Ohio Media Watch

Yes, it's time for another story in the saga of Beacon Broadcasting, Inc., the most active radio company in Northeast Ohio over the past month or so.New Beacon owner Harold Glunt has apparently decided that broadcasting is his future, instead of supplying machines to steel factories. And given the state of the steel industry in the Mahoning Valley, we're not sure we blame him for stocking up on anemic AMs.This time, a reliable OMW source tells us that Glunt is buying WRTK/1540 Niles, a 500 watt … [Read more...]

It's kind of a hobby here at OMW... tracking the whereabouts of bombbastic self-promoting sports talk host Dino Costa. Costa was heard in parts of Northeast Ohio on the late, short-lived sports format on WATJ/1560 out of Chardon...perhaps the worst ever attempt to rimshot a major market with an anemic AM signal. (For anyone who kept track or cared, the 1,000 watt daytime station is now zero watts anytime...it's silent.)After leaving "SportsRadio 1560", Costa ended up at Denver's KLZ/560, … [Read more...]

Clear Channel Hot AC WMVX/106.5 ("Mix 106.5") Cleveland recently picked its new program director. He's Don Hallett, the former PD of AC WSNY/94.7 ("Sunny 95") Columbus. Hallett has been running a consultancy under the name "The Positioning Works".OMW welcomes Hallett to the Northeast Ohio radio community, and would like to prepare him for the sea of rumors that always accompany Mix 106.5...It seems speculation about Mix's future is a favorite Northeast Ohio radio game, at least among those of … [Read more...]

According to WZKL/92.5 - WDPN/1310 program director John Stewart, the station's mourning the loss of long-time chief engineer Steve Hundt.The 57-year-old engineer had worked at the Alliance-based stations since 1967, and leaves family in Alliance and in Florida.Our thoughts are with Steve's family, friends and colleagues at WZKL/WDPN. … [Read more...]

Still on some of the topics which have dominated the blog:* Liberal talk WARF/1350 Akron has finally solidified its lineup with the recent addition of various Air America Radio programming. As expected, AAR's Randi Rhodes takes the full 6-10 PM slot when she is not preempted by Akron Aeros baseball. A look at the weekday lineup is now found at the station's website:www.1350radiofreeohio.comThe earlier site, www.radiofreeohio.org, still works as well.* Yes, we're sick of it, too, but one more … [Read more...]

Radio Business Report's morning newsletter says that WLOA/1470 Farrell PA, on the edge of the Youngstown market, is being sold by Holy Family Communications for $295,000.The buyer? None other than Beacon Broadcasting, Inc., the company which itself is being bought in whole by Warren steel supply magnate Harold Glunt. Beacon owns WEXC/107.1 and WANR/1570, as we've said a few times already in OMW. Maybe a couple.RBR's report would explain why WEXC/WANR's "Dr. Rock" (Ron Leader) was heard on … [Read more...]

The Ohio Media Watch staff is about ready to pack things up from our Southern Command and head back home, at least for a little while. Next time, we'll make sure the remote listening equipment works before we leave town!And speaking of which, we're in and out of Ohio for much of the next month or two. We come equipped with The Laptop of Media Domination, and we know how to use it. And, the OMW staff sniffs its collective nose at hotel rooms that do not have high speed Internet connections.Only … [Read more...]

After running some Air America Radio shows over the weekend, liberal talk WARF/1350 Akron ("Radio Free Ohio") has indeed added some of the liberal network's weekday programming abandoned by WJMP/1520 Kent...which has moved to Fox Sports Radio.Well, at least it was supposed to do so today, but you can never tell sometimes with WJMP... and since the OMW World Headquarters has moved a few hundred miles away for the past few days, we can't hear it ourselves. Heck, when we're at our usual World HQ, … [Read more...]

Credit the Eagle Ears of Radio-Info.com Cleveland board regular nate81 for this one...Nate reports that he's heard liberal talk WARF/1350 Akron ("Radio Free Ohio") running a wide variety of Air America radio programming over the holiday weekend. Among the offerings out of AAR's weekend schedule he's heard on WARF so far: Repeats of network stars Al Franken and Randi Rhodes, some "Morning Sedition" repeats, and weekender Laura Flanders with a holiday repeat.This is something we suggested might … [Read more...]

As just about any determined radio/TV observer will tell you, format or programming changes in your home market usually happen when you're out of town. That's certainly true for OMW this week.But just to bump up the list:* Liberal talk WJMP/1520 Kent (Air America) makes approximately its 500th format change on Tuesday, trying to duplicate the stirring success 1350 had with Fox Sports Radio. OK, so maybe it wasn't a stirring success. Even fewer people will have the chance to listen to FSR on … [Read more...]