Two AllAccess Items

A couple of items on today's AllAccess Net News with some local interest:

* AllAccess notes the registration of "1021freefm.com" by CBS Radio. (This was brought up on the Radio-Info Cleveland board, and others, yesterday.) In addition to the company's WDOK in Cleveland, 102.1 is also the frequency of their AC station in Kansas City ("Star 102.1"). AllAccess notes that the Kansas City station's ratings make it a "much more likely candidate" for a format flip than WDOK...which is a perennial ratings and revenue leader in the Cleveland market.

We'd have to agree, of course. Another obstacle - the lynchpin of the "Free FM" format is its morning show, and two of the "Free FM" syndicated morning offerings are already airing on other CBS Radio outlets in Cleveland..."Rover's Morning Glory" on former flagship WXRK/92.3, and David Lee Roth on WNCX/98.5, Howard Stern's former local affiliate. Any such move on 102.1 here would result in one or both of the above stations having to endure major changes. But again, it's unlikely given the historic winning performance of WDOK. In the CBS Radio cluster in Cleveland, it'd be like blowing up a gold-plated Cadillac for a souped-up sports car...

* Premiere midday host Glenn Beck has signed a deal with CNN Headline News, and will host a one-hour program on the cable network's prime-time schedule. AllAccess quotes a network press release that the show will be "an unconventional look at the news of the day featuring Beck’s unique and often amusing perspective" looking at "water cooler issues." (Well, we're pretty sure they're quoting a press release...it's about the only place you'd find wording like that.)

The New York-based show starts in April. Variety magazine has more on the signing, and reports that Beck has moved his Philadelphia-based radio show to the Big Apple in anticipation of the new TV show.

Beck's midday radio show airs locally on Clear Channel talker WHLO/640 Akron, and Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting's WEOL/930 Elyria. Beck recently lost Clear Channel talk WKRC/550 Cincinnati as an affiliate, when that station picked up former Cincinnati resident Tony Snow from FOX News Radio.