Here we go...it's time to distribute what we have as of late, and even some stuff we missed... MORE PRAYERS: It is a scene unlike anything we've seen in local media. A popular personality not as a polished TV host, but a crying wife just praying for her husband to be brought back to her. Local TV Fox affiliate WJW/8 "Fox 8 News in the Morning" co-host Stefani Schaefer wasn't smiling about the latest news or Hollywood gossip in her return to the show on Wednesday morning. No, she was Roger's … [Read more...]
Weekend Cleanup
Posted on January 22, 2012 · 3 Comments
With such a busy week, even the weekend provides us with the opportunity to clean up news from the remainder of the week... NOLAN RADIO AND THEN SOME: We were mostly playing around last week when we were speculating about the radio future of now-former Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 morning news co-anchor Mark Nolan. Though that speculation intersected with changes at CBS Radio AC WDOK/102.1, now known as "New 102", it turns out Mark's return to radio will take place at a different location - … [Read more...]
Last Call For 2011
Posted on December 19, 2011 · 4 Comments
This will be the last regular item until 2012, as we're going on Holiday Hiatus. Any major local radio/TV changes will be noted on our social media presence...and a reminder, you don't even have to be "on" either Twitter or Facebook to find those. Hit this link for our Twitter page, or look at the "OMW on Twitter" section of this very site. The updates are mirrored on both services. On behalf of the entire Ohio Media Watch staff (OK, your Primary Editorial Voice[tm] and our Secondary Voice, … [Read more...]
Technical And Non-Technical
Posted on December 6, 2011 · 6 Comments
UPDATE 12/6/11 6:23 PM: If you're just seeing this notice, we've added one more update we forgot...at the end of this item... -------- We have some "facilities" items up front, and a nice mix of non-technical stuff after that. Scroll down for the latter... THE WBNX FLY IN WJW'S OINTMENT: We breathlessly reported here recently that the Federal Communications Commission had issued an "NPRM" (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) that would clear the way for Local TV LLC Fox affiliate WJW/8 in … [Read more...]
A Snowy Mix Piling Up
Posted on November 30, 2011 · 7 Comments
As we write this item, the first snow of the season can be seen outside the OMW World Headquarters. Meanwhile, our items are piling more than the snow in this short-lived event... THIS JUST IN, FROM THE FCC: Monday, the Federal Communications Commission officially approved the $6.5 million sale of Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting AAA WNWV/107.3 "V107.3" to Akron's Rubber City Radio Group. There's no word on a timetable for the deal to close, or on what the new owners plan to do with the … [Read more...]
The Parade
Posted on November 16, 2011 · 3 Comments
It's a short parade of news items, as local media is pretty quiet, news-wise, just before the Thanksgiving holiday. But one parade is at the front of our larger parade, so to speak... HO HO HO!: Northeast Ohio radio has its first Christmas music station of the season. As no surprise to anyone, it's Clear Channel AC WHOF/101.7 "My 101.7" in the Canton market, which started rolling out the holiday tunes at 9 AM Wednesday. WHOF is traditionally at or near the start of the Christmas Music … [Read more...]
The Monday Followup
Posted on October 17, 2011 · 5 Comments
As usual when big news comes out, there's a followup that comes a little later... BIG SHOES: To say that the next afternoon driver at Clear Channel Cleveland country WGAR/99.5 has "big shoes to fill" is probably our understatement of the year. But the station has begun the daunting process of filling the afternoon drive time slot left open by one of the biggest tragedies in local radio history - the passing of Chuck Collier. All Access reports that Clear Channel Cleveland OM Keith Abrams (Hi, … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: WNWV/107.3 Sold To Rubber City Radio
Posted on October 13, 2011 · 10 Comments
The rumors have been bouncing all over Northeast Ohio radio for some time, and have intensified this week, but it's now official - with confirmation coming from the website of the co-owned newspaper to Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting AAA WNWV/107.3 Elyria "V107.3". ELB announced today that it is selling WNWV to Rubber City Radio Group, which owns Akron market stations oldies/news WAKR/1590, rock WONE/97.5 and country WQMX/94.9. From ELB's sister paper, the Chronicle-Telegram: The agreement still … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: WJW/8 Likely Headed To UHF Soon
Posted on October 12, 2011 · 11 Comments
If you're an over-air TV viewer tired of not being able to receive Fox programming or local news from Local TV LLC WJW/8 Cleveland's "Fox 8 News", here is some GOOD news. Your long, regional TV nightmare is nearly over. That's because the FCC has weighed in on WJW's request to move its over-air signal from RF channel 8, to its pre-transition UHF channel of 31...off the trouble-plagued VHF band. In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) released Tuesday, the agency says it is in favor of the … [Read more...]
Early Week Pileup
Posted on October 10, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Some items have been piling up here at OMW World Headquarters, so it's time to clear the traffic lanes... QUICK EXIT: Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 "NewsChannel 5" has parted ways with reporter/anchor Justin Michaels, rather suddenly. From a brief station memo about his exit from news director Jill Manuel: I want to share the news that Justin Michaels is no longer with NewsChannel 5. Please join me in wishing Justin luck in his future endeavors. From what we're hearing out of 3001 Euclid, … [Read more...]
