* This week, we've covered the Hurricane Irene-related radio we heard separately in Ross On Radio. Here's some less cataclysmic radio, much of it from well before Irene became a major threat.

Station (FM)

WCTK (Cat Country 98.1) Providence, R.I. – They’ve been grappling with the after-effects of Hurricane Irene this week, but I got to hear them last Wednesday, before the storm took over Northeastern radio. It’s no longer big news when a Country station has a Top 40’s flow and energy level, but it made Cat Country sound great nonetheless. Both WCTK and Country WKLB Boston (recently mentioned in RBAW) were among the best stations encountered on a recent New England trip.

Format Change

CFLZ (Ed FM) St. Catharines, Ontario – From Howard Kroeger, who brought you the original CFWM (Bob FM) Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Ross Davies, PD of CHUMGroup in that era (and now VP/operations of owner Haliburton Broadcast Group), an updated Adult Hits format that moves the music a decade or so newer and the attitude liners a lot edgier. (Try to imagine “The Simpsons” or “Family Guy” writers having a shot at the imaging.)

Best/Worst Sponsor

The Electronics Industry – It’s back-to-school week and suddenly the same people who don’t want to put FM on cellphones are again being advertised widely on that “obsolete technology.”

Station Liner

“Louder than your roommate getting laid… hopefully.” – KLZT-HD-2 (No Control Radio) Austin, Texas, the HD-2 extension of KROX (101X)’s Friday night beyond-extreme show. Playing as I write this: Amon Amarth’s “Down The Slopes Of Death.”

Most Frustrating Liner

“Celebrating nearly 40 years of rock ’n’ roll.” – Among all the land-rush Sports/Talk moves to FM, putting WIP Philadelphia on the frequency of longtime Classic Rock sister WYSP is certainly undeniable. But as other Heritage Rockers start to hit the forty-year mark, it’s still a little sad to hear the station that went rock in 1973 celebrate almost getting there. (The final tribute to WYSP continues for the next few days, though, so be sure to check it out.)

Bringing New Meaning To “The Last Contest”

Country WNCB (97.3 The Buck) Birmingham, Ala.,segues to FM Sports Talk with a secret contest for station database members on Country sister WZZK. http://www.wzzk.com

Best L.A. Story

“Thank you Bruce Muller, wherever you are.” – KTWV (The Wave) Los Angeles night jock Keri Tombazian thanks the man who found her wallet and found her through her SAG card.

Best New Label

Chipotle Music – And no, the first signing wasn’t the Flying Burrito Brothers. The beloved Chipotle Mexican Grill, known for its in-store soundtrack, ventures further this week with the release of a Willie Nelson cover of Coldplay’s “The Scientist.” The song is from a short-film, “Back To The Start,” commissioned by the restaurant’s foundation arm.

Segue

John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band, “On The Dark Side” to Everly Brothers, “(Till) I Kissed You” on Oldies/Greatest Hits WDRC-FM Hartford, Conn.They still don’t stream. They still never disappoint when I get to hear them. The center lane and most depth is in the ’70s these days, but I was still delighted to hear this within seconds of turning the station on.

Adele, “Rumour Has It” to Aerosmith, “Sweet Emotion” on Alternative WBOS (Radio 92-9) Boston.Some gold-based Alternative stations play Guns N’ Roses. So why wouldn’t WBOS play Aerosmith in Boston?

Out Of Office Messages

“If you would like to cyberstalk me while on vacation, become my friend at www.facebook.com/keithkennedyradio.” – Keith Kennedy, Clear Channel/Akron, Ohio

“If this is urgent, you can call my cell and as long as my wife does not throw it into Space Mountain (along with me), I will try to get back to you.” – Dennis Campagna, Clear Channel/New York controller.

“I’m off to enjoy some time with the family. With any luck, they won’t be sick of me when I get back to work. I will check my Blackberry once in a while—okay, basically, I’ll sneak off and check when my wife is busy.” – Curtis Pope, CJQK (Country 107.1) Abbotsford, B.C.

“I will have limited access to cellphone, e-mail and other electronics because my wife hides them while I’m on vacation. But I always find them eventually.” – Kevin Callahan, PD, KSON San Diego

“[This week] the bulk of my time will be at the Kentucky State Fair, where I will be broadcasting live daily, and of course, hanging out doing the shake and howdy thing with our great listeners.” – Coyote Calhoun, WAMZ Louisville, Ky.