Industry News

Anne Gress Exits Townsquare Media New Jersey in Budget Move

Programmer Anne Gress – who was responsible for news/talk WKXW-FM, Trenton New Jersey 101.5 and CHR WPST-FM – exits her position as director of content for the two stations. Townsquare Mediaim issued the following statement: “Regional VP Brian Lang, who manages all of Townsquare’s stations in New Jersey, explains that the company earlier consolidated leadership in sales, promotions, finance, and engineering for the Trenton-Princeton and Monmouth-Ocean markets. Now it has also aligned content for those markets under Sam Gagliardi as VP of content. Gagliardi, who goes by the name Sam Elliot on the air, earlier served as general manager of Northern Lights Broadcasting in Minneapolis-St. Paul.”

Industry News

“New Jersey 101.5” Honored by NJ Society of Professional Journalists

Townsquare Media news/talk WKXW-FM, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5” is recognized by the New Jersey Society of Professional Journalists for its service to the community with three first-place awards in its 2023 Excellence in Journalism Contest. In the category of Best Public Affairs Show (TV and Radio), the station’s town hall special, “Class Disrupted – Pandemic Learning Loss,” which broughtim together a panel of educators, behavioral specialists and policymakers to examine how best to deal with pandemic learning loss won first place and will be received by the leading team members behind the town halls: anchor Eric Scott, director of content Anne Gress, news director Annette Petriccione, managing editor Sergio Bichao, and operations specialist Dan Alexander. The station also won in the Broadcast – Best Breaking News Coverage category for its coverage of the mayhem that erupted in Long Branch at the start of the summer season at the Jersey Shore. Managing editor Sergio Bichao, reporter Dan Alexander and then-producer and weekend host Jordan Jansson worked late into the night to chronicle a developing story that had far-reaching impacts on public opinion and policy relating to law and order. Finally, the station won in the Best Use of Sound for Radio News Story for reporter Dino Flammia’s series of on-air and online reports marking the 10th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy.

Industry News

CORRECTION: New Jersey 101.5 to Continue Talk at Night

Yesterday (7/5), in our story about the staffing cuts at Townsquare Media’s WKXW-FM, Trenton “New Jersey 101.5,” TALKERS magazine reported that Eric Potts is replacing Steve Trevelise in evenings and would play music. Station PD Anne Gress tells TALKERS the evening show will remain live and dedicated to talk (Monday through Thursday as Friday nights belong to Big Joe Henry). Gress adds the evening show will feature various hosts including Eric Potts, Michele Pilenza, and Jeff Edelstein plus some new voices to cover the night daypart for the time being.