There are so many new media news items this week, you’d think your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) was on vacation in a far off land. (That’s our standard statement and rule here at OMW – if we leave town, all heck breaks loose.)
We have more big news from the local TV and radio scenes. We’ll start with radio, since it’s the most recent item…
YOUNGING UP: It would appear that the major changes at CBS Radio AC WDOK/102.1 “New 102” are nearly complete.
So, if you’re an AC warhorse like WDOK, and you’re tasked with “younging up” the aging station…and you’ve already started tweaking the music mix…what would be a good move in that direction?
Say, why not move the morning co-host at your younger-skewing sister station, Hot AC WQAL/104.1 “Q104”, over to the 102 side?
That’s exactly what they’ve done at WDOK, as Jen Toohey – until now the co-host of Q104’s “Toohey and Fee” – moves to the other studio at One Radio Lane, paired up with incumbent WDOK, er, “New 102” host Trapper Jack Elliot and “infoman” Jim McIntyre.
Quoting a station press release:
“A great adventure lies ahead for our new show. To work with Trapper and Jim and be part of the New 102 is so exciting – I can’t wait to get started,” states Toohey.
Toohey comes from sister station Q104 where she co-hosted the “Toohey and Fee Show”. Trapper & Toohey will hit the airwaves from 5:00-10:00AM weekdays, beginning Monday, January 16 and will be heard on-air, streaming online at www.new102.com and through the Radio.com app on mobile devices.
Toohey has been on maternity leave from Q104. When she returns to One Radio Lane, let’s hope she walks in the right studio door.
The timing of the announcement is quite, umm, interesting, considering that it was only Monday that co-host Terry Moir announced her departure from the seat across from Trapper Jack, stating that it was due to the desire to cut down her two-job workload and to spend more time with her family.
As far as the business of “New 102″‘s music tweaking, here’s more from the station’s release:
WDOK 102.1 FM is now “The New 102,” Cleveland’s station for AC hits.
“The New 102 means Better Music and more of it. Artists you love like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Adele and Taylor Swift can now be heard along with the best songs from the 80s, 90s and 2000s,” explains Program Director Dave Popovich. “More music means 20 songs in a row during the work day.”
But they aren’t done at One Radio Lane.
First of all, who replaces Toohey alongside Allan Fee on Q104?
Fee announced on his own show on Wednesday morning Toohey’s departure to the other half of CBS Radio Female Audience division, noting that “their show is shorter” and “more attuned to her new baby lifestyle”.
There’s no word of “(Whoever) & Fee” for now. Katherine Boyd has been filling in for Toohey on Q104, but there’s no word if she’s up for the permanent gig. Fee said Wednesday that they’ll have more information next week.
Second, how long is “The New 102” going to last as a station name?
We still expect the station to install a national CBS brand, perhaps the much rumored “Fresh 102”, at some point in the near future.
And third, what “live and local” show will replace the syndicated “Delilah” in evenings?
We happen to know one of “Delilah”‘s biggest Northeast Ohio fans…and we’re shocked that this woman hasn’t called out the Ohio State Highway Patrol looking for the missing Seattle-based host…
THE TV BOMBSHELLS: The anchor chairs continue to spin at Cleveland TV stations.
As expected, morning “SkyFox” traffic reporter Kristi Capel is indeed coming out of the helicopter at Local TV LLC Fox affiliate WJW/8 “Fox 8” and onto the news set, as the new morning co-anchor at “Fox 8 News in the Morning”.
She replaces Tracey McCool, who moved to the evening editions of “Fox 8 News”, replacing Stacey Bell, who moved to New Jersey to be with her professional football coach husband.
Quoting WJW’s release:
“Kristi has been a part of the winning team in the morning with SkyFox traffic and now her role is expanding,” said WJW President and General Manager Greg Easterly. “Her engaging personality adds to and compliments our six-plus hours of local programming in the morning.”
The “Fox 8” news item also clarifies that Kristi Capel will continue to be seen on the 10 AM show “New Day Cleveland”, where she’ll maintain an as-of-yet unspecified role.
There had been rumors of another traffic anchor coming over to Dick Goddard Way, but those rumors don’t seem to have much to support them for now. For the time being, at least, Rob Tabor is filling in doing “SkyFox Traffic”, though we have no idea if he’s in the helicopter or on the phone from Detroit…
The other existing “Fox 8 News in the Morning” players are unchanged: anchors Wayne Dawson and Stefani Schaefer, “Kickin’ It With Kenny” field reporter Kenny Crumpton, reporter Todd Meany and weather anchor Scott Sabol…
TV BOMBSHELL TWO: With Chris Tye heading to mornings as the new co-anchor of Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3’s morning news program, the question was asked: What about the 7 PM show he’s been co-anchoring with Robin Swoboda?
And we didn’t see the answer coming.
“Channel 3 News” sports director Jim Donovan joins Swoboda, as a news co-anchor, starting next week. And no, he’s not giving up the sports desk.
From our blogging colleague Frank Macek’s “Director’s Cut” blog”:
“Jimmy is more than sports, he’s a great storyteller and an astute interviewer,” stated Brooke Spectorsky, President and General Manager of WKYC. “Channel 3 viewers across the region love his quick wit and passion for his work.”
“Now it’s time for Jim to bring all that energy to a wider range of subjects,” remarked News Director Rita Andolsen. “Jim has always been a news junkie, now he’ll have the chance to expound on that knowledge and cover a lot of big issues facing Northeast Ohio.”
“I’m happy to take on a new challenge,” added Donovan. “We’re going to do some interesting and different things with the 7pm show, and I look forward to working on some very special projects.”
As noted, Donovan will continue to anchor sports at 6 and 11 PM.
And, as far as we know, continue his role as the radio voice of the Cleveland Browns…a job he won’t have to do again until late summer, since the local NFL team stinks on ice and is not in the playoffs, again…
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