We're clearing out the decks for the weekend...with some updates, some new stuff (mostly from elsewhere), and some thoughts..."SISSY'S" START: As it turns out, the Stefani Schaefer Era (round 2) on WJW/8's "FOX 8 News in the Morning" hasn't officially started yet.The former WJW and WEWS anchor returned home to Cleveland after leaving NBC Universal's talk show for company O&O's, "iVillage Live". And her return was announced on the FOX 8 morning show last week, complete with an appearance by … [Read more...]
What We’re Not
Posted on September 20, 2007 · Leave a Comment
OMW gets a lot of E-Mail.We'd estimate that roughly two dozen items come through our E-Mail account every day. And that's not including copies of blog comments - which used to be a lot more.Some folks seem confused about who we are, and why they're writing to us. We're a blog covering local radio, TV and other media, mainly in the Northeast Ohio area, with some forays beyond the Cleveland/Akron/Canton/Youngstown axis.So...here's what we're not.NOT A SHOW: No, we're not a radio show or … [Read more...]
The Radio No Factor
Posted on September 19, 2007 · Leave a Comment
UPDATE 9/20/07 2:35 PM: Mr. Maloney backs off just a little in an update to the below post.The "Radio Equalizer" blog editor says that O'Reilly may sign a "short-term" extension to the "Radio Factor" contract into early next year. But he believes the FNC host is still destined to dump radio, to concentrate on his popular evening TV talk show.Our original take on his report is below...----------This word comes from a blog just across the Blogger-sphere:According to "Radio Equalizer" blogger … [Read more...]
Speaking of Sports Again
Posted on September 19, 2007 · Leave a Comment
This update will be mostly related to sports and local media, since that's where the news is...BIG STO PICKUP: In its continuing drive to have programming other than Cleveland Indians games and assorted Cleveland Browns shows, pre-season game repeats and low-rent wrestling and poker shows, SportsTime Ohio has landed a big one.The Cleveland-based sports network has officially announced a one-year deal for the statewide rights to the Ohio High School Athletic Association's playoffs and … [Read more...]
Keeping Busy Tuesday
Posted on September 18, 2007 · Leave a Comment
We hadn't planned on an update Tuesday, but some stuff to sweep up after...IT'S OFFICIAL: The day it happened, and two days after OMW reported it would happen, the takeover of the former Clear Channel Ashtabula stations was reported in the national radio trade press.The announcement, which we saw on AllAccess's Monday Net News scroll, says Tom and Matt Embrescia's Sweet Home Ashtabula spent $3.5 million on the WFUN/WREO/WZOO/WFXJ/WYBL combo in Northeast Ohio's most northeastern-most small … [Read more...]
Monday Stuff
Posted on September 17, 2007 · Leave a Comment
We start off this week with an update or two, a musing or two, and other stuff...SANDY'S OUT: Here's an item that showed up on AllAccess late last week, but we didn't get to it yet...SAGA COMMUNICATIONS AC WSNY (SUNNY 95)/COLUMBUS, OH midday jock SANDY BENNETT exits. She is replaced by sister station Smooth Jazz WJZA midday talent TRISHA MOORE.Of course, Sandy also has history in the Cleveland market, at stations like WMJI/105.7 and the old "Jammin' 92" (then-WZJM/92.3, now CBS Radio alt-rocker … [Read more...]
Columbus Radio Shocker
Posted on September 16, 2007 · Leave a Comment
We don't have really good sources in Central Ohio, so we apologize for being a couple of days late with this one.We were started on this road by rumors that Christian Broadcasting Services 80's/eclectic pop non-comm outlet WHKC/91.5 Columbus was playing Christian pop instead, starting this weekend.The station was established last year by Robb Case, the popular former helicopter pilot/reporter for Columbus NBC affiliate WCMH/4 - the latest in a string of Central Ohio radio stations he's been … [Read more...]
Death Of The Buzzard
Posted on September 14, 2007 · Leave a Comment
We'd like to point out this fascinating article by the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Michael Heaton - on Cleveland.com today, presumably in the Dead Trees edition of the newspaper Saturday.It's all about rumblings we had here earlier this week, with Clear Channel rock WMMS/100.7 Cleveland rapidly de-emphasizing its call letters on air - the station is now mostly known on-air solely by its 100.7 frequency.And it would appear that WMMS, er, 100.7, is sending the well-known "Buzzard" mascot to fly away … [Read more...]
Sweet Homecoming Monday
Posted on September 14, 2007 · Leave a Comment
OMW has confirmed that the new owners of the soon-to-be-former Clear Channel cluster in Ashtabula will take over Monday morning, September 17th.That would be the company known as "Sweet Home Ashtabula", which is owned by long-time Cleveland media executive Tom Embrescia.The sale was actually approved by the FCC back in August, and involves:* WFUN/970 Ashtabula (news/talk/sports)* WREO/97.1 Ashtabula (AC "Star 97.1")* WYBL/98.3 Ashtabula (country "The Bull")* WZOO/102.5 Edgewood (hot … [Read more...]
Radiothon Time
Posted on September 13, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Here at OMW, we've paid some attention to local media participating in charity events, like the long-time Akron Children's Hospital Radiothon produced by the folks at Clear Channel hot AC WKDD/98.1.For whatever reason, we've not really mentioned a similar effort undertaken by WKDD's hot AC sister station in Cleveland, WMVX/106.5 "Mix 106.5". But it's going on now, and we'd like to give it a boost.The 5th Annual Brian and Joe Rainbow Radiothon is a three-day event, which started Wednesday, and … [Read more...]
