Neither item below directly impacts this area - but some readers might be interested.THE DEATH OF "FM TALK": The young male-skewing "FM talk" format, primarily seeded by former CBS Radio morning star Howard Stern, can pretty much be pronounced dead.CBS Radio made a go of it with "Free FM", the company's post-Stern FM talk strategy.After Stern went to Sirius Satellite Radio, the CBS outlets featured a trio of regionally syndicated Stern replacements, including Cleveland's own Shane "Rover" … [Read more...]
Yes, There’s Radio
Posted on February 6, 2009 · Leave a Comment
We've focused so much on the digital TV transition recently, that we wouldn't be surprised if some of our newer readers wondered if we forgot about radio.Of course not. We just can't control all the crazy activity surrounding the change in the digital TV transition date.But here are some radio items hitting our radar, along with one that also touches TV. Unfortunately, not all the news is good...MORE LAYOFFS: OMW hears that the already devastated Cumulus cluster in Toledo is undergoing … [Read more...]
Sports Radio Fallout
Posted on January 22, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Some changes at a national sports radio network have created quite the fallout - at least for some stations.As part of massive changes announced by Clear Channel on Tuesday, Fox Sports Radio (run by Clear Channel's Premiere syndication arm) also announced a lineup shift.Out the door at FSR: shows including mid-morning's "Out of Bounds with Craig Shemon and James Washington", the nighttime show hosted by Andrew Siciliano and Crystal Fernandez, and Ben Maller's overnight show.Locally, "Out of … [Read more...]
Rover’s Affiliate Future?
Posted on January 13, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Mark this one mainly as "speculation", please.Though it would seem that Clear Channel rock WMMS/100.7 Cleveland morning star Shane "Rover" French has returned to earth from the high sampling he got after his station debut, he's presumably still miles ahead of previous occupants of the WMMS morning drive time slot.But there could - we stress "could" - be some trouble for "Rover's Morning Glory" in one of its two remaining syndicated markets.Rochester NY alt-rocker WZNE/94.1 "The Zone" stayed with … [Read more...]
Three Things Together
Posted on January 8, 2009 · Leave a Comment
And there's not much connecting these three things... except that they're all linked to the Cleveland market...ENVISION THIS: Beachwood-based Envision Radio Networks has unveiled its new website.The local radio syndicator turned to the folks at Single Source Marketing for the redesign. Quoting the Envision release:The new site incorporates a number of new elements, including conservative use of the latest Flash and RSS technologies for a web presentation of Envision’s shows and services that … [Read more...]
Assorted Holiday Stuff
Posted on December 22, 2008 · Leave a Comment
As we wind down before Christmas and New Years, an announcement.As we hinted earlier, OMW will indeed be on official "Holiday Hiatus" starting late tomorrow. We'll post a "year-end" message around the end of 2008, but not much more.We'll definitely return on January 5th, 2009. If there are any major, breaking media news items, we'll try to at least mention them here - even during the hiatus.But the level of "major, breaking media news" is very high over this holiday break...i.e. it'll … [Read more...]
Friday’s Week Ender
Posted on December 12, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Barring any breaking news, this one should wrap up our week...CLEVELAND CHRISTMAS SWEATER: As mentioned earlier, way back when Premiere syndicated midday host Glenn Beck had not yet returned to Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100, Beck's "The Christmas Sweater" stage tour has a Cleveland stop...and it's this weekend.And though the performance Saturday night at Playhouse Square's Allen Theater is sold out, you can still have a chance of meeting the popular talk radio personality.Beck will be signing … [Read more...]
Road Trip To Tiffin
Posted on December 10, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Syndicated morning talk show host Doug Stephan's camp has been touting his recent "road trip"...where the "Doug Stephan's Good Day" host broadcast his radio show from a number of his affiliates. It's something he's done annually, hoping to provide in-person support to the stations which carry his show.Only now, Stephan owns one of those stations.The mention of his first stop - Tiffin talk outlet WTTF/1600 - reminded us to check, and sure enough, Tiffin Broadcasting, LLC officially owns the … [Read more...]
Wrapping Up December’s First Week
Posted on December 5, 2008 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 10:29 PM 12/5/08: Umm, oops.Our apologies to Akron Beacon Journal popular culture writer and OMW reader Rich Heldenfels, for posting this item without yet reading his detailed story on the WKYC changes in Friday's paper.Rich's item even contains some of the information we listed as "not confirmed 100%" below, including the weekend anchor moves involving Jeff Maynor and Kim Wheeler. We guess "not confirmed" meant "we hadn't read the Beacon yet" in this case.Since we're pretty sure Rich … [Read more...]
Tim Kelly To Envision
Posted on December 2, 2008 · Leave a Comment
We have details on the new destination for Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting's operations director and Sandusky market manager Tim Kelly, who announced his resignation from the Elyria-based broadcaster Monday.Kelly moves to a management role at Beachwood-based Envision Radio Networks, where he takes a new post as vice president and general manager at the growing local radio syndication firm.More on the move in a press release from the Envision folks, reprinted below:-----------ENVISION RADIO NETWORKS … [Read more...]
