And we give a salute to all of Ohio's broadcasters who have to work on Thanksgiving Day...
THAT 101.7 STL ANTENNA: Much earlier in the saga "WJER-FM Is Moving North", your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) saw a mirage...an STL dish in a place on that Clear Channel Akron/Canton STL tower behind the company's World Domination HQ/Southern Command on Freedom Avenue in...oh, you know the drill.
As it turned out, the dish was later confirmed to be in packing, on the ground behind the aforementioned facility.
Not anymore.
An I-77 commuter heading out of Canton towards the Akron/Canton Airport informs OMW that today, crews were mounting the STL dish upon the tower in question. We haven't seen it yet, but we're told it's pointing roughly south/southwest - aiming at the location where a tower will soon rise at 22nd and Whipple in Canton. We're also told it is lower on the tower than the other dishes, so it should be easy to spot.
There is also a second dish, the purpose of which we don't know. If they'd need a second antenna aiming at the same place for WRQK/106.9, that'd explain that.
We're betting that WJER operator/former owner Gary Petricola, when asked about this item, will say "I haven't heard of any STL antennas in Stark County".
We wonder if he'll say that on December 11th, when a Clear Channel-operated feed is scheduled to take over his 101.7 frequency... or if, like a certain former Iraqi information minister relegated to late night TV comedic history, he'll deny it's even happening...
And by the way, with the move, the Clear Channel-operated 101.7 will most assuredly take new calls, leaving "WJER" behind only with AM 1450....
YES, ROBIN'S BACK: In the worst kept secret since, well, we don't know...yes, that's former WJW/8 mainstay Robin Swoboda coming back to the station, and to local TV, and to local media.
The local FOX O&O says Robin's new show, "That's Life", will be a "highly interactive show for women" when it debuts in January.We're not sure of the timing, but we've heard it could air at 9 or 10 AM weekdays, depending on the placement of the new FOX national hour-long show with Juliet Huddy and Mike Jerrick...which will air on all of the company's owned-and-operated stations.
An earlier OMW item on that show says it will be on at 9, so that would put Robin's new local show on at 10 AM weekdays.
FOX 8 has put up a webpage and E-Mail for the new show, as it prepares to launch.
And please, try to make your comments original this time. Our site, our rules...and we'd consider your comments more insightful if you are female, and part of the target audience for this new program...
ODDS AND ENDS: With Cleveland outlets WDOK/102.1 and WFHM/95.5 officially on the Christmas music "sleigh ride", some others will follow after Thanksgiving.
OMW hears that among small, local outlets doing at least some local programming, WLKR/95.3 Norwalk will be on that list. And we presume a number of stations carrying various satellite networks will automatically be moved into holiday music whenever their networks do so...
Or not, at least in local programming time.
Dix country WQKT/104.5 Wooster afternoon host Dave Dial tells OMW that his own 4-7 PM local weekday afternoon show will hold off on the Christmas music until about December 15th.
And even then, Dial says he'll play songs "that should be sung by certain singers" even if that takes him outside the station's country format, with folks like Dean Martin doing the crooning if called for...
SINCE WE PROMISED: We'll give the folks at Mount Union College outlet WRMU/91.1 Alliance a plug for their coverage of the school's powerhouse Division III college football team's latest romp through the playoffs.The Purple Raiders are now in round two of the D-III playoffs, playing Wheaton College at noon on Saturday. WRMU also streams the coverage at the station's website...
BYE, BYE, RUSS: A long-time local media writer is hanging it up in Toledo.
Toledo Blade TV/radio writer and columnist Russ Lemmon has written his last column for the Northwest Ohio newspaper, as he and his wife leave town and head for new vistas in Stuart FL.(Why, oh, why, do we not pay attention to these people who leave Ohio BEFORE winter starts, and follow them in moving to warmer climes? Oh, well, no one ever said we were that bright when it comes to that sort of thing...)
Lemmon's final column for the Blade is a laundry list - in his eyes - of the good, bad and ugly of Toledo media that he's covered over the years.
He calls most local media types "genuinely nice", but aims a shot at an unnamed Toledo broadcaster "who currently works on the AM side of the radio dial".
OMW has not heard of any possible replacement for Lemmon as far as the Blade's radio/TV/media beat is concerned, and we wouldn't be surprised if they just did not fill it...
21 comments:
Robin stated to Wayne/Tracey her show begins Mon.Jan.8th at 10am until 11am. I give the show a year at best,nothing to do with Robin just that the concept is currently being done with Martha Stewart,Rachael Ray&The View geared towards women and who knows what the cable outlets are offering. Robin is stating the show will be interactive new,fresh,local sounds good,looks good on paper will not fly ratings will tank BIG TIME. Not the right show for CLEVELAND,GOOD FIT FOR ROBIN BUT NOT AT THIS TIME. THIS I PREDICT WILL BE THE LAST COMEBACK AT FOX8 FOR ROBIN. Track record and history backs me 1)talk program sports Robin did with Ahmed Rashad. 2)talk with co-host Gayle King(OPRAH'S BEST FRIEND) 3)Morning Exchange with Mark Johnson as co-host and Fred Griffith reduced in his role. True MX was slowly dropping in the ratings what was done to Fred in many clevelanders eyes was a slap in the face. 4)Robin vs Martha vs Good Company(gee Fred I'm SURE WANTS TO WIN THE HEADS UP RATINGS BATTLE AGAINST Ms.Swoboda)vs Springer,Povich etc. 5)Fox is hoping the 8am program a good strong lead-in for Fox National to face Regis that program as well as Robin NO CHANCE.
This is going to be a welcome change for WJER-FM.
Can't wait for CC to take full control!!
Can't wait for CC to take control? Just Great, another group of employes to toss out the door. Ain't broadcasting wonderful.
Chrys Peterson really had ole Russ Lemon foiled....she couldn't be more plastic. Too bad she's not the one leaving Toledo and the writer staying. Russ's writing never offended, but at least he was a good source of (generic) media info for those now outside this rust belt market who used to hang their hats here.
New call letters? How about WMUN for Move Up North.
I think by the time Robin is through with broadcasting she will come back and retire more times than Billy Martin was fired by the New York Yankees
oh gary gary what will you do
when they take ur stick from you?
Anonymous #1 got it correct all these talk programs syndicated as well as local gone within a year. Cleveland the poorest city and yet FOX8 CAN SAY WE HAVE STAY AT HOME MOMS!!!! Can you say OXY MORON,The show is called THAT'S LIFE,WITHIN A YEAR IT'LL BE AS SHE HEADS OUT THE DOOR A THAT'S ALL FOLKS WITH LOONEY TUNES THEME IN THE BACKGROUND.
I'm mystified as to the brickbats aimed at Robin Swoboda..people exit and re enter this business on a regular basis...I've worked at the same stations twice on a couple of stops..its not that big a deal..at least she keeps her clothes on, unlike some FOX 8 staffers we've all come to know and love...
Happy Thanksgiving..Peace
What in the world does Robin have that hypnotizes station executives into hiring her over and over again? Tell me so I can get a job in TV.
What's a "drop dead" date? I've never heard that before.
They won't be tossed out the door, They will be on 1450 AM
What Fox 8 Staffers took their clothes off?
Ok we have criticized Robin time to close the thread. Because as you know you are not allowed to criticize anyone on this blog.
Robin Swoboda announced her upcoming show on the Lanigan & Malone live remote "black Friday" broadcast at Westfield Great Northern Mall this morning (11/24/06).
I don't understand what Robin has done to merit all this criticism..People make decisions to leave and start jobs everyday..Also, no one said 1450 was going anywhere..It's been understood they would remain on the air in Dover after WJER-FM 101.7 moves north..
To anonymous at 11:40 AM:
We never said no one could criticize people on this blog.
We never "automatically" close comments because of criticism of local personalities, or this one would have been closed long before now.
However, let's get a few things straight here.
1) The OMW comments section is NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE A MESSAGE BOARD.
We enjoy and appreciate comments to our items, or they wouldn't be here.
But...
2) See #1. We have no time or inclination to moderate comments on this board, and we also have no intention of letting them be an unmoderated "free for all".
3) The closing of commenting is just as related to the number of comments vs. anything else. We generally tend to close comments when the numbers start pushing well into the double digits. By that point, most people have "said their peace" and are just repeating themselves arguing with other commenters.
OMW exists so we can post news and related items about local media in Northeast Ohio and beyond. The ability for readers to comment "came with the blog", as it were.
It's hard enough for us, especially lately, to keep an eye on the comments here. We barely have enough time to do the blog itself!
If the time issue becomes more of an issue than it has been, we will close down the ability to comment on all items TFN. We are not at that point right now, and may not get to that point soon, but it's an option.
The comments are an issue to us because they play a part in how OMW is perceived in the broadcast community.
While we have offered, and continue to offer, honest, straightforward criticism of local media operations and personalities when we believe it is warranted, an unfettered, unchecked comments section only drags down the perception of this site.
You know, along the lines of "oh, it's where all those anonymous idiots with no life go to take potshots at people they don't like". We do not want that perception to cloud what we do on this blog.
Again, we never meant to be a message board. If you'd like to partake in one, there are no less than three message boards dealing with local media topics, and many of the same people who read OMW regularly read them.
This is not a "free speech" issue.
Our blog, our rules. Period. If you don't like it, go start your own blog.
Enough said. Oh, and for now, we'll keep this item open.
-The Management
I still want to know who the Fox 8 Staffers that took their clothes off were and please dont close the comments till someone says who (Trying to lighten mood haha)
RE: OMW never meant to be a message board.
Unfortunately, the comments on OMW get more posts, are more informative, and more entertaining than any of the three message boards IMHO. Maybe on those good discussable topics that OMW posts, someone could take the initative to start a thread on one of the message boards. I know people have done it in the past. I guess it's just easier to talk about it here than go searching on the boards! Part of the problem too is that there are 3 of them and none seems to have taken the lead in terms of popularity for NEO topics.
Thanks for the kind words, John.
One thought that has crossed my mind - requiring a login/registration to post a comment. We have the option to do that, though we haven't looked into the mechanics yet.
It wouldn't solve everything, but maybe it'd discourage the drive-by, quick anonymous comments that tend to be the worst.
To everyone, I'm sorry I got a bit long-winded up there. But this is an important issue here.
The comments section has worth to this blog, or it wouldn't be here.
All the same, I'd like to think that this is not just another black hole for people to make inane potshots at people simply because they are anonymous.
-The Management
John,
The problem with the message boards is that on one of them, the inmates took over the asylum for awhile and it'd still not really that safe to post on it.
The Cleveland.com television board usually turns into which female newscaster looks the best.
At the listening party board half the posts are getting deleted.
The other two boards, RadioInsight, and Radio-info.com are more professional oriented.
I have posted a link to OMW in the recent past, only to have it deleted, on the Listening Party board.
I just wish some of the anonymous posters would have the courtesy to sign their names to the post.
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