A mainstay of Northeast Ohio gospel format radio has passed away.Clear Channel passes along word that Anne Robinson, who has been involved with the long-running Sunday "Gospel Brunch" program and its predecessors on Akron's WARF/1350 for over 40 years, passed away on Tuesday.Robinson is called "one of the originating voices" of the "Gospel Brunch" show, which has aired on either AM 1350 or now-sister talk WHLO/640 in some form each Sunday, since the run started with the debut of her "Gospel … [Read more...]
Random Stuff, In No Particular Order
Posted on June 16, 2008 · Leave a Comment
And mostly just clearing out the "inbox" here at your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm)...TOLEDO OLDIES: Cumulus Toledo market oldies outlet WRQN/93.5 has made a change in evenings.Veteran Toledo - and elsewhere - radio personality Jim Brady has exited the oldies station's 6 PM-11 PM slot, and is being replaced by another Toledo and station vet, Buddy Carr.Carr has been holding down a 10 AM-3 PM Saturday shift, which the station says he'll keep after taking over nights full-time starting tonight.No word … [Read more...]
Saying Goodbye, And Hello
Posted on May 30, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Today, as scheduled, is the final day of the WKYC/3-produced "Akron/Canton News", which in recent times has been airing on (most of) Time Warner Cable's systems in the Akron/Canton area.The last two newscasts will air at 6:30 PM and 10 PM on the company's "NEON" local programming channel in the Akron/Canton region (23, or 15 on the former Adelphia systems in Western Summit County).The newscast moved from WVPX/23, the former ABC-turned-PAX TV affiliate long known for local TV news in the … [Read more...]
Three From Freedom Avenue
Posted on May 9, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Clear Channel's Freedom Avenue complex is a bit busy today.First, former WRQK/106.9 night guy Nick Andrews is back in the building, taking afternoons at the Canton rocker. Of course, the place has changed owners since Nick was there last time...Cumulus had the station when he did the night gig.The hiring nudges "Fishhead" from afternoons into middays, and that means the exit of long-time middayer and former "Rock 106.9" program director Keith Hamilton.In another studio at Freedom Avenue, … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: Bye, Bye, Bob and Tom
Posted on May 1, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Cleveland Clear Channel rocker WMMS/100.7 is "rocking again" in the middle of the day.The station has just announced that the midday placement of syndicated morning drive talk show "Bob and Tom" is history, as of today. Midday air personality Maria returns to her old time slot starting at 11 AM."Bob and Tom"'s recorded presence in middays was made necessary a month ago, when WMMS snagged the rights to Shane "Rover" French and his "Rover's Morning Glory" show - formerly heard on CBS Radio … [Read more...]
Tip Of The OMW Hat To Ed
Posted on April 22, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Rubber City Radio's Ed Esposito, who holds the futuristic-looking title of "VP/Information Media" for the Akron-based radio cluster (oldies WAKR/1590, country WQMX/94.9, and classic rock WONE/97.5), was named chairman of the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) at the recent NAB convention.We've seen it announced other places, but were a bit slow on this - for one - because Ed was too modest to toot his own horn.But you can hear a honk or two thanks to the good folks at AllAccess. … [Read more...]
EXCLUSIVE: Details On Matt Patrick’s AM Talk Show
Posted on April 21, 2008 · Leave a Comment
As first reported here last week, long-time Clear Channel Akron/Canton hot AC WKDD/98.1 morning co-host Matt Patrick will pick up an afternoon talk radio gig on sister AM talker WHLO/640.We've now uncovered the details we didn't have last week...with an early version of a press release that floated out on the wind out of a Freedom Avenue window."The Matt Patrick Show" premieres on Monday, April 28th on WHLO from 5-7 PM.No, Mr. Patrick isn't giving up his WKDD morning perch next to co-host Angela … [Read more...]
TWC Digital Realignment Update
Posted on April 17, 2008 · Leave a Comment
An update to our earlier post/question about Time Warner Cable's local digital channel realignment...TWC's Bill Jasso tells OMW that the cable operator expects to complete the digital channel moves in the Greater Cleveland area by the end of this month.The cable operator has already put in the new digital lineup in the so-called "legacy" areas in the Akron/Canton region - the systems that the company previously operated before acquiring Adelphia and Comcast's Cleveland area subscribers.He also … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: WKYC/TWC Akron/Canton News Shutting Down
Posted on April 16, 2008 · Leave a Comment
WKYC and Time Warner Cable announced today that "Akron/Canton News", the WKYC-produced weekday news broadcast airing on Time Warner Cable's "NEON" local programming channel at 6:30 and 10 PM, will close up shop on May 30th.Channel 3 senior director and Friend of OMW Frank Macek has an item on the end of "ACN" on his "Director's Cut" blog this evening, with a quote from WKYC general manager Brooke Spectorsky. The station blames poor economic conditions for the end of the newscast.And the anchor … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: WKDD’s Patrick To Do Talk Show
Posted on April 15, 2008 · Leave a Comment
The details are sketchy and few right now.But word is leaking out of Clear Channel Akron/Canton's Freedom Avenue compound that long-time hot AC WKDD/98.1 morning man Matt Patrick is set to do another regular show in May...a three-hour local talk show on the cluster's talk outlet, WHLO/640 Akron.We don't have further details on this, including in what time slot he would do the show, or how it affects his long-time gig hosting the WKDD morning show...which Patrick has been hosting since long … [Read more...]
