The ongoing saga of changes about to be made to Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100's lineup continues to amuse us.This time, your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) is right in the middle of the action involving the Cleveland talk station's immediate future plans.According to one of our readers, OMW was actually quoted/invoked by Premiere syndicated talk host Glenn Beck during his "Insiders" webcam feed between the 9 AM and 10 AM hours of his Tuesday broadcast.(We picked this picture off of the website of Beck's … [Read more...]
Computer Probe Takes WSTB Off Air
Posted on October 14, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Streetsboro Public Schools-owned WSTB/88.9 Streetsboro is off the air this afternoon...for an unusual reason.The Gateway News, the Record Publishing weekly newspaper serving that Portage County city, reports on its web site this afternoon that something apparently found on station computers has led to the station being taken off the air:Computers used to run the station have been seized by school officials after inappropriate photos were found on them, according to Superintendent Linda T. … [Read more...]
EXCLUSIVE: WTAM Adding Beck, Frantz Moves To Evenings
Posted on October 13, 2008 · Leave a Comment
At some point today, with all the noise surrounding this, with multiple confirmations both inside and connected to Oak Tree, it became silly to wait to share something we've known for some time now.And frankly, Premiere's Glenn Beck nudged us over the "wait to share this" line today, announcing a "Cleveland" tour stop date on Beck's "Christmas Sweater" tour - December 13th at Playhouse Square's Allen Theatre.Since he's been heard on Clear Channel talk WHLO/640, Beck has in the past brought his … [Read more...]
An Old Voice Teases
Posted on October 13, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Offered without much further explanation, for now.A number of OMW readers tell us that Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland has been airing liners many times over the weekend, much to this effect:"Hey, Cleveland....I'm baaack!"We're told the voice heard was none other than the voice of former WTAM syndicated mainstay Glenn Beck, the Premiere host who was unceremoniously knocked off Cleveland's "Big One" to make way for syndicated liberal host, trash TV talkmeister and former Cincinnati mayor … [Read more...]
EXCLUSIVE: WTAM Changes
Posted on October 10, 2008 · Leave a Comment
OMW hears that Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland "Sportsline" host Kevin Keane has left the building.We don't know why, but we don't believe his exit was related to anything he did on or off the air. Keane's "Sportsline" page is still up, untouched, at this hour, and "Sportsline"'s other regular host, WTAM Indians beat reporter Mark Schwab, is on the air this Friday evening.Oh, it's almost anti-climactic at this point...but we've confirmed the exit of Mike Trivisonno's latest regular … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: I-Team’s Merriman Exits TV For Law Firm
Posted on October 10, 2008 · Leave a Comment
The heads up comes this afternoon from Cleveland Plain Dealer media columnist Julie Washington on Cleveland.com - WJW/8 "FOX 8" I-Team reporter Tom Merriman is leaving the now-Local TV-owned station to join a local law firm.The move to Cleveland-based Landskroner, Grieco & Madden actually brings Merriman back to his law career roots, which he left behind in 1995 to join Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 as an investigative reporter...before landing at WJW in 2001. The article says Merriman … [Read more...]
Toledo and Tampa
Posted on October 9, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Two TV-related items, both involving cities with names starting with the letter "T". (Hey, it's what passes for creativity around here!)TOLEDO TV RADIO NEWS: Toledo ABC O&O WTVG/13 and the Cumulus cluster in the Glass City are crowing about their new alliance.The Toledo Blade reports that seven Cumulus radio stations in Toledo will be getting weather, news and sports updates from the "13ABC" folks.The deal apparently doesn't include, at least according to the Blade article, top 40 … [Read more...]
We Were Right About Laura
Posted on October 8, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Back when Talk Radio Network syndicated midday host Laura Ingraham lost Salem talk WHK/1420 Cleveland - and all her other Salem affiliates - due to a dispute between the broadcast group and the syndicator, we took a stab at which area station would become her "Cleveland market" affiliate.In a long, "educated guess" post the weekend after Salem and WHK dropped Ingraham's show, we made the case for Spirit Media talk/variety WELW/1330 Willoughby as Ingraham's new local outlet.It sure made sense to … [Read more...]
More Print Cuts
Posted on October 8, 2008 · Leave a Comment
At this rate, the Cleveland Plain Dealer may have a smaller editorial staff one day than your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm).OK, well, not quite, but print media watchers have another piece of cringe-worthy employment news: the Advance Publications-owned Plain Dealer has announced another round of job cuts - this one aimed at cutting 38 "unionized newsroom employees" from the PD staff by the end of this year.As with previously announced cuts, the PD is first offering a buyout to those employees - which … [Read more...]
Game Shuffling
Posted on October 8, 2008 · Leave a Comment
An OMW reader passes along word that FOX's coverage of game four in baseball's National League Championship Series will be moved in Cleveland next Monday - to Raycom MyNetwork TV affiliate WUAB/43.The move is necessitated by FOX affiliate and former O&O WJW/8's local carriage of the ESPN "Monday Night Football" game between the Cleveland Browns and the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants.(For those who don't follow NFL rights issues, the league's rules mandate that local affiliates … [Read more...]
