It's a very, very busy list today...so, let's get at it...LAST ONE STANDING: We'll have a one-week-out update on our Ohio Digital TV blog later this week.For now, just one note...we have confirmation that at least one Cleveland market TV station will be waiting until the very last minute, literally, to shut off its analog signal.Western Reserve PBS station manager and OMW reader Bill O'Neil checks in to let us know that the PBS station's Akron outlet, WEAO/49, will retire the analog 49 … [Read more...]
WJMP Taking Off The Cleats
Posted on May 27, 2009 · Leave a Comment
As it turns out, OMW hears that Media-Com Akron market sports daytimer WJMP/1520 Kent/Ravenna/Streetsboro/Parts-of-Stow/Akron-on-a-good day "Fox Sports Radio 1520" won't be changing sports radio network teams when Fox Sports Radio moves to Clear Channel sports WARF/1350 Akron "SportsRadio 1350" on June 8.It'll be changing format leagues, as it were.We've learned that instead of picking up the Sporting News Radio affiliation WARF is leaving behind, the "little brother" station of Media-Com's … [Read more...]
Supersized Memorial Day Weekend Update
Posted on May 25, 2009 · Leave a Comment
We've been accumulating a Supersized Pile of Items here at your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm), and it's time to reduce the pile. The holiday weekend is as "good a time as any" to do so.And on behalf of the entire editorial staff of Ohio Media Watch, we mark the holiday to honor those who served and gave their lives for us...WHO'S #1?: Regular OMW readers know that we don't spend a lot of time in ratings land, for either TV or radio stations.The reason is simple: We don't have the unvarnished data, … [Read more...]
WMJI Dumps Majic – For A Reason
Posted on May 20, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Not yet having listened to, or visited the website of, Clear Channel classic hits WMJI/105.7 in Cleveland, our first word came from a press release from the station, with the E-mail subject:"WMJI Is No Longer Majic"Hmm?The station had long since dumped "oldies" from "Majic Oldies", as the "o word" became less relevant due to younger music positioning. What would the station call itself? "WMJi 105.7"? Something else? Would it lead to on-air changes?Nope, just a temporary name change.Try "Cavs … [Read more...]
Speaking Of Sports Radio
Posted on May 19, 2009 · Leave a Comment
With apologies to the estate of the late Howard Cosell...FOXY MOVE: As OMW reported earlier, Clear Channel sports WARF/1350 Akron is readying to make its network switch.On June 8th, "SportsRadio 1350" will leave Sporting News Radio behind, and become the Akron market's affiliate of Fox Sports Radio...taking the affiliation from Media-Com rimshot daytime lightbulb signal outlet WJMP/1520 Kent/Akron/Ravenna/Streetsboro/Chicago. (OK, so maybe they don't claim Chicago.)OMW had heard earlier that … [Read more...]
Three Quick Hits
Posted on May 12, 2009 · Leave a Comment
We have been working on some things that aren't confirmed - or can't be printed, yet - so here's what we CAN bring you...THE DECLINE OF WOAC: OK, so most of our readers would say that Canton-licensed WOAC/67's decline began when the station dumped its Canton-focused secular independent programming for infomercials, home shopping and then, more infomercials.But we're getting an insight into the financial problems faced by the TV division of brokered ethnic radio king Arthur Liu's Multicultural … [Read more...]
The Playoff Push-Off
Posted on April 21, 2009 · Leave a Comment
For the first time in its history, Fox Sports Ohio is facing the need to juggle not one, but two playoff games involving its teams...in the same night, tonight.Both teams, oddly enough, are in first round playoff series with Detroit...as the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers face the Detroit Pistons for the second game of their series, and new NHL playoff entrants the Columbus Blue Jackets tangle with the Detroit Red Wings in the third game of their series.As a public service to sports fans, here is … [Read more...]
Dino Costa And Us
Posted on April 15, 2009 · Leave a Comment
So, it turns out Google's search capabilities are working fine...and sports talk radio host Dino Costa ("DenverSportsRadio.com") has found us after a few gentle pokes at him over the years.Costa, who was heard by at least a few people in his brief stint on the short-lived local sports talk format on now-silent WATJ/1560 "SportsRadio 1560" out of Chardon, took the time to write back in the comments section to Tuesday's item.And we took the opportunity to write back, with a comment we are pulling … [Read more...]
Lighting It Up For Thursday
Posted on March 26, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Combing through our list of Thursday items...we'll find a common thread in here somewhere...LIGHTING UP "THIS": Buried deep within the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Cleveland.com, hidden under those annoying rollover ads, and probably in small print in the Dead Trees edition of the PD, is a note that Raycom Media MyNetwork TV affiliate WUAB/43 "My 43" will finally launch the "This TV" subchannel soon.We uncovered this item published Wednesday:This TV, a new classic-movie channel, will launch on WUAB … [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...]
