Most of the below items are questions and tips from readers, that we haven’t been able to get answers about. If you know, drop us a line.
We also have some regular news items in the mix…
MIKE HEGAN: A number of listeners asked us if we know why Cleveland Indians Radio Network voice Mike Hegan hasn’t been in the broadcast booth with partner Tom Hamilton. IRN pre-game host Jim Rosenhaus has been taking Hegan’s place.
Well, we’ve asked around, and the word out of Oak Tree – home of Indians Radio Network flagship WTAM/1100 – is basically silence…we don’t know why Hegan hasn’t been around.
An OMW reader tells us what we did hear out of Oak Tree – that Hamilton noted on the air that Mike Hegan will be back in the booth for the team’s upcoming homestand. The reader says it sounded health related, but we don’t know any more than that.
Whatever it is, Hegan’s return is good news for Tribe fans, and we hope things go well in the future for him…
ELVIS IN THE BUILDING: That’s “Elvis” not as in Presley, but as in “Duran”…New York City-based syndicated morning man Elvis Duran.
And “the building” is Oak Tree, as Clear Channel top 40 outlet WAKS/96.5 “Kiss FM” – his local affiliate – will originate Duran’s show on Wednesday morning.
Quoting a station release:
The morning after the exclusive listener show with Jason Derulo, Elvis Duran will broadcast his nationally syndicated morning show from the KISS FM studios. The national broadcast will take place on Wednesday, May 19th from 6 a.m – 10 a.m. at KISS FM’s Studios located at 6200 Oak Tree Boulevard, 4th Floor in Independence, OH 44131.
“Elvis Duran has been waking up New York for more than 20 years,” said Bo Matthews, Program Director for 96.5 KISS FM. He continued, “KISS FM has carried the Elvis Duran Morning Show for nearly two years and we are excited to have Elvis bring these exclusive events to Cleveland.”
In case you’re wondering, the “exclusive listener show” is at Euclid Avenue’s “Barroom Cleveland” tonight…the station has been giving away tickets.
But the “we don’t know” part concerns Mr. Derulo.
We could be showing our age here, but we’d never heard of that person until we received the Clear Channel press release.
Now, will our younger readers please remove themselves from our lawn? Thank you…
WVPX: We’ve also received reader questions about reception problems for local ION O&O WVPX/23, the Akron-based station that was once the Akron/Canton area’s local ABC affiliate (as WAKC).
We noted that WVPX’s over-air signal was off the air for a while earlier today…and we normally have no difficulty receiving it.
There has been some speculation that WVPX is finally building out its construction permit for a 1000 kW signal, which was approved back in mid-June 2009.
That seems like a likely explanation. But speculation about tower work by Raycom Media CBS affiliate WOIO/19 for its low-power digital fill-in translator on RF channel 24 is premature.
Though the WOIO LD application will indeed share a tower with WVPX, along with Rubber City Radio rock WONE/97.5 and Akron Public Schools AAA WAPS/91.3, it has yet to be approved by the FCC.
WOIO/Raycom can’t do any construction on the fill-in translator until it receives the proper construction permit…
WE JUST NOTICED: We have no idea why we just figured this out in May 2010, but there were some technical moves involving the Youngstown TV market last summer and fall.
For one, New Vision Television did indeed turn in the license for one of its low-power Class A outlets that made up the “Fox 17/62” simulcast… the now former station being WFXI-CA/17 Mercer PA. (We were going to link it, but the station has disappeared from the FCC online database.)
The LPTV end of the “Fox Youngstown” operation is superfluous these days, anyway, with many more over-air viewers catching it on sister CBS affiliate WKBN’s 27.2 in HD – compared to the remaining analog LPTVer, WYFX-LP/62 Youngstown.
Speaking of WYFX, it has a 15 kW low-power digital application for RF channel 19 (sound familiar?). It characterized the July 2009 application as a “displacement”, since analog 62 is indeed outside the new TV core channel range.
Whether this ever gets built is anyone’s guess. Long-time readers will recall that WYFX has had digital companion applications in the past (RF 35, if we remember right) that are no longer on the books…and New Vision may be happy with the current “home” of “Fox Youngstown” in full-power HD on WKBN-DT 27.2…
RE: Do miss Mike Hegan on the air, But if his absence is related to health than Federal HIPPA laws prohibit any public discussion of the health issues. Glad to see that the station is following the law in this case. Best wishes to Mike and hope he does return soon.
John, the HIPPA law doesn’t prohibit “public discussion” but it does prohibit medical personnel from releasing any information regarding an individual’s medical condition or records without the express written consent of the person involved; that’s the form just about every doctor, dentist, lab or someone wearing a smock asks you to sign these days. It also covers doctors exchanging information with other doctors, even those treating you. There is no prior restraint of public discussion of health issues, only the release of private information by those medical professionals. It’s why hospitals don’t comment anymore on whether someone is even admitted into the hospital.
MIKE HEGAN was back last night on the broadcast but not doing PBP…..Rosey was doing it….Hegan was all Color…..for both Hamilton and Rosey.
I too noticed recently that WFXI was no longer on the air. I haven’t checked analog signals for a while and was curious. I only get the the Cornerstone translator from Sharon (W29CO) on channel 29. They have two applications for an LD digital station. One is at Channel 29 at 4.2 kw and the other on Ch. 31 at 15 kw. It made sense to no longer run an analog signal when a clearer digital signal is available. Also, nothing new regarding WYTV’s MyYTV going HD.
Bruce Drennan on “All Bets are Off” on Thursday said Hegan was out with a resparitory problem, but he’s fine now.
They’re probably just letting Hegan ease his way back into things by keeping him of PBP for now.