We're mostly updating some of the busier items we've posted in the past couple of weeks...with one new piece of information, though it's been sitting for a while... JIM MANTEL REDUX: Helpful OMW readers have been alerting us to TV appearances by now-former Clear Channel country WGAR/99.5 morning host Jim Mantel, who was shown the door a week ago when the company reportedly declined to renew his contract. Also gone from the morning show at WGAR is producer "Captain Tony" McGinty, who we … [Read more...]
The WKSU Item
Posted on August 19, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Kent State University's WKSU/89.7 has been so busy lately...we've talked with the station's Ann VerWiebe the past few days more than we've talked with some of our relatives. But...there's been a lot to talk about on East Summit Street...so, let's get started... THE SOUND OF REGINA: Plain Dealer columnist Regina Brett makes her local public radio return with a new weekly show on WKSU. The former Friday host of Ideastream WCPN/90.3's "The Sound of Ideas" launches her own program on the … [Read more...]
The Big Followup
Posted on August 18, 2010 · 7 Comments
As usual when major media news breaks here, we spend time afterwards sorting it all out... MANTEL'S EXIT: It's the day after long-time WGAR/99.5 morning man Jim Mantel was shown the door at the Clear Channel Cleveland country outlet, and instead of being behind the microphones at Oak Tree, he's communicating with his fans via social media. Mantel noted on his Twitter account: "Probably heard that I'm no longer on the air at wgar. Was lucky to do morning in my hometown for 18 1/2 yrs. On the … [Read more...]
Jim Mantel Out At WGAR
Posted on August 17, 2010 · 49 Comments
Veteran Clear Channel country WGAR/99.5 morning star Jim Mantel is now officially a man without a station. Sources at Oak Tree confirm that Mantel is out as morning drive host at WGAR, as is morning show producer "Captain Tony" McGinty. As usual, the "Soviet-style purge" has removed the "Mantel in the Morning" page from WGAR's website, and Mantel's name from the station's air personality list. Mantel's Twitter account is still around, though it hasn't been updated since Sunday. McGinty's … [Read more...]
The Beacon Ohio Empire Sold
Posted on August 16, 2010 · 1 Comment
OMW hears that a buyer has been found for the two Beacon Broadcasting stations in Ohio, and that a prospective buyer is lining up for the remaining Pennsylvania-based Beacon stations. Pittsburgh-based broker Ray H. Rosenblum announced today that Beacon's WANR/1570 Warren and daytime sister WRTK/1540 Niles are being sold to Whiplash Radio, LLC, a company owned by husband-and-wife team Chris and Kathy Lash. Chris Lash currently operates non-comm community station WYNS/89.3 "Hybrid FM" in … [Read more...]
The Big Flood
Posted on August 10, 2010 · 4 Comments
UPDATED 8/10/10 10:45 PM: Oops! There's one more item we forgot to mention, which you can read by scrolling down to the bottom if you read this when it came out... --------- We don't know why we bother to go on hiatus, no matter how busy life beyond the Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) may be. Items tend to write themselves, anyway, and basically demand to be put up...and there's another flood we have to deal with... WCLV MOVE: Classical mainstay WCLV in Cleveland has already made one big move in the … [Read more...]
Up From Hiatus
Posted on August 6, 2010 · 9 Comments
Yes, we're still on hiatus. But as per usual when we take a break from the Mighty Blog of Fun(tm), media news breaks out...and then some... TERRY BROOKS: The news spread fast and furious on local TV stations...and off-air, in their newsrooms. We'll let Scripps Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS/5's "NewsChannel 5" report the happenings of this past week involving one of its own employees: WEWS NewsChannel5 weekend sports anchor Terry Brooks was indicted Wednesday on charges of rape, attempted … [Read more...]
The H Word Again
Posted on August 3, 2010 · 3 Comments
Regulars around here know that that "H Word" stands for "Hiatus", and we're overdue for one. There's nothing sinister or troubling about our absence, and we'll be back at some point fairly soon. We may or may not pass along items on our Twitter feed. See you when we return! --The Management … [Read more...]
Overloaded Friday
Posted on July 30, 2010 · 5 Comments
Sometimes news piles up on Friday as things get "buried" heading into the weekend. This time around, it just happened. And a fundraising idea for your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm)? Selling scorecards for the Columbus radio dial... REWIND, NOT TALK: Lance Venta and his NetGnomes at RadioInsight pointed out a domain name registration for Saga's Columbus cluster, the registration for names that we passed along earlier this month. Quoting the item again: Saga Communications appears poised to flip one … [Read more...]
Starting With Beginnings
Posted on July 28, 2010 · 1 Comment
Since we started with life ending in our last update, let's start with life beginning... NOT VOICETRACKING...YET: A new baby with quite a local radio "head start" entered the world over the weekend. Katherine Ann, born Saturday morning (7 pounds, 20.5 inches), is the brand new daughter born to a couple of local Clear Channel stars... top 40 WAKS/96.5 "Kiss FM" assistant program director/music director/afternoon driver/OMW reader Kasper and his wife, hot AC WKDD/98.1 morning co-host Krissy … [Read more...]
