We actually hinted at this weeks ago, but we've finally picked up some of the details on a story that's been buzzing around the local media rumor mill like a supercharged insect.OMW hears that two co-owned Northeast Ohio newspapers have officially merged their day-to-day operations - as the Lorain County Publishing-owned Medina County Gazette is now being operated out of the company's print mothership, the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.Sources tell us that the new arrangement started March 3, with … [Read more...]
Our Friday Menu
Posted on March 20, 2009 · Leave a Comment
And for those who are curious, the Thursday night menu was a pair of coney dogs from a nearby local outdoor drive-in restaurant...the business' opening a sure sign of spring in Northeast Ohio.We can get Sonic chili dogs 12 months a year in Streetsboro, but these ones only from March through November...NOT SO FAST, OMW: At the moment, we'd like to pull back on the back patting a bit.In one of our Thursday items, we poured on the self-congratulation for correctly predicting the disposition of ABC … [Read more...]
Harvey To Huckabee
Posted on March 19, 2009 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 3/19/09 1:28 PM: Take another one off the Huckabee List.Rubber City Radio VP/Information Media and OMW reader Ed Esposito tells us that Akron's WAKR/1590 does not plan to carry "The Huckabee Report" when it starts airing Monday in the former Paul Harvey News time slots...and that the Paul Harvey Era on WAKR will come to a close after this Saturday's "News and Comment" midday airing with ABC's Gil Gross (at 12:06 PM).Ed tells us:Interesting that ABC is also suggesting other long-form … [Read more...]
Hacksaw Lands On The Bird
Posted on March 16, 2009 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 3/17/09 11:15 AM: Our apologies to our friends over at AllAccess, who had this news way back on January 27. We missed their original item, and the Los Angeles Times did as well...-------------It looks like there was one more sports-related item we missed in our morning update.Veteran Southern California sports talk host Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton has found a regular gig behind a microphone again.Los Angeles Times blogger Diane Pucin reports that Hamilton is now talking baseball on Sirius XM … [Read more...]
Sports And Television Monday
Posted on March 16, 2009 · Leave a Comment
As we hinted in our last Twitter update, there's not really much going on media-wise around these parts. Or, if there is, it hasn't made it to our attention.(Yes, that's a hint that you can E-mail us if you're seeing something we aren't! Consider it the OMW version of those radio "traffic tip lines", though we have no money for the best tip of the month...heck, we have no money, period!)For the moment, what we have is mostly sports related, along with some television...SPORTS DANCING: It's … [Read more...]
WCLV’s Performance Tax Fight
Posted on March 12, 2009 · Leave a Comment
WCLV Foundation classical WCLV/104.9 president Robert Conrad has certainly been outspoken on other topics before...so it's no surprise to see him making noise on an issue that could cause serious problems for music radio stations.In case you haven't heard, the music performance industry is lobbying Congress for radio stations to be charged performance royalties when they play songs...in addition to the music publishing fees stations already pay to BMI, ASCAP and other such organizations. And … [Read more...]
Folding It Together
Posted on March 12, 2009 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 11:56 AM 3/12/09: Something we forgot to put in here has been updated at the bottom of this item...---------A diverse group of items makes up our Thursday morning update, and as it turns out, it's all about radio. We have a couple of TV items percolating for later...JERRY, JERRY, RADIO: Someone batten down the radio hatches - former Air America Radio host Jerry Springer has cracked open a microphone again.And though he's doing it in Chicago, there are a host of Cleveland … [Read more...]
From Satellite To Print
Posted on March 10, 2009 · Leave a Comment
NOTE: If you already read this item shortly after it came out this morning, scroll down for some updates, which are appropriately marked...We put our items into the OMW Blender this Tuesday, and come up with a decent mix...THE BIG ONE MINUS XM: Now, you can only hear Clear Channel talk WLW/700 Cincinnati in your car if you're in its 50,000 watt AM signal range.The larger-than-life original "Big One" lost its claim to once again being "The Nation's Station" (give or take the Internet) Friday … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: Jennings Exits WGAR, New WGAR/WMVX PD
Posted on March 9, 2009 · Leave a Comment
As earlier reported on the radio trade sites, Clear Channel country WGAR/99.5 Cleveland program director Brian Jennings has exited Oak Tree due to "budget cuts".Jennings took over as WGAR's program director two years ago, and tells AllAccess that he "is actively looking for his next programming gig".Back at Oak Tree, OMW hears that a new program director has been hired that will not only oversee programming the country powerhouse, but also handle the same duties at hot AC WMVX/106.5 "Mix 106.5". … [Read more...]
Week’s Beginning
Posted on March 9, 2009 · Leave a Comment
There hasn't been much going on in the world of media in Northeast Ohio lately, but we felt the need to cobble together what we have. And as it turns out, we do have some items on this Monday morning...WTAM VOICE SILENCED: A voice long associated with Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland has been silenced.No, he's not a WTAM talk show host or news person. But to an imaging-conscious station like WTAM, Brian James was just as important.Unless you're in the business, you don't know his name. … [Read more...]
