As we suspected would happen one day, Northeast Ohio's first HD Radio simulcast of an AM talk station is now up.Clear Channel talk WHLO/640 Akron can now be heard on the HD2 channel of sister* rock WRQK/106.9 Canton.The move was made possible by the HD Radio Alliance's recent decision to allow commercial radio formats on HD2 side channels. The group, which counts Clear Channel as a member, had previously agreed not to run commercial feeds on those side channels.The policy change by the group is … [Read more...]
WSTB Coming Back?
Posted on October 20, 2008 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 10/21/08 2:26 PM: An update, and much more, from those on the WSTB side of this has been published on the WSTB website. There's also more in this editorial on the "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" site...including copies of two of the pictures in question.So far, there's no published word from school officials that the station is nearing any return soon, in the wake of changes to the situation today detailed in our update immediately below.As we're going to have to take more time away from the … [Read more...]
The FM News/Talk Watch And CBS
Posted on October 20, 2008 · Leave a Comment
No, not in the Cleveland market, but more on CBS Radio and Cleveland in a bit.We have a regular feature here we haven't brought up in a while - the FM Talk Watch.We should call it the "FM News/Talk Watch", as we've never really used it to track the so-called "hot talk" stations that have dwindled to a very few these days. We're talking about the move of traditional AM news/talk/sports formats to the FM dial...as either simulcasts or moves.And CBS Radio has just uncorked a big one out in … [Read more...]
About Keeping That Wire Current
Posted on October 20, 2008 · Leave a Comment
It's a long-running (gallows humor) joke around here when we talk about the continuing job cuts at the Akron Beacon Journal, one of thousands of newspapers nationwide getting squeezed between the current financial crisis and the diminishing number of readers: "We hope they keep their Associated Press wire bill current."As it turns out, a small, but growing number of newspapers are deciding to send the venerable AP wire packing.The most recent to give the wire service the required two-year … [Read more...]
I-70 Shuffling
Posted on October 20, 2008 · Leave a Comment
A whole bunch of radio stations are moving along the Interstate 70 corridor in Ohio, and some are changing as a result. We'll start from the east, and move west.We already knew that Zanesville's WHIZ-FM/102.5 (hot AC "Z102") was destined to move west, with a new license city of Baltimore (Ohio, not Maryland), with a signal designed to turn it into a Columbus market station.We, and others, speculated that community-minded WHIZ would eventually acquire another Zanesville-based FM station - likely … [Read more...]
Official: Beck To WTAM, Frantz To Evenings
Posted on October 20, 2008 · Leave a Comment
As reported first right here on your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm), and as expected today, it's officially been announced on Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100.The Cleveland "Big One" will return Premiere syndicated host Glenn Beck to his old time slot, 9 AM-noon, effective November 3rd.Current late morning host Bob Frantz interviewed Beck (in a presumably recorded segment) via telephone on his show this morning, and also announced his own move to the evening time slot. Frantz will air 7 PM-midnight … [Read more...]
WSTB GM Resigning
Posted on October 20, 2008 · Leave a Comment
In the continuing controversy over Streetsboro school district station WSTB/88.9, which is still off the air as of this writing on Monday morning...OMW hears that long-time WSTB general manager Bob Long plans to resign from his post later today, though he'll continue in his teaching job.What's being called an "official statement" by Long has floated out of the ether and into our electronic hands, and we share it here:-------Here's the reasoning behind my decision:1. I feel that I have lost the … [Read more...]
Country Hat Tip To Chuck
Posted on October 20, 2008 · Leave a Comment
A Cleveland country radio icon is about to become a national Hall of Famer.Clear Channel country WGAR/99.5 Cleveland afternoon driver Chuck Collier will be inducted into the Country Music Radio Hall of Fame in Nashville. The induction will take place on March 3, 2009.The station says Collier was "one of a very few selected for the Class of 2009" for the Hall of Fame, and is one of "fewer than 60 radio professionals" to receive the honor over the years.Collier got the news in a call from Lon … [Read more...]
One Out The Door
Posted on October 17, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Like Thursday, it's past 2:30 PM and we haven't been able to get to lunch yet, but here's a quick extra update on our way out the door for the weekend...WHLO CHANGES: We've detailed moves about to be announced by Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland, with Premiere's Glenn Beck about to make his return to the station.We've also told you that Beck's return to WTAM has forced current affiliate Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting talk WEOL/930 Elyria to move the newly acquired Laura Ingraham show into … [Read more...]
Wrapping Up The Week
Posted on October 17, 2008 · Leave a Comment
...with some followups, mostly.We'll be putting up the "Gone Fishin'" sign for the weekend, though your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) has never actually fished. Except for media news stories...WSTB FOLLOWUP: The shutdown of Streetsboro Public Schools station WSTB/88.9 has made it further into the mainstream media.After the Akron Beacon Journal article we linked earlier, WJW/8's "FOX 8 News" made the trek to Portage County, with a live shot explaining the continuing off-air status of the station … [Read more...]
