Just some stuff to occupy our weekend:
DR. LAURA’S RETURN: We don’t know how we missed this, but former Premiere syndicated host Dr. Laura Schlessinger has been making her way back onto major market stations as of late.
Dr. Laura’s show disappeared from the dial a year or two ago in virtually all major Ohio markets, mostly a result of lesser interest in the show by Premiere – the syndicator owned by Clear Channel.
The show left a number of Clear Channel stations, in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati – first in favor of Premiere’s own Glenn Beck, then other programs. Premiere then sold its interest in the show to Dr. Laura’s own company, “Take On The Day Productions”, though Premiere still handles sales representation for the show.
She’s back, as it were, at least in two major Ohio markets.
We already knew Dr. Laura had returned to Cincinnati via Clear Channel’s “1360TheSource.com”, known to mere mortals as WSAI/1360 – the former liberal talk outlet turned into an advice talker.
What we just found out is that North American Broadcasting talk WTDA/103.9 in the Columbus market also picked up Dr. Laura for its weekday lineup. The show airs after a show that’s been a nemesis for her – Mr. Beck’s program, which moved from Clear Channel talk WTVN/610.
Dr. Laura replaced FOX Sports Radio in “Talk FM’s” 1-4 PM time slot…FSR still runs nights and weekends on the Westerville-licensed class A outlet.
In Northeast Ohio, Dr. Laura is still only heard in Canton, on Melodynamic talk/religious WCER/900.
LINEUP CHANGES: Speaking of that Canton outlet, WCER operations manager and OMW reader John Amrhein tells us of pending lineup changes at AM 900, beginning March 1st.
The station adds a live hour of self-syndicated advice guru Dave Ramsey – another host who used to have larger Northeast Ohio clearance, until his fallout with Salem took Ramsey’s show off of 50,000 watt Christian talk/teaching outlet WHKW/1220 Cleveland and sister WHKW/1440 Warren.
Ramsey’s second hour puts him on WCER from 1-3 PM, leading into Dr. Laura, also airing live from 3-6 PM.
WCER also adds a live hour of conspiracy talker Alex Jones from noon to 1 PM weekdays. Jones is also heard on the station in morning drive via delay, from 5-8:30 AM…
HEADED FOR F-L-A: Sometimes, OMW picks up news items by reading the various message boards dedicated to local radio, where even some on-air types hang out. That’s where we found this one.
Adam Kirk, who does traffic and news for Cleveland’s Metro Networks operation, tells message board readers that he’s leaving Northeast Ohio for Florida – as a “morning producer and team anchor” for Cox news/talk WOKV/690-106.5 in Jacksonville.
Kirk has been heard doing traffic on Salem talk WHK/1420 Cleveland, along with the usual “other stations”.
Adam is the latest local radio type to find refuge in the Sunshine State or somewhere in the Southeast. OMW hears that in the same building, Metro sports reporter/fill-in anchor Zack Stein is headed for Brunswick GA, where he’ll be news director of a six-station cluster owned by Qantum Communications.
And we did not, for whatever reason, get to the Florida move of one Ryan Gohmann, who we have heard is leaving (or has left) his job as producer of Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland’s Bob Frantz Show for sister talk WFLA/970 Tampa – to work under the direction of former WTAM news director R.C. Bauer…
LOCAL SALES TYPE HONORED: We don’t normally cover the comings and goings of sales account executives, but this one got some national attention for a local AE.
Brandon Tidd gets the “2007 Horizon Award” from the folks at the John Bayliss Broadcast Foundation.
The AE for Clear Channel Akron talkers WHLO/640 and WARF/1350, according to an AllAccess item on this, is called “an individual who sets a solid example for today’s radio broadcaster. Tidd exemplifies the young talent in the radio industry and, as the sixth recipient of this award, he is tangible evidence of the FOUNDATION’s effort.”
The Bayliss Foundation gives the award to young folks who have received its radio scholarship award in the past.
Tidd will be presented the award at the Bayliss Radio Roast, in New York City on March 22nd.
The “Roast”, by the way, pokes at CBS Radio chairman/CEO Joel Hollander…
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