Some other stuff that's hit the OMW inbox, including a few followups and some brand new information in the mix...YEP, BYE, DAVE: OMW reported earlier this week that Salem was rumored to be dropping syndicated money advice guy Dave Ramsey, who airs on the company's Christian talk/teaching outlets WHKW/1220 Cleveland and WRFD/880 Columbus (both named "The Word").We have confirmation direct from the show itself, courtesy of a helpful OMW reader who asked them about the rumblings. Dave Ramsey is … [Read more...]

OMW hears from database divers that a construction permit has been filed - and granted - for the move of WJER-FM/101.7 from Dover to North Canton - somehow without showing up on the station's record in the FCC database. (And believe us, we've looked.)Since the deadline to file that CP passed, we enlisted some of our database gurus in finding FCC information. And though we still can't find it on the commission's own website, look at what we found elsewhere!The signal map generated there is the … [Read more...]

No, that's not a law firm, "Ramsey and Collins"...or for that matter, a radio equipment company merger!BYE, BYE DAVE?: In an earlier OMW item, we talked about the growing number of Salem-owned stations picking up former Premiere host Dr. Laura Schlessinger, mainly their Christian talk/teaching stations. The latest was Dallas FM powerhouse KWRD "The Word".We also thought that Dr. Laura would make a good schedule mate for homespun Christian-themed money advice guy Dave Ramsey, whose syndicated … [Read more...]

This is something we've been hanging onto for a while, and it seems to be developing...soon.Someone pointed out to OMW a "second career" being pursued by former WKDD/then-96.5 Akron program director Chuck Collins, and we've been meaning to give him a plug for his work.Chuck - under the pen name Elmer Polk - has been writing mystery novels under the heading "The Radio Murders". You can sample some of his work on that site, and read some other musings at the Elmer Polk site. Those looking to … [Read more...]

Just some random stuff floating around in our head about the past week's biggest radio news items in Northeast Ohio: the departure of ESPN Radio from Salem's WKNR/850, and the purchase of WABQ/1540 by a noted sports format operator:TRIPLE X: We're wondering if this is an option on Craig Karmazin's Cleveland table.Washington DC is abuzz about a brand new sports talk competitor to established Clear Channel sports outlet WTEM/980. The station owned by Red Zebra Broadcasting - the radio arm of … [Read more...]

We've been so busy with the ESPN/WKNR/WABQ thing this week that we haven't had time for much else. So, here's some of the "much else":LAYOFFS HIT HOME: We don't know the details yet, but more information is trickling out around the country about the massive CBS Radio layoffs earlier this week. And to follow up on our earlier report, there may have been an exit or two at the company's Cleveland cluster.We have no details, though...and we'll pass them along to you as they become … [Read more...]

Whenever breaking media news happens locally, we're usually either out of town or away from the keyboard more than we'd like to be, and this week is certainly no exception.We've been looking into the announced sale of D&E Communications gospel WABQ/1540 Cleveland to Craig Karmazin's Good Karma Broadcasting, and we haven't noticed anything particularly new to pass along.We didn't know until we read the FCC application, however, that D&E's Dale Edwards is listed "as manager and member of … [Read more...]

The Federal Communications Commission, as expected, gave the OK to the deal to break up Adelphia's cable systems between Time Warner and Comcast. It's the last big regulatory hurdle for the deal.The Washington Post reports that the 4-1 nod came with some conditions, mostly attached to rights to sports programming.Adelphia's management had said earlier that July 31st was a "drop dead" date for the deal to be completed. Here at OMW Central, we don't know if this officially clears away all the … [Read more...]

D&E Communications is selling Cleveland gospel daytimer WABQ/1540 to Good Karma Broadcasting for $2.5 million in cash. Details at Radio & Records Online.As reported here, Good Karma is owned by Craig Karmazin, the son of former CBS Radio/Infinity chief Mel Karmazin (now with Sirius). Among other small stations, he owns two stations in Wisconsin's two largest markets - a pair of sports talkers in Milwaukee and Madison. His reported interest in the Cleveland radio market was first … [Read more...]

As a number of Ohio TV stations get ready to mount a fall season with a new network, at least two stations are doing something this week.MY43 COMING?: The long-standing WUAB.com website, online home of current Cleveland market UPN affiliate WUAB/43, is now sporting this one-page under construction graphic... with a hint of things to come:Presumably, this leads to on-air branding of "My 43" to replace "UPN 43" at the market's upcoming My Network TV affiliate.Well, at least for how long it will … [Read more...]