An update to our earlier post/question about Time Warner Cable's local digital channel realignment...TWC's Bill Jasso tells OMW that the cable operator expects to complete the digital channel moves in the Greater Cleveland area by the end of this month.The cable operator has already put in the new digital lineup in the so-called "legacy" areas in the Akron/Canton region - the systems that the company previously operated before acquiring Adelphia and Comcast's Cleveland area subscribers.He also … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: WKYC/TWC Akron/Canton News Shutting Down
Posted on April 16, 2008 · Leave a Comment
WKYC and Time Warner Cable announced today that "Akron/Canton News", the WKYC-produced weekday news broadcast airing on Time Warner Cable's "NEON" local programming channel at 6:30 and 10 PM, will close up shop on May 30th.Channel 3 senior director and Friend of OMW Frank Macek has an item on the end of "ACN" on his "Director's Cut" blog this evening, with a quote from WKYC general manager Brooke Spectorsky. The station blames poor economic conditions for the end of the newscast.And the anchor … [Read more...]
Our Number One Asked Question
Posted on April 15, 2008 · Leave a Comment
We wouldn't say we get a flood of E-Mail, but even when we're away, we get a decent trickle.And the number one asked question of the past few days is:"When will Time Warner Cable complete their digital channel realignment?"Those asking the questions, as near as we can tell, are in TWC's "North/Cleveland" territory, otherwise known as the former Adelphia and Comcast system areas TWC acquired some time back. By all we've heard, the former "legacy" TWC systems in the Akron/Canton area have made … [Read more...]
Cleveland HD Locals On Dish Network
Posted on April 15, 2008 · Leave a Comment
It's official, according to a Dish Network press release: The company is offering HD "local-into-local" service for the Cleveland market.All of the market's "Big Four" network affiliates are being offered: WKYC/3 (NBC), WEWS/5 (ABC), WJW/8 (FOX) and WOIO/19 (CBS). For now, at least, the satellite provider won't offer either WUAB/43 (MyNetworkTV) or WBNX/55 (CW) in HD.Competitor DirecTV has offered HD locals in the Cleveland TV market for some time.OMW hears that HD locals on Dish Network, at … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: WKDD’s Patrick To Do Talk Show
Posted on April 15, 2008 · Leave a Comment
The details are sketchy and few right now.But word is leaking out of Clear Channel Akron/Canton's Freedom Avenue compound that long-time hot AC WKDD/98.1 morning man Matt Patrick is set to do another regular show in May...a three-hour local talk show on the cluster's talk outlet, WHLO/640 Akron.We don't have further details on this, including in what time slot he would do the show, or how it affects his long-time gig hosting the WKDD morning show...which Patrick has been hosting since long … [Read more...]
A Decision To Make
Posted on April 14, 2008 · Leave a Comment
In what would have been much bigger news around the Buckeye State a couple of years ago...Even if you're no longer within earshot of a liberal talk station, you've probably heard of all the hot water syndicated host Randi Rhodes got into recently...after what's been called a "profanity-laced" tirade about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and others, at what amounted to a stand up comedy/personal appearance on behalf of her San Francisco affiliate, KKGN/960 "Green 960".The … [Read more...]
WTOD Programmer Out
Posted on April 11, 2008 · Leave a Comment
OMW has word that Cumulus' Toledo cluster has "downsized" one of our readers right out of his job.Chuck Matthews, who programmed the cluster's talk WTOD/1560 "SuperTalk 1560" and was creative director for all the Cumulus Toledo stations, is no longer working there.We hear Chuck is looking for programming or imaging director duties, and still runs his own voiceover shop. He's heard as an imaging voice on a number of radio and TV stations, including Block Communications cable CW Network affiliate … [Read more...]
The O&A, Uh, Empire?
Posted on April 11, 2008 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 4/11/08 2:16 PM: We've been forwarded an affiliate list that shows another 7 or so markets for O&A outside New York, Boston and Cleveland. We don't know how accurate that is, but they have lost a lot of big markets in this most recent run...-----------------We started noticing a trend when the reports filtered in.CBS Radio has come to a new contract agreement with its syndicated hot talk hosts Opie and Anthony. The duo who came back to the company after the attempt to replace hot … [Read more...]
Our Brian Wilson Update
Posted on April 10, 2008 · Leave a Comment
And since we're Ohio Media Watch and not Billboard Magazine, that means an update on Clear Channel talk WSPD/1370 Toledo afternoon drive host/program director Brian Wilson, not an update on that Beach Boy.The Baltimore Sun's "Critical Mass" blog provides a first-day update on Wilson's debut Wednesday as the mid-afternoon host (12-3 PM) on that city's CBS Radio FM talker, WFHS/105.7.And the update, and an article in the Dead Trees edition of the Sun the day before, confirms our reporting here … [Read more...]
UPDATE: WEWS Goes HD From Field
Posted on April 9, 2008 · Leave a Comment
They tried it as long ago as October of last year, but now, Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 "NewsChannel 5" has become the first Cleveland market station to regularly air out-of-studio news field video in HDTV format.OMW hears that after all the glitches were worked out, WEWS' newscasts started featuring the full-resolution 720p recorded video yesterday. And we've seen the results on the air.The move is as a result of the station's investment in a bunch of field HD cameras and in-house and remote … [Read more...]
