The coming week, local media outlets are winding down for the holiday season. You'll see and hear a lot of fill-ins starting today, but it's still early enough in December that some regulars will still be working at least part of this week.We're here, too. Due to the general flow of news, the next three weeks will likely see fewer updates, and we'll probably try to put away the keyboard in the week between Christmas and New Year's Day...but we'll try to keep in touch...TIM WHITE EXITS: Today … [Read more...]
Update On WNEO Power Increase
Posted on December 11, 2008 · Leave a Comment
As we reported earlier, Western Reserve PBS now has a construction permit to increase power at its Youngstown-market station, WNEO/45, from 44KW to 500KW. WNEO signed off its analog signal on channel 45 last month, and lit up the 44KW digital facility on 45 shortly thereafter.We have a tentative answer about when Western Reserve PBS will be able to "up the juice" on the new digital channel 45, which serves mostly the Youngstown/Warren area and parts of eastern Stark and Portage Counties from … [Read more...]
Booking It
Posted on December 10, 2008 · Leave a Comment
It's been a very busy couple of weeks or so, media news-wise, so let's step down for just a bit and talk about media-related books...and some other items.The folks at Cleveland's Gray and Company remind us of their latest book focusing on Cleveland TV, "Big Chuck! My Favorite Stories from 47 Years on Cleveland TV" by Chuck Schodowski (with Plain Dealer writer Tom Feran).Quoting their release about the book by the now-retired WJW/8 mainstay:The book includes hundreds of funny and surprising … [Read more...]
Television Facility Changes
Posted on December 10, 2008 · Leave a Comment
This is an item about two proposed local facilities changes - one approved, one on the consideration table - and oddly enough, a very indirect link between them.First, thanks to the many tipsters who have let us know that Western Reserve PBS' Youngstown-market WNEO/45 Alliance has indeed received FCC approval of a construction permit to increase its new Channel 45 digital facility from 44KW to 500KW.The "maximization" permit was approved after WNEO and Post-Newsweek Detroit NBC affiliate WDIV/4 … [Read more...]
Layoffs Hit Another Station
Posted on December 10, 2008 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 12/10/08 8:50 AM: Plain Dealer media columnist Julie Washington - who apparently escaped her own employer's recent layoff axe - confirms a number of the details in this PD story.Washington says "as many as 13" WOIO/WUAB employees were shown through the We Can't Afford You Anymore door, including "19 Action News" morning co-anchor Jeff Eliasoph, in what appears to be a nationwide cut of about 10 percent of station owner Raycom Media's staff.Eliasoph tells Washington that he didn't have … [Read more...]
Thoughts Going Out
Posted on December 9, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Our thoughts are going out today to the author of a blog which has become something of a Southwest Ohio companion to OMW.Tri-State Media Watch editor Jeremy Moses will be away from the blog that covers media in the Cincinnati area for some time, due to critical health concerns. He tells us:To sum up, I have been having what were termed by my doctors as "syncopal episodes", also known as fainting spells, over the last two days. It's not clear what is causing these, whether it's stress or other … [Read more...]
NBC Leads With Its Chin
Posted on December 9, 2008 · Leave a Comment
It's not a local media story, but it's big enough to be displayed prominently on the website of the Cleveland station that'll be most directly affected by it.The not-yet-confirmed news is spreading like wildfire among the various national TV writers this Monday evening.NBC's late night talk show king Jay Leno, who is scheduled to step down from his post hosting the network's "Tonight Show" next year, won't be leaving that network after all.The New York Times' Bill Carter is one of many reporting … [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...]
Replacing Tim, Adding Eric and Carole
Posted on December 4, 2008 · Leave a Comment
OK, so now it can be told.Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 Cleveland has come up with its plan for replacing news anchor Tim White, who was unable to reach a contract renewal agreement to remain as co-anchor alongside Romona Robinson. White's last day at WKYC will be one week from Friday, on December 12th.Tim's replacement on "Channel 3 News" at 6 PM and 11 PM weekdays starting Monday, December 15th is pictured here:No, that's not a broken picture link.Co-anchoring WKYC's 6 and 11 PM weekday shows … [Read more...]
They Own Lima
Posted on December 2, 2008 · Leave a Comment
The owners of Lima NBC affiliate WLIO/35 are taking over every other TV network affiliate station in the market.The Lima News reports that Toledo-based Block Communications has agreed to pay $2.3 million dollars for Greg Phipps' four area LPTV stations, including the FOX (WOHL-CA 25), CBS (WLMO-LP 38) and ABC (WLQP-LP 18) affiliates in the Lima market. Another $100,000 will go to Greg and Kathleen Phipps for signing a non-compete agreement.The deal also takes in one of Phipps' stations that … [Read more...]
