If Plain Dealer sports media columnist Roger Brown is to be believed, the long-speculated Indians TV deal is taking shape...a script I shape, to be exact.Brown reports that the Indians are close to announcing a new deal with two players - NBC affiliate WKYC/3, and Time Warner Cable/Northeast Ohio. The team's reportedly set to create its very own cable channel, and Brown says the Tribe will air 130 of its games on the channel which will have TWC as its primary carrier. And as we expected, 20 … [Read more...]

The negotiations over the Cleveland Indians' TV contract should theoretically be winding down, but there's still more to write about.This time, it's Plain Dealer sports/media columnist Roger Brown who weighs in again...and unlike some past columns, this includes a direct quote from Fox Sports Net Ohio's Steve Liverani. The FSN Ohio GM tells Brown that the Indians are basically not interested in returning to his cable network, and for one reason...they want to "manage and control their own … [Read more...]

We haven't yet mentioned Roger Brown's latest stab at nailing down the Cleveland Indians' TV rights story, which appeared in his Friday column.Roger now cites "growing buzz" that Cleveland NBC affiliate WKYC/3 is now leading the race to nab those rights...eiither that, or Roger's ear is too close to his electric razor. It's been reported that incumbent rightsholder Fox Sports Net Ohio may even be out of the chase for the televised Tribe, but...If WKYC/3 is the victor in this battle, they will … [Read more...]

We're not sure here at OMW, but we believe this came from the Canton Beacon Journal... … [Read more...]

OMW had been hearing that the Plain Dealer's Clint O'Connor was no longer covering local radio, and it appears that the PD's local TV columnist - Julie Washington - has added radio to her plate.Washington's latest missive touches on the recent exit of Clear Channel/Cleveland market manager and regional VP/GM Jim Meltzer from the CC World Domination HQ on Oak Tree. And from her description, it sounds like Meltzer's exit was a push, at least when it comes to his last day in the building...if not … [Read more...]

An overnight standoff with a man who left a Lorain County mental hospital, then holed himself up in an Oberlin barn before committing suicide early this morning, was also a problem for two area radio stations.Regular OMW reader Nathan Obral tells us that the standoff location along U.S. 20 was "within shouting distance" of two locally co-owned stations, country WOBL/1320 and oldies WDLW/1380. That meant that not only could the stations' two morning hosts not even get into the studios to do … [Read more...]

AllAccess is reporting tonight that long-time Clear Channel Cleveland market manager and regional VP/GM Jim Meltzer has left the building. They quote Meltzer: "I had a great run and we built some really great properties."The trade website reports that the company's central region senior VP/GM, Bill Gentry, is looking for Meltzer's replacement. … [Read more...]

OK, so it's a standard ratings-grabbing attempt by local TV news operations, and Cleveland CBS affiliate WOIO/19 isn't the first to do it for its "19 Action News". But this one is especially over the top.As videotape of various people standing at exploding, fiery gas pumps rolls, 19's promo announcer implores you that the station will have "THE ONE THING YOU CAN DO TO SAVE YOUR LIFE"... in its report Wednesday night on "19 Action News" called "KILLER PUMPS".Presumably, the only way you can save … [Read more...]

Some time ago, Salem Cleveland sportstalker WKNR/850 proudly announced that they'd be running a replay of Premiere midday host Jim Rome's show at 12 midnight each night. Some of us apparently assumed incorrectly that Rome's show would air in its entirety, from midnight to 3 AM.Not true, night owls.We heard this once before, but have verified it tonight. 'KNR's overnight "Rome Replay" is better titled "A Taste of Rome". The station squeezes the show into a much smaller time slot than a full 3 … [Read more...]

A brief promo for WJW/8's "FOX 8 News In The Morning" implies something of a one-day reunion of a former long-time station on-air team during Monday's show...anchors Tim Taylor and Robin Swoboda, weatherman Dick Goddard and sportscaster Casey Coleman. (You can also see a graphic promoting this at FOX 8's website.)We're not sure what's up here. For one, Taylor and Goodard work together every night on FOX 8 News at 6. And Casey Coleman's current health situation is well-known...we'll be thrilled … [Read more...]