There have been some news items from areas outside Northeast Ohio in the past few days, and we've either been on hiatus, or busy with items closer to our base to cover markets like Columbus, Toledo and Youngstown.That's most of this item, though we'll start with Cleveland...TROUBLED TALKERS: Late December was a bad time for talk radio hosts getting into hot water.But it wasn't something that came from the mouth of Clear Channel Cleveland talk WTAM/1100 Sunday night host Art McKoy that got him … [Read more...]
Digital TV Update
Posted on January 6, 2009 · Leave a Comment
As promoted, but a little late...a bit of a Digital TV Update. As of this writing, we're about 6 weeks away from the digital TV transition on February 17th, where, by 11:59:59 PM, all full-power stations will turn off their signals.Well, almost all.We've told you about the so-called "nightlight" analog TV bill, which was approved and signed into law. It allows a certain number of stations to keep their analog TV transmitters up for 30 days after February 17, carrying information about the … [Read more...]
Heading Off
Posted on December 23, 2008 · Leave a Comment
As promised, this is our final regular news update for 2008.We'll do our best to put up any major breaking media news (station sales, major format or personality/anchor changes) during the Christmas holiday period...but we won't be updating regularly until January 5, 2009.We will put up a very brief, non-newsy personal "Year End" message from your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) somewhere around the end of 2008.So, if it's not here in this update, it'll have to wait until...next year. (No, we're … [Read more...]
WVKO Losing Liberal Talk
Posted on December 21, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Just a couple of weeks after Bernard Radio liberal talk WVKO/1580 Columbus celebrated its first anniversary, the format is about to go away.Those associated with the current format, operated in a local marketing agreement by Gary Richards' Cowtown Communications, are announcing that the liberal talk format's last day will be Monday, December 22nd.From the station's website:WVKO AM will be changing format from “Progressive Talk” to “Religious” before the year is over. The station has been … [Read more...]
Beck Back To Old Columbus Home
Posted on December 19, 2008 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 12/19/08 1:31 PM: OMW hears that displaced WTVN/610 midday host Joel Riley will be designated the "primary fill-in" for the station's two remaining local hosts, Bob Conners and John Corby...duty which should give him at least a few weeks of airtime over the course of a year, since both Conners and Corby have extensive vacation time.We're told Riley will also continue with Corby and Joe Bradley in the Friday "Big Bass Brothers" segment on Corby's show, and that he could have other duties … [Read more...]
A Mess Of Cable Changes
Posted on December 9, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Every once in a while, we dip into the legal programming notices section of Time Warner Cable's website, where the company has to disclose some upcoming changes without shouting them from the rooftops.The list currently up for TWC's Northeast Ohio service area is long, complex and detailed.But...what looks innocuous on the legal notice could well develop into a problem not many anticipated.The notice includes what most usually think is "boilerplate" language about the potential loss of carriage … [Read more...]
Out Of The Box Monday
Posted on December 8, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Items have been piling up, almost literally, over the weekend...so, let's give them room to breathe free. But this update is so big, we'll have to split it into two...with more coming later today...WRUW BACK: Case Western Reserve University's WRUW/91.1 Cleveland is back on the air again.The non-comm station's website has details:We were able to turn on our transmitter again just after 9:30 am on Friday, December 5, 2008, after almost two weeks off the air due to a fire at our transmitter site … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: WKNR, OSU Re-Up Through 2012
Posted on November 20, 2008 · Leave a Comment
As Buckeye Nation concentrates on this weekend's big football game with the Michigan Wolverines, the Ohio State Radio Network's Cleveland affiliate is crowing about the future.Good Karma sports WKNR/850 "ESPN 850 WKNR" has announced a renewal of the station's contract to carry Buckeyes football and basketball in the Cleveland market. The new deal lasts through the year 2012.Quoting a WKNR release:"Given the enthusiasm that exists in Cleveland and the surrounding area for Ohio State football and … [Read more...]
Mid-October Closeout
Posted on October 24, 2008 · Leave a Comment
This will likely be the final item for the week, and could be our final update for the rest of the month.We will try to post major, breaking events...like format changes, major personality or anchor changes, broadcast station sales, and, well, returning radio stations.But in case we don't get a Round Tuit(tm), this might be up for some time...and here's a grab bag of items to close out our agenda for a while...NO MORE RADIO BILL: It was posted as a rumor some time back, but it seems to be … [Read more...]
First HD Radio Talk Simulcast
Posted on October 21, 2008 · Leave a Comment
As we suspected would happen one day, Northeast Ohio's first HD Radio simulcast of an AM talk station is now up.Clear Channel talk WHLO/640 Akron can now be heard on the HD2 channel of sister* rock WRQK/106.9 Canton.The move was made possible by the HD Radio Alliance's recent decision to allow commercial radio formats on HD2 side channels. The group, which counts Clear Channel as a member, had previously agreed not to run commercial feeds on those side channels.The policy change by the group is … [Read more...]
