We wish we had better news for our return.In our last full item, we talked about the continuing reports of job losses at Ohio media outlets. We had no idea that the following week would be one of the worst such weeks for local media workers...ever.The news is so bad, and so widespread, that we abandoned plans for a single, large update covering everything we've missed in the past week. Instead, we decided to split this bad news into a large update of its own. We'll have other news not related … [Read more...]
About Keeping That Wire Current
Posted on October 20, 2008 · Leave a Comment
It's a long-running (gallows humor) joke around here when we talk about the continuing job cuts at the Akron Beacon Journal, one of thousands of newspapers nationwide getting squeezed between the current financial crisis and the diminishing number of readers: "We hope they keep their Associated Press wire bill current."As it turns out, a small, but growing number of newspapers are deciding to send the venerable AP wire packing.The most recent to give the wire service the required two-year … [Read more...]
Ready For Its Name Change
Posted on September 30, 2008 · Leave a Comment
As reported earlier here on OMW, Kent-based public TV stations WNEO/45 Alliance-WEAO/49 Akron are about to take on a new identity.Starting Wednesday, the stations now known as "PBS 45 & 49" on the air will become "Western Reserve PBS"...under the umbrella name of "Western Reserve Public Media".Both are just branding changes for 45/49 - the call letters will remain the same for both stations, and the stations' owner continues to be known legally as Northeastern Educational Television of Ohio, … [Read more...]
Your Digital TV Q&As
Posted on September 30, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Late last week, we put out the call for your questions about the digital TV transition.Here's our first batch of those questions:Q: Perhaps a list of stations and their actual operating frequencies would be helpful to all.A: We'll start here, because that information is pretty basic and should be up front. The following covers all full power local TV stations in the Northeast Ohio area. For those of you in the other parts of the state, that list would be way too long...a quick stop by the … [Read more...]
OMW’s First Digital TV Q&A
Posted on September 26, 2008 · Leave a Comment
We went back to read our item about the early analog switchoff of Youngstown market PBS affiliate WNEO/45 Alliance, and...well, we figured some of our readers may have some questions about the digital TV transition.Late on the night of February 17, 2009, just before the clock strikes midnight into the 18th, TV transmitter facilities around America will be very busy places...as every full-power TV station in the nation shuts off its analog transmitter for good. (For the record, as far as we … [Read more...]
Beacon Flips Again
Posted on September 25, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Warren-based Beacon Broadcasting has flipped another radio station format, again.This time, it's Farrell PA-licensed Youngstown rimshot WLOA/1470, which has moved from carrying Sporting News Radio to...simulcasting the classic country format of Beacon's other Pennsylvania-side AM outlet, WGRP/940 Greenville PA.It's not the first, or even the second, time that the two Mercer County PA radio stations have simulcast programming.In fact, WGRP had been paired with WLOA in the sports format ("Your … [Read more...]
Satellite HD Locals In Youngstown
Posted on September 23, 2008 · Leave a Comment
An item that actually broke last week, that we're catching up with...The DirecTV satellite service has launched HD local channel service to the Youngstown market, according to a news release put out by the satellite company.DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading satellite television service provider, is now offering local HD programming to customers in the Youngstown, Ohio designated market area. The following broadcast networks are available in HD: WYTV/ABC and WFMJ/NBC. With the addition of … [Read more...]
WNEO’s Early Change
Posted on September 23, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Northeast Ohio has already seen one full-power analog TV station go dark months before the federally mandated digital transition, though the change has affected only a small part of the Cleveland/Akron (Canton) market. Mansfield local independent station WMFD/68 won approval to go digital-only due to various issues regarding the replacement of its analog facility/antenna. WMFD-DT (RF 12) no longer has an analog 68 sister.In what's no surprise to regular OMW readers, we're not long from the … [Read more...]
Mahoning Valley Bandscan
Posted on September 22, 2008 · Leave a Comment
Some oddities from two recent trips to the Youngstown/Warren radio market, particularly on AM...WHERE'S REV. MANN?: OMW reported in February that Salem was selling the station now known as WHKZ/1440 Warren - which has mostly been a simulcast of Cleveland religious sister station WHKW/1220 "The Word" - to the Pentecostal Temple Development Corporation out of the Pittsburgh area.PTDC is run by one Rev. Loran Mann, a former Pittsburgh TV reporter who owns WGBN/1150 New Kensington PA in that … [Read more...]
Big Monday
Posted on September 15, 2008 · Leave a Comment
No time to chat...time to get busy, with all these items on our Monday plate.And perhaps on our lunch plate later today: a footlong chili cheese dog from the Sonic drive-in set to open for the first time today in Streetsboro...THE WHY OF LAURA: We've kept you up to date over the weekend on the departure of Talk Radio Network syndicated mid-morning host Laura Ingraham from all 17 of her Salem affiliates, including the comapny's talk WHK/1420 Cleveland.Salem's own Mike Gallagher will slide into … [Read more...]
