Friday, January 27, 2006

Why We Kept Talking About Joe Finan

There's a reason we kept mentioning the name of former WNIR/100.1 afternoon drive legend Joe Finan, who retired from the Akron market talker one year and change ago.

He'll be back on the air.

Clear Channel liberal talk WARF/1350 "Radio Free Ohio" will air a new midday program hosted by Finan starting in February. The new gig for Finan was announced officially by the station this afternoon, and WARF has already started hinting at his return on their website. Like the station's first pre-launch "Radio Free Ohio" website, the web page has a few snarky shots at Finan's former employer, and his replacement there, former Browns defensive star Bob Golic. (Yes, it's difficult to live down working next to a TV character named "Screech".)

OMW hears that Joe Finan's next radio chapter begins February 13th from 11 AM to 1 PM weekdays. The move will result in Finan's 2 hour show taking an hour each from Jones/WYD's Stephanie Miller and Air America Radio's Al Franken.

It'll be interesting to see Finan do something he's never done - compete directly with WNIR midday fixture Howie Chizek. Regular listeners to both hosts are certainly aware that there's no love lost between Chizek and Finan, and that they frequently threw on-air zingers at each other while they shared the same building. February 13th at 11 AM should be VERY interesting listening for that reason alone...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can say the 1st show is going to be interesting. Let's say there is no love lost between Joe and a former co-worker.

Anonymous said...

I called it first!

feel free to have me be a regular columnist for you.

i heard that howie and joe would not even acknowledge one another at "broadcast park"

my next prediction

gilley will be back on wtam, kicking kevin keane off the air

Anonymous said...

Dear anonymous (7.15pm)--

First, hi JimOhio/JimMedina.

Second, you predicted that Finan would be on WTAM. This is not WTAM.

Third, it's "Gilly".

Fourth, you called nothing "first"--you were well behind the author of the MBoF (tm) and his clairvoyances. In fact, I suggest that you robbed him of the honest services associated with his blog predictions.

I should get OA in touch with a lawyer about this... :-)

Anonymous said...

i am interested to see if joe finan slings some zingers over at howie as howie has done.

when i predicted first that joe was going to wtam.. i reall am correct in a way..

wtam and 1350 are both clear channel

so really, i am correct

and yes i expect to see gilly on wtam and kevin keane to be working on the pinwheel up the dial

Anonymous said...

Nah, I took the poll down when i realized I had not blocked multiple votes from a single party. Around midnight last night somebody from the smae IP address logged over 100 no votes. Once we get the hang of the new web template it will go back up.
-KK