Some items from the outer edge of the OMW Coverage Area:
* Cincinnati Public Radio’s new NPR news/talker, WVXU/89.1, is getting out of Michigan. The station – formerly the hub of Xavier University’s “X-Star Network” – is selling its last two Michigan simulcasters, WVXH/Harrison MI and WVXM/Manistee MI, to operators of local commercial outlets in the state’s Lower Peninsula. WVXU earlier sold WVXA/Rogers City MI and a translator in Mackinaw City MI to a commercial operator.
* Still in the Queen City, where the “Nation’s Station” takes that title literally starting tomorrow. Clear Channel talk WLW/700 Cincinnati gets a 24/7 simulcast on XM Satellite Radio’s Channel 173. The move is easy as far as programming, as WLW still has a fully-local lineup and has no syndicated programming to worry about covering. Well, there is the overnight truckers’ show which originates there, but it was already airing on XM’s “Open Road” channel. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the WLW XM simulcast will not air Reds baseball or Bengals football games, but Reds games are already on XM as a part of the satellite service’s Major League Baseball coverage.
* And in Toledo, where OMW hears that WSPD/1370’s Bob Frantz may not be long for his current role as 6-7 PM talk show host at the Clear Channel news/talker. It’s likely that Frantz could actually be headed to Clear Channel’s Cleveland cluster in some capacity, though we don’t know what kind of job he’d take at this time. Frantz was heard on WTAM/1100 doing sports talk fill-in for Mike Trivisonno, before taking morning drive at WSPD…a slot now held by Fred LeFebvre.
WSPD’s been a busy place, as former program director Al Brady Law is being accused of E-Mail harrassment by station morning producer Meghan Smith…who, according to a Toledo Blade item, has filed a complaint with Toledo police against him. Law, now program director of St. Louis talker KTRS/550, denies the allegations. Veteran talker Brian Wilson took over as WSPD’s PD and afternoon drive host late last year.
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