A few items hanging around for the weekend, hiding from all the rain and chilly temperatures... WEST MARKET CHANGES: Two staffers are no longer at the Akron Radio Center, as the AkronNewsNow newsroom faces an economic-driven "retooling" of some of its operations. But one other staffer is returning. The layoffs are of two key on-air names at the Rubber City Radio Group newsroom on West Market Street in Akron, which serves oldies/news/sports WAKR/1590, rock WONE/97.5 and country WQMX/94.9: … [Read more...]
LeCharles Bentley Quits WKNR
Posted on September 30, 2011 · 16 Comments
On the eve of what was supposed to be a "major announcement" regarding a scheduling overhaul for Good Karma sports WKNR/850 "ESPN 850", that station has lost one of its star players. LeCharles Bentley abruptly resigned from WKNR Thursday night... just as "Xs and Os with the Pros," the show he co-hosted alongside Je'Rod Cherry, was set to begin. (It was so sudden that liners featuring LeCharles' name still played at the end of commercial breaks, but Je'Rod and show producer Emmett Golden had to … [Read more...]
Changes Afoot
Posted on September 28, 2011 · 8 Comments
There are lots of changes coming in local radio and TV, and it's time to bring them to light. We'll start on the TV side, first...but sports radio is in the on-deck circle... NEW ANCHOR: Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 has been taking its time and shuffling around its schedule after the departure of market icon Ted Henry. But it appears it's filled at least one of Ted's roles - 11 PM co-anchor. MediaBistro's TVSpy, the entity once known as "ShopTalk", has confirmed earlier rumors about … [Read more...]
Rolling Through The Month
Posted on September 21, 2011 · 1 Comment
Things are piling up again here at the Always In Flux OMW World Headquarters, but we also have a couple of separate items to put up later... HEGAN RETIRES: A familiar voice along the Cleveland Indians Radio Network won't be heard next year. That's because veteran broadcaster Mike Hegan, who has spent the past 23 years as a Tribe broadcaster, is stepping away from the booth after this season is over. He's spent most of those 23 years with Indians play-by-play voice Tom Hamilton on the team's … [Read more...]
Mid-September Grab Bag
Posted on September 14, 2011 · 3 Comments
There isn't really a lot connecting all of the below items, but here we are with the grab bag anyway... KIMBERLY GILL LANDS: After being unceremoniously dispatched from the Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 morning show "Good Morning Cleveland" in early July. co-anchor Kimberly Gill has a soft landing to the east. CBS O&O KDKA/2 in Pittsburgh announced that Gill is joining their news staff. From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Ms. Gill will co-anchor at noon and 4 p.m. with Stacy Smith and serve … [Read more...]
Air Traffic Control
Posted on September 8, 2011 · 4 Comments
The comings and goings in Northeast Ohio media are starting to stack up like planes waiting to land or take off at Hopkins Airport, so let's clear some of these jets now... JIM'S BACK, NO, REALLY: Stop us if you're heard this before - Cleveland Browns Radio Network play-by-play voice Jim Donovan will be back in the booth on Sunday, after undergoing successful bone marrow transplant surgery in his 10 year battle with leukemia. No, really, he'll be back...and not just on radio. OMW passed along … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: Jim Donovan To Return To Browns Radio
Posted on September 5, 2011 · 2 Comments
We've touched on this before, when we learned that Jim Donovan's Browns Radio partner Doug Dieken told Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 sports director Mike Snyder that Donovan did intend to return to the Browns Radio booth for the season opener of this year's Browns campaign. (hat tip to OMW Reader Tom Moore for his item on WTAM.com). It's seeming more real, now. Media members have been tweeting that Donovan is indeed at Browns headquarters in Berea this Monday, going through the usual week-long … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: Jeff Phelps. No, Really.
Posted on September 5, 2011 · 2 Comments
This Just In: Brought in by helicopter, to a cheering crowd of thousands left over from the filming of the "Avengers" movie... Wait, we're making that up. But yes, Virginia, there is a Jeff Phelps on CBS Radio sports WKRK/92.3 "The Fan", and yes, he is co-hosting with "92.3 The Fan"'s Andy Baskin on "Cleveland's Talking Heads". No, really. This saga began when Baskin and show producer Lindsey Foltin both announced (via Twitter) Phelps as the show's co-host on the Friday before the station's … [Read more...]
Clearing Out The Inbox
Posted on September 2, 2011 · Leave a Comment
We've spent a lot of time talking about a certain new FM sports station, but that's mostly settled for now. Well, there is one "92.3 The Fan" mention: the "Will or Won't Jeff Phelps Co-Host with Andy Baskin" matter, which has had so many turns that we're about to call it "Cleveland's Talking Heads with Andy Baskin and (a player to be named later)", but... There's a lot more going on, and if we can type it up inside an hour, here goes...an item that is MOSTLY sports radio free from now … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: It’s Phelps With Fan’s Baskin
Posted on August 31, 2011 · 2 Comments
When we put up our right-before-launch item on CBS Radio's new sports station, WKRK/92.3 "92.3 The Fan", we noted that the station's midday show would be hosted by Scripps ABC affilate WEWS/5 "NewsChannel 5" sports director Andy Baskin and Fox Sports Ohio Cavaliers pre/post-game host Jeff Phelps. With confidence, since Baskin and producer Lindsey Foltin had announced the pairing on Twitter on Friday. Monday, the questions came - why is Andy Baskin joined by Reggie Rucker and the Plain Dealer's … [Read more...]
