As expected, the looming September 1st FCC deadline for analog LPTV stations to convert to digital has been suspended. The excellent Tom Taylor Now E-mail newsletter gave us first word of the FCC's decision (released on Friday) here, and explains some of it: The reprieve is a logical move given the early-2016 TV spectrum auction that’s going to turn the whole dial upside down after it’s been trimmed up and “re-packed.” The FCC says postponing the September 1 transition date is “appropriate … [Read more...]
A Cozi Laff
Posted on April 6, 2015 · 8 Comments
There were rumblings that the previously announced "Laff" comedy subchannel would not actually directly replace "Live Well Network" on Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5's 5.2 subchannel when that home and lifestyle subchannel goes away later this month. That turns out to be correct, but only because another subchannel network will come to Cleveland on WEWS' 5.2 subchannel instead. The station confirms in an official release that the "Cozi TV" network, another treasure trove of popular reruns, … [Read more...]
The Next Radio 1: oWOW
Posted on February 23, 2015 · 2 Comments
Our first #thenextradio installment is a question and answer session with John Gorman. Both in Cleveland and beyond, he is best known for his stint programming iconic rock station WMMS/100.7, which is today the iHeart-owned blend of talk, rock and sports. Here's a snippet of his bio, in case you're one of a handful of readers at a Northeast Ohio media blog who doesn't know his past: Gorman programmed and served as Operations Manager at WMMS from 1973 to 1986, the station’s glory years, while … [Read more...]
About The Next Radio
Posted on February 22, 2015 · 2 Comments
Each Monday, we will have an installment in our series called #thenextradio. The series came about when we were, like many, noticing experienced broadcasters striking out on their own...more often than before. Some had left "traditional radio" voluntarily, some not in such a voluntary way. In the old days, these people basically disappeared when they left the chair behind the microphone...until they managed to get a new radio job, a lot of times "across the street" in radio parlance. Of … [Read more...]
Stations New And Old
Posted on February 3, 2015 · 3 Comments
And our opener today is a big signal upgrade for a translator that'll apparently add to iHeart's Oak Tree stable... LATEST FORMAT?: Our content partners at RadioInsight first spotted a move that'd turn translator W291BV/106.1 Solon into a player in the Cleveland market, signal-wise: In Cleveland, an application filed by iHeartMedia will see EMF’s 106.1 W291BV Solon, OH move to the current auxiliary antenna of CBS’ 102.1 WDOK where it will operate with 200 watts at 264 meters rebroadcasting an … [Read more...]
Good For A LAFF
Posted on January 19, 2015 · Leave a Comment
With the home/lifestyle subchannel Live Well TV shutting down this month, there's been no word what Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 in Cleveland would replace it with on 5.2...until now. The folks behind male-targeted GRIT (WUAB 43.3) and female-targeted ESCAPE (WQHS 61.4) are going after funny bones of both genders with the new "LAFF" network. Here's how the new subchannel network's press release describes it: The country's first-ever, over-the-air broadcast television network devoted to … [Read more...]
Opening The Year
Posted on January 5, 2015 · 8 Comments
Welcome to 2015...but first, we have to clear out the backlog from the end of 2014... WKYC CHANGES: First, we turn to 13th and Lakeside, one of several busy places TV-wise as the calendar winded down the year. (We'll wind our way through all the other local TV news operations in Cleveland, as this string continues.) The job descriptions in the Spectorsky-Byrnes household have once again shifted, and Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 station manager Micki Byrnes has taken the top job at the station … [Read more...]
Happy Holidays
Posted on December 23, 2014 · 1 Comment
There is one news item here (stay tuned!), this is mostly a note to let readers know that we are officially taking a Holiday Hiatus. Our news item is brief, and involves local TV. Denise Polverine, long-time Editor in Chief/Director of Digital Operations for Cleveland.com/Northeast Ohio Media Group, is making the jump to broadcast TV. Starting January 5th, she'll be taking her talents to 13th and Lakeside, where she'll be assistant news director at Gannett NBC affiliate … [Read more...]
Football And Justice
Posted on November 20, 2014 · 3 Comments
No, we're not writing about Adrian Peterson. The title just happens to be our two subjects for this update... BROWNS TO 5: For those used to watching Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 for your preseason Cleveland Browns fix, starting next year...you'll have to "Catch 5". Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 will become the Browns' "TV and digital partner" starting with the 2015 season. From a release out of 3001 Euclid: “Our consistent goal is to continually communicate with our fans and connect with … [Read more...]
Off And On
Posted on October 22, 2014 · Leave a Comment
From signals off to court humor on, here we are... UPDATE: As if by magic, the moment we posted this item, WEAO/49's over-air signal returned. Read on for news of program rescheduling to make up for the outage... 49 OFF AGAIN: Western Reserve PBS' Akron signal is off the air again. This time, it's the wait for a needed part replacement that has kept WEAO/49 from area over-air tuners since an equipment failure that happened Sunday morning. Western Reserve PBS communications coordinator and … [Read more...]
