There's a change at the Whiplash Radio operation in the Youngstown market, that reunites programming on the cluster's two stations. Whiplash's WYCL/1540 Niles had been LMAed by Philip Cato with a talk format. Well, it had a talk format most of the time, anyway, give or take syndicated smooth jazz and other musical programming. Whiplash owner and OMW reader Chris Lash has taken over programming WYCL again, and has flipped it to a simulcast of co-owned standards outlet WHTX/1570 Warren "Fabulous … [Read more...]
The Exit Door
Posted on November 22, 2011 · 6 Comments
It's nearing the end of the year, and that means at least one high profile TV news personality in Cleveland is about to end her run here...and one other could follow in the next month or so... BELL MOVES ON: The first primary evening news anchor to exit the Cleveland market this season is Stacey Bell, who has been co-anchoring the 5 PM and 10 PM editions of Fox affiliate WJW/8 "Fox 8 News" with Bill Martin for the past few years...starting anchor duties on the 5 PM show in 2000, and adding 10 … [Read more...]
The Crowded Christmas Music Parade
Posted on November 17, 2011 · 5 Comments
Just one day after we noted Northeast Ohio's first Christmas music station of the season (Canton market Clear Channel otherwise AC WHOF/101.7 "My 101.7"), and hours after Local TV LLC Fox affiliate WJW/8's "Fox 8 News in the Morning" picked up on our speculation...the Christmas Music Parade has become a mini-stampede. Well, almost. As widely expected, CBS Radio AC WDOK/102.1 Cleveland has officially jumped onto Santa's Musical Sleigh...complete with an on-air name change to "Christmas … [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 Collection
Posted on November 7, 2011 · 1 Comment
Some of this you've already read before, of course, but it's official... SLATS TO WNCX: In a previous item, we told you that former Cleveland market radio veteran Tim Slats was heading back to town for a big gig...morning driver at CBS Radio classic rocker WNCX/98.5. On Friday, we found a familiar sight in our mailbox...official confirmation that Slats would start in morning drive on WNCX (as we reported) today, Monday, November 7th. And from that official release out of the Halle Building, … [Read more...]
The All Ones Update
Posted on November 1, 2011 · 1 Comment
That's because today is November 1, 2011, otherwise known as "11/1/11". Some TV changes are up first, with radio not far behind... WHERE'S AMANDA? WHERE'S AJ?: The big movement among local TV newsrooms this week involves weekend weather forecasters. First, we'll start with brand new forecaster Amanda Jahn, who moved to Cleveland from Phoenix to join OMW reader Mark Zinni on the recently launched weekend morning editions of Local TV LLC Fox affiliate WJW/8's "Fox 8 News". You might recall the … [Read more...]
Clear Channel Layoffs Post
Posted on October 26, 2011 · 7 Comments
Those watching the trade sites aren't surprised: An estimated 150 to "many hundreds" of Clear Channel employees nationwide are being told today that their services aren't necessary. This post, affecting Northeast Ohio's Clear Channel stations, will be a running list as we update it. All Access and other sites have been tracking those laid off in some other Ohio markets, like Dayton. The so-called "Reduction in Force" is affecting mainly Clear Channel's medium and smaller … [Read more...]
Comings And Goings, Late October Edition
Posted on October 25, 2011 · Leave a Comment
OMW once again becomes Grand Central Station, Media Hub... 3001 EUCLID, INCOMING: Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 "NewsChannel 5" has two incoming newsies, and one is a familiar local TV name from the past. The station has already announced the arrival of Macie McInnis Jepson as one of two new "Good Morning Cleveland" co-anchors, the other to be named later. And yes, she is a name you'd recognize if you watched local TV news in the 1990s, says the station's announcement: Northeast Ohioans will … [Read more...]
The Sports Radio Imaging Battle
Posted on October 24, 2011 · 7 Comments
Our extensive coverage of "The Sports Radio Battle" in Cleveland, between Good Karma's "ESPN 850 WKNR" and CBS Radio's "92.3 The Fan", got noticed by someone well-qualified to talk about the respective stations' sound. And we mean "sound"...as in "overall station sound". After all, Ken Dardis of Cleveland's Audio Graphics, Inc. was directly responsible for WKNR's first "sound" in the 1990s, when he was the sports station's first creative/production director. Ken adds a much less important … [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...]
