Let's see where the Tuesday morning item mix takes us...unfortunately, it's mostly not good news...CUTBACKS: The sour economy has resulted in some economic-related cutbacks on Campus Center Drive in Kent.That's the home of Western Reserve PBS, the local public TV outlet which operates WNEO/45 Alliance and WEAO/49 Akron, which is making some financial moves to try to ensure economic stability in an economy that's forced pretty much every media outlet to make some hard choices.Quoting a news … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: WKDD Wants To Return Home
Posted on February 27, 2009 · Leave a Comment
It's been nearly eight years since Clear Channel Akron market hot AC WKDD stopped airing from its transmitter site on Bellaire Lane in Cuyahoga Falls in 2001 - its format heading for Canton-licensed 98.1, the former WHK-FM and WTOF-FM.WKDD has now officially filed to return to that former home.The station, now licensed to the Akron suburb of Munroe Falls, has filed an application with the FCC to move from its current Hartville facilities on 98.1, to the Bellaire Lane site...and literally to the … [Read more...]
Wrapping Up The Early Switch
Posted on February 18, 2009 · Leave a Comment
We've been on the road, and have spent a lot of time talking about what was supposed to be a nationwide event...the end of full-power analog TV...on Tuesday.We'll continue to pass along news about the still-ongoing transition, but this item will wrap up the detailed coverage of "Transition Day One"...and we'll be spending more time on our usual mix of items from now on. Coming up later, either tonight or tomorrow morning, more rumblings about that news video sharing "pool" announced by … [Read more...]
The Week That Will Be
Posted on February 16, 2009 · Leave a Comment
So, we're back for our usual Monday morning go-around.Like last week, news about the now-mostly-moved digital TV transition will be hard to avoid this week - at least through the first part of this week, at any rate.For now, we'll start on the radio...with a digital TV update to follow later this morning...PAUL HARVEY...GOODBYE: Clear Channel talk WTVN/610 Columbus is the latest station to part ways with the news commentary nominally hosted by veteran broadcaster Paul Harvey.Echoing earlier … [Read more...]
And Finally On The Digital TV Front
Posted on February 13, 2009 · Leave a Comment
It looks like those "alternate showings" are now in the public FCC files for TV stations listed as needing to meet new conditions to sign off analog signals by the original deadline of Tuesday (February 17th).The filings we've seen support our reporting earlier about the Dayton market, where all full-power commercial stations now say they'll pull back from the February 17th analog shutoff date.And a Dayton Daily News story this afternoon by Jim DeBrosse confirms our own suspicions - that even … [Read more...]
NextMedia Lays Down Axe In Canton
Posted on February 13, 2009 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 2/13/09 3:35 PM: OMW also hears that there are two part-time staff cuts on the FM side at Market Avenue South - "Mix 94.1" part-time air personalities Richard Nemec and Amanda Leary, bringing the total to eight - six full-time and two part-time - out the door at NextMedia Canton. The part-timers may still do holiday fill-in, but are losing regular work.We also aren't sure if Sam Bourqin's new afternoon drive show will be sports-related, or general issues talk. Via the 1480 stream, we … [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...]
Closing Friday
Posted on January 16, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Many of the items below have to do with the upcoming transition to digital TV, which is currently scheduled for February 17th, 2009.But first, we've got an elephant in the middle of the room that we can't ignore...CLEAR CHANNEL RUMORS: We've touched on it before, briefly...the rumors that massive job cuts are in the works at Clear Channel clusters around the country, after an important managers' meeting in Dallas a while back.Since then, the radio rumor mill has pumped out January 20th - next … [Read more...]
February 17…Or Not?
Posted on January 8, 2009 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 1/8/09 4:03 PM: As hinted below, President-elect Barack Obama is indeed urging a delay in the DTV transition date.Quoting an Associated Press article we found on the TVNewsday trade news website:In a letter to key lawmakers, transition team co-chair John Podesta warned Thursday that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air broadcasts won't be ready.The letter to Congress reportedly focuses on two reasons for delay: the reported problems with the government's … [Read more...]
Time Warner HD
Posted on January 8, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Here at OMW, it's definitely one of our most Frequently Asked Questions:When is the local Time Warner Cable operation in Northeast Ohio going to add more HD channels?OMW readers are a well-informed bunch, as a rule. They know that satellite providers have added a number of HD channels over the past year or so. They know other cable systems - even those owned by Time Warner, like the Columbus-based Mid-Ohio system - have added many more channels.(To be fair, not only is the Mid-Ohio system … [Read more...]
