KEVIN MASON'S DAY: Even on his way out the door at Rubber City Radio Akron country outlet WQMX/94.9, programmer Kevin Mason can get some notice.
The veteran country programmer has managed to snare an officially pronounced "Kevin Mason Day" - proclaimed by Akron mayor Don Plusquellic, even. (We'll chalk this one up to Plusquellic aide Mark Williamson, the ever-media-savvy former local TV news anchor who's the Official Mayoral Mouthpiece.)
The day, should you wish to celebrate, is Friday, Mason's last day at West Market Street. He's on his way to the VP/GM post at Nashville's Rust Records after that...
WOXY'S BACK: Cincinnati and environs will likely never see the return of iconic alt-rocker WOXY/97.7 Oxford, whose over-air signal has long since been supplanted by part of the "MAX FM" adult hits simulcast.
But the website which carried on the WOXY banner, shut down for financial reasons earlier this year, has been resurrected, as you can read at the above link:We’re back!
And it feels fan-freakin-tastic. It was way too quiet around here for too long. To kick things off right, we have a ton of Lounge Act sessions lined up for the next few weeks and beyond.
So what's changing? Not a lot right away. All the good stuff you've come to expect is all right here... Mike and Shiv, the boards, live Lounge Acts and lots of great music. It's now completely free to listen, and we'll be jacking up the quality of our streams even higher within the next couple weeks.
What brought back WOXY.com, complete with on-air (on-stream?) staffers?
AllAccess says it's the little known CD-trading site LaLa.com, which aims to bring all those alt-rock fans into the "spend a dollar to trade CDs" fold. It'll also let folks program their own online radio station using WOXY.com's music...MCVAY GOES SOLO: Not much to talk about here, since we generally don't cover consultants or the "back-end" of radio, but veteran Cleveland-based consultant Mike McVay is going solo... with his McVay Media coming out from Clear Channel ownership.
McVay will keep working with Clear Channel stations which wish to continue using his services, and there aren't many other changes expected...
MCMANAMON STAYS, BROWN GOES?: We touched briefly earlier on the status of Akron Beacon Journal Browns beat writer Patrick McManamon, who was hoping to stay in that role despite announced massive staff cutbacks at the Beacon.
The folks over at the Browns fan site The Orange and Brown Report confirm from McManamon that enough Beacon staffers have taken early retirement, and the veteran beat writer will stay in his position covering the local NFL team.
And talk about burying your lead...we're doing it here.
OMW hinted earlier that among the Cleveland Plain Dealer's staffers taking an early voluntary buyout - also due to budget issues - was someone who would be of interest to regular OMW readers.
We've been scooped, as it were, by none other than WTAM/1100 afternoon talker Mike Trivisonno, who told listeners that it was sports/media columnist Roger Brown departing the PD.
Now, Triv apparently said it was due to Roger's "lack of credibility". (Not surprising words, considering the war of words between the two personalities over the years.) But OMW hears that The Artful Roger initiated it, taking the buyout offered by the PD.
These rumblings were mostly rumors we could not confirm, though we hear it's been all over the sports media world the past week or so. It's no surprise that Triv had trouble keeping it under his hat...
13 comments:
Kevin Mason day? Please stick a knife in my eye.
Which eye?
Roger Brown has been a fool since he started at the PD. Good riddance!
This is terrible news. I certainly wish Triv would've taken some buy-out and gotten his fat butt out of town, instead.
Roger's column is the very first---and many time, the ONLY---thing I read in the PD each day. Much of the rest of the sports section is ho-hum. Yeah, he may have his enemies, as any "gossip" or "opinion" columnist will have, but he is also right-on in many of his pointed statements, and caught wind of many rumors before they were later revealed as fact. Can't blame him for taking a buyout, though; it's gotta be a rough job getting people to open up.
No Roger? Where will I get my sports celebrity real estate news? For shame!
Kevin Mason day? You have got to be kidding me. Good programmer and all, but who really gives a...?
Roger was the first thing I read on the PD sports pages as well. If you really break down his column, it isn't much different than what Triv does on radio. They throw out opinions, gossip, etc.,(that they really don't believe) to attract readers/listeners. Akin to rubber neckers at a traffic accident.
People that actually work with Kevin Mason give a s...!
He didn't get inducted into the Radio and TV Hall of Fame for no reason. He earned the recognition.
Yes, I reside at the Akron Radio Center & am proud of it!
I'm wondering if someone at the P-D will take up Roger's baton and try to continue the column in some fashion..Roger was always an interesting read..
If only the local radio and television broadcaster’s hall of fame would have meaning other than a delightful banquet each year.
For those who don’t know the back story, the Hall of Fame has been around since the 80s. In 2001, Todd T. Taylor became involved and decided that the current operation of the RTBHOF was lackluster. Upon discovering that the current Board of Directors would have nothing to do with his plans for growth and prosperity, he picked up his toys and moved his playground. Coming along for the ride was Rudy Piekarski. The two formed a “new” hall and created a new annual banquet despite the fact, the former still continues to do the same.
TTT and Rudy Pie then purged the list of inductees to remove any names they felt were unfit for the honors. Over 80 names were dropped from the list. Dropped?!?! How is that possible? Why?
One of the reasons given by TTT was only true broadcasters employed by broadcasting stations should be considered, not receptionist, business managers, sales managers and my personal favorite, those who purchase time for broadcast. This was a direct shot at Rev. Henry Dunn, and Ms. Anne Robinson who served on the board of directors at the former HOF. Todd never could explain why they left Rudy Pie in the hall, Rudy afterall, purchased time for broadcasts. He was never an employee of a radio station.
To his credit TTT has created a sensational event and a nice display at Canal Park.
The Ceremony on Sunday night was a great event and those at my table enjoyed it, we’ve not missed a single year.
Meanwhile the two groups continually battle it out behind the scenes. Each year there are typical “we won’t ever induct you if you go to their event” calls.
For what its worth, one other interesting note, at Sunday night’s ceremony TTT was very loose lipped about who nominated each broadcasters for the honors. Mason was nominated by….drumroll please…..Kevin Mason. Noticeably absent were several upper management folks from Rubber City.
Didn't even know there was an Ohio Hall! Anyone got a web address for it? Would love to look up some of NE Ohio's "old guard".
Congrats Kevin, and best of luck for what life holds next!
JbC
PS: anyone else remember Mark Williamson's work at the old WKNT AM/FM under the nom de air of Derek Miles?
JbC (first time poster, long time reader)
>>>Mason was nominated by….drumroll please…..Kevin Mason.<<<
Why does that not surprise me?
What a joke.
Post a Comment