We've been spending quite a bit of time - and getting a lot of information - about CBS Radio's pending flip to an FM sports talk format in Cleveland. There are plenty of other items floating out there, so let's grab them... CURTIS HEADS SOUTH: Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 in Cleveland recently dispatched "Good Morning Cleveland" anchors Pete Kenworthy and Kimberly Gill off the show, as we've reported already. (Kenworthy returned to the station recently, in a short-term deal to do field … [Read more...]
All But Inevitable
Posted on July 27, 2011 · 17 Comments
We have a separate item with a bunch of other news coming soon, but first, the athletic elephant in the room. There are skeptics, to be sure, that CBS Radio will launch an FM sports talk station soon in Cleveland, probably on the current WKRK/92.3 (now mostly unstaffed alt-rock "Radio 92.3"). There are also people who doubt man really landed on the moon in 1969. OK, so we are not ready to confirm on our own that "92.3 The Fan" - or whatever CBS ends up calling it - could launch as soon as … [Read more...]
Address Alert
Posted on July 22, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Effective immediately, the following address will be the only address you'll be able to use to read OMW: ohiomediawatch.wordpress.com If you are unable to reach the site otherwise in the next few days, this address should work fine. Please bookmark the address and take note! -- The Management … [Read more...]
That Pesky FM Sports Rumor
Posted on July 20, 2011 · 6 Comments
We've talked about it on Twitter. We've posted about it on message boards. We've vaguely hinted about it here. But with rumors once again floating around about CBS Radio converting one of its Cleveland FM stations to a sports station, is it about to happen? It may be, says Radio-Info.com columnist Tom Taylor, in this morning's Taylor on Radio-Info column. We haven't heard much, at all, from CBS Radio's operations locally. But Tom tracks down an interesting piece of information related to … [Read more...]
The Lost Item
Posted on July 16, 2011 · 6 Comments
We were researching something we had just written here, and...couldn't find it. As it turned out, the post below was written early in the morning Thursday. On our computer. All ready to post here, but...we never got (all together now!) "a RoundTuit"...and your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) was the only one who could read it. Until now. Here it is! Take a long breakfast or lunch, it's a long one... ----------- PETE'S BACK, SORT OF: A week after Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 parted ways with … [Read more...]
Changes And Other Stuff
Posted on July 11, 2011 · Leave a Comment
It's a changing world, but even more so in local media... THE CURIOUS CASE OF WINW...ER...WCER: When last we visited the world of Curtis A. Perry III, operator of gospel daytimer WINW/1520 Canton, he was basically drowning in water - radio wise. The station, which he claims to own through a time brokerage-to-purchase agreement (despite license transfer paperwork not being filed with the FCC), has been off the air since earlier this year. The FCC deleted WINW's license, saying the station … [Read more...]
NewsChannel 5 Busts Up Good Morning Cleveland
Posted on July 5, 2011 · 13 Comments
UPDATE 11:55 PM 7/6/11: OMW hears that Kenworthy and Gill's contracts were up at the end of July, and that station management told them Tuesday that the contracts wouldn't be renewed. We hear the moves were "a total shock to everyone" at 3001 Euclid. What can you blame for this sudden move, if anything? Weak ratings...the Gill/Kenworthy team running up against the buzzsaw that is Local TV WJW/8's "Fox 8 News in the Morning", and stability and ratings growth over at 13th and Lakeside (Gannett … [Read more...]
Entering July
Posted on July 1, 2011 · 2 Comments
And we start the month with a long list of topics, some that have been sitting here a while, and others brand new... MATT'S LANDING: Like, for example, the word of the Houston landing place of Northeast Ohio-born-and-bred talker Matt Patrick. The former Clear Channel Akron market hot AC WKDD/98.1 and talk WHLO/640 host, who holds the 1-4 PM Saturday slot at Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland, is making a big splash at a huge Clear Channel station in Houston. Starting Tuesday, July 5th, … [Read more...]
That WKNR Fallout
Posted on June 30, 2011 · Leave a Comment
When Good Karma sports WKNR/850 Cleveland "ESPN 850" makes one of its "major announcements", there's always a follow up, and there's no exception in this case. The most detail comes from Crain's Cleveland Business, where an article by the paper's Joel Hammond showed up on the paper's website at 9:01 AM Wednesday - two and a half hours before WKNR announced "Cleveland Browns Daily" on "The Really Big Show" with Tony Rizzo. (For that matter, the Browns sent out their press release shortly … [Read more...]
That WKNR Announcement
Posted on June 29, 2011 · 1 Comment
As we expected and hinted about on Twitter on Tuesday, Good Karma sports WKNR/850 Cleveland "ESPN 850"'s "major programming announcement" is not about changes to the station's highest profile shows or their hours, or a new signal. The station is launching a new daily official Cleveland Browns show, "Cleveland Browns Daily", weekdays 6-7 PM year-round. The show's host, veteran NFL journalist Vic Carucci, will be a Cleveland Browns team employee. It appears from the announcement that the team … [Read more...]
