An administrative note, first: Ohio Media Watch is on "deep hiatus". Things Offline(tm) have conspired to reduce our available free time to almost zero. We'll try to continue getting the Big News up here as soon as possible...items like the last few ones, for example. Any other items will be posted as soon as possible to our growing social media presence. You don't need to be signed up at Facebook or Twitter to read our items... just click here or read the feed at the right of this page. If … [Read more...]
Browns Radio Rights: Throwing The Long Ball
Posted on March 28, 2013 · 3 Comments
In what's been perhaps the worst kept local radio secret since a certain Cleveland station switched to a sports format, that station is about to get into the big leagues when it comes to play-by-play rights. Did we mention the games will also air on their biggest rival station? In what has to be a unique situation, the NFL's Cleveland Browns are expected to announce Thursday morning what everyone already knows...that the team is leaving a multi-decade relationship with Clear Channel, which has … [Read more...]
Wilma’s Exit
Posted on March 20, 2013 · 2 Comments
It's no surprise that "Fox 8 News" anchor Wilma Smith would retire sometime soon...it's just not been known when. That changed on Monday, when the long-time WJW/8 anchor (with a total time in Cleveland TV news of some 35 years) announced to viewers that she was calling it a career at the end of May. A lengthy, steady career it's been for the former Wilma Pokorny. Wilma is one of the last remaining members of a class that dominated the local TV landscape in Cleveland for decades. She spent a … [Read more...]
The Matlock Incident
Posted on March 3, 2013 · 2 Comments
Cleveland market TV viewers are no stranger to Ben Matlock in rerun form, or the propensity of local stations to run "Matlock" in prime time occasionally. But this time, Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3's decision to bump NBC's Thursday night lineup out of prime time for a 2-hour 1992 TV movie featuring the genial southern lawyer played by Andy Griffith...well, went viral. Almost as soon as ol' Ben started TV lawyering, our own social media presence was swamped. The clamor went nationwide, and … [Read more...]
Our Funny Little Valentine (Stories)
Posted on February 15, 2013 · 3 Comments
We have a backlog of stuff that we're never going to get to, and what do you know, Life Intervenes(tm) with a vengeance. But we had to share these stories. We'll put up a "Quick Hits" item to clear out the list later... REUNITED, WILL IT SOUND SO GOOD?: CBS Radio AC WDOK/102.1 "New 102" has found the man who will replace "Trapper Jack" Elliot, the 17-year morning drive fixture who was shown the We're Not Renewing Your Contract Door along with 18-year "Infoman" Jim McIntyre last December. And … [Read more...]
Jeff Kinzbach’s Radio Return
Posted on February 2, 2013 · 10 Comments
We have a whole stack of items we don't have time - yet - to cover. Look for them in the next few days...we hope. But for now, we can't ignore the Radio Topic Elephant In The Room. Jeff Kinzbach, with partner Ed "Flash" Ferenc, dominated Cleveland morning drive radio as "Jeff and Flash", morning drive ringmasters as the "Buzzard Morning Zoo" on iconic rocker WMMS/100.7...until Howard Stern showed up in 1992 and took over top ratings from "Jeff and Flash" not long after. Now, Kinzbach will try … [Read more...]
Of George, Nash And Other Stuff
Posted on January 24, 2013 · 6 Comments
It's a "name" theme this time around for your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm)... GEORGE OF RESERVE SQUARE: Raycom Media CBS/MyNet combo WOIO/19-WUAB/43 has a new anchor who started this week, and he's coming off a national stage. George Smith was a reporter for sports TV giant ESPN for nearly 10 years, and moves to "19 Action News" as 4:30 PM and 5:30 PM weekday anchor (with Danielle Serino) and reporter for the station's 10 PM news on "My43 The Block", and the 11 PM news on "CBS 19". Smith's "Action … [Read more...]
Remembering Danielle Fink, WKYC Assignment Editor
Posted on January 21, 2013 · 2 Comments
In the past, the tragic death of a TV newsroom assignment editor wouldn't register with most members of the "general public". But for some very specific reasons, those beyond the local TV news community are mourning the death of Danielle Fink, who worked as an assignment editor for Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3...and earlier, she was employed by Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5. Danielle's home station reports that she died in a car crash in North Olmsted sometime late Saturday night/early Sunday … [Read more...]
Welcome To A Busy 2013
Posted on January 5, 2013 · 2 Comments
And as usual when we start a new year, or return from a hiatus, there's stuff waiting to land like so many airplanes. We are probably missing a topic or three, so don't be surprised if there's a crash...we'll pick up where we left off in a future update... UPDATE 1:35 AM 1/5/13: Cox and Raycom have reached an agreement, and OMW social media followers tell us that the local stations, WOIO/19 and WUAB/43, are back in the Cox lineup. Here's part of what we originally wrote before Friday … [Read more...]
The Fox-STO Shoe Drops
Posted on December 28, 2012 · 9 Comments
We've discussed the rumors. We've discussed the reports from every outlet this side of "Shopper's Weekly" that a sale of Cleveland-based regional sports network SportsTime Ohio was imminent. It's now official, slipped just under the Tax Impact Door of 2012. As expected everywhere (including here), Fox Sports Media Group has signed on the dotted line, with a reported, estimated $230 million purchase of the network owned by the Dolan family, who also happen to own the Cleveland Indians of Major … [Read more...]
