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...]
Rover Loses A Kennel
Posted on May 21, 2009 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 5/21/09 11:40 AM: Our friends at AllAccess confirm the flip of Rover's now former Memphis affiliate from alt-rock to sports as "ESPN 92.9", now simulcasting Entercom sister station WSMB/680.The station's former website now takes visitors to a splash screen for the new format, then to the existing "ESPN 680" website.Our original item is below...-----When Shane "Rover" French brought his doghouse over to Clear Channel rock WMMS/100.7 in Cleveland, he also kept his ties to two … [Read more...]
News, Snow and Trouble
Posted on April 7, 2009 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 4/7/09 2:10 PM: Thanks to WNIR listener and OMW reader "Wayne in Akron", here's your answer to the "when it starts" question for the Akron talk station's new weekend show with Bob Earley:----- WNIR's new weekend "Earley In The Evening" show begins on Saturday, April 25th according to the station's website scroll and the commercial that has aired a few time.-----When we checked the website earlier, the scroll wasn't working for us, and Earley hasn't been added to the "24/7 Program Guide" … [Read more...]
Some Other Monday Stuff
Posted on March 23, 2009 · Leave a Comment
We were going to do our usual Monday "mix" item, but the previous entry got a bit larger than we expected.So, here's the rest of the "mix"...NEWS HITS HOME: We've noted a few occasions where a local news organization either becomes the story, or is directly affected by it.Among other items: recently, Raycom Media CBS affiliate WOIO/19-MyNet affiliate WUAB/43 saw a high profile killing just across the street from their main entrance at Reserve Square in downtown Cleveland, at Perk Park. The same … [Read more...]
Around The Corner And Around The State
Posted on March 4, 2009 · Leave a Comment
It's yet another mixed bag for midweek...SOMEONE CALL THE MEDIA!: This time, he didn't use any profanity, so we got the note without it falling into the OMW "Spam" folder first.Media-Com talk WNIR/100.1 "The Talk of Akron" morning sports voice/co-host Steve French felt the need to let us know:Your favorite whipping boy, WNIR, is still the runaway #1 in the latest monthly ratings (see Radio and Records).Also, WNIR today announces no layoffs.Some other breaking items into the OMW newsroom: Water … [Read more...]
Random Week Exit
Posted on February 20, 2009 · Leave a Comment
We're closing out our weekend with a random grab bag...and for once, we have media related news on the positive side...MOVING UP: Long-time OMW reader Steve Kelly is moving up in the ranks at Saga's Columbus cluster.After a shuffle among Saga's four radio stations in Ohio's capital city, AllAccess reports that the afternoon driver at AC WSNY/94.7 "Sunny 95" adds programming duties at the newly-moved classic hits WODB/104.3 "Big Hits B104-3".The trade site also reports that the middayer at … [Read more...]
An Uplifting Radio Item
Posted on February 6, 2009 · Leave a Comment
To help brighten your mood on this Friday, here's a radio item that isn't about layoffs...and about the significant power the medium still has to do good.Clear Channel Akron/Canton hot AC WKDD/98.1 is in the midst of a huge annual event - the 10th Annual "Have A Heart, Do Your Part Radiothon" to benefit Akron Children's Hospital.Looking back at our item from last year, the 2008 edition raised $1,000,760 for the local hospital last year, a record...and much more than even top 15 market stations … [Read more...]
More Details
Posted on January 30, 2009 · Leave a Comment
As we wrap up our out of town excursion, we'll wrap up some loose ends from a newsy week, particularly for our friends in Central Ohio...SPORTSY: As it turns out, there's a good reason two Columbus radio stations flipped to a sports format within hours of each other this week.The Columbus Dispatch's Tim Feran quotes RadiOhio president/GM Dave Van Stone, who says research helped lead the move of the "Fan" sports format from its long-time home on WBNS/1460 to displace hot AC "Mix 97.1" at … [Read more...]
A Snowy Update
Posted on January 10, 2009 · Leave a Comment
As local TV weather forecasters predict anywhere from 4, to 10, to 250 inches of snow for Northeast Ohio this weekend, what else do you have to do but read this Snowbound Week-Ending OMW update?We've stocked up on the essentials...you'll have enough here to last you through the snowy weekend. And we're only kidding about that "250" number above. It only seems like it...WEOL EXIT: We have few details, but we hear that Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting talk WEOL/930 Elyria has parted ways with … [Read more...]
Odd Items Update
Posted on January 7, 2009 · Leave a Comment
There have been some news items from areas outside Northeast Ohio in the past few days, and we've either been on hiatus, or busy with items closer to our base to cover markets like Columbus, Toledo and Youngstown.That's most of this item, though we'll start with Cleveland...TROUBLED TALKERS: Late December was a bad time for talk radio hosts getting into hot water.But it wasn't something that came from the mouth of Clear Channel Cleveland talk WTAM/1100 Sunday night host Art McKoy that got him … [Read more...]
