NOTE TO KEN AND KITTY FANS: We appreciate your reading this article, which has apparently been linked to their website.However, Ohio Media Watch is not connected to either the show, or to the former radio home of the show. We are an independent online media publication that owns no broadcast facilities.If you wish to reach Ken and Kitty, please hit the BACK button on your browser and contact them directly via their website.Thank you!--The Management-------------We've got some flotsam and … [Read more...]
Controversy With Drennan
Posted on March 26, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Our title, of course, is a play on the name of sportscaster Bruce Drennan's former WKNR/850 morning show, "Mornings With Drennan". Feel free to sing it out loud in the style of, say, a show tune...Ever since regional sports network SportsTime Ohio announced that Drennan would host a daily talk show on the channel ("All Bets Are Off"), the Northeast Ohio media world can't stop buzzing about the hiring of a man who so recently walked out of a federal penitentiary, he has to get a work release … [Read more...]
WHBC’s Early Talk Debut
Posted on March 24, 2007 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 3/26/07 1:35 PM: As reported and expected, the WHBC talk format has launched. We'll keep the item open for comments until later tonight, as opposed to starting another item... --The Management------------OMW hears from numerous sources that the debut of the talk format on NextMedia's WHBC/1480 Canton will happen on Monday.The date that had been floated out of the building for the debut was April 2nd.But WHBC is apparently ready at the starting gate for March 26th - perhaps because they … [Read more...]
Where Else Does Dennis Go?
Posted on March 23, 2007 · Leave a Comment
The latest entertainment industry entrant into the talk radio realm debuts his Westwood One syndicated talk show Monday.And at launch or soon after, comedian/commentator/former football TV voice/actor/raconteur (whew!) Dennis Miller will have over 80 affiliates in his list, including some in reasonably large markets - including a clearance in his hometown of Pittsburgh, on CBS Radio's new FM talk station WRKZ/93.7.Well, it's rocker WRKZ now. Starting April 2nd it'll be WTZN "The Zone - … [Read more...]
A Few Random Items, AllAccess Style
Posted on March 22, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Here are some local quickies, courtesy of AllAccess:WHBC IS FOX: With a nod to our ongoing coverage of the move of NextMedia oldies WHBC/1480 Canton to talk, AllAccess reports another piece of that puzzle is complete.As rumored here for a long, long time, WHBC is indeed turning to a sports network to fill its non-game-night evening hours. FOX Sports Radio will begin airing on 1480 starting next Monday, from 7 PM to midnight and "around the clock" on weekends.We presume WHBC will keep its … [Read more...]
Winding Down
Posted on March 15, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Yes, we're still here, for now. So we probably owe you some updates...MORE WHBC TALKING: As NextMedia oldies WHBC/1480 Canton moves towards what looks like a firm date for the launch of its talk format on April 2nd, we have been pondering who will take the mid-morning time slot - you know, 10 AM-noon, the slot between the morning show with Fred Chenevey and Pam Cook, and Westwood One syndicated talker Dennis "Obscure Cultural References" Miller.Did you notice? We said "pondering".And for good … [Read more...]
Another Weekend Update
Posted on March 11, 2007 · Leave a Comment
And no, still without Chevy Chase...MORE WHBC STUFF: Our sources have provided more clarification on the immediate future of NextMedia oldies-to-talk WHBC/1480 Canton, though there are still unanswered questions.We're told that you may or may not hear Brady Russell doing full-fledged talk radio starting Monday in WHBC's afternoon drive slot, occupied until this past week by 20-year station vet Brice Lewis. And we're not sure he actually starts in the time slot as early as Monday.We get the … [Read more...]
1480 Moves To More Talk
Posted on March 9, 2007 · Leave a Comment
OMW hears that NextMedia oldies WHBC/1480 Canton, as long rumored in This Space, is finally bringing on the talk.We hear from many sources this evening that WHBC veteran afternoon drive host Brice Lewis was let go after his Thursday program.And sure enough, the station has done the "Soviet-style purge" of Mr. Lewis from its website.Listed on the WHBC schedule 3-7 PM now is "Afternoons on WHBC". Lewis is also off the station's "On-Air Personalities" page as of today.OMW hears that taking his … [Read more...]
More Comings, Goings And Other Stuff
Posted on March 6, 2007 · Leave a Comment
As it turns out, Tuesday was a very busy day...JOY BENEDICT JUMPS TWO CHANNELS: And exclusive, as far as we know...OMW hears that WKYC/3 Akron Bureau reporter Joy Benedict is leaving to join ABC affiliate WEWS/5.We hear she'll take the morning reporting position on the station's "Good Morning Cleveland", presumably as a direct replacement for now-former "NewsChannel 5" reporter Michelle Relerford. Benedict starts March 16th at Channel 5.While she was at WKYC, Benedict not only reported … [Read more...]
Welcome To March
Posted on March 3, 2007 · Leave a Comment
On the heels of items mentioned before, and sometimes more so...WRQK INVADES AKRON?: Clear Channel's new rocker WRQK/106.9 Canton has surely had at least some Akron listeners over the years, even with the presence of competing Rubber City rock WONE/97.5 and the station's general focus on Canton itself in the Cumulus years - give or take throwaway Akron mentions, like in the station's legal ID.And with the WRQK signal recently juiced back up to normal with its new tower site, we've wondered if … [Read more...]
