...with some followups, mostly.We'll be putting up the "Gone Fishin'" sign for the weekend, though your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) has never actually fished. Except for media news stories...WSTB FOLLOWUP: The shutdown of Streetsboro Public Schools station WSTB/88.9 has made it further into the mainstream media.After the Akron Beacon Journal article we linked earlier, WJW/8's "FOX 8 News" made the trek to Portage County, with a live shot explaining the continuing off-air status of the station … [Read more...]
Check The Updates
Posted on October 16, 2008 · Leave a Comment
It's been a busy, busy day for media news in Northeast Ohio...and for us.We've been following three big stories: the year-end exit of Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 evening co-anchor Tim White after stalled contract talks, the death of long-time Cleveland radio and television personality Jack Reynolds, and the continuing off-air status of Streetsboro schools' radio station WSTB/88.9.Rather than posting separate items updating all of today's news, we've updated the original items. Please scroll … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: Tim White Leaving WKYC At Year’s End
Posted on October 16, 2008 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 10/16/08 5:00 PM: The word has been posted on Channel 3's website this afternoon...about the departure of long-time evening co-anchor Tim White at the end of this year.Quoting White in the WKYC release:"For nearly a decade I've had the privilege of being part of one of the best local news operations in the country. The business has changed. What hasn't changed is my deep respect for my colleagues in the newsroom and my gratitude to the people of Northeast Ohio. I have a lot to do in the … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: Jack Reynolds Passes Away
Posted on October 16, 2008 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 6:02 PM 10/16/08: WJW "FOX 8" confirms the passing of Jack Reynolds, father of "FOX 8" sports anchor Tony Rizzo, at the age of 71. Quoting the article on MyFoxCleveland.com:Reynolds had been hospitalized for three 1/2 weeks for bypass heart surgery and then for an intestinal operation. He had weathered it all and was recovering, but he took a turn last night and died early this morning.FOX 8 also provides details of his services:Visitation will be Sunday, 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Ripepi … [Read more...]
A WEWS Exit
Posted on October 16, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Another change is about to come to Scripps Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS/5, though this one isn't being initiated by the station.OMW hears that "NewsChannel 5" Akron Bureau reporter Jonathan Costen will leave the station in the next couple of weeks, right before the November ratings period.We're hearing that the decision was Costen's, as he's leaving the TV business for another non-broadcast job he's already secured.Right now, Costen is the only reporter in the "NewsChannel 5" Akron bureau, as … [Read more...]
THIS JUST IN: WKYC Adopts New “Look”
Posted on October 15, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Visual changes have come to Gannett Cleveland NBC affiliate WKYC/3.WKYC senior director and "Director's Cut" blogger Frank Macek has details of the new on-air look at "Channel 3 News", along with some screen shots from this afternoon's noon newscast.Macek notes that the new look means WKYC's owner has joined the companies standardizing the on-air appearance of newscasts:This new look is part of Gannett's companywide, G3, initiative look that will appear on all of the company's broadcast … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: I-Team’s Merriman Exits TV For Law Firm
Posted on October 10, 2008 · Leave a Comment
The heads up comes this afternoon from Cleveland Plain Dealer media columnist Julie Washington on Cleveland.com - WJW/8 "FOX 8" I-Team reporter Tom Merriman is leaving the now-Local TV-owned station to join a local law firm.The move to Cleveland-based Landskroner, Grieco & Madden actually brings Merriman back to his law career roots, which he left behind in 1995 to join Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 as an investigative reporter...before landing at WJW in 2001. The article says Merriman … [Read more...]
Toledo and Tampa
Posted on October 9, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Two TV-related items, both involving cities with names starting with the letter "T". (Hey, it's what passes for creativity around here!)TOLEDO TV RADIO NEWS: Toledo ABC O&O WTVG/13 and the Cumulus cluster in the Glass City are crowing about their new alliance.The Toledo Blade reports that seven Cumulus radio stations in Toledo will be getting weather, news and sports updates from the "13ABC" folks.The deal apparently doesn't include, at least according to the Blade article, top 40 … [Read more...]
Game Shuffling
Posted on October 8, 2008 · Leave a Comment
An OMW reader passes along word that FOX's coverage of game four in baseball's National League Championship Series will be moved in Cleveland next Monday - to Raycom MyNetwork TV affiliate WUAB/43.The move is necessitated by FOX affiliate and former O&O WJW/8's local carriage of the ESPN "Monday Night Football" game between the Cleveland Browns and the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants.(For those who don't follow NFL rights issues, the league's rules mandate that local affiliates … [Read more...]
NBC Weather Plus Shutting Down
Posted on October 7, 2008 · Leave a Comment
It's a national media news item that affects us locally - as NBC Universal has announced it's shutting down the "NBC Weather Plus" network.TVWeek reports that the weather service operating on NBC affiliates' digital subchannels, including that of Gannett's WKYC/3 in Cleveland, Media General's WCMH/4 in Columbus and Barrington's WNWO/24 in Toledo, will be "phased out in stages" between now and the end of the year.NBC News division head Steve Capus tells the trade magazine that it wasn't just the … [Read more...]
