Shortly after the start of every new year, some radio stations feel it's a great time for a fresh start...with a format change.Since they're not in our regular listening area, OMW missed two of them - but we've caught up with them a full week before the end of January, so we can say "this month"...W-WOW BACK TO TALK: The format wheel has been spun so often at one small Northeast Ohio station, WWOW/1360 Conneaut, we wouldn't be surprised to see TV's Vanna White around.Its most recent format was … [Read more...]
An Odd Wednesday
Posted on January 22, 2009 · Leave a Comment
And considering the events of this week, "odd" may be an understatement.Yeah, we're tiring rather rapidly of listing those tossed aside from the Good Ship Radio this week. For the moment, we'll lead with something not related to job loss...THE ANALOG SHUFFLE: When local television stations figure out how they'll deal with cable systems and signal carriage, they have basically two choices.Broadcasters can either demand "retransmission consent", which means they get some consideration (monetary, … [Read more...]
Captains Move Flagship To WREO
Posted on January 20, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Though long-time Lake Erie Captains flagship WELW/1330 Willoughby will continue to air the Class A minor league baseball team's games, the team is getting a new flagship station in 2009.The Captains have announced that Media One AC WREO/97.1 "Star 97.1" Ashtabula will become the new primary station on the Captains Radio Network, with "selected weekday day games" heard on Media One sister sports WFUN/970 "ESPN 970".Quoting a press release the Captains sent directly to OMW: “We are very excited … [Read more...]
Yeah, It’s Monday
Posted on November 5, 2007 · Leave a Comment
While waiting to make an announcement...ESPN 970: As linked here via the Ashtabula Star-Beacon earlier, Media One's WFUN/970 has made the switch from talk to sports.OMW regular reader/tipster Nathan Obral up in Lorain County - apparently getting some good across-Lake Erie reception - tells us that WFUN made the previously announced format change over the weekend, now branding as "ESPN 970 WFUN".The earlier report stated that the format change would move WFUN morning drive host John Broom's show … [Read more...]
Another Ashtabula Change
Posted on October 26, 2007 · Leave a Comment
It hasn't taken long for the new entity known as Media One to make its mark on the former Clear Channel cluster in Ashtabula.After flipping top 40 WZOO/102.5 Edgewood to oldies as "Magic Oldies 102.5", the company is about to make its second format change - this time on the AM dial.The Ashtabula Star-Beacon's Robert Lebzelter reports that Media One's WFUN/970 is dropping its news/talk format, moving to become an all-sports outlet sometime in November.The station's morning drive … [Read more...]
Big Monday Roundup
Posted on October 8, 2007 · Leave a Comment
We've been compiling this one on and off over the weekend, and it's grown seemingly by the hour.So, let's unleash the Big Monday Roundup, with 60's and 70's oldies music in the background, in honor of WZOO/102.5's flip from top 40 to oldies over the weekend...NO FSN OHIO HD?: Since the channel is not used all that often, we didn't know about this until the appearance of George M. Thomas' "Airing It Out" column in the Akron Beacon Journal on Thursday.But it appears FOX Sports Net Ohio has … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: Ashtabula CHR “102ZOO” Flips To Oldies
Posted on October 5, 2007 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 10/6/07 10:55 AM: OMW hears from a listener in the Ashtabula area...who tells us 102.5 there is already playing oldies, but promoting the official launch of "Magic Oldies 102.5" on Monday.The station is running a promo promising "the best music of the 60's and 70's" with current WFUN/WREO news voice Kathy Davis promoting her own new show on 102.5. We don't know when Ms. Davis' show will be heard on the new "Magic Oldies", aside from sometime in the morning.We're pretty sure of the … [Read more...]
Monday Stuff
Posted on September 17, 2007 · Leave a Comment
We start off this week with an update or two, a musing or two, and other stuff...SANDY'S OUT: Here's an item that showed up on AllAccess late last week, but we didn't get to it yet...SAGA COMMUNICATIONS AC WSNY (SUNNY 95)/COLUMBUS, OH midday jock SANDY BENNETT exits. She is replaced by sister station Smooth Jazz WJZA midday talent TRISHA MOORE.Of course, Sandy also has history in the Cleveland market, at stations like WMJI/105.7 and the old "Jammin' 92" (then-WZJM/92.3, now CBS Radio alt-rocker … [Read more...]
Sweet Homecoming Monday
Posted on September 14, 2007 · Leave a Comment
OMW has confirmed that the new owners of the soon-to-be-former Clear Channel cluster in Ashtabula will take over Monday morning, September 17th.That would be the company known as "Sweet Home Ashtabula", which is owned by long-time Cleveland media executive Tom Embrescia.The sale was actually approved by the FCC back in August, and involves:* WFUN/970 Ashtabula (news/talk/sports)* WREO/97.1 Ashtabula (AC "Star 97.1")* WYBL/98.3 Ashtabula (country "The Bull")* WZOO/102.5 Edgewood (hot … [Read more...]
As It Turns Out
Posted on June 11, 2007 · Leave a Comment
It would appear that the big proposed swap between Clear Channel's WBBG/106.1 Niles and WREO/97.1 Ashtabula has fallen apart in mere days.OK, so we were skeptical when anonymous commenters alluded to it on the item immediately below this.But sure enough, both applications are listed as "dismissed" as of this evening on the FCC web site, with a dismissal date of today.Here's the link to the WBBG application, and the link to the WREO application, both of which show the "dismissed" status.Since we … [Read more...]
