This time, the hiatus was caused by technical problems…which are now completely fixed. So, on with the show…we have a LOT of catching up to do!
And if we missed anything, we’ll get to it later…
JOE TAIT: The “Voice of the Cavaliers” has been heard on the airwaves again, at least temporarily.
Cavaliers Radio Network Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Tait made an appearance by telephone on Fox Sports Ohio’s Cavaliers pre-game show with Jeff Phelps and Campy Russell last Wednesday night.
FSOhio has linked the video here.
And though he said his recovery from recent health issues has been “slow but sure”, and some of his goals to return to the Cavaliers Radio microphone were “premature”, Tait told Phelps and Russell he “very definitely” plans to be back on the air before this Cavaliers season is over.
But…that’s it.
Tait is not reconsidering his decision to retire after the end of this season, saying he is ready to call it a career.
When will we hear Tait’s voice calling Cavaliers games?
Phelps threw out a possible date – March 21st – which Tait didn’t immediately recognize, but then called “possible, I’d say that’s the second possibility”…but said he wouldn’t return until his doctors cleared him to do so…
CANTON FIXTURE LEAVING: It won’t be “Fred and Pam” on NextMedia talk WHBC/1480 Canton after Friday.
That’s because Fred – long-time morning drive co-host Fred Chenevey – is leaving Ohio, bound for a new life in Florida, according to the Canton Repository.
Unlike some who continue to do their radio shows from warmer climes, Fred is leaving WHBC, which means the station had to find a replacement to sit alongside news/program director Pam Cook in the mornings.
And it’s a familiar voice…he’s Matt Fox, who helped launch HGTV with the “Room by Room” show with co-host Shari Hiller.
The Kent State University graduates now host “Around the House with Matt and Shari” syndicated on public television nationwide – which is seen locally on Western Reserve PBS’s WNEO/45-WEAO/49 Saturdays at 12:30 PM. (And yes, KSU is a part of the three-university consortium which owns Western Reserve Public Media.)
Fox is apparently quite a regular fill-in on the “Fred and Pam” show, so he’s certainly a familiar voice to WHBC’s regular morning listeners.
Chenevey came to WHBC 11 years ago after a stint doing mornings at crosstown D.A. Peterson now-top 40 now-WDJQ/92.5 (we’re not sure it was WDJQ, WZKL or both when Fred was there…we believe it was doing oldies as “Kool 92”).
The Repository article says he’s looking to do radio voice work in Florida.
Fred’s last day is Friday, and Matt Fox starts the following Monday…
SIGN OF SPRING: As we write this early on a Tuesday morning, most of Northeast Ohio is under a Winter Storm Warning, so why not bring some baseball sunshine your way?
Yes, it’s that time of year again…as the Cleveland Indians have opened up Spring Training in Goodyear, Arizona.
Indians home network SportsTime Ohio is once again pulling out all the stops for their own team.
“Spring Training Daily” kicked off Monday for its fifth season, with Tribe TV team Rick Manning and Matt Underwood broadcasting live from Arizona.
The pair will be joined by Bruce Drennan for his “All Bets Are Off” show February 27th through March 4th, and STO will keep Matt in Goodyear through March 29th, providing reports to Drennan’s show and Chuck Galeti’s “Chuck’s Last Call”.
Ah, yes, but you’re looking for the games…the sure antidote to 8 inches of snow on the ground is baseball on TV.
STO says it’ll air six live Spring Training contests, beginning March 8th with a 3 PM contest with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The network will also again air the exhibition between the Indians and their AAA farm team, the Columbus Clippers, from Huntington Park in Columbus.
Radio-wise, we’ve already heard Indians Radio Network flagship WTAM/1100 beat reporter Nick Camino in Goodyear, and other radio types will make it to Arizona this year as well.
OMW reader and Rubber City Radio (WAKR/1590-WONE/97.5-WQMX/94.9-AkronNewsNow.com) VP/Information Media Ed Esposito is heading out this weekend, and we suspect Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting talk WEOL/930 Elyria’s Tim Alcorn will probably make another trip out.
But will Ed, Tim and Indians Radio Network pre-game host Jim Rosenhaus partake in eating contests again this year? We’re getting hungry just thinking about it.
Elsewhere on the TV side, we’re sure the local broadcast stations will be represented as well.
We’ll mention Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 sports director and OMW reader Andy Baskin (since he mentioned us on Sunday night, thank you!), whom we’ve seen broadcasting from Arizona.
And we assume Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 will have coverage, since they’re the Indians over-air broadcast partner again this year.
We’ll have to catch up with OMW reader John Telich at Local TV Fox affiliate WJW/8, and Tony Zarella and Mark Schwab at Raycom CBS affiliate WOIO/19-MyNet affiliate WUAB/43 on their Arizona plans…
PUBLIC BROADCASTING FIGHT: Local public TV and radio outlets are trying to raise awareness as they fight for federal funding.
The House of Representatives voted over the weekend to entirely defund public broadcasting as a part of widespread budget cutting moves, but as any civics student will tell you, that’s just one step.
With the House action, the public broadcasting site “170MillionAmericans” is urging viewers and listeners to write to the Senate.
You can hardly miss the appeals on local pubcasters’ websites.
In addition to alerts and links to the “170MillionAmericans” site, Western Reserve Public Media’s site has a video appeal from station president and CEO Trina Cutter.
Quoting Cutter from a station release:
“If the proposed legislation passes, public broadcasting as our viewers know it will cease to exist. It is vital that our viewers take action immediately and contact their members of Congress.”
Down the road in Kent, Kent State University NPR outlet WKSU/89.7’s site also has a link to the 170MillionAmericans campaign site.
And we’ve heard mentions of the site on both WKSU and on Northeast Ohio’s other NPR affiliate, Ideastream’s WCPN/90.3…where there’s also a prominent link to the site on both WCPN’s and sister PBS affiliate WVIZ/25’s websites.
And, since “public media” also includes non-NPR News outlets like AAA WAPS/91.3 Akron-WKTL/90.7 Struthers “The Summit”, the public broadcasting campaign site is featured on that station’s website as well…
WHERE’S TOM MOORE?: News anchor Tom Moore is a fixture on Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 in Cleveland and other regional Clear Channel stations like WKBN/570 Youngstown, but there’s been a question mark about him recently…literally.
Readers of Tom’s WTAM blog know that the long-time local newsman had surgery in late January to remove a tumor in his inner ear.
He’s been off “The Big One” since then, but is currently scheduled to return to the airwaves March 7th, after surgery to repair the function of the left side of his mouth later this week.
And just like you’d expect from a good reporter, Tom goes “in depth” on his WTAM blog about his own condition, complete with X-rays of his tumor, and a picture of that “question mark” of stitches on his head.
Tom’s also an OMW reader, and tells us that he happened upon a listener in a rather unusual way:
“I saw another doctor for a second opinion regarding my next surgery, and as soon as he realized which ‘Tom Moore’ I am, he said, ‘I wondered what happened to you! I listen to WTAM all day long!'”
We’re hoping to hear Tom on WTAM (and WKBN, et al.) on March 7th, as planned…
DIGITAL LPTV: The answer to when Canton market LPTV RTV outlet WIVM/52 will be in digital is “soon”.
The station told viewers on its Facebook page earlier this month that the antenna for RF channel 39 has arrived and will be installed “soon”…after which they’ll inform viewers on analog 52 of the switch.
Akron Beacon Journal pop culture columnist and OMW reader Rich Heldenfels in his “HeldenFiles” noted WIVM’s coming digital age (“in about a month”) in a recent item that noted that station owner Image Video got $20,000 in federal funding to help convert one of its more rural simulcasters to digital.
Apparently, Canton is “too metropolitan” to qualify for grant money to convert 52 to digital, so Image Video’s Mike Tonges tells Heldenfels…so the station is footing the bill for that conversion without federal help, which pays about two thirds of the bill, according to the article…
WCLV has a post on its website about public broadcasting support as well as spots.
Here’s a sample:
PUBLIC BROADCASTING IN DANGER OF LOSING FEDERAL SUPPORT
The U.S. House of Representatives has zeroed
out federal funding for public broadcasting in the
Budget they passed. The Budget now goes to the
Senate for consideration.
Yes, WCLV is a commercial operation and not a public
broadcaster, but we believe that public broadcasting
is important to the nation and our culture because of its
offerings of alternative programming not generally
available from most commercial stations. In the face
of cookie cutter programing from national mega-radio
corporations, we believe that public radio cotinues
to make radio a relevent medium. And let’s not forget
PBS and the programming treasures it offers.
Everyone understands all funding programs must be
carefully reviewed and justified in these challenging
economic times, but continuing federal support for
public broadcasting is important both as public policy
and to assure vital programs and services.
Members of Congress need to hear from their constituents about how you feel about support
for Public Broadcasting.
Below is a list of Members of Congress from NE Ohio.
Full disclosure requires that we tell you two of the six members of the WCLV Foundation
board are executives from ideastream, owners and operators of WVIZ TV and WCPN (FM)
.And two of the officers of Radio Seaway, the WCL:V corporation, are on the board of ideastream.
Area Ohio U.S. Representatives
House District 5: Robert E. Latta, 202-225-6405
House District 9: Marcy Kaptur, 202-225-4146
House District 10: Dennis Kucinich, 202-225-5871
House District 11: Marcia L. Fudge, 202-225-7032
House District 13: Betty Sutton, 202-225-3401
House District 14: Steven C. LaTourette, 202-225-5731
House District 16: Jim Renacci, 202-225-3876
House District 17: Timothy Ryan, 202-225-5261
Don’t know your district? Click here to find out.
Ohio U.S. Senators
Sherrod Brown, 202-224-2315
Rob Portman, 202-224-3353
Importance of Federal Funding for Public Broadcasting
* Public broadcasting is not “a luxury we can’t afford” but an
essential service regularly depended on and enjoyed by 170 million
Americans in all 50 States.
o Public broadcasters reach over 98% of American households with
free services.
o The same series of Roper Polls finds public broadcasting placing
second, just behind national defense, as the most appropriate
expenditure of public funds.
o 170 million Americans regularly rely on public broadcasting each
month for its educational and information resources, its thoughtful
exploration of a diversity of religious and cultural issues, and the
window on the world stage that it opens to urban and rural communities
nationwide.
* Public broadcasting is America’s largest classroom-closing the
achievement gap through innovative, standards-based educational content
and resources for parents, teachers and students.
o Eliminating funds for public broadcasting eliminates the safe
harbor of children’s educational programming.
o Numerous studies of public television programming indicate that
children who watch shows like Sesame Street, Between the Lions,
SuperWHY! and Word World show marked improvement on key literacy skills.
o Public television is cited as the number one source of media
content among preschool teachers. In addition, the online educational
content and resources provided by public television has become one of
the top Internet destinations for children.
* Public broadcasting serves as a trusted partner and agent of
better citizenship in the world’s greatest democracy.
o From candidate debates and coverage of state legislatures and
local issues, to Ken Burns and the American Experience documentaries-
public broadcasting is committed to programming that teaches us what is
special about our country.
o For the seventh year in a row, the latest Roper Poll has found
the news programming of public broadcasting to be the most trusted in
America, across all ideological and partisan lines.
* Cutting or eliminating federal funding for public broadcasting
will have a severe negative impact on local services and economies in
all 50 states.
o Public broadcasting stations are some of the last locally owned
and operated media outlets in the country, serving all Americans from
Bethel, Alaska to Miami, Florida and everywhere in between.
o At an annual cost of about $1.35 per year for each American,
public broadcasting is a smart investment. For every federal dollar
invested in public broadcasting, local stations raise $6 on their own,
creating important economic activity as well as educational and cultural
service.
WCLV, a commercial station and not a public station, has a post on its website about supporting public broadcasting. And we’re running spots also.
No problem with you quoting from my comment on the Radio Info discussion page
Robert Conrad
WCLV
PBS and NPR would not be in the situation they now face, of possibly losing federal funding, if they had truly stuck to a clear unbiased and non-political form of reporting. Yes, there were some reporters that tried to adhere to that way of writing the story, but it was clear the management had a left leaning agenda. As an independent voter, I’ve been a listener of NPR for many years and have noted how much more air time they gave to one side of the political spectrum than to the other. When a federally funded organization like this seemingly becomes a mouthpiece for one side of a political spectrum, then federal dollars need to be withdrawn, no matter what I or anyone else believes politically. They obviously will become a for-profit media outlet and that means instead of telethons taking up the listener’s time it will be commercials. They brought this on themselves. Ad dollars coming in will not mean any less unbiased reporting than what I’ve heard the last 10 years. I didn’t turn the dial to NPR to hear the politically conservative view, as that was gone a long time ago. Everyone knows which way they lean and that’s okay. They just shouldn’t be federally funded.