And at nearly the exact middle of the workweek, at that...how did we manage that?DAVE AND JIMMY KISS YOUNGSTOWN: As rumored, OMW hears it's going to happen Monday at Clear Channel Youngstown top 40 WAKZ/95.9 "Kiss FM".Regionally syndicated morning team "Dave and Jimmy", based at Clear Channel top 40 powerhouse WNCI/97.9 Columbus, will take the open morning drive slot at the Youngstown station on Monday.WAKZ has parted ways with Los Angeles-based Sean Valentine, whose voicetracked morning drive … [Read more...]
Random Tuesday Stuff
Posted on April 3, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Just going through our "to do" list, with news and comment (no, not involving Paul Harvey)...there's still more, that we'll get to later tonight...KISSED OFF?: It looks like Clear Channel Youngstown top 40 WAKZ/95.9 "Kiss FM" is the latest CC Ohio top 40 station going a different direction in morning drive.On the heels of sister Cincinnati "Kiss" outlet WKFS/107.1, WAKZ appears to be ending its relationship with Los Angeles-based Sean Valentine, the afternoon driver at L.A.'s original "Kiss FM" … [Read more...]
Back Into It
Posted on April 2, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Since there's not much "new" at the moment, we'll go back and touch on updates to ongoing items...1350 SWITCH FALLOUT: As reported and expected, Clear Channel's WARF/1350 Akron dropped the liberal talk format Friday morning for sports as "Sports Radio 1350".It was a pretty uneventful flip. Jones Radio syndicated host Bill Press - whose current show started solely on WARF - threw out quick a "Goodbye, Akron!" just moments before the previously scheduled 8:58:50 spot break.Then, the station … [Read more...]
EXCLUSIVE: Liberal Talk WARF/1350 Akron Flipping To Sports
Posted on March 28, 2007 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 3/28/07 1:45 PM: "Radio Free Ohio" has confirmed the end of the liberal talk format on an item titled "The End is near", on the station's website:The End is coming.The end of the progressive format on 1350 is coming on Friday March 30th at 8:59am.Watch this space for more information. The item does not announce the new format at this time, but we're reminded that change from sports to liberal talk was also made at about the same time of day, around 9 AM.Our original item is … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: Munch In, Roda Out for WKNR Afternoon Drive
Posted on March 27, 2007 · Leave a Comment
The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Arts & Entertainment blog reports big changes at Good Karma sports talk WKNR/850 Cleveland.PD columnist Mike McIntyre reports that Clear Channel WMJI/105.7-WMMS/100.7 sports director Mark "Munch" Bishop is headed for the 3-6 PM slot at "ESPN 850 WKNR", replacing Kenny Roda. McIntyre quotes unnamed sources that Roda will stay aboard at WKNR, though it is not clear what role he will take.Bishop joins another former WMJI'er on the WKNR roster - mid-morning host … [Read more...]
Controversy With Drennan
Posted on March 26, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Our title, of course, is a play on the name of sportscaster Bruce Drennan's former WKNR/850 morning show, "Mornings With Drennan". Feel free to sing it out loud in the style of, say, a show tune...Ever since regional sports network SportsTime Ohio announced that Drennan would host a daily talk show on the channel ("All Bets Are Off"), the Northeast Ohio media world can't stop buzzing about the hiring of a man who so recently walked out of a federal penitentiary, he has to get a work release … [Read more...]
More STO, And DirecTV
Posted on March 21, 2007 · Leave a Comment
In our rush to put up the item on the new SportsTime Ohio show to be fronted by local sports personality Bruce Drennan, we didn't outline some of the other changes at the network which adopts "full-time" status on April 1.Among them: three new shows.Former WKYC and FSN Ohio staffer Andy Baskin's "Totally Tribe" will be on the STO schedule. As reported earlier, Baskin is producing the show from his own new production shingle, Over The Falls Productions.Veteran local sports voice Al Pawlowski … [Read more...]
Drennan’s New STO Show Announced
Posted on March 20, 2007 · Leave a Comment
As per usual, we're away from the keyboard when news is breaking. In fact, we had to flag down a stray person with a laptop to put this one up...we'll expand it later.To no one's surprise, cable/satellite sports network SportsTime Ohio has officially announced the hiring of long-time local sports personality Bruce Drennan, last heard doing mid-mornings on Cleveland sports talker WKNR/850, on the Internet on SportsTalkCleveland.com, and seen most recently at...well, you know.And our first … [Read more...]
Word Is
Posted on March 19, 2007 · Leave a Comment
OK, we'll have to admit that we got a chuckle out of the item in the Cleveland Plain Dealer's "TipOff" column this morning, crafted with loving care by columnist Michael K. McIntyre."Word is," says McIntyre borrowing a tride-and-true phrase, that ex-PD sports media columnist Roger Brown is out at Cleveland market CBS affiliate WOIO/19's "19 Action News"...apparently making his own decision to step down from the gig.Brown E-Mailed his former employer to note that he left his role as 19's … [Read more...]
Starting The Week
Posted on March 19, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Consider this something of a light breakfast. Not too filling, but at least it puts some media food into you...SKYFOX HD FLYING: We earlier mentioned some visuals from the Cleveland market's first HDTV-equipped news helicopter, the newly-minted "SkyFOX HD".Well, we haven't seen it ourselves yet, but the station has begun promoting the new HD helicopter capabilities with the same booming station voice which first trumpeted the station's entry into HDTV news some time ago.It's not only the first … [Read more...]
