We've reached the point of no return in regards to the digital TV transition. And at this point, even a member of Congress wildly waving hands and laying down on the DTV Track won't stop the end of full-power analog TV in the United States, by the end of the day this Friday.Yep...THIS Friday.Read the entire article at our Ohio Digital TV blog... … [Read more...]
Really, Really Assorted Stuff
Posted on June 1, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Our Monday return is full of followups, assorted items and stuff we haven't gotten to, yet..."THE CAT" FLIPS TO RTN...ER...RTV: As reported earlier and expected, Media-Com LPTV duo WAOH-LP 29 Akron/W35AX Cleveland did indeed go back...into its TV future.The station is now running programming from the Retro Television Network, the same classic TV shows that are now also being run down I-77 at Canton-based Image Video LPTV combo WIVM-LP 52 Canton/WIVN-LP 29 Newcomerstown(/Dover/New … [Read more...]
RTN’s Second Cleveland Market Affiliate
Posted on May 29, 2009 · Leave a Comment
NORTH CANTON, OHIO --Well, technically, Image Video LPTV combo WIVM-LP 52 Canton/WIVN-LP 29 Newcomerstown/Dover/New Philadelphia and WIVX-LP 65/Loudonville is actually the first Retro Television Network affiliate in Northeast Ohio.While waiting for the announced June 1st flip of Media-Com LPTV combo WAOH-LP 29 Akron/W35AX 35 Cleveland to RTN programming, OMW got word that the WIVM/WIVN/WIVX folks beat "The Cat" to the RTN switch.The Canton-based stations launched the new RTN (RTV?) programming … [Read more...]
Time Warner’s May HDTV Channel Wave
Posted on May 26, 2009 · Leave a Comment
The latest group of new HDTV channels has arrived in most local Time Warner Cable service areas in Northeast Ohio.OMW readers report that the HD versions of the Golf Channel. CNN, FX, Fox News Channel, and Science Channel have shown up as of earlier today. Digital Basic subscribers should also have the HD version of the National Geographic Channel.By tomorrow, HD Tier subscribers should see the history-oriented Smithsonian Channel, and Mav TV.To the best of our understanding, the channels are … [Read more...]
Supersized Memorial Day Weekend Update
Posted on May 25, 2009 · Leave a Comment
We've been accumulating a Supersized Pile of Items here at your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm), and it's time to reduce the pile. The holiday weekend is as "good a time as any" to do so.And on behalf of the entire editorial staff of Ohio Media Watch, we mark the holiday to honor those who served and gave their lives for us...WHO'S #1?: Regular OMW readers know that we don't spend a lot of time in ratings land, for either TV or radio stations.The reason is simple: We don't have the unvarnished data, … [Read more...]
WKDD Heading To Bellaire Lane
Posted on May 22, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Clear Channel Akron market hot AC WKDD/98.1 is about ready to return, physically, to the Akron market.The once-Canton licensed facility, now licensed to the Akron suburb of Munroe Falls, got FCC approval this week to locate its transmitter facility at Bellaire Lane in Cuyahoga Falls...at the very same spot WKDD occupied for many years with its original 96.5 antenna.If you're a regular OMW reader, you know "the rest of the story", as a certain late iconic radio news commentator would have … [Read more...]
DTV Season Into High Gear
Posted on May 21, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Like the upcoming Memorial Day weekend usually signals the start of the mythical Summer Driving Season, today apparently signals the start of the Official DTV Transition - We're Serious About This, We're Really Going To Do This Now - Season...with the June 12th transition date just weeks away.Local TV stations in Northeast Ohio are indeed joining along with a nationwide DTV "soft test", interrupting their analog signals three times today to urge viewers to, well, make their own transition.More … [Read more...]
Speaking Of Sports Radio
Posted on May 19, 2009 · Leave a Comment
With apologies to the estate of the late Howard Cosell...FOXY MOVE: As OMW reported earlier, Clear Channel sports WARF/1350 Akron is readying to make its network switch.On June 8th, "SportsRadio 1350" will leave Sporting News Radio behind, and become the Akron market's affiliate of Fox Sports Radio...taking the affiliation from Media-Com rimshot daytime lightbulb signal outlet WJMP/1520 Kent/Akron/Ravenna/Streetsboro/Chicago. (OK, so maybe they don't claim Chicago.)OMW had heard earlier that … [Read more...]
Hey, Is Someone Retiring This Week
Posted on May 18, 2009 · Leave a Comment
In case you're reading OMW from underneath a rock, a reminder...Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 is saying goodbye this week to one of the few remaining news anchor icons in the Cleveland market.You can be forgiven if you get a sense of "deja vu" this week while watching the station pay tribute to long-time "NewsChannel 5" anchor Ted Henry...who exits the anchor chair after the 11 PM newscast on Tuesday.After all, the station celebrated his 35th anniversary a few years ago with various clips and … [Read more...]
TWC HDTV Request
Posted on May 15, 2009 · Leave a Comment
OMW would like to know if any readers are still experiencing various glitches related to the rollout of new HD channels in Time Warner Cable's Northeast Ohio footprint.This request is only for those in areas which have already received the most recent set of channels released to areas with Switched Digital Video (SDV) activated, who have seen such issues as channel breakup or audio with no video.Please tell us where you live (city/community), and which part of the TWC system you are in...legacy … [Read more...]
