Standoff Disrupts Lorain County Broadcasters

An overnight standoff with a man who left a Lorain County mental hospital, then holed himself up in an Oberlin barn before committing suicide early this morning, was also a problem for two area radio stations.

Regular OMW reader Nathan Obral tells us that the standoff location along U.S. 20 was "within shouting distance" of two locally co-owned stations, country WOBL/1320 and oldies WDLW/1380. That meant that not only could the stations' two morning hosts not even get into the studios to do their regular shows - Jeff Vietzen for WOBL and Rich Kelly for WDLW - but the stations' news departments were also unable to get on the air and report on the situation. Because they weren't facing the same problem, WEOL/930's Colleen O'Neill and WTAM/1100's Greg Saber were able to cover the standoff.

Local authorities also closed the nearby Lorain County Joint Vocational School.

Nathan tells us that since both WOBL and WDLW were running on automation when the standoff situation began, they at least were able to remain on the air... even if they weren't able to "go live" until nearly 10 AM.