Tuesday Menu

It's a late lunch here at your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm):

ONE FROM COLUMN A: We assumed, but were not 100% sure, that one Todd Kelly Smith would not keep his position as promotions director of Canton market CHR WZKL/92.5 ("Q92").

After all, it's kind of hard to promote a Northeast Ohio radio station when you're in a Kentucky jail, and that's where Smith has been since being arrested on some 11 theft-related charges related to his self-styled "Todd Kelly Foundation" charity...for ALS ("Lou Gehrig's Disease"), which Smith himself claimed to have.

The confirmation comes from Louisville Courier-Journal TV/radio writer Tom Dorsey, who wrote in his column last Monday that Smith is "no longer there" - as in working for Q92. Well, that, and the whole jail thing.

The former Louisville radio personality has pleaded not guilty to those charges, reports the Courier-Journal today. Smith's attorney tells the paper that the indictment does not name victims of Smith's alleged theft, and claims there is "ample evidence" that his foundation properly raised money and followed "all laws" in disposing of the donated money.

Smith's mother, also arrested in the case, has been released on home confinement.

ONE FROM COLUMN B: Cleveland Indians' cable/satellite network SportsTime Ohio will televise a special marking the 25th anniversary of pitcher Len Barker's historic perfect game.

The special airs starting Sunday at 7 PM, and will be repeated on STO seven more times in three days. STO says it'll also air the game "as seen on TV" uninterrupted on May 18th at 7 PM.

In addition to former Tribe player Rick Manning - now working as an analyst for STO - the special talks to former Blue Jays catcher Ernie Whitt...the final out in Barker's perfect game run. Ex-Indians and current Cavs voice Joe Tait, Indians PR VP Bob DiBiasio and Ron Hassey are also interviewed.

Oh, and another former Indians voice shows up in the special. We're guessing SportsTalkNetwork.com host and program director Bruce Drennan was just glad not to be talking to someone from the IRS...

ONE FROM COLUMN C: OMW hears that local NBC affiliate WKYC/3 has received a tentative digital channel assignment in the FCC's latest round of digital channel elections. (Caution: Excel-format spreadsheet at that link.)

It'd be DT channel 17, which becomes available at the February 2009 analog shutdown...as TBN religious WDLI/Canton will vacate the analog channel to keep digital channel 39.

It's still not set in stone yet, as there are other steps to the process at the FCC, but local OTA digital watchers will likely be thrilled with this. WKYC's current digital assignment in the low-VHF band (DT 2) is plagued with interference, and it's hard to get even if you're just down the road from the station's Parma antenna site...