I, too, mourned the demise of NEW-FM as we knew it, although my interest in the station had been waning as my favorite jocks (Dave Herman, Vinnie, Fornatale, Dennis Elsas) moved away.

When I moved to the Jersey Shore in '99, though, I found the wonderfully eclectic WBJB-FM, a commercial-free, listener-supported station that goes by the handle "90.5 The Night." Fornatale's "Mixed Bag" is a Saturday feature, while Sunday morning has the 3-hour "Bluegrass Jam" and Sunday night offers a 3-hour "Box of Blues." The rest of the week's musical programming is a tribute to diversity on the airwaves.

Those who aren't in the immediate listening area can listen on-line at www.90.5thenight.org. It's worth it.

Poobs