We don't normally spend much time watching the Cincinnati market, but a high-profile frequency swap and two formats we normally watch have added up to more interest on our part up here.Radio & Records Online confirms our earlier report - liberal talk WCKY will indeed move to the 1360 AM frequency when sister sports "1360 Homer, The Sports Animal" takes up residence on the flamethrower at 1530. (We're still not sure if the call letters will move with the formats.)R&R quotes Clear Channel … [Read more...]

AllAccess reports a Clear Channel press release out of Cincinnati - the cluster's sports outlet, WSAI/1360 "1360 Homer, The Sports Animal", is reportedly moving to the 50,000 watt signal at 1530...currently occupied by liberal talk WCKY "The Revolution of Talk Radio".The "Homer" move is set to take place July 7th.UPDATE (10:01 AM 6/30/06): OMW hears from at least two sources that at least for now, the liberal talk format will make the move to 1360 AM when sports moves to 1530 on July 7th. … [Read more...]

UPDATE (6/29/06 3:05 PM): OMW hears that WJMP's transmitter was hit by a lightning strike, taking the Kent-licensed AM station off the air. 1520 is expected to return to the airwaves sometime Friday...--------------If a radio station no one listens to goes off the air, did it make a sound?A message board post prompted us to fire up our two best radios, and...sure enough... Media-Com sports WJMP/1520 Kent "Fox Sports Radio 1520" is still off the air this late afternoon/early evening, a good … [Read more...]

As expected, and reported earlier by OMW, DirecTV has lit up their Cleveland market "local-into-local" HDTV service.A press release from the company states that the initial offering only includes WKYC/3 (NBC), WEWS/5 (ABC) and WJW/8 (FOX). As far as the other channels are concerned, DirecTV says they are "in discussions with the owner of the CBS affiliate and (hope) to add this station to the DIRECTV lineup in the near future."That affiliate, of course, would be Raycom Media's WOIO/19, and it's … [Read more...]

The network now known on-air as the "i" network has reached a pact with Warner Brothers Domestic Cable Distribution. ION Networks - the new name for the parent of "i" - has picked up the rights to a whole warehouse load of old Warner Brothers-produced and represented content. Locally, ION - formerly PAX TV - owns WVPX/23 Akron.The list includes classic 1970's and 1980's TV shows like "Welcome Back, Kotter", "Growing Pains", "Perfect Strangers" and "Scarecrow and Mrs. King"...and movies include … [Read more...]

A federal bankruptcy judge has given his approval to the sale of Adelphia's assets to Time Warner and Comcast, a sale which will eventually put nearly all of the company's Northern Ohio cable systems under Time Warner's control.The sale has been held up by creditor concerns over the overall Adelphia restructuring plan, but the judge's order means it can proceed without that overall plan.But the approval doesn't automatically give a green light to the Adelphia system breakup, in which Adelphia's … [Read more...]

The company that owns Cleveland's WQHS/61 is being sold in a $12.3 billion deal.The group buying the Spanish-language network Univision is led by a big name in media - Haim Saban. He's best known for producing the show which put him on the TV programming map - "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers". As co-founder and part-owner of FOX Family Worldwide, he has produced a number of childrens programs for the folks at FOX.No, that doesn't mean Univision is about to become "KidsVision". The … [Read more...]

Some notes and followup based on some of our other items...KASPER ACTION: Everyone's favorite local Radio Friendly Ghost (OK, sorry, last time we'll use that joke) has made an interesting list - AllAccess "Action". For those who aren't familiar with the list, it's where the popular trade website plants names that may (or may not) be involved in future career moves or other such items.Kasper, who is still assistant program director/music director/afternoon driver at Clear Channel Cleveland top … [Read more...]

OMW is hearing unconfirmed rumors that Cleveland market DirecTV customers will not only get local stations in HDTV directly from the satellite provider very soon, but also will be able to watch SportsTime Ohio's Cleveland Indians games in HD.The last date we heard as possible for the Cleveland locals launch date was June 28th, which would be this Wednesday.The rumors we've heard about SportsTime Ohio say it'll be one of 15 local RSNs (Regional Sports Networks) DirecTV will start offering to its … [Read more...]

We guess we weren't expecting a timely article on WMMS' addition of Premiere's Bob and Tom today, but Plain Dealer TV/radio columnist Julie Washington has one in the Monday edition of the paper.Cleveland native and co-host Tom Griswold calls the long-running syndicated show "not inordinately blue. Kinda sexy" as a way of introduction to potential Cleveland area listeners. WMMS promotions director Jeff Zukauckas (who is not the station's program director, despite being identified as such in the … [Read more...]