Weekend Update

STO-ING IT: OMW is getting confirmation from numerous readers that DirecTV channel 657 is showing future SportsTime Ohio programming. (Unfortunately, our in-family confirmation will have to wait until our Indians fan-relative gets home from the hardware store.)

So far, there's no word of that official deal, but STO boss Jim Liberatore tells the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes that he's "optimistic" about reaching a deal with the nation's largest satellite provider before the first regular season STO-televised game on Tuesday. DirecTV must be "optimistic" too, since they're seeding the program guide with STO games...much like Dish Network uplinked STO in the background before an agreement was reached.

Liberatore notes that the negotiations with Dish "hit a big snag" on Friday, and he was concerned that they'd fallen through...before a deal was actually nailed down later that day.

POLKA?: We weren't near a radio to hear it at 6 AM-ish, but OMW hears that Clear Channel talk powerhouse WTAM/1100 Cleveland pre-empted an hour of Bob Becker's Saturday morning time slot with...and no, we're not making this up...polka. In specific, an hour titled "Polka Motions".

As we look at the calendar and note that it's April Fool's Day, we're wondering if this was a prank by the folks at the Clear Channel World Domination HQ on Oak Tree. Thankfully, it didn't last until this late, as WTAM's Andre Knott is hosting "Weekend Sportsline" as we write this, leading into a Cavs/Indians doubleheader this afternoon...

Q-ING: An OMW tipster tells us he's heard two former staffers of Canton market CHR WZKL/92.5 ("Q92") on Cleveland's WQAL/104.1. We're hearing that former Q92 morning team members Tim Richards and Kathy Vogel are doing separate weekend shifts on the CBS Radio hot AC station. Kathy and Tim were let go from Q92 last year, and replaced with former night slammer Pat DeLuca. (For whatever reason, CHR night jocks are "slammers". Don't ask us why...)