More Public Radio News Shuffling in Northeast Ohio

The news battle between Northeast Ohio's two largest public broadcasters continues.

This time, it's WCPN/90.3-WVIZ/25's Renita Jablonski exiting her post at the Cleveland NPR/PBS affiliates and joining her former boss at Kent State University's WKSU/89.7, news director Dave Pignanelli. The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Julie Washington reports that WKSU is hiring Jablonski to host a new regional news magazine show. WCPN has also seen the loss of other newsies over the past couple of years for various reasons.

It is technically in the Akron market due to its presence in Portage County, but WKSU is clearly a major region-wide player, and has a number of translator stations that blanket the entire Northeast Ohio region. (We mention this because the PD's headline, and some trade publications, refer to WKSU as "the Kent public radio station".)

Though she's not a replacement for Jablonski, ideastream's WCPN/WVIZ has also hired Pittsburgh radio/TV reporter Lisa Ann Pinkerton as a reporter and anchor. Back at WKSU, 89.7's hired Daniel Hockensmith as bureau chief at the station's Stark/Wayne County bureau. Hockensmith's been a reporter/anchor for Rubber City Radio's WAKR/1590 Akron, along with sister stations WQMX/94.9 and WONE/97.5.