It's been rumored for what seems like a year, but is now reality.The new website for Media-Com Akron market talk WNIR/100.1 "The Talk of Akron" is online as of this Friday afternoon, and yes, there is live streaming audio. We're listening to it right now.The station is running a banner on the updated website with this crawl: "From Cleveland to Cancun, from Los Angeles to London, from New York to New Delhi...FROM ANYWHERE TO ANYWHERE...WNIR welcomes our new global audience!"OMW hears that the … [Read more...]
Heading Off
Posted on December 23, 2008 · Leave a Comment
As promised, this is our final regular news update for 2008.We'll do our best to put up any major breaking media news (station sales, major format or personality/anchor changes) during the Christmas holiday period...but we won't be updating regularly until January 5, 2009.We will put up a very brief, non-newsy personal "Year End" message from your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) somewhere around the end of 2008.So, if it's not here in this update, it'll have to wait until...next year. (No, we're … [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...]
WVKO Losing Liberal Talk
Posted on December 21, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Just a couple of weeks after Bernard Radio liberal talk WVKO/1580 Columbus celebrated its first anniversary, the format is about to go away.Those associated with the current format, operated in a local marketing agreement by Gary Richards' Cowtown Communications, are announcing that the liberal talk format's last day will be Monday, December 22nd.From the station's website:WVKO AM will be changing format from “Progressive Talk” to “Religious” before the year is over. The station has been … [Read more...]
Bill Gordon Dies
Posted on December 19, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Long-time Cleveland TV and radio host Bill "Smoochie" Gordon has passed away at the age of 83.The station which carried Gordon's "One O'Clock Club", Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5, confirms his death in a story posted on its NewsNet5 website. The Plain Dealer's Michael Heaton has an obituary which was just posted on Cleveland.com.The Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office says Gordon was found dead in his Euclid apartment Thursday, and that the death is believed to be of natural causes.In addition to … [Read more...]
Indirect Link
Posted on November 3, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Here's one item with an indirect link to Ohio radio, and also, the latest entry in our "FM News/Talk/Sports Watch".CBS Radio has launched yet another once-traditionally-AM spoken word format on FM in a mid-Atlantic market, though it replaces an existing spoken word format.CBS' FM talker in Baltimore, WHFS/105.7 "Free FM", was blown up today in favor of a locally-programmed FM sports talk station known as "Sports Radio 105.7 The Fan".The move brings the Charm City its FOURTH full-time sports … [Read more...]
Radio Day Of Changes
Posted on November 3, 2008 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 11/3/08 12:00 PM: The just updated schedule at Clear Channel talk WHLO/640 Akron shows that it's self-syndicated money advice guru Dave Ramsey filling the 8-10 PM hole in the station's weekday schedule, starting today.Ramsey has been heard in the area only on Melodynamic talk/religious WCER/900 Canton since being dropped from a clearance on Salem religious talk/teaching WHKW/1220 Cleveland "The Word", in a dispute between Ramsey and Salem - Salem wanted Ramsey to start paying for his … [Read more...]
Official: Beck To WTAM, Frantz To Evenings
Posted on October 20, 2008 · Leave a Comment
As reported first right here on your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm), and as expected today, it's officially been announced on Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100.The Cleveland "Big One" will return Premiere syndicated host Glenn Beck to his old time slot, 9 AM-noon, effective November 3rd.Current late morning host Bob Frantz interviewed Beck (in a presumably recorded segment) via telephone on his show this morning, and also announced his own move to the evening time slot. Frantz will air 7 PM-midnight … [Read more...]
EXCLUSIVE: WTAM Adding Beck, Frantz Moves To Evenings
Posted on October 13, 2008 · Leave a Comment
At some point today, with all the noise surrounding this, with multiple confirmations both inside and connected to Oak Tree, it became silly to wait to share something we've known for some time now.And frankly, Premiere's Glenn Beck nudged us over the "wait to share this" line today, announcing a "Cleveland" tour stop date on Beck's "Christmas Sweater" tour - December 13th at Playhouse Square's Allen Theatre.Since he's been heard on Clear Channel talk WHLO/640, Beck has in the past brought his … [Read more...]
An Old Voice Teases
Posted on October 13, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Offered without much further explanation, for now.A number of OMW readers tell us that Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland has been airing liners many times over the weekend, much to this effect:"Hey, Cleveland....I'm baaack!"We're told the voice heard was none other than the voice of former WTAM syndicated mainstay Glenn Beck, the Premiere host who was unceremoniously knocked off Cleveland's "Big One" to make way for syndicated liberal host, trash TV talkmeister and former Cincinnati mayor … [Read more...]
