Regional sports network SportsTime Ohio, the Indians-owned cable outlet, has landed two more big systems in the Cleveland market.Though we can't find a release about it yet, an E-Mailed newsletter from STO chief Jim Liberatore notes the news that Cox and Comcast's local systems will carry the network, and both have now been listed on STO's website. The site says Cox will carry STO on channel 58 and HD games on channel 758, and that Comcast will carry STO on channel 73.The deal means that only … [Read more...]

Item 1: As reported here on OMW, as expected, yadda yadda, you know the drill... it's indeed Bob Frantz taking the live, local mid-morning talk show slot on Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland, hosting his first show as permanent occupant of the time slot this morning.Frantz told "Big One" listeners this morning that he was "thrilled, there is something about going home again", saying "this is home...this is where I am, this is where I want to stay, this is where I'm going to stay."In a bit … [Read more...]

A local TV newscast for the Akron/Canton area has now been saved twice...will there be a third time?The Beacon Journal's R.D. Heldenfels reports that officials at WKYC/3 and Time Warner Cable are mulling the prospect of ending "Akron/Canton News" by the end of April, due to massive financial losses. The apparent cause - moving from a broadcast channel (WVPX/23) to the obscurity of TWC's channel 23 has made it difficult to sell advertising for the newscast.To that end, TWC's Bill Jasso says the … [Read more...]

As first announced here, as predicted more than once, and as you read exclusively in Your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm):It will indeed be WSPD/1370 Toledo host Bob Frantz returning to sister talker WTAM/1100 Cleveland, and he will take over the 9-11:30 AM mid-morning local talk shift opened up with the dispatching of syndicated liberal host Jerry Springer a week ago last Friday. The news was apparently announced on WSPD program director Brian Wilson's show this afternoon.The news is confirmed on the … [Read more...]

While we did indeed find it possible to update the Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) from the road, we didn't find it easy without a laptop. Then, we learned we could use E-Mail to update OMW, though it looked kinda funny as far as spacing goes. Then, we realized we had a keyboard for our PDA with us, but...well, we're back home again. For now.While within the range of the 50,000 watt blowtorch-delivered signal of Cleveland Clear Channel talker WTAM/1100 last night, we happened to catch "Sportsline's" … [Read more...]

We neglected to mention that OMW tipster Nathan Obral heard the mention of Rick Gilmour's upcoming two day appearance... in one of "Gilly's" last time slot homes: Saturday night.The host? WMMS afternoon drive host "Maxwell"...who took part in a recent stunt with WTAM afternoon motormouth Mike Trivisonno, the two swapping stations.Hmmm...It probably means little... … [Read more...]

In our We Didn't Know How Hard It Is To Update OMW With Only A PDA Department...Thanks to regular OMW tipster Nathan Obral for the heads up...it appears that former WTAM/1100 talker Rick Gilmour will indeed jump into the station's new mid-morning host rotation...with appearances on Thursday and Friday of next week.A guy in a certain area suburb, a regular reader, has no doubt broken his arm patting himself on the back for this "scoop". But unlike him, we don't expect WTAM to go "back to the … [Read more...]

As noted in an earlier entry, Your OMW Primary Editorial Voice is headed out of town once again... we're on the road from now until early next week. Since we're less electronically equipped than we have been in the past, our entries will be a bit spotty until about Tuesday, but we'll try to keep in touch.As we prepare to head out, we hear that as expected, WOIO/19-WUAB/43 sports director Chuck Galeti is indeed the next square in the WTAM Mid-Morning Talk Checkerboard. We haven't had a chance … [Read more...]

Oh, we almost forgot what we mentioned in the last item, "our usual heads up".As we try to do, OMW would like to warn our regular readers that Your Primary Editorial Voice will be out of Northeast Ohio from early Thursday through approximately Monday...for a long-planned - and pre-paid for that matter - personal event. We mention this because of what seems to happen when we leave the area...major radio/TV moves, or at least once, a major move in the world of local sports. Don't worry, Browns … [Read more...]

A midday buffet:ITEM 1: As expected, it's former WEWS/5 personality and regular station fill-in talk host Brad Sussman occupying the chair in the WTAM/1100 studios for the third mid-morning local talk show in the Clear Channel Cleveland talker's recent history. The show had a different opening today - with the station's imaging voice noting that in "nearly ten years, this time slot has been occupied by a Doctor, a Sick Freak and even a Ringmaster". (For those scoring at home, that's Dr. … [Read more...]