Yes, we're aware of the huge Elephant in the Middle of the Media Room.As expected, Clear Channel has agreed to a $26.7 billion dollar deal involving a pair of private equity firms, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital.When it's all said and done, Clear Channel will still be run by the Mays family - Chairman Lowry Mays, CEO Mark Mays and President/CFO Randall Mays.But some changes have already been announced.Among them, Clear Channel will dump 448 stations outside the top 100 radio markets, … [Read more...]

A quick note:The Dover/New Philadelphia Times-Reporter is featuring our recent item about WJER front and center, and WJER operator/former owner Gary Petricola is responding to it, via the newspaper.Here's the meat of it:According to the OhioMedia Watch Web site, ohiomedia.blogspot.com WJER operator Gary Petricola of Dover “has been given a ‘drop dead’ end date of Dec. 10 for his operation of FM 101.7.”However, Petricola was adamant Wednesday night that, “I don’t know anything about that … [Read more...]

The first person to take to the microphone on new Good Karma Broadcasting sports outlet WWGK/1540 "Cleveland's ESPN Radio 1540" as a local talk show host will be...Tony Rizzo.Well, at least for one day.The station announced on its website that the FOX 8 sports anchor will host a special two-hour local show Saturday from 10 AM to noon, devoted to all things Ohio State...before the Buckeyes' highly-touted clash with Michigan for a shot to go to the BCS national championship game.(Or, perhaps, a … [Read more...]

Thanks to numerous OMW readers for the heads up on this one...Piedmont CBS/FOX combo WKBN-TV/27 and WYFX/17-62 are being sold to New Vision Television, an Atlanta-based broadcast group.The Youngstown-Warren Business Journal reports that the company is paying $47 million dollars for the stations.OMW hears that "27 First News" announced the sale on their 5 PM newscast tonight, which we've confirmed from this item on the WKBN/WYFX web site:Our corporate owners, Piedmont Television Holdings, have … [Read more...]

Clear Channel has been making somewhat more than the usual budget-related staff cutbacks nationwide, reportedly to prepare itself for a sale to private equity firms.That budget axe has apparently now started hitting closer to home.Much closer, as in the Clear Channel World Domination HQ on Oak Tree in suburban Cleveland, where OMW hears one name is already on the cut list: T.R. Renzy, imaging/production guy at oldies WMJI/105.7 "Majic 105.7".We hear there are others affected, but that's the … [Read more...]

Some very big news is about to break regarding Dover/New Philadelphia stations WJER/1450 and WJER-FM 101.7, the latter station getting ready to make a move north into Clear Channel's Akron/Canton cluster.To that end, OMW hears that you can circle - in pencil, depending on weather - December 11th on your calendar...if you're hoping to hear at least the first sounds of the new FM 101.7 from its facility at 22nd and Whipple in Canton...whatever those sounds are.We note the weather, because the move … [Read more...]

Just because we're still kind of in a random mood...call it "OMW on Shuffle"...GEORGE'S IN, BUT MOVED: OMW and other media outlets reported on the impending departure of Akron Beacon Journal movie critic George M. Thomas, who was one of the names listed in the newspaper's massive budget cutback list a while back.Indeed, Thomas' role as movie critic was taken over by newly-dubbed "pop culture" writer Rich (Used-To-Be-R.D.) Heldenfels, adding movies and other things to his existing TV beat.He's … [Read more...]

From near, from far, and from in between:"RADIO FREE OHIO" STREAMS: Clear Channel liberal talk WARF/1350 Akron "Radio Free Ohio" dips its toes into the streaming audio water starting today.The station's new streaming feed will not only carry the regular lineup of liberal talk shows, but will also bring Akron Aeros games to the world during the Eastern League baseball season...and high school sports as well.What "Radio Free Ohio's" online listeners will -not- hear is University of Akron Zips … [Read more...]

An OMW reader alerted us to the presence of a billboard seen while driving through Wayne County, trumpeting "your new family fun station" on 102.7 FM. Huh?We weren't aware of any new radio stations in that area, especially one with enough resources to buy a billboard, so we did some digging and found this.In specific, it's a new translator for Mansfield's WVMC/90.7, a non-comm Christian contemporary outlet ("Christian Hit Radio") which also operates a translator on 91.1 in nearby Ashland.The … [Read more...]

And for us, it's half of a six-pack of iced tea, since we don't drink, with an extra non-alcoholic chaser:LEWIS TO STC: We heard rumblings about this, and now get it officially from SportsTalkCleveland.com head honcho Paul Belfi.Former WKNR/850 sports talk host Kendall Lewis is now taking noon-2 PM weekdays on the Internet sports talk outlet...which, of course, was once the online presence of the Salem Cleveland sports talk station. Until that falling out thing, that is.There are plenty of … [Read more...]