Ohio Media Watch

OMW should probably do this more often, but Friday's column by Cleveland Plain Dealer sports media columnist Roger Brown prompted us into action:* Despite what Mr. Brown has now written twice, the Ohio News Network (ONN) is not "the state's cable network". We have to assume he did NOT mean to imply that the State of Ohio owns ONN. In fact, the Dispatch folks in Columbus (CBS affiliate WBNS/10, sports/talker WBNS/1460, and the Columbus Dispatch) own ONN, and always have. The correct wording would … [Read more...]

(Thanks to Radio-Info Cleveland board poster "brian_marchand" for the tip.)OMW's known for a while that formerly local religious broadcaster WCVJ/90.9 Jefferson has been sold to Educational Media Foundation, better known as the California-based operators of the "K-Love" and "Air1" Christian contemporary formats. And we've also known that WCVJ's locally-produced religious programming has been replaced with "Air1". But it took the above tip for us to figure out why EMF bought a small FM station in … [Read more...]

OMW hears that noted liberal talk radio personality Al Franken disappeared from the airwaves of Air America affiliates across the country today - including Akron affiliate WARF/1350 "Radio Free Ohio" - for a portion of the first part of his show.Is it a "right-wing conspiracy"? No, it doesn't appear to be so.We're told that a technician for Air America's satellite provider flipped a wrong bit or two during routine maintenance, and basically "decommissioned" all Air America Radio affiliates from … [Read more...]

OMW almost missed this one, because it was near the Beacon Journal's obituary section on Monday.Former Akron resident and local radio personality Dale R. Allenbaugh - known on-air as Dale Richards - was killed over the weekend, in a drive-by shooting at a Florida nightclub. Police say he was leaving a job as disk jockey at the club in Port Orange FL, and that the club's manager was alive, but in critical condition. Authorities say the shooters were ejected from the nightclub earlier that night, … [Read more...]

The popular trade website AllAccess is now holding voting for the annual Radio Music Awards' "Megablast" Awards...they'll be given out the day before the televised RMA show on NBC, which airs Monday, December 19th at 9 PM.And the list of nominees for the award is overwhelmed by stations, air personalities and programmers from Northeast Ohio.Cleveland's WAKS/96.5 "KISS FM" shows up courtesy of nominations in the CHR category for program director Dan Mason, afternoon driver and assistant PD/MD … [Read more...]

(Thanks to AllAccess for the tip.)Long-time WTVN/610 Columbus late night host Steve "Boom Boom" Cannon, who's been at the Clear Channel news/talker for some 20-plus years, is no longer in the building. The station's website schedule now lists the syndicated "Coast to Coast Rewound" in the 10 PM-1 AM slot, a repeat of earlier shows from Premiere's George Noory. Noory airs live on the station from 1-5 AM.We haven't heard why Cannon no longer addresses his nighttime listening army on WTVN, but we … [Read more...]

OMW doesn't know when exactly it happened, but a Keymarket sister station to WOHI/1490 East Liverpool has apparently also flipped to sports as a full-time ESPN Radio affiliate.A listener in the region tells us that WSTV/1340 Steubenville, and simulcast partner WOMP/1290 Bellaire OH/Wheeling WV, are now running ESPN. The simulcast pair formerly aired talk, with names like Westwood One's Bill O'Reilly and TRN's Michael Savage in the lineup. At one time, the station(s) had a local talk show host, … [Read more...]

OMW's only been interested in this because Michael Graham, the former WMAL/Washington talk show host, had been mentioned in connection with the afternoon drive opening at Clear Channel Toledo talker WSPD/1370. Since these rumors started swirling around, the station hired veteran host Brian Wilson as program director and afternoon drive host...and we hinted about Michael Graham's future moves in the process.Back in Graham's old home market, DCRTV gets into the act this afternoon, with speculation … [Read more...]

OMW hears that "Slats", afternoon driver at Infinity alternative WXTM/92.3 Cleveland (now "92-3X"), is no longer with the station as of today. The station's "Nardboy" will temporarily fill the PM drive slot. (Remember when air personalities had first AND last names?)Slats came over to the station once known as "Xtreme Radio" after years in the same slot at Clear Channel rock competitor WMMS/100.7. … [Read more...]

There's a new voice coming to town in Toledo, and it's not former WMAL/Washington talker Michael Graham.Radio & Records Online (along with AllAccess and other trade publications) reports that it's veteran talker Brian Wilson who has taken the WSPD/1370 afternoon drive slot. And in addition to replacing Denny Schaffer on the air, Wilson also takes the program director slot opened when Al Brady Law left for KTRS/St. Louis. Wilson is reportedly "on the ground" in Toledo doing off-air work … [Read more...]