In which a swirl of controversy envelopes radio and TV personalities...some of it significant, some of it not... HE'S GONE: When David Oliver became now-former chief of the Brimfield Police Department, we noted that as far as we knew, he still had his part-time job as a weekend radio host at Media-Com talk WNIR/100.1 "The Talk of Akron". After all, his employment there didn't depend on being chief of a small town Portage County police force. But Oliver's unceremonious exit from that … [Read more...]
Good For A LAFF
Posted on January 19, 2015 · Leave a Comment
With the home/lifestyle subchannel Live Well TV shutting down this month, there's been no word what Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 in Cleveland would replace it with on 5.2...until now. The folks behind male-targeted GRIT (WUAB 43.3) and female-targeted ESCAPE (WQHS 61.4) are going after funny bones of both genders with the new "LAFF" network. Here's how the new subchannel network's press release describes it: The country's first-ever, over-the-air broadcast television network devoted to … [Read more...]
The Monday Aftershock
Posted on January 5, 2015 · Leave a Comment
As if our earlier item - with a whole laundry list of changes at local TV newsrooms - wasn't enough... SAM'S REPLACEMENT: With well-liked Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 VP/general manager Sam Rosenwasser no longer in the building at 3001 Euclid, we now know who'll replace him. We'll turn to the company's official press release: Steve Weinstein, an award-winning journalist and forward-looking leader, has been named vice president and general manager of WEWS in Cleveland, effective Jan. 12. His … [Read more...]
Happy Holidays
Posted on December 23, 2014 · 1 Comment
There is one news item here (stay tuned!), this is mostly a note to let readers know that we are officially taking a Holiday Hiatus. Our news item is brief, and involves local TV. Denise Polverine, long-time Editor in Chief/Director of Digital Operations for Cleveland.com/Northeast Ohio Media Group, is making the jump to broadcast TV. Starting January 5th, she'll be taking her talents to 13th and Lakeside, where she'll be assistant news director at Gannett NBC affiliate … [Read more...]
John And Johnny
Posted on December 15, 2014 · 1 Comment
And about the only thing missing from our item in that department is "WKRP in Cincinnati"'s Dr. Johnny Fever. But first... UNWRAPPING DIGITAL TV: Those looking for new digital TV options have a couple of new presents on the over-air dial in the Cleveland market...and one, well, let's just say we're checking to see if pigs are flying over Portage County. That is because (as we signaled earlier) a long-time low-power analog TV stalwart has appeared on area digital TV tuners. Media-Com's … [Read more...]
Heading For 50 Years
Posted on December 11, 2014 · 1 Comment
The phrase "83 year old TV personality signs multi-year deal" is not something you would hear in pretty much any other TV market. But this is Cleveland, and he's Dick Goddard. The Plain Dealer's Mark Dawidziak reports that the veteran weatherman, who has been forecasting lake effect snow and summer sun in Cleveland longer than a large chunk of his audience has been alive, has indeed inked a multi-year deal with Tribune Fox affiliate WJW/8 that keeps him with the station through his 50th … [Read more...]
Football And Justice
Posted on November 20, 2014 · 3 Comments
No, we're not writing about Adrian Peterson. The title just happens to be our two subjects for this update... BROWNS TO 5: For those used to watching Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 for your preseason Cleveland Browns fix, starting next year...you'll have to "Catch 5". Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 will become the Browns' "TV and digital partner" starting with the 2015 season. From a release out of 3001 Euclid: “Our consistent goal is to continually communicate with our fans and connect with … [Read more...]
Changes At 3001 Euclid
Posted on November 18, 2014 · 2 Comments
The folks at Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 are no strangers to change, and here comes a big one... SAM STEPPING DOWN: Vice president/general manager Sam Rosenwasser, who took over the top post at WEWS in 2010, is stepping down next month. It's been no secret that Rosenwasser has been battling health problems, but he all but brings the medical X-rays to Plain Dealer television writer Mark Dawidziak: Rosenwasser's health crisis began when his intestines were punctured during surgery for … [Read more...]
The TV Footwear Has Dropped
Posted on November 12, 2014 · Leave a Comment
In which we finally tell you the local TV item we've been hinting about for weeks...the appointment of a new news director in Cleveland. In what could be the very definition of a "long awaited announcement", as expected by This Corner and everyone in local TV news, Tribune Fox affiliate WJW/8 "Fox 8" has officially named assistant news director Andy Fishman as its new news director. No, not "acting" news director or "interim" news director...that happened a ways back. The Plain Dealer's … [Read more...]
Off And On
Posted on October 22, 2014 · Leave a Comment
From signals off to court humor on, here we are... UPDATE: As if by magic, the moment we posted this item, WEAO/49's over-air signal returned. Read on for news of program rescheduling to make up for the outage... 49 OFF AGAIN: Western Reserve PBS' Akron signal is off the air again. This time, it's the wait for a needed part replacement that has kept WEAO/49 from area over-air tuners since an equipment failure that happened Sunday morning. Western Reserve PBS communications coordinator and … [Read more...]
