Saturday, March 25, 2006

A Couple of Out of Area Items

Random rumblings from outside the edges of the usual OMW Coverage Area:

* We hear noise out of Dayton that Radio One sports talk WING "ESPN Radio 1410" may not be long for its sports format. In addition to rumors of the departure of the station's program director, there is also a nagging rumor that the station will flip to Radio One's own urban talk format, currently heard on sister station WERE/1300 Cleveland. It's not like we're surprised, though... we expected such a move when the national network featuring Rev. Al Sharpton and company was announced.

* And we're not sure, but we believe Clear Channel talk WSPD/1370 Toledo may actually fill the 6-7 PM weekday evening slot with a new local talk show host. "Eye on Toledo" was created when the station moved Bob Frantz out of mornings a few months ago. Frantz, of course, landed on his feet as the newly-minted local mid-morning host at WTAM/1100 in Cleveland.

We don't have any details on WSPD's plans to replace him, but we believe they may continue with some sort of local talk in the hour time slot following station program director Brian Wilson's 3-6 PM show.

As we don't have a lot of readers in those two markets (if any!), the above changes may have already taken place. Or, we could be entirely wrong...but feel free to label this "unverified chatter"...

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

i have a idea for the host for the new toledo show

my choice is bob frantz

this way this boring dud gets off of wtam and makes room for the former host from the "pinwheel up the dial"

oh yeah. i got on the air on wtam

bill wills read my email to him accusing him of dubbing his voice in stolen interviews.. he denied it.

even was shocked at the allegation.


this allegation is fairly common knowledge.. you can read more about what happened on the television forum at www.cleveland.com..

it is television forum for some reason and i think also mentioned in listening forum

anyway.. gotta run..

bob becker > bob frants

gilly > bob frantz

me > bob frantz

hush bimbo = bob frantz

duds

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute, you hack. You "punked" Bill Wills because he read your email on the air and answered your stupid accusation?

How is that "punked"? Get a life, loser.

Anonymous said...

ummm

please read before speaking

i punked him by calling him on the carpet for his phony interviews

he put me on the air..

that was not the punked part

note to responder: try again

note to myself: it is nice to be a radio expert

Anonymous said...

Hey Jim,
I was listening when Wills read your note...and it just confirms what a complete moron you are. Those interviews are not drop-ins; what proof do you need...to sit in on a morning show? Geez, get a freaking LIFE. You think your posts here are so clever, but you sound more like the insane Chuck Booms. You just spew the same crap over and over, never making any sense, and the only person you're entertaining is YOURSELF.

Don't post again unless you get a brain overhaul in the meantime.

Anonymous said...

WTAM was caught doing this

there are documented cases..

anyone that can hear and is somewhat intelligent can tell when wills is dubbing his voice into an interview conducted by someone else.

why are you unable to accept truth?

if wtam would play the "stolen" interview and let it play as recorded, it is not deceptive.

wtam takes these interviews and pans them off, presents them like they are done by wtam..

it is not true often

i heard them splice up a george stephanoplis interview and it clear as day it was a chop shop

here is john gorman on wtam's practice of doing this
Metheny, who envisions himself a talk radio specialist, calls WTAM his pet project. Take morning host Bill Wills . Nice guy. Hard worker. You'd think Metheny with all his connections would have the juice to get top name interviews for Wills' show? He doesn't have time for that. He found an easy way out and, if caught, he'll make Wills the scapegoat.

Metheny has mastered an audio version of Woody Allen's 1983 classic Zelig. You remember Zelig , Kevin? That's the movie where Woody superimposed his character into old newsreel footage.

It's been an ongoing rumor that many of WTAM's celebrity, political and mover-and-shaker interviews are lifted from interviews that were carried on other Clear Channel stations throughout the U.S. By utilizing the Zelig magic of voice-tracking and audio production, Metheny's figured out how to recycle name-brand interviews as his own.

Take that recent faux interview with Sen. John McCain . The alleged live interview with McCain was revealed as a fake when someone hit the wrong button and, in response to closing comments to Sen. McCain, we heard a woman from another Clear Channel station saying, “It's a beautiful, sunny morning...” followed by an embarrassing silence. Too much fast forward, Kevin?

A pre-recorded interview by a show's host is suitable and, in most cases, stations doing so admit to its prerecorded status. What's bogus is when an interview done by someone else is recycled; giving a false impression that someone else is conducting it.

Kevin, it would be in your own best interest to be a big boy, bare your soul and admit to WTAM listeners that you've been leading them on. It's bad enough that we have to endure the occasional Milwaukee or West Virginia Clear Channel call letters on a WTAM newscast when an engineer runs the wrong feed, but Kevin, the sham has gone too far.

Thanks to FCC deregulation, Metheny's not breaking any rules with his deceptive programming practices. But just because it's not illegal doesn't make it right.

There's little differentiation in the way Metheny manages Clear Channel and how Abu Ghraib was run. Like Leash Girl Pvt. Lynndie England and her cohorts, you're only following orders, but if you get caught, all knowledge is disavowed and you take the heat. Just ask Wolf and Mulrooney, Dick Dale, Slats or the dozen or so other announcers that did time at Clear Channel under Metheny's watch. Metheny is of the belief that the only way his stations will survive is to purge talent and creativity.

Anonymous said...

Hey Jim,
Who cares?

Note to OMW: I edited my response.

Anonymous said...

who cares?

well

1. those that do not like to be like to

2. radio professionals (like me)

3. media experts (again)

4. reporters

5. competition

6. the FCC, i wish

7. listeners east of the cuyahoga

8. listeners west of the cuyahoga

note to anonymous

is your name any of the following

1. hush bimbo

2. bob (hack) frantz

3. brad zzzzzzzzzzzzzman

4. wixygirl

Anonymous said...

ooops.. my first typo

point 1 was supposed to say

those that do not like to be lied to

rare typo

Anonymous said...

That crack you smoke must be incredible. I didn't know they refined it so well in Medina.

You think you're so freaking smart and have it all figured out, and it's absolutely hilarious because you dont' have the first goddamn clue. None of those interviews are chopped--they are absolutely live. I have people who work in that building, idiot, which means I know a hell of a lot more than you.

Mr. "Radio Expert" one question for you: Do you even have a job? Tell us all: what do you do for a living, besides invent stories on ridiculous message boards? Hmmm?

Anonymous said...

duhhhhhhhhhh

i can hear the chop shop of an interview..

there is different tape noise

different hissing...buzz, etc

the person being interviewed is clearly talknig to someone else..

here is an example of this, again.. duhhhhhhhh

why do you refuse to accept facts



Take that recent faux interview with Sen. John McCain . The alleged live interview with McCain was revealed as a fake when someone hit the wrong button and, in response to closing comments to Sen. McCain, we heard a woman from another Clear Channel station saying, “It's a beautiful, sunny morning...” followed by an embarrassing silence. Too much fast forward, Kevin?

so mrs anonymous (surely you cannot be a guy)

who are you, really

1. trivs' wife?

2. the chick with the makeup

3. ruby cheeks?

4. mrs wixy lady

5. stephanie miller

6. the janitor for clear channel

why are you such a bill wills apoligist

are you

1. bill wills

2. mrs bill wills

3. kevin methany

4. jerry springer

5. guest on springer

Anonymous said...

Folks, let's not encourage the moron with any more replies. Just ignoring him is the best solution, and hopefully he'll go away and get a life. He's got some sorry axe to grind, and will make up anything to try and prove his point. Trouble is, his points are pointless.

Ohio Media Watch said...

OK, folks...OMW is not really a message board, and we're not really in the mood to ride herd over such a thing.

We've closed this item to future comments. Feel free to comment elsewhere, but again, we're not a message board here...you all know the usual places to post.

-OMW