Monday, July 17, 2006

Marconi Calling Ohio

The National Association of Broadcasters has released this year's Marconi Award nominations, and there are plenty of Ohio entries.

Cleveland is well represented by the Clear Channel World Domination HQ on Oak Tree again this year, with country WGAR/99.5 up for Large Market Station of the Year.

And talk WTAM/1100 afternoon driver Mike Trivisonno is nominated for Large Market Personality of the Year for the second year in a row.

But Triv will have to compete with someone in the same building for the honor this year...veteran WGAR afternoon driver Chuck Collier is also nominated! Oh, to be a fly on the wall at Oak Tree...

We helpfully note that Collier's not listed for his voicetracking duties on sister oldies WMJI/105.7 (OK, so we're kidding), but it's no surprise that WMJI itself is up for Oldies Station of the Year.

To show you how far the oldies format has slid in recent years, WMJI's only large market competitor on the list is fellow Clear Channel oldies outlet WWSW ("3WS") down I-76 in Pittsburgh. The other nominees are from garden spots like Evansville IN, Pompton Lakes NJ, and Cheraw SC (where?). This category really got hit by CBS Radio dumping oldies in favor of Format of The Year (2005) adult hits "JACK FM" in major markets like New York and Chicago...leaving mainstays like WMJI and 3WS to carry the big market oldies torch.

Outside Northeast Ohio, Saga Columbus AC outlet WSNY/94.7 "Sunny 95" picks up nominations for AC Station of the Year and Medium Market Station of the Year. And just like in Cleveland, there's an intra-city, intra-cluster and even intra-time slot match between two Clear Channel Columbus stations for Medium Market Personality of the Year - WNCI/97.9 morning duo Dave Kaelin and Jimmy Jam ("Dave and Jimmy"), and WTVN/610 morning icon Bob Conners.

Cincinnati is only represented by one station, Clear Channel rock powerhouse WEBN/102.7, nominated for Rock Station of the Year.

The entire list is on the NAB's website here...the awards get handed out September 21st at the NAB Radio Show...

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually, CBS did not flip oldies in The City of Angels. K-EARTH is still there. But KRTH has not been worthy of much in the last 5-6 years. I believe CBS flipped their classic rock in L.A. to "JACK".

Ohio Media Watch said...

You are correct...item corrected! (JACK ran away with our brain, we guess.) It was classic hits "Arrow 93.1" ("All Rock and Roll Oldies") that fell to the JACK invasion...

You're right, though, and the general point still stands...oldies is not what it used to be, format-wise.

By the way, Cheraw SC is a tiny hamlet near no major city in northeast South Carolina. The station, WCRE/1420, is a 1000 watt station known as "Classy 1420"...

-OMW

Anonymous said...

I see Triv's check cleared.

Anonymous said...

You can actually listen online tp WCRE/1420 Cheraw, SC online..go to their homepage and click on the "listen to braves football" link..Its actually live streaming..



http://www.wcreradio.com

Hope this link works..havent figured out the html here yet..If not, just type in wcreradio.com