The second Northeast Ohio full-power analog signal to leave the airwaves is about to do so.As scheduled, Western Reserve PBS' WNEO/45 Alliance, the Youngstown market half of the Kent-based public TV operation, will shut down the analog Channel 45 transmitter on Wednesday morning - for good - to prepare for an upgrade to the digital WNEO signal, which will move from digital channel 46 to digital channel 45.OMW hears from our friends at Western Reserve PBS that the analog 45 signal will go dark at … [Read more...]
Out Of The Chute
Posted on November 17, 2008 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 11/17/08 9:50 PM: Two alert readers with the ability to pick up Youngstown market stations tell us that Clear Channel classic hits WBBG/106.1 Niles "Big 106.1" flipped to holiday tunes late last week. We've confirmed the switch by going to the station's website, and listening online.The station is now positioning for the season as "Youngstown-Warren's Christmas Music Channel"...-----------...for a Monday, with some newsy and some random items. Or maybe the title should be "Down The … [Read more...]
Friday Grab Bag
Posted on November 14, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Rounding out our week...NO 58: With the digital side of Western Reserve PBS' WNEO/45 Alliance off the air this week in preparation for the station's early digital switchover, one of our readers noticed that the public TV outlet's Youngstown-based low-power translator is also off the air.OMW has confirmed that the translator, known legally as W58AM and serving low-lying areas of the Mahoning Valley that may be shadowed from WNEO, is indeed off the air due to transmitter problems...and has been … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: WSTB Back
Posted on November 13, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Exactly one month after it was pulled off the air, Streetsboro City Schools station WSTB/88.9 Streetsboro has returned to the airwaves.OMW hears that WSTB went back on the air late Thursday afternoon, and a quick check of the radio confirms its return, with the regular alt-rock "AlterNation" format that airs Monday through Saturday on the station operated out of Streetsboro High School.OMW also hears that the return of WSTB does also mean the return of the station's "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" … [Read more...]
Monday Is Packed
Posted on November 10, 2008 · Leave a Comment
...full of news, mostly updates to some of our previous items. But they're necessary updates...WKDD MORNINGS: As it turns out, veteran Clear Channel Akron/Canton hot AC WKDD/98.1 morning man Matt Patrick won't be soloing it on the FM side of his broadcast life.After being tipped by a reader who spotted the absence of Patrick co-host Angela Bellios on the station's website, OMW confirmed Friday that the station's morning show will no longer be "Matt and Angela".But there will be a replacement … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: WKDD’s Angela Out
Posted on November 7, 2008 · Leave a Comment
It looks like Clear Channel Akron/Canton hot AC WKDD/98.1 morning host Matt Patrick is going solo in both of his radio gigs, as "Matt and Angela" are no longer a team.An alert OMW reader pointed out to us that Patrick's long-time co-host Angela Bellios has been removed from the station's web site, which now only lists Matt Patrick in morning drive.OMW has confirmed out of Freedom Avenue that Angela is "no longer with the station". We don't have any further confirmation as to the nature of her … [Read more...]
Midweek Visit
Posted on November 5, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Just some followup and stuff floating around...WSTB: We hinted at this in our last item, when we reminded readers that general manager Bob Long and his student crew at Streetsboro's WSTB/88.9 wouldn't be around last night to cover Portage County election returns.OMW hears that moves are actually being made to reconstruct the Streetsboro school district-owned station and return it to the airwaves - at some point.As we pointed out shortly after school officials had station computers removed and … [Read more...]
Election Day
Posted on November 4, 2008 · Leave a Comment
On this perhaps Biggest Ever Election Day, it's as close to the Super Bowl as local newsrooms will ever get.Since the presidential race is the primary race of interest, the various network partners of local TV and radio stations will do the "heavy lifting", with pretty much all of the TV and radio network newsrooms showing up at around 7 PM Eastern time - with coverage available even on broadcast TV networks well past midnight.Local news outlets won't stay on the sidelines all night, though. … [Read more...]
Another Small Radio Change
Posted on November 3, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Clear Channel hot AC WKDD/98.1 has won FCC approval to change its city of license from Canton to the Akron suburb of Munroe Falls.The change was part of a construction permit the FCC granted on October 29th - last Wednesday.For the near term, at least, it means nothing other than a different city being heard on WKDD's legal ID.The construction permit specifies WKDD's existing facilities - a 50,000 watt class B outlet located in Hartville. It's the same transmitter site the station built shortly … [Read more...]
Radio Day Of Changes
Posted on November 3, 2008 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 11/3/08 12:00 PM: The just updated schedule at Clear Channel talk WHLO/640 Akron shows that it's self-syndicated money advice guru Dave Ramsey filling the 8-10 PM hole in the station's weekday schedule, starting today.Ramsey has been heard in the area only on Melodynamic talk/religious WCER/900 Canton since being dropped from a clearance on Salem religious talk/teaching WHKW/1220 Cleveland "The Word", in a dispute between Ramsey and Salem - Salem wanted Ramsey to start paying for his … [Read more...]
