Cumulus, also seeking to end up going private, has just done its own round of spinoffs intended to slim the company's station roster, and four of those spinoffs involve the OMW coverage area.In the Youngstown/Warren market, Cumulus is moving standards WSOM/600 Salem and AC WLLF/96.7 Mercer PA "The River" to Stratus Radio LLC. And in the Toledo market, it's classic rock WXKR/94.5 Port Clinton and top 40 WTWR/98.3 Luna Pier MI "Tower 98-3" headed for Stratus Land.See any connection here?Not only … [Read more...]
The Football Blues
Posted on November 1, 2007 · Leave a Comment
We're coming up to another fall football weekend, and once again, many people will have to take measures to see games they may want to see, but can't see at home...BIG TEN NETWORK MESS, AGAIN: As we hinted earlier, this weekend's Big Ten football showdown between the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and 21st-ranked Wisconsin Badgers has been picked up by the Big Ten Network - which is visible in roughly 14 cable homes in Northeast Ohio. OK, maybe a few thousand.Those with satellite TV, or … [Read more...]
Here’s Some Hot News For You
Posted on October 31, 2007 · Leave a Comment
OK, so we couldn't resist.WFMJ/21 reports that early Wednesday morning, the Youngstown/Warren market NBC affiliate had to cover a fire...and they didn't have to go far from the station's headquarters in downtown Youngstown to get to it.In fact, they didn't have to leave the station at all.Quoting WFMJ's website:An early morning basement fire broke out in the WFMJ building. Nobody was hurt, but the fire damaged a number of systems used in our news and programming operations.The time of the fire, … [Read more...]
Clearing Out On Friday
Posted on October 19, 2007 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 10/20/07 12:30 PM: A correction to the below...the wedding mentioned above happened two years ago. But we're still happy for Autumn and her now-no-longer-new husband.Our apologies. The original site didn't say which year "October" was in...--------------It's Friday, and EVERYTHING MUST GO!OK, not everything. Only the random items on our plate and in our brains...NEW 5'ER?: Thursday on WEWS/5 "NewsChannel 5", we heard a voice and a name that should be familiar to some of those in the … [Read more...]
Quick Midweek Shot
Posted on October 17, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Some stuff that's been piling up, waiting to be let free...A CLEARER OUT OF THE STUDIO PICTURE: OMW hears that with this coming Saturday night's 11 PM newscast, Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS/5 "NewsChannel 5" will be the first local station with news video in the field to be shot and delivered in HDTV format.Our sources at 3001 Euclid tell us that all recorded video shot after Saturday will be in full 16x9 720p HD format, with no upconversion. Video shot before the new HDTV video recording and … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: “Hot 101” Fishing For New PD
Posted on August 17, 2007 · Leave a Comment
AllAccess reports that Cumulus top 40 WHOT/101.1 "Hot 101" in Youngstown is without its long-time program director.John Trout tells the trade website that he's resigned from "Hot 101" after over five years of programming the station due to "family medical issues".As Trout steps out, nighttime personality "J-Dub" gets handed music director duties, and APD/afternoon driver Hunter Quinn stays in that role... … [Read more...]
We Know Who To Believe Now
Posted on August 16, 2007 · Leave a Comment
In a June 29th item, we mulled over an article by the Youngstown Business Journal's Andrea Wood on the future of WYTV/33.Back then, the company buying the Youngstown market ABC affiliate was being peppered with questions about its "Shared Services Agreement" uncovered in the FCC filing to buy WYTV - questions which led new owner Todd Parkin of Los Angeles to write a letter denying two things:1) That Parkin Broadcasting would dismantle the existing "33 News" operation, giving control of the … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: FCC Approves WYTV Sale
Posted on July 31, 2007 · Leave a Comment
This just in: The Federal Communications Commission has given its approval of the sale of Youngstown ABC affiliate WYTV/33 from Chelsey Broadcasting to a new Los Angeles-based company called Parkin Broadcasting.Andrea Wood of the Youngstown-based Business Journal reports that the FCC approved the sale Monday, with little word about why a petition by the NABET union to block the sale was turned away.But Wood says that in a letter, an FCC official outlined the rejection of the union's objection, … [Read more...]
A Nice Monday Mix
Posted on July 23, 2007 · Leave a Comment
...and our apologies for being a bit late, since we were "on the road".We're back, with at least one item we believe to be an exclusive...YET ANOTHER NEW SPORTS REPORTER: If we told you a Cleveland station was hiring a new sports reporter, you'd probably guess it would be ABC affiliate WEWS/5, right?We mean, after all, "NewsChannel 5" has but two sports anchors/reporters on staff, and station veteran Sue Ann Robak is the only one who's working full-time...with Andy Baskin still doing … [Read more...]
Thursday Stuff
Posted on June 27, 2007 · Leave a Comment
And unlike our last update, most of this is not related...THIS PORTION OF OUR ITEM IS PAID PROGRAMMING: No, not really. We don't have an ad sales department here at the Mighty Blog of Fun(tm).But Raycom Media is at it again in Cleveland.Numerous readers let us know that the company's CBS affiliate, WOIO/19, pre-empted an hour of CBS prime-time programming Wednesday night from 8-9 PM for...paid programming. Infomercials. You know them. (We'd love to know what they actually aired.)The paid … [Read more...]
