And we'll start with a, uh, "handful of layoffs" at a local TV station... SCRIPPS HAMMER: Word spread among various markets that Scripps was letting a few people go (to the parking lot, then home for good). We have been told that the layoff count is a pretty big "handful" (more on that phrase later) at Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 here in Cleveland...the last number we heard was that seven people are no longer "on your side" at NewsChannel 5. We don't have any names at this point, but we're … [Read more...]
Monday, Monday, February Style
Posted on February 7, 2011 · 1 Comment
UPDATE 2/7/11 6:15 PM: Our sincere apologies to long-time OMW reader Dr. Phil Hoffman, who may not be so avid a reader after we incorrectly posted his last name. It's probably not the first time his name has been confused with another local media Phil, and we certainly know the difference between the two (it was a temporary brain freeze). But, our apologies to both men! UPDATE 2/7/11 10:53 AM: It looks like "Fox 8" is running one of those "Robin Swoboda Shows" without either a name or Robin, … [Read more...]
A Week’s Worth Of Stuff
Posted on November 9, 2010 · 1 Comment
We've been hanging onto most of this, but one just happened today... HO, HO, HELLO: There have already been early Christmas music flips, even though Thanksgiving is still a few weeks off. Cleveland got on the Holiday Music Sleigh Ride today. And the first entrant in the sweepstakes isn't a traditional Christmas music convert...with Clear Channel hot AC WMVX/106.5 "Mix 106.5" jumping into Radio Jingle Bells sometime today. (We'll assume it happened shortly after the "Valentine in the … [Read more...]
Boom and Booming
Posted on January 19, 2010 · Leave a Comment
We'd heard the rumblings...that Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting's new AAA format on WNWV/107.3 Elyria had to drop its name due to trademark issues.Sure enough, though the station occasionally tries to cleverly use the word "Boom", its official on-air name has reverted to a simple "107.3 Cleveland"...without the explosive word directly attached.Wbat happened?Blame another broadcaster competing with 107.3 in Cleveland, but in another market.Tom Taylor's always excellent "Taylor on Radio-Info" … [Read more...]
All Sorts Of Things
Posted on November 20, 2009 · Leave a Comment
With our schedule being off, this is probably the last item for the week, but we do have some things to pass along...RETURN OF AIR ERA?: OMW has reported over the past year or so that various economic factors have grounded local TV news helicopters for the most part in the Cleveland TV market.Only Raycom Media CBS affiliate WOIO/19's "19 Action News" has been regularly flying its helicopter, a fact the station has promoted relentlessly on the air for about the past couple of months. "Action … [Read more...]
Friday Exit
Posted on November 13, 2009 · Leave a Comment
We're still consulting the OMW Medical Staff, and getting used to our "new normal", for now. But we didn't have to put a lot of effort into these items, so here we go...BLACKOUT AVERTED: Fans of the NFL's Cleveland Browns are rejoicing...they're partying in the streets...they're...OK, maybe they're not partying or rejoicing.Northeast Ohio's sorry excuse for a "professional football team" will make their only prime-time TV appearance on ESPN's "Monday Night Football" this coming Monday, and … [Read more...]
Outside Our Area, But…
Posted on October 7, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Occasionally, we feature items from outside the main OMW Coverage Area...but with comments relating the items to things that could happen here. This is one of those collections...SMOOTH JAZZ LOSES ANOTHER: The ailing smooth jazz format has lost another big city outlet.This time, it's CBS Radio's WVMV/98.7 Detroit, which stopped playing smooth jazz Friday. After a bit of weekend stunting, it's carrying one of CBS' current pet formats - top 40, under the moniker "98.7 AMP Radio".That's the same … [Read more...]
Of Jimbo, Frogs and Love
Posted on September 3, 2009 · Leave a Comment
That's "Love" as in "K-Love", and "Frogs" as in amphibian radio and TV symbols...MORE JIMBO: Former Youngstown-area congressman Jim Traficant could probably scratch his nose at this point, and he'd dominate media coverage...covering which direction he scratched, and at what time, and where.In our last item, OMW visited the possibility that Traficant could wind up doing something on the air at Clear Channel talk WKBN/570 in his home market.Though we'd earlier downplayed the prospect, Clear … [Read more...]
Metro Heads North, Well, Sort Of
Posted on June 15, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Last year, Westwood One announced that it was shuttering about 50 of Metro Networks nationwide offices and bureaus, including its Cleveland office.The idea, according to the company, was to better utilize technology to gather information about area traffic (as well as sports and news)...and the result, we were told, is that markets like Cleveland would still receive reports - just from people based in Detroit. The same scenario would play out in the other 12 remaining market … [Read more...]
Local News And Premium Choice
Posted on April 29, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Isn't branding a wonderful thing?"Local news" is a brand, really. Radio stations that still offer news on a local basis hammer that into listeners' brains. "DEPEND on us for LOCAL news!" "We're your LOCAL NEWS SOURCE!"The reality is somewhat different in 2009.For many stations which once had a, well, "local" newsroom...the "source" is often an anchor in a newsroom anywhere from 25 to a few hundred miles away, trying to sound like they know the area they're serving via computer file … [Read more...]
