Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Election Coverage - Expected and Otherwise

Today is, of course, Election Day...with just about every news media outlet planning some sort of coverage.

You probably already know that all four major local TV news operations in Cleveland, and all three in Youngstown, plan full coverage tonight.

You would presumably know to find the results, for example, on stations like Clear Channel's news/talk outlets (WTAM/1100 Cleveland, WHLO/640 and sister WARF/1350 Akron, and WKBN/570 Youngstown), or on traditionally news-minded stations like Rubber City's WAKR/1590 Akron, NextMedia's WHBC/1480 Canton and Dix Communications' WQKT/104.5 Wooster.

And it's probably a safe bet that you'll find detailed, in-depth coverage on public radio outlets WKSU/89.7 Kent and WCPN/90.3 Cleveland.

But...how about WSTB/88.9 in Streetsboro?

That's right, the Streetsboro Public Schools-owned station is planning live coverage of the returns from Portage County tonight. Long-time WSTB general manager Bob Long tells OMW that he'll be joined by co-host Dennis Missimi, with Adam Oliver anchoring the "National Desk"...with Eric Bobek will serve at studio coordinator for the show.

We don't know much about WSTB, but we'll assume those are all students...save for Bob, of course. He says the coverage is scheduled until about 11 PM, or later if needed.

And this year, it appears Time Warner Cable is offering some sort of election coverage in its new Cleveland-based system formerly owned by Adelphia. We caught a produced promo featuring the coverage, but didn't catch if there would be live people on the air tonight on TWC channel 15...or if there will be the more traditional text-based results.

We assume TWC is doing similar on its original Akron/Canton-based systems...

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Time Warner cable (Adelphia Cleveland) as is is now known has been doing LIVE election coverange for over 5 years. Coverage starts at 8:00pm and has a LIVE host (Bob Conklin) and will have LIVE political guests. Coverage will be live for 2 hours, with FULL election results running for as long as they need to run. Last time they ran for 3 days. This election coverage is in the old Adelphia system, there is no word if it is happening in Akron system or not.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to WSTB for doing election coverage! It is a great learning experience for students.
I would also like to share that WBWC 88.3 FM "The Sting", the radio station at Baldwin-Wallace College, is also doing election coverage. WBWC students produced a half-hour election special that ran down the state issues and featured a student broadcaster's telephone interviews with both Senatorial candidates (Mike DeWine and Sherrod Brown). Tuesday night, students are scheduled to be at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections to provide live coverage with others keeping an eye on the AP news wire service returns at the station.

Neil said...

Hugh Hewitt has announced plans to extend his live broadcast past 9 PM to provide election coverage. In the past, WHK has carried that extended broadcast and supplemented it with local reporting (using some WKNR air staff IIRC).

But that was before WHK turned the 9 Pm to midnight slot over to Michael Savage. I don't know if WHK will be able to stick with Hewitt tonight or whether they're obligated to go with Savage.

Anonymous said...

These kids will likely be far more articulate and polished than any of those OCB rejects!

Anonymous said...

Name the last Ohio Center for Broadcasting talent that made anything. And don't tell me Alison!

Anonymous said...

WSTB Streetsboro

All I have to say is this. The Program Director for WSTB be very carefully of him. He trys to get things for free and tell storys about everything. WSTB they needs to find a new Program Director. Because the old Program Director does not understand how to run a radio station. The Program Director right now is a Joke and Really big Joke....

Anonymous said...

Ooh...someone got a "D" in broadcasting class, didn't they?

(And an "F" in English, apparently.)

Don Olson said...

That's all that's news....I'm Bob Long.

Anonymous said...

So happy to see Bob Long continue his fine tradition of teaching students the basics of broadcasting. As a product of the old "WKNT 4-H Radio Club" I am happy to attest his tutelage is one of the better starts a young broadcaster could come across.

Hanging around there with Bob, Stan Piatt, Howie Chizek, Bryce Wilson, Jim Albright and Glenn Foldessy was a great experience, and convinced me this was the career I wanted. My on-air debut was reporting the results of the Open Class Swine competition at the 1979 Portage County Randolph Fair. (Yep, it is still funny to say it!)

Streetsboro students have a great choice in WSTB. This Southeast graduate wishes I could've started four years earlier.

Best,
JbC

Don Olson said...

JBC

I was there around that time.

Perhaps we know each other.

Trying to place your initials, but can't.

Anonymous said...

WNIR also provided live coverage of the election complete with listener feedback, And quit bashing golic for getting the job at wnir. lampers simply was just not that good!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

FM 88-9's Bob Long has been doing NE Ohio election returns for 37 years! I think that may be a record for this area.

Anonymous said...

Newsnomore,

You may look me up at WCOL in Columbus.

JbC

Anonymous said...

This student run radio station is a true model. Great programming, professional staff (yes, the on-air personalities are students) and a committment to their entire broadcast area makes WSTB-FM a great station.