Ohio Media Watch

OMW was getting ready to post a "What Hasn't Happened Yet" update for the beginning of the week, when we wondered...who replaced Robin Swoboda on Salem Cleveland CCM WFHM/95.5 "The Fish"'s morning show? You might remember that the former local TV anchor left the station for family reasons...primarily because her husband's new job made it necessary for her to take her kids to school. That's impossible to do when you're, well, co-hosting a morning drive radio show.It turns out that we missed it, … [Read more...]

As we hit update #100 for Ohio Media Watch, it's sort of a milestone for us. (And we now officially don't dismiss anyone who says we just can't shut up.) So we thought we'd provide a glossary to some of the regular abbreviations, terms and names we use here.OMW - Ohio Media Watch.(And frankly, if you can't figure that one out, you're better off not reading!)Broadcast Facilities:CC World Domination HQ in Independence - 6200 Oak Tree Blvd., Fourth Floor, in the Cleveland suburb of Independence. … [Read more...]

The folks at Reserve Square can rest easy this weekend.This time, OMW's TV sights turn to Fox Sports Net Ohio, which is the sole host of Cleveland Indians local TV games. (Though we note that Fox's WJW/8 is in the running to pick up over-air broadcasts of any Indians playoff games.)It's not that we have any major problems with the game broadcasts themselves. The FSN Ohio crew is professional, and the on-air talent is fine as well. Our problem - FSN Ohio as a whole seems to be an afterthought, … [Read more...]

Nearly two weeks ago, OMW mentioned that Infinity hot AC WQAL/104.1 "Q104" Cleveland afternoon driver Brian "Fig" Figula was heading out, destined for a programming gig in another market.His destination is now public, as AllAccess reports that Fig is heading back to the hometown station where he started as an intern over 10 years ago - Cumulus CHR station WWCK "CK 105.5" in Flint, Michigan. He'll not only take the programming reins, but will also be heard on the air in afternoon drive, starting … [Read more...]

Just a couple of things on our agenda this late Wednesday evening:* It appears that even if we can't syndicate a radio show, OMW itself has picked up some, uh, "syndication". While searching for something else, we found one of our entries reprinted on something called "RadioBB.com", which apparently aggregates various radio news-oriented blogs in its news section. A quick check of the links shows OMW, along with other sites like Dave Hughes' DCRTV, and our good friends over at Indiana … [Read more...]

OMW hears that a new program on the "Sports Byline" network will be originating from a local studio."The Joe Average Poker Show" will be heard on that network, and via its clearance on Sirius satellite radio channel 122, Monday nights at 9 PM ET. The host is long-time local high school sports color commentator Fred Maury, who's been doing the honors on WHLO/640 and now-WARF/1350 for several seasons. But locals who wish to hear the show will have to check in with Sports Byline affiliate WTIG/990 … [Read more...]

No, there's not really anything new going on in that Youngstown/Warren market cluster owned by Beacon Broadcasting, which is in the process of being bought by (say it with us, folks!) Warren steel supply magnate Harold Glunt.But we neglected to mention this in our last update - you, too, can listen to the Internet feed that is apparently being used to send WANR/1570 Warren's self-described "family friendly" oldies programming to WLOA/1470 Farrell PA, and eventually on to puny WGRP/940 Greenville … [Read more...]

As OMW does feel responsible for some of this, we continue to watch the radio career of Bill Press, the MSNBC commentator and former CNN "Crossfire" co-host who launched his liberal talk radio show in late May on Akron's WARF/1350 "Radio Free Ohio".Radio and Records Online reports (along with AllAccess and other trade web sites) that Press' show is now officially being offered for syndication by Jones Radio, which has a hand in selling a number of talk shows, both liberal (P1's Ed Schultz and … [Read more...]

OMW was still in the area, but mostly away from the Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) due to an influx of our out of town friends for a big gathering in Cleveland. But, there are some small bits of news and rumblings on our plate as we return this Monday:* Early in his show last Wednesday afternoon, we heard WNIR/100.1 afternoon talk host Bob Golic doing the show via a regular telephone line on "The Talk of Akron". That's not new for Golic, who has occasionally done this while he's away from the WNIR … [Read more...]

This has been around the rumor mill for a day or two, but the Plain Dealer's Julie Washington confirms it in this morning's PD. WOIO/WUAB "19 Action News" news director Steven Doerr is leaving the station at the end of the month, bound for a job with a research company in Dallas. (Doerr will be staying in the Cleveland area, though.)Washington's article touches on what you'd expect - 19's swashbuckling style under Doerr, including the now-infamous "Body of Art" series featuring unclad anchor … [Read more...]