The influence of LeBron James continues to affect local media... CAVS TO FM: There'll be less music on iHeart[/former Clear Channel] rock/talk WMMS/100.7 in Cleveland, and more balls. That's because WMMS has become the FM flagship of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. You know, that little team at Quicken Loans Arena that may actually win a lot more games because of the return of hometown superstar LeBron James this year. The announcement was tweeted by Erika Lauren, of the station's afternoon … [Read more...]
Answering Your Browns Questions
Posted on September 7, 2014 · 2 Comments
UPDATE 9/7/14 6:05 PM: As you probably know by now, WOIO/19 returned to local DirecTV subscribers at around noon Sunday, an hour before the Browns/Steelers game...as both sides say they reached an "agreement in principle"... ----- As of this writing, at about 10 AM on Sunday, DirecTV and Raycom Media haven't solved their dispute which has Raycom's WOIO/19 here off the satellite service. That means unless it's solved before kickoff, today's NFL season opener between the Cleveland Browns and … [Read more...]
All Bets Are Really Off
Posted on September 5, 2014 · 5 Comments
When SportsTime Ohio successfully pursued veteran sportscaster Bruce Drennan for a TV sports talk show, he was coming out of federal prison after being convicted of tax charges related to sports betting. Thus, the name of his new show, "All Bets Are Off", must have seemed clever to someone at the network owned at the time by Dolan family (owners of the Cleveland Indians). It, and the "Vegas sign theme" logo, never was all that clever, and finally, it's gone from the show airing on today's … [Read more...]
Carucci Exits Browns, Returns To Buffalo
Posted on September 4, 2014 · 6 Comments
As we write this, it's just three days from the Cleveland Browns opening day game against the Pittsburgh Steelers...and Cleveland Browns senior editor/"Cleveland Browns Daily" co-host Vic Carucci is getting ready to head out of town. Carucci is leaving the local NFL team, bound for his old hometown of Buffalo and the job he held a few years before coming to Cleveland...covering the Buffalo Bills for the Buffalo News. The newspaper writes: Carucci steps in for Mark Gaughan, who requested a … [Read more...]
Akron’s Most Trusted (Retiring) Radio Newsman
Posted on September 4, 2014 · 1 Comment
If you're at the top of your field, and have been for decades, you're basically the living dictionary definition of your profession. If the broadcasting dictionary entry is "Akron radio newsman", the answer is clearly "See: States, Larry". After over 40 years in radio news, the last 30-plus at Rubber City Radio Group talk WAKR/1590 Akron, Larry States is calling it a career. We'll call on long-time OMW reader and Rubber City VP/information media Ed Esposito for a few words about Larry, … [Read more...]
Sports And People
Posted on August 23, 2014 · 2 Comments
And let's start with a helpful item for sports fans tonight... BROWNS VS. GLADIATORS: No, the NFL's Cleveland Browns won't be tangling with the Arena Football League's Cleveland Gladiators in downtown Cleveland tonight. But on the radio dial, even with the Gladiators going for a league crown, the Browns obviously win that battle. CBS Radio sports WKRK/92.3 "The Fan" is the arena football team's flagship radio station, and has been carrying Gladiators games all season long, with Doug … [Read more...]
A Lot To Catch Up On
Posted on August 12, 2014 · 9 Comments
As Life is Intervening(tm) a little less here at the OMW World Headquarters, we have some time to catch up... WKNR MIXES IT UP AGAIN: The rumored lineup change at Good Karma sports WKNR/850 "ESPN Cleveland" came to fruition, but not quite as rumored. Still, the big pieces are as expected, and the biggest move affects the station's signature program, "The Really Big Show" in middays. The changes take effect August 25th. The 9 AM-1 PM show keeps its lead host, long-time local sports … [Read more...]
Sports Radio Changes
Posted on August 7, 2014 · 7 Comments
There are a lot of changes ahead in Cleveland sports radio...some announced, some rumored. Since the rumors have made it to the public through usually reliable outlets, let's go there first... WKNR SHAKEUP: Bob Finnan of the Lake County News-Herald and the Lorain Morning Journal submits possible upcoming lineup changes at Good Karma sports WKNR/850 "ESPN Cleveland". All were posted on Twitter on Wednesday by Scene's Vince Grzegorek and Crains Cleveland’s Kevin Kleps To wit: * Two … [Read more...]
The King Of All Cleveland Media
Posted on July 14, 2014 · 4 Comments
No, it's not Howard Stern, the SiriusXM star once heard on CBS Radio classic rocker WNCX/98.5. If you're just rejoining us from a vacation under a rock, we're talking about "King James"...Akron superstar basketball player LeBron James, who announced last week that he would be rejoining his close-to-hometown Cleveland Cavaliers four years after the infamous ESPN-televised "Decision". And just about anything with a transmitter, a printing press or a presence right here online has been LeBron … [Read more...]
Before LeBron Decides
Posted on July 11, 2014 · 1 Comment
Northeast Ohio basketball fans and media outlets have basically focused on one thing the past few days...whether a certain Akron native would bring his talents back to the North Coast. And though it has mainly played out on Twitter, local media outlets and personalities have been right in the middle of the commotion surrounding LeBron James' next move...whatever it will be. It started on Sunday, when a tweet from CBS Radio sports WKRK/92.3 "The Fan" weekend host Joe Lull started the ball … [Read more...]
