Here at OMW, we often tell you that when we leave town...major changes seem to happen. That truism now seems to apply to our visits *to* a city...or rather, our exit from a visit.As we'd hinted in an earlier item, Clear Channel standards WLEC/1450 Sandusky has changed formats, from "American Music Classics" to a sports format as "Sports Radio Sandusky". The station's website has already been changed to reflect the new format.And the format change literally just happened...tonight.Your Primary … [Read more...]

For those concerned about former WMMS personality Ruby Cheeks, with rumblings that her Phoenix rock station is changing to a Spanish-language format a week from Friday... you may not need to be concerned.Despite the overhaul of the station's website, and a Spanish-language message about a format change after a 35 year run on September 15th, there's this tidbit from AllAccess this evening:With new PD BUZZ CASEY just hired, it's doubtful a Spanish flip is in store. Sources in the building tell ALL … [Read more...]

We haven't been listening every day, so we don't know when it was fixed... but Cumulus rock WRQK/106.9 Canton "Rock 107" is once again able to talk to Akron...and for that matter, other areas beyond Stark County.The same drive we took a few days ago in Cuyahoga Falls, when WRQK was mostly inaudible, we took again tonight...with "Rock 107" coming in loud and clear this time.The station has been operating at low power for much of the past week or two, while it repaired what we've heard was a … [Read more...]

The rumblings started popping up online this morning, and it now appears to be official: Phoenix rock station KDKB/93.3 is flipping formats a week from Friday, and the new format is likely to be in Spanish.The station has wiped out its website and tells listeners:WE THANK YOU FOR 35 YEARS…TUNE IN 93-3 FRIDAY MORNING SEPTEMBER 15TH AT 9:33 A.M…WE’LL ANNOUNCE OUR NEW FORMAT…And something that would seem to confirm the rumors, the message is immediately repeated on the web page...in Spanish.Since … [Read more...]

Talk about random...there's really not much holding these together:TWO FROM TOLEDO: ...where we hear from the Glass City that Cumulus classic rock WXKR/94.5 has flipped on the IBOC/HD switch. (Thanks to those who pointed out that the station is actually the last Cumulus FM station in Toledo to do so.)And we hear another switch has been made, due to the fact that minor league baseball's Toledo Mud Hens have made the International League playoffs.That means Mud Hens flagship Cumulus sports … [Read more...]

OMW hears that all of the "Big Four" network affiliates are now available in high-definition to Cleveland market DirecTV subscribers using the HD "Local-into-Local" service offered by the satellite service.We hear that Raycom Media CBS affiliate WOIO/19's HD feed started showing up for local DirecTV HD LIL subscribers today. WKYC/3 (NBC), WEWS/5 (ABC) and WJW/8 (FOX) were already on the bird when local HD service launched some time ago.We have no word if that means sister MyNetworkTV outlet … [Read more...]

A couple of follow-ups...ZOO CHANGES: AllAccess picks up on our earlier item about the flip to top 40 by Clear Channel Ashtabula hot AC WZOO/102.5 last week.AA gets the word directly from the head ZOO-master - WZOO OM Dennis O'Brien - who tells the trade site that the station does indeed keep morning drive syndicated star Kidd Kraddick, along with midday host Melody. But afternoons now belong to Paul "Big Dog" Guglielmo, who comes over from sister country WYBL/98.3 "The Bull" and also takes the … [Read more...]

In the item about the FCC approving the sale of WABQ/1540 Cleveland to "ESPN Milwaukee" owner Good Karma Broadcasting, we mentioned that Good Karma could take over as soon as later this month, and likely for sure by October 1st.It looks like Good Karma's Craig Karmazin is already thinking about a website.Credit eagle-eyed long-time OMW tipster Nathan Obral for this one - the new website under the domain "ESPNCleveland.com" is up and running - with just one line of test text:Welcome to the … [Read more...]

Some other stuff that wouldn't fit elsewhere, mostly involving new work...but not all:STERLING GIG: Former Clear Channel talk WTVN/610 Columbus evening host Sterling gets a new full-time gig. Starting today, he picks up the noon-2 PM (CT) weekday time slot on Hubbard talk KSTP/1500 Minneapolis, which was hosted until Tuesday by Ron Rosenbaum and Mark O'Connell.In the radio definition of "Minnesota Nice", the station allowed Rosenbaum and O'Connell to actually say goodbye on Tuesday...an audio … [Read more...]

We weren't close enough to Youngstown to catch the video, but we heard the audio simulcast of WYTV/33's sister station and its signature program - "My YTV"'s afternoon talk show "For the People" - on Cumulus standards WSOM/600 Salem.Aside from a few first-day glitches, the show in general sounded to us a lot like a radio simulcast of a public affairs show.Well, maybe not as dry as most Sunday morning shows aired by radio and TV stations, but the show does seem to have a high-minded interest in … [Read more...]