It's a national media news item that affects us locally - as NBC Universal has announced it's shutting down the "NBC Weather Plus" network.TVWeek reports that the weather service operating on NBC affiliates' digital subchannels, including that of Gannett's WKYC/3 in Cleveland, Media General's WCMH/4 in Columbus and Barrington's WNWO/24 in Toledo, will be "phased out in stages" between now and the end of the year.NBC News division head Steve Capus tells the trade magazine that it wasn't just the … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: Fogg Heading Back
Posted on October 7, 2008 · Leave a Comment
The budget-driven dismissal of popular Sandusky radio personality Mark Fogg has apparently been undone.The Sandusky Register reports that Fogg is returning to his full-time job as morning host, program director and sports director at BAS Broadcasting's WLEC/1450 starting today...the newspaper says he'll return to his morning drive show Monday, and get back to his usual work covering high school football starting this weekend.The Register reports that BAS offered Fogg his old job back. … [Read more...]
A Global Focus
Posted on October 6, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Television news reporting is often thin when it comes to international events, where news beyond the U.S. is either ignored, or covered only when it drastically affects this country.A former Cleveland TV reporter hopes to change that with his new public television news show, which premieres tonight on many PBS stations.The anchor of American Public Television's "Worldfocus" is familiar to many Northeast Ohio TV viewers. Martin Savidge has spent the last few years in the national news spotlight … [Read more...]
Monday Return On Sunday Night
Posted on October 5, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Here at your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm), we'll let out the usual Monday early morning update on Sunday evening, for one good reason...our first item.5 CATCHING CHANGES: We hinted at this in our last update, and hoped to have it late Friday, but we haven't been able to get to it until now.Scripps Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS/5 "NewsChannel 5" is no stranger to juggling its anchor lineup. We get a headache trying to remember all the times that the station has moved around, juggled or changed jobs of … [Read more...]
Some TV Items
Posted on October 3, 2008 · Leave a Comment
News from the TV side of the OMW ledger...with another bigger item to be added later today...THREE OHIO TV STATIONS OFF CABLE: Yet another one of those "retransmission consent" disputes has pulled three Ohio TV stations off local cable TV systems in each of their markets.The inability of LIN TV and Time Warner Cable to reach a new deal by this morning's midnight deadline has forced LIN's three Ohio stations off TWC: Dayton NBC affiliate WDTN/2, Columbus CW affiliate WWHO/53, and Toledo FOX … [Read more...]
The Debate Aftermath
Posted on October 3, 2008 · Leave a Comment
As expected, ABC News Radio's Aaron Katersky did provide a lengthy "window into the swing state voters' world" last night, live from the studios of Rubber City Radio's WAKR/1590 Akron.Katersky actually anchored the network's coverage of the vice presidential debate between Republican Gov. Sarah Palin, and Democrat Sen. Joe Biden.Though the debate was taking place in St. Louis, Katersky and ABC came to Akron to provide reaction from a focus group of four local voters - two undecided, one coming … [Read more...]
Where’s Aaron
Posted on October 2, 2008 · Leave a Comment
...as it turns out, in an Akron radio studio tonight.Rubber City Radio oldies WAKR/1590 Akron will host ABC News Radio's Aaron Katersky tonight, a fact the station has announced frequently during its newscasts this afternoon.Katersky has been in Akron the past couple of days...talking to Akron-area voters and residents about the presidential election before tonight's vice presidential debate between Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, and Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.Since we're talking ABC News Radio, … [Read more...]
Lima Changes
Posted on October 2, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Changes at the Maverick Media cluster in Lima:We actually had no idea she was in Lima, but Columbus and Cleveland radio veteran Sandy Bennett has changed stations there.OMW hears from Maverick's contemporary formats director Dan Baisden that Bennett will be heard on top 40 WWSR "Star 92.1" and AC WDOH "Lite Rock 107.1", and will have "other duties", including overseeing the cluster's morning shows.In the "we didn't realize" department: she makes the move from crosstown Clear Channel country … [Read more...]
Chris Quinn Calling Hours
Posted on October 2, 2008 · Leave a Comment
For those of you who missed the update to our earlier item about the passing of Chris "The Mighty" Quinn: Calling hours for the long-time Cleveland broadcaster will be this evening from 5-7 PM, at Burr Funeral Home, at 116 South Street in Chardon.We only touched briefly on Quinn's life and career in our earlier item. For those looking for much more, the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Alana Baranick has a well-written obituary in Tuesday's paper.One thing we didn't know - Quinn, while working in his … [Read more...]
Midweek Random Stuff
Posted on October 1, 2008 · Leave a Comment
We've had a lot of items that have needed their own space, but this one's just a grab bag...much of it with the help of the good folks at AllAccess...WATCHING IT HERE: AllAccess passes along a release about ABC News Radio's coverage of Thursday's vice-presidential debate, where Democrat Sen. Joe Biden and Republican Gov. Sarah Palin will face off at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.And though St. Louis is nowhere near Northeast Ohio, this area will be a part of ABC News Radio's … [Read more...]
