And no, we aren't talking about a play we'd like to see the Cleveland Indians pull off in the upcoming playoff run.We've let some items accumulate here, and we're going to put them in one big item to close out the week.BIG TEN NETWORK GETS, UH, CABLE PRESENCE: The folks at the Big Ten Network have a cable signing to crow about.But unfortunately for the conference-owned TV network, BTN's new signup is not Time Warner Cable, the region's largest cable provider by far.Instead, the new sports … [Read more...]
Indians’ Clinching Game To Be Replayed
Posted on September 24, 2007 · Leave a Comment
SportsTime Ohio is planning a replay of Sunday's game between the Cleveland Indians and the Oakland A's - the win which gave the local Major League Baseball team its shiny, new American League Central title.The game will air Tuesday starting at 5:30 PM.One reason STO cites for the replay - the Sunday game aired on WKYC/3, the Cleveland NBC affiliate which is the team's over-air home, instead of on STO.Quoting the press release:The Indians clinched the Central Division Title on Sunday and the … [Read more...]
Passings
Posted on September 23, 2007 · Leave a Comment
We note the passing of two names with history in Northeast Ohio media.REX HUMBARD DIES: As far as we know, Rex Humbard hasn't been seen on local TV for many years, and he moved to Florida years ago.But Humbard turned Northeast Ohio into the epicenter of televangelism, as one magazine noted, bringing televised evangelism "to Main Street" from its center in suburban Akron.The New York Times notes the height of his worldwide television presence:At its peak, in 1977-8, the program leased time on … [Read more...]
Friday Stuff
Posted on September 21, 2007 · Leave a Comment
We're clearing out the decks for the weekend...with some updates, some new stuff (mostly from elsewhere), and some thoughts..."SISSY'S" START: As it turns out, the Stefani Schaefer Era (round 2) on WJW/8's "FOX 8 News in the Morning" hasn't officially started yet.The former WJW and WEWS anchor returned home to Cleveland after leaving NBC Universal's talk show for company O&O's, "iVillage Live". And her return was announced on the FOX 8 morning show last week, complete with an appearance by … [Read more...]
Speaking of Sports Again
Posted on September 19, 2007 · Leave a Comment
This update will be mostly related to sports and local media, since that's where the news is...BIG STO PICKUP: In its continuing drive to have programming other than Cleveland Indians games and assorted Cleveland Browns shows, pre-season game repeats and low-rent wrestling and poker shows, SportsTime Ohio has landed a big one.The Cleveland-based sports network has officially announced a one-year deal for the statewide rights to the Ohio High School Athletic Association's playoffs and … [Read more...]
Keeping Busy Tuesday
Posted on September 18, 2007 · Leave a Comment
We hadn't planned on an update Tuesday, but some stuff to sweep up after...IT'S OFFICIAL: The day it happened, and two days after OMW reported it would happen, the takeover of the former Clear Channel Ashtabula stations was reported in the national radio trade press.The announcement, which we saw on AllAccess's Monday Net News scroll, says Tom and Matt Embrescia's Sweet Home Ashtabula spent $3.5 million on the WFUN/WREO/WZOO/WFXJ/WYBL combo in Northeast Ohio's most northeastern-most small … [Read more...]
Monday Stuff
Posted on September 17, 2007 · Leave a Comment
We start off this week with an update or two, a musing or two, and other stuff...SANDY'S OUT: Here's an item that showed up on AllAccess late last week, but we didn't get to it yet...SAGA COMMUNICATIONS AC WSNY (SUNNY 95)/COLUMBUS, OH midday jock SANDY BENNETT exits. She is replaced by sister station Smooth Jazz WJZA midday talent TRISHA MOORE.Of course, Sandy also has history in the Cleveland market, at stations like WMJI/105.7 and the old "Jammin' 92" (then-WZJM/92.3, now CBS Radio alt-rocker … [Read more...]
Thursday Collection
Posted on September 13, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Some updates, some speculation, and some mea culpa from your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm)...SHE'S IN: As reported here late Tuesday night, former local TV anchor Stefani Schaefer is back in Northeast Ohio, taking an apparently new position on WJW/8's FOX 8 News In TheMorning.UPDATE: The station has posted information about her return, and video from the announcement, here.It's a return to the area, and a return to the very show she was on in the mid-1990's.Stefani was the "big announcement at 8 AM" - … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: Schaefer Returns To Cleveland TV
Posted on September 11, 2007 · Leave a Comment
It's an item we hinted about way back in mid-August (see last item), and it's about to come true. VERY soon.OMW hears from reliable sources that former WEWS/5 "NewsChannel 5" anchor Stefani Schaefer is returning to Cleveland.This time, though, she's landing a few blocks to the northeast of the local ABC affiliate - on South Marginal Road, as she'll be joining the WJW/8 "FOX 8 in the Morning" team. Or rather, "rejoining", as she was on the program before heading to 3001 Euclid in the late … [Read more...]
A Big Ten Network Interception
Posted on September 6, 2007 · Leave a Comment
As of this writing, the Big Ten Network is still the Big Zero Network for customers of Ohio's largest cable TV multi-system operator, Time Warner Cable.And it doesn't likely to change anytime soon, with full knowledge by fans that the most important Ohio State Buckeyes football games (i.e. OSU-Michigan) will be telecast in their full glory on good old ABC or ESPN.Alternatives include DirecTV, which is the primary partner with the BTN folks - FOX owns a share of both the new network and of … [Read more...]
