This will be the last regular item until 2012, as we're going on Holiday Hiatus. Any major local radio/TV changes will be noted on our social media presence...and a reminder, you don't even have to be "on" either Twitter or Facebook to find those. Hit this link for our Twitter page, or look at the "OMW on Twitter" section of this very site. The updates are mirrored on both services. On behalf of the entire Ohio Media Watch staff (OK, your Primary Editorial Voice[tm] and our Secondary Voice, … [Read more...]
The Elephant In The Radio Room
Posted on December 14, 2011 · 13 Comments
Long-time readers may have noticed that we've had almost nothing on one of the biggest changes about to hit Cleveland radio...changes at AAA/adult rock WNWV/107.3 "V107.3", the Elyria-licensed station that is being sold by Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting to Akron's Rubber City Radio Group, owners of oldies/news WAKR/1590, rock WONE/97.5 and country WQMX/94.9. The application to sell the station was approved by the FCC on November 28th, and closing - and a temporary move of the station to RCRG's … [Read more...]
Tracy McCool For Stacey Bell At Fox 8
Posted on December 13, 2011 · 1 Comment
It's no surprise to anyone, particularly anyone reading the Mighty Blog of Fun(tm), but it's now official. Local TV LLC Fox affiliate WJW/8 "Fox 8 News" morning co-anchor Tracy McCool is putting the early alarm clock away, and will sit alongside anchor Bill Martin on the 5 and 10 PM editions of "Fox 8 News", starting in January. Our friend Rich Heldenfels at the Akron Beacon Journal had first word of the move this afternoon on his Ohio.com blog "The HeldenFiles Online": McCool told me she … [Read more...]
Romona Leaving WKYC
Posted on December 7, 2011 · 2 Comments
UPDATE: We just wanted to link Plain Dealer writer Mark Dawidziak's very extensive article to this item. We'll have more speculation and rumblings in a later post. As Mark notes, rumors of Romona Robinson leaving WKYC have actually been around for a few months, coinciding roughly with six months of contract talks that failed to produce a new deal...but the actual "final day" has been in the rumor mill for about a month now. He also gets WKYC GM Brooke Spectorsky to confirm that there have … [Read more...]
Technical And Non-Technical
Posted on December 6, 2011 · 6 Comments
UPDATE 12/6/11 6:23 PM: If you're just seeing this notice, we've added one more update we forgot...at the end of this item... -------- We have some "facilities" items up front, and a nice mix of non-technical stuff after that. Scroll down for the latter... THE WBNX FLY IN WJW'S OINTMENT: We breathlessly reported here recently that the Federal Communications Commission had issued an "NPRM" (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) that would clear the way for Local TV LLC Fox affiliate WJW/8 in … [Read more...]
A Snowy Mix Piling Up
Posted on November 30, 2011 · 7 Comments
As we write this item, the first snow of the season can be seen outside the OMW World Headquarters. Meanwhile, our items are piling more than the snow in this short-lived event... THIS JUST IN, FROM THE FCC: Monday, the Federal Communications Commission officially approved the $6.5 million sale of Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting AAA WNWV/107.3 "V107.3" to Akron's Rubber City Radio Group. There's no word on a timetable for the deal to close, or on what the new owners plan to do with the … [Read more...]
Back Together Again In The Valley
Posted on November 27, 2011 · Leave a Comment
There's a change at the Whiplash Radio operation in the Youngstown market, that reunites programming on the cluster's two stations. Whiplash's WYCL/1540 Niles had been LMAed by Philip Cato with a talk format. Well, it had a talk format most of the time, anyway, give or take syndicated smooth jazz and other musical programming. Whiplash owner and OMW reader Chris Lash has taken over programming WYCL again, and has flipped it to a simulcast of co-owned standards outlet WHTX/1570 Warren "Fabulous … [Read more...]
The Exit Door
Posted on November 22, 2011 · 6 Comments
It's nearing the end of the year, and that means at least one high profile TV news personality in Cleveland is about to end her run here...and one other could follow in the next month or so... BELL MOVES ON: The first primary evening news anchor to exit the Cleveland market this season is Stacey Bell, who has been co-anchoring the 5 PM and 10 PM editions of Fox affiliate WJW/8 "Fox 8 News" with Bill Martin for the past few years...starting anchor duties on the 5 PM show in 2000, and adding 10 … [Read more...]
The Crowded Christmas Music Parade
Posted on November 17, 2011 · 5 Comments
Just one day after we noted Northeast Ohio's first Christmas music station of the season (Canton market Clear Channel otherwise AC WHOF/101.7 "My 101.7"), and hours after Local TV LLC Fox affiliate WJW/8's "Fox 8 News in the Morning" picked up on our speculation...the Christmas Music Parade has become a mini-stampede. Well, almost. As widely expected, CBS Radio AC WDOK/102.1 Cleveland has officially jumped onto Santa's Musical Sleigh...complete with an on-air name change to "Christmas … [Read more...]
The Parade
Posted on November 16, 2011 · 3 Comments
It's a short parade of news items, as local media is pretty quiet, news-wise, just before the Thanksgiving holiday. But one parade is at the front of our larger parade, so to speak... HO HO HO!: Northeast Ohio radio has its first Christmas music station of the season. As no surprise to anyone, it's Clear Channel AC WHOF/101.7 "My 101.7" in the Canton market, which started rolling out the holiday tunes at 9 AM Wednesday. WHOF is traditionally at or near the start of the Christmas Music … [Read more...]
