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WMMR (FM/93.3), the album rock-Top 40 hybrid, has taken back the No. 1 radio spot from hot hits station WEGX (FM/Eagle 106) in the latest overall Arbitron ratings, released yesterday. The new report, which measured winter listening, also shows that Frank Rizzo - whose fans still call him "Mayor" and "Your Honor" while flooding the WCAU (AM/1210) switchboard with adoring calls - is swamping his main competitor, Irv Homer of all-talk WWDB (FM/96.5), in the afternoon drive-time talk radio sweepstakes.

  "Party Doll" by Buddy Knox was Michael Tearson's first record. His newest: Stuff That Works - by Michael Tearson. "The best compliment I've gotten about my album," the veteran Philly DJ says, "is that different people pick wildly different songs as their favorite. " Tearson's voice at 63 is as distinctive on CD - he sings 13 tunes, from Bob Dylan to Neil Diamond - as on radio. That's the medium where the Baltimore-area native got his start 44 years ago in Philadelphia, just as the FM revolution dawned.

WMMR-FM (93.3) is still the undisputed heavyweight champion of Philadelphia radio. For the fourth consecutive quarter, the album-oriented rock station, led by John DeBella and his Morning Zoo, boxed the ears of all challengers in the winter radio Arbitrons. From Jan. 9 to April 2, among all listeners over age 12, WMMR muscled along with a 9.7 rating, down slightly from its all-time high of 9.8 in the last book, but well ahead of the second-place finisher, all-news KYW-AM (1060)

WMMR (93.3/FM) is again the most listened to station in the Philadelphia area, according to figures released yesterday by Arbitron, a radio rating service. For the fourth consecutive quarter, the album-oriented rock station knocked out all comers scoring a 9.7 audience share for the period surveyed between Jan. 9 and April 2. Although the station earned its highest numbers in its 17-year history (a 9.8 audience share) in the previous quarter, no one at the station was complaining about the latest figures.

When Ben Franklin used a kite in his electrical experiment, he created quite a spark. These days, something else is sparking a lot of interest: Philadelphia's Fifth Annual Kite Festival, April 27 and 28. All kinds of kites will fly the skies over Belmont Plateau, from simple homemade models to huge Japanese battle kites requiring four people to handle. The two-day event will feature a variety of kite-flying contests, exhibits, kite-flying lessons, stunt-kite demonstrations, plus face painting, a food bazaar, appearances by local and "historical" celebrities and more.

The mourning has begun for "Harvey in the Morning. " Radio personality John Harvey, whose witty "Harvey in the Morning" show was a staple for 13 years at adult-rock WIOQ-FM (102.1), was handed his walking papers yesterday by general manager Joseph Chairs and new program director Chuck Browning. Yesterday's show was his last. "At the moment, I'm really stunned," said Harvey, 35. "It's like it's happening to someone else. I can't believe it's actually happening to me. I'm not angry at anybody at this point.

Vincent M. Raimondo, 57, a radio advertising sales executive and musician, died of colon cancer Friday, Aug. 13, at his home. Since 2006, Mr. Raimondo was vice president of marketing for Radio Direct Response and RDR Promotions in Media. Previously, he sold advertising for several radio stations including WMGK-FM, WPEN-FM, WYSP-FM, and WNTP-AM. As director of sports marketing at WYSP in the 1990s, he headed sales for radio on-air advertising for Eagles football games and was a committed fan. Mark Lipsky, president of Radio Direct Response and a friend since the 1980s, said Mr. Raimondo understood the market and was an excellent sales manager.

The racing of unlimited hydroplanes in Hydrocade '86 isn't the only boat racing in this weekend's River Spectacular on the Delaware. In addition to the unlimiteds, a smaller class of hydroplane will be competing, too. About 15 Jersey Skiffs will race in qualifying heats from 9:30 to 10 a.m. tomorrow. Ten will advance to finals at 1:15 p.m. tomorrow and 3:15 p.m. Sunday. Race chairman Bill Dougherty said the 16-foot skiffs would add a touch of contrasting comedy to the serious, high-priced world of the unlimiteds.

WMMR-FM (93.3) is back on top. The city's legendary rock station, dethroned in the fall Arbitron ratings book four months ago by Top 40 newcomer WEGX-FM (106.1), reclaimed its kingpin status in the winter book released yesterday. Eagle 106 finished the winter ratings period - Jan. 5 to March 29 - in second place, followed by all-news KYW-AM (1060), urban-contemporary WUSL-FM (98.9) and soft-hits WEAZ-FM (101.1). The bottom half of the overall Top 10 was rounded out by nostalgia WPEN-AM (950)

THEATER IS SUPPOSED to surprise. But there was no way I was prepared for what happened last Sunday afternoon when I arrived at the Players Club of Swarthmore for a matinee performance of playwright Tom Gibbons' "Permanent Collection. " I opened the playbill and learned the character of Paul Barrow is being played by John Harvey. The name "John Harvey" may not immediately ring any bells, but readers of a certain age are likely to remember "Harvey in the Morning," the popular show he hosted for more than two decades on WIOQ (102.1-FM)