With such a busy week, even the weekend provides us with the opportunity to clean up news from the remainder of the week... NOLAN RADIO AND THEN SOME: We were mostly playing around last week when we were speculating about the radio future of now-former Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 morning news co-anchor Mark Nolan. Though that speculation intersected with changes at CBS Radio AC WDOK/102.1, now known as "New 102", it turns out Mark's return to radio will take place at a different location - … [Read more...]
The Local Media Scorecard
Posted on January 16, 2012 · 5 Comments
Yes, as a reader asked, this has indeed been one of the busiest periods of change in Northeast Ohio media...and we've been covering that particular topic for some six years and change. "You can't tell the players without a scorecard," so the saying goes, so let's update the Local Media Scorecard as we write this late on Sunday night... YES, THERE IS A RUSS: Heading off our scorecard is the debut of Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3's new evening anchor and managing editor Russ Mitchell, whom you … [Read more...]
Two TV Notes
Posted on January 10, 2012 · Leave a Comment
And from the world of local TV on this Tuesday... MORNING GLITCH: The world of morning TV news has quickly become a hotly competitive landscape. From the days where congenial "Today in Cleveland" hosts Tom Haley and Del Donahoo held forth on a folksy kitchen set on Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3, the playing field has turned morning news into a multi-hour, multi-anchor extravaganza at all four local TV news operations. To say "the stakes are high" in local TV morning news would be an … [Read more...]
Bombshell At One Radio Lane – Alden Out
Posted on January 4, 2012 · 14 Comments
UPDATE 1/4/12 10:39 AM: The item has been corrected to reflect that Nancy Alden moved back to middays on WDOK in 2009. And a glitch caused by the WordPress mobile client, with much of the item becoming underlined, has been corrected. ------- CBS Radio AC WDOK/102.1 Cleveland has had one constant on its schedule over the past 20-plus years...veteran air personality Nancy Alden. Well, until today. OMW has confirmed that Alden's contract with WDOK hasn't been renewed, and she has exited One … [Read more...]
The Elephant In The Radio Room
Posted on December 14, 2011 · 13 Comments
Long-time readers may have noticed that we've had almost nothing on one of the biggest changes about to hit Cleveland radio...changes at AAA/adult rock WNWV/107.3 "V107.3", the Elyria-licensed station that is being sold by Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting to Akron's Rubber City Radio Group, owners of oldies/news WAKR/1590, rock WONE/97.5 and country WQMX/94.9. The application to sell the station was approved by the FCC on November 28th, and closing - and a temporary move of the station to RCRG's … [Read more...]
A Snowy Mix Piling Up
Posted on November 30, 2011 · 7 Comments
As we write this item, the first snow of the season can be seen outside the OMW World Headquarters. Meanwhile, our items are piling more than the snow in this short-lived event... THIS JUST IN, FROM THE FCC: Monday, the Federal Communications Commission officially approved the $6.5 million sale of Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting AAA WNWV/107.3 "V107.3" to Akron's Rubber City Radio Group. There's no word on a timetable for the deal to close, or on what the new owners plan to do with the … [Read more...]
The Exit Door
Posted on November 22, 2011 · 6 Comments
It's nearing the end of the year, and that means at least one high profile TV news personality in Cleveland is about to end her run here...and one other could follow in the next month or so... BELL MOVES ON: The first primary evening news anchor to exit the Cleveland market this season is Stacey Bell, who has been co-anchoring the 5 PM and 10 PM editions of Fox affiliate WJW/8 "Fox 8 News" with Bill Martin for the past few years...starting anchor duties on the 5 PM show in 2000, and adding 10 … [Read more...]
The All Ones Update
Posted on November 1, 2011 · 1 Comment
That's because today is November 1, 2011, otherwise known as "11/1/11". Some TV changes are up first, with radio not far behind... WHERE'S AMANDA? WHERE'S AJ?: The big movement among local TV newsrooms this week involves weekend weather forecasters. First, we'll start with brand new forecaster Amanda Jahn, who moved to Cleveland from Phoenix to join OMW reader Mark Zinni on the recently launched weekend morning editions of Local TV LLC Fox affiliate WJW/8's "Fox 8 News". You might recall the … [Read more...]
Clear Channel Layoffs Post
Posted on October 26, 2011 · 7 Comments
Those watching the trade sites aren't surprised: An estimated 150 to "many hundreds" of Clear Channel employees nationwide are being told today that their services aren't necessary. This post, affecting Northeast Ohio's Clear Channel stations, will be a running list as we update it. All Access and other sites have been tracking those laid off in some other Ohio markets, like Dayton. The so-called "Reduction in Force" is affecting mainly Clear Channel's medium and smaller … [Read more...]
The Monday Followup
Posted on October 17, 2011 · 5 Comments
As usual when big news comes out, there's a followup that comes a little later... BIG SHOES: To say that the next afternoon driver at Clear Channel Cleveland country WGAR/99.5 has "big shoes to fill" is probably our understatement of the year. But the station has begun the daunting process of filling the afternoon drive time slot left open by one of the biggest tragedies in local radio history - the passing of Chuck Collier. All Access reports that Clear Channel Cleveland OM Keith Abrams (Hi, … [Read more...]
