UPDATE 1/3/11 8:54 AM: Plenty of updates below, including the official press release on "The Lake", and we're adding audio courtesy of long-time OMW contributor Nathan Obral...that audio will be coming later... ------------ As it turns out, we were on target in our skepticism that Clear Channel's WMVX/106.5 Cleveland would exit its four day long stunt as 90s music-focused "GenX Radio" this morning. Well, at least so far. At 7:30, WMVX slowed down the format stunt wheel, declaring that … [Read more...]
Playing The Game At 106.5
Posted on January 2, 2011 · Leave a Comment
So, we're less than a day from the launch of 90s music station "GenX 106.5" in Cleveland. Or, are we? We've been considering the possibilities, conferring with other radio industry watchers, and thinking about it. And for us this Sunday, all the chatter we're hearing about a new "GenX" music format on the former "Mix 106.5" seems...well...almost staged. Planted. It's TOO perfect. Maybe folks connected to Oak Tree are "playing the game" with us. (And no, we're not suggesting that 106.5 … [Read more...]
Figuring Out 106.5’s Next Move
Posted on December 30, 2010 · 4 Comments
As Clear Channel Cleveland gets some attention for a wide-ranging musical stunt on the now-former "Mix 106.5", just about everyone short of the proverbial dog catcher is trying to guess what the station does next on the still-currently-named WMVX/106.5. We'll preface this as being a piece, entirely, of speculation, based on no fact or even rumor about 106.5's direction after 7:30 on Monday morning. We've heard, well, nothing out of Oak Tree that would give us any hints. However, "nature … [Read more...]
There Goes Mix 106.5
Posted on December 29, 2010 · 19 Comments
There had been some speculation that Clear Channel Cleveland hot AC mainstay WMVX/106.5 "Mix 106.5" would change formats after the "Mixmas" Christmas music ended. When "Mixmas" yielded to "Mix" again on the day after Christmas, many of us were taking our money away from the Format Change Betting Window. We should have kept it there. Starting at 10 this morning, WMVX has blown up the long-standing hot AC format, and is stunting by playing, well, everything. No, we don't mean a "Jack FM" style … [Read more...]
The Best Calendar Ever
Posted on December 24, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Our apologies to long-time personal friend and professional colleague Scott Fybush ("NorthEast Radio Watch", 100000watts.com, The Radio Journal) for not putting this up in time for Christmas, but there's still another week to get it before the New Year. It, of course, is Scott's world-famous Tower Site Calendar. For those of you unfamiliar with the Tower Site Calendar, it's really the only calendar a radio/TV enthusiast or engineering type will ever need. We'll let Scott describe it himself, … [Read more...]
Closing Out The Week And Year
Posted on December 17, 2010 · 3 Comments
After this, OMW will go on official Holiday Hiatus, with a return scheduled for January 3, 2011. As per usual, we'll try to get any major media news mentioned here, either on the blog itself or via our Twitter feed. You can see our Twitter feed on the right hand side of the blog, even if you don't "do" Twitter...and the items will also appear on our Facebook page... 4:30 NEWS: The trend of early TV news getting earlier isn't going away with the new year. Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 enters … [Read more...]
The Big Central Ohio Switch
Posted on December 15, 2010 · Leave a Comment
A big Columbus radio switch has taken place. This morning at 6 AM, The Ohio State University officially launched "Classical 101", putting 24/7 classical music on the former WWCD/101.1 Grove City...now known under new call letters WOSA. The "Classical 101" format also airs on WOSB/91.1 Marion, and according to an earlier announcement by the station, WOSP/91.5 Portsmouth and WOSE/91.1 Coshocton...not to mention taking the HD2 spot on WOSU-FM/89.7. (That side channel has been running the existing … [Read more...]
Digging Out
Posted on December 14, 2010 · 3 Comments
UPDATE 12/14/10 1:11 PM: We've added a new second item...scroll down... ---------- Pardon us while we put the shovel aside. After all, we've been dealing with yet another Northeast Ohio snowstorm... FROM TWO TO NONE: The older-skewing Youngstown market has long had two standards outlets - Clear Channel's WNIO/1390 Youngstown, and Cumulus' WSOM/600 Salem. It is about to have zero standards outlets, as WSOM has ditched the standards music for talk as "NewsTalk 600". "NewsTalk 600" features a … [Read more...]
No Theme Anymore
Posted on December 10, 2010 · Leave a Comment
We were going to have a "theme week" item, with three things all related in some way, and then...a whole bunch of other media news popped up... THE FCC SAID THAT: Long-time listeners to Good Karma sports WKNR/850 "ESPN 850" midday fixture "The Really Big Show" know it well...the infamous "Who Said That?" contest. For those who don't follow the antics of Tony Rizzo, Aaron Goldhammer and company: the contest, which ran until it finally ran out of gas last year, asked listeners to identify a … [Read more...]
Comings And Goings
Posted on December 2, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Or, more accurately, in order, "goings, and comings, and goings"... HE'S OUT: It's no secret that Clear Channel Canton hot AC WHOF/101.7 "My 101.7" morning driver Gary Rivers has been in, uh, a little legal hot water lately..and it's a pretty decent educated guess that those problems have turned him into the now-former morning driver for "My 101.7". The folks at Freedom Avenue say Rivers is indeed no longer with the station, and tell OMW: "We are searching for the next My 101.7 morning show … [Read more...]
