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WKNR Part One

Yes, we’ve heard.

And not just on the air…OMW has received an official press release from Good Karma sports talk WKNR/850 on the first announcement in a series of two, about upcoming changes at the station.

850’s branding changes on Monday, as WKNR becomes “ESPN 850 WKNR”. And for good reason, for the station’s schedule changes include the return Monday of ESPN Radio morning team “Mike and Mike”, featuring Cleveland native Mike Golic and co-host Mike Greenberg.

The WKNR press release quotes Golic:

“I am very happy with this. Growing up on the Eastside of Cleveland and Willowick, my alma-mater, St.Joe’s…I am very happy we are back on where we belong, and certainly look forward to it.”

The ESPN morning show ran on WKNR until last fall, when then-owner Salem was forced to move to FOX Sports Radio by…current WKNR owner Good Karma, which swiped the ESPN Radio affiliation for what was then its only Cleveland outlet, WWGK/1540.

“Mike and Mike” will air weekdays from 6 AM to 10 AM, which includes the show’s third hour that was not carried in the past on WKNR.

OMW hears that WKNR sister WWGK, which has been known as “Cleveland’s ESPN Radio 1540”, will become “Cleveland’s AM 1540, KNR-2”.

And regular OMW reader/tipster Nathan Obral tells us that another WKNR speciality show moves over to 1540 – as Antonio Castro’s “The Boxing Show” will follow former WKNR staple “The High School Football Show with Jim Isabella” on 1540’s Saturday lineup.

Other announcements will be made at 4 PM this afternoon on WKNR’s Kenny Roda afternoon drive show. We believe more lineup changes are in the works at the new “ESPN 850”, including the announcement of at least one new regular weekday host.

But…we hear that Good Karma boss Craig Karmazin is not only putting himself on Roda’s show to make those announcements.

The station owner will also be the latest host of the station’s “Cleveland Sports Saturday”, tomorrow morning from 9 AM to noon at a local car dealership. Karmazin, of course, is the regular co-host of Good Karma evening syndicated show “Steve and Craig”, which we presume will still air starting next month on what’s becoming “AM 1540, KNR-2”.

You can’t say the guy is hiding from public input.

And in fact, from that same press release, a quote from the station’s boss:

“We’re excited to have Mike & Mike back… this is all based on everything I have heard from the people in the area. So, I am going to be excited to find out if – once all the moves are said and done – I am going to get some thumbs up or some thumbs down on the changes.”

It could be one of the more interesting Saturday morning radio remotes…

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