It's a pretty random, but important, collection of items in our basket on Tuesday morning...OH, AND BY THE WAY, THE PD: The news of the impending end of another American newspaper had everyone buzzing Monday, including your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm).Oh, by the way, employees of the Northeast Ohio sister paper of the Ann Arbor News took a budget hit Monday as well.Shortly after we took ourselves out of the media news stream to attend to Real Life, the Cleveland Plain Dealer announced its own latest … [Read more...]
Back To Digital TV
Posted on February 10, 2009 · Leave a Comment
We return to the world of the Up In The Air Digital TV Transition on a key day.The deadline was late last night for local TV stations to file notifications that they intend to shut down their analog signals on the original transition date of February 17, 2009 - which, looking at the calendar, is exactly one week from today.A bill passed by Congress and awaiting President Barack Obama's expected signature (today?) moves the date to June 12.Even if stations had already filed such notifications, … [Read more...]
Digital TV Date Frustration, Part Two
Posted on February 8, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Here's the promised second update in our "When Will Ohio Stations Dump Analog?" series, covering markets outside Cleveland/Akron. This one is also getting too big, so we'll cover the remaining markets in Southern Ohio and Southwest Ohio later.Just as we cautioned Saturday, remember that stations will have to re-file their intentions to hold to the original February 17th digital transition date. The FCC will accept those filings through the end of Monday (just before midnight Tuesday).From what … [Read more...]
Northeast Ohio’s Digital TV Picture
Posted on February 3, 2009 · Leave a Comment
We don't have all the information yet, but we think we can take a look at the "picture" of the upcoming digital TV transition in Northeast Ohio...just two weeks before the originally scheduled mandated date for full-power TV stations to take their old analog signals dark.And yes, that phrase "originally scheduled" is becoming quite important.After fits and starts in Washington, it looks like the U.S. House of Representatives is about ready to approve a shift of the national digital transition … [Read more...]
Waiting For Shoes To Drop
Posted on December 4, 2008 · Leave a Comment
This is an item filled with mostly some random items, much of the content from outside the immediate Cleveland/Akron/Canton area.But as they say, "stay tuned".The rumblings surrounding pending major moves at one local TV news operation are very loud...so loud you could probably hear them while standing on, oh, just to pick a street totally out of random, Lakeside Avenue in downtown Cleveland.What we're hearing will probably surprise you, and not just because of any names involved, or for that … [Read more...]
They Own Lima
Posted on December 2, 2008 · Leave a Comment
The owners of Lima NBC affiliate WLIO/35 are taking over every other TV network affiliate station in the market.The Lima News reports that Toledo-based Block Communications has agreed to pay $2.3 million dollars for Greg Phipps' four area LPTV stations, including the FOX (WOHL-CA 25), CBS (WLMO-LP 38) and ABC (WLQP-LP 18) affiliates in the Lima market. Another $100,000 will go to Greg and Kathleen Phipps for signing a non-compete agreement.The deal also takes in one of Phipps' stations that … [Read more...]
Lima Changes
Posted on October 2, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Changes at the Maverick Media cluster in Lima:We actually had no idea she was in Lima, but Columbus and Cleveland radio veteran Sandy Bennett has changed stations there.OMW hears from Maverick's contemporary formats director Dan Baisden that Bennett will be heard on top 40 WWSR "Star 92.1" and AC WDOH "Lite Rock 107.1", and will have "other duties", including overseeing the cluster's morning shows.In the "we didn't realize" department: she makes the move from crosstown Clear Channel country … [Read more...]
Western Ohio CC Station Sold
Posted on September 19, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Though there's absolutely no word (or even strong rumor) about the fate of a big Northeast Ohio Clear Channel station spun off into the "Aloha Station Trust", another of the company's stations in Western Ohio is indeed headed for a new owner.That would be WBUK/106.3 Ottawa, the Findlay-Lima market rimshot that picked up the oldies "Buck" format from the Lima market's 107.5 (now rock WZRX/107.5 Fort Shawnee "X107-5").But WBUK has most recently been classic rock "The Fox", a moniker and format it … [Read more...]
Some Quick Hits
Posted on August 5, 2008 · Leave a Comment
In the "we don't know much, haven't confirmed many details, but here's what we know" file...FOX 8 LAYOFFS?: We're still working this one, but here are the sketchy details so far.OMW hears that the Local TV LLC era at "Cleveland's Own" WJW/8 "FOX 8" is starting off with a bumpy ride for employees, with a number of layoffs of support and off-air staffers last Friday.We say "a number" because we haven't confirmed the actual number. Last time we went down this path a few weeks ago, we had been … [Read more...]
Midweek Housekeeping
Posted on January 9, 2008 · Leave a Comment
While sharpening our creative writing skills, some brief headlines of stuff we've not posted so far...and some fairly new stuff...BELLO EXITS: AllAccess reports that Radio One urban AC WZAK/93.1 Cleveland assistant program director/music director/midday personality Terry Bello is no longer in the building on St. Clair Avenue.In addition to his duties on WZAK, Bello was also program director of sister gospel outlet WJMO/1300 "Praise 1300"...MR. BURBANK'S RETIREMENT: We regret providing the … [Read more...]
