Well, now that we've brought forth a station swap and killed it within two items, let's try something else...
AP AWARDS: The list is far too long to mention here, but a number of Northeast Ohio stations have picked up yearly broadcast awards from the Ohio Associated Press.
TV-wise, Cleveland's WKYC-TV nabbed top prize for outstanding large market news operation...it was Clear Channel talk WLW/700 Cincinnati on the radio side.
Akron's WAKR/1590 (along with Rubber City Radio sisters WQMX/94.9 and WONE/97.5) took medium market radio top news honors, and also picked up a host of other group and individual awards for anchor Pat Kennard, sportscaster Joe Jaztremski and a second place nods to Larry States and Marcy Pappafava. WKBN/570 Youngstown's Jim Michaels was named best reporter in that grouping.
And without its now-former FM sister station around, Dover/New Philadephia's WJER/1450 did similarly well in the small market radio category. Reporter Amanda Robbins was named best small market reporter and Robbins and WJER staffer Jamie Hambach picked up other individual awards. Crosstown country WTUZ/99.9 Uhrichsville picked up one second place finish.
Cleveland Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 morning host Bob Frantz was crowing about its awards this Monday morning, including large market "best reporter" first and second place awards for Greg Saber and Ted Klopp, and best regularly scheduled sports (to sports director Mike Snyder).
Frantz took the opportunity to take a shot across the bow at the station's unnamed "all they do is sports, and we beat them" competitor, Good Karma's WKNR/850 "ESPN 850" Cleveland.
That's all well and good, but we have no idea if the folks on Broadview Road even entered the competition, and if they are even an AP member station.
Also showing up in the large market radio category are awards for staffers at both ideastream's WCPN/90.3 Cleveland and Kent State University's WKSU/89.7 Kent.
Despite technically being an Akron market station, 'KSU opted for the larger market competition...which we suppose is reasonable considering their Northeast Ohio-wide coverage via various repeater and translator stations.
TV-wise, in "large market best reporter" honors, it's an interesting one-two punch - investigators Tom Meyer and Carl Monday, in that order, listed under their then-current employers - WOIO/19 and WKYC/3.
And yes, "19 Action News" gets its only nod, as "best regularly scheduled news" in the large market category. We're beginning to wonder if that's a long-running prank or something, but we're sure we'll see the Cleveland CBS affiliate trot out the award pretty much every other break.
If we missed anyone, too bad...we tried. We can't please everyone. Feel free to spotlight a local winner we didn't mention in the comments section...
AS EXPECTED...: We've mentioned on and off in the past that NextMedia news/talk WHBC/1480 Canton was expected to start throwing in more local programming on weekends, supplanting more and more of the full-time feed of FOX Sports Radio.
Here they grow again.
The station has debuted "Stark Sports Live" Saturday mornings from 10 AM to noon, following the relatively recent addition of station and local radio vet Jim Albright in the Saturday 6-10 AM slot.
"SSL" features new top WHBC sports guy Sam Bourquin, who moved to morning drive and became sports director after the retirement of Jim Johnson recently. Also on the Saturday show is Chris Schieman, who appears to have taken Bourquin's spot on the station's afternoon drive show hosted by Brady Russell.
Dave Sheetz and Ben DiCola round out the new program, which debuted this past Saturday...
BUSY PLACE: And local radio historian Jim Davison checks in and tells us just how busy the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's Alan Freed Studio is these days.
We noted that Cleveland radio legend Larry Morrow's new Sirius Satellite Radio show will originate from there sometime later this month.
We also knew that another big radio name connected to Cleveland, Norm N. Nite, does his own show on Sirius' Gold Channel (5), Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 3-6 PM. That's the same Sirius channel which Morrow will be heard on.
But there's also an album rock-oriented show with Dusty Street somewhere in the mix in the studio as well.
We're told visitors to the Rock Hall's fifth floor can look in and watch the shows being broadcast, and maybe even be invited in to talk with the personality...
26 comments:
That's great so many NE Ohio broadcasters won AP news awards. Shame on Channel 19 Craption news though. UGGG.
Thank goodness WHBC is doing more than that AWFUL Fox Sports on weekends. I love sports and of course am a Cleveland (and Ohio State) sports fan. BUt why would I listen to Fox? The only syndicated sports show really worth listening is Jim Rome because he is entertaining.
HBC I think will be in for a rude awakening when the spring ratings come out. They have made some serious improvements but I think too late for the spring book. Harv Allen basically screwed the pooch with WAKR years ago and is doing the same thing to WHBC. I think keeping Brady Russell on the air for more than two weeks says enough of Harv's talent. That guy is downright hideous. Why anyone would listen to him repaet the same news stories over and over and over again is beyond me.
That's one of the problems with the AP awards. In Cincinnati, there is no real local newsgathering for radio outside of WLW. WGUC/WVXU do some, but there is no real competition to WLW for radio news, since Clear Channel long ago bought its former competitors, WCKY and WKRC.
It's nice to trumpet that you're an award winning news operation, but when you have no real competition, was it really so hard to do?
Don't get me wrong. I am not necessarily anti-Clear Channel. They did what they did with all those station grabs because they could.
Pappafava won a broadcasting award?! Cripes, the girl can't talk! I am so glad I stopped listening to the radio.
You are very correct Bob. How hard is it to win in radio news in Cleveland when you have the only real news/talk station (does WHK count?)
I also agree with the post person on top about Brady Russel. I think WHBC going talk was a good idea because that elevator music was getting ancient. But why they have Brady Russel on the air is beyond me. I don't diskike Brady (he's was very nice the on time I met him) but his on air delivery is terrible. He made a much better music DJ than talk show host. There's got to be other talent out there who could do a good afternoon show for them.
Do we know if Lorna Barett has been permanantly hired for Good Morning Cleveland or is there someone else in the works?
I've also been hearing promos on WHBC-1480 for a new version of "Tradio" Sunday mornings at 10AM..I say "mew" because WHBC also had weeknight "Tradio" for a number of years in the 1960's and 70's...Hosted by Skip Hornyak
What is Skip Hornyak doing now? He was one of the nicest people I have ever met.
At least Brady Russell is a professional. He is not meant for talk radio, but Ron Ponder also needs to go. It is just painful or should I say a snooze fest when he is on and he butchers the English language and keeps saying Akron Mayor Janet Creighton. Please tell Ron he is in Canton and will never be on Akron radio. Next Media, wake up! Dennis Miller is doing well but Ponder and Russell need replaced ASAP or at least after this book.
Frantz and The Fat Man can try to poke fun at the competition all they want (because that's what haughty lame-brains do, isn't it?), but the fact is: when I want to listen to intelligent sports talk, I turn to WKNR. Whether they're winning awards or ratings or ribbons...they just know sports, and do it right.
Thank heavens we're not stuck with only the "big one" with "little talent." Alternatives are great!!
20 years ago AP awards meant something. Today very few stations spend the $$ to submit the awards and very few stations these days even contribute to the AP. Most of the newsrooms including Oak Tree and Rubber City have their staffs on very strict guidelines of not submitting stories to the AP until after the news cycle for their local use have died. We can’t have the competition getting out stories! The AP has even cut the $10 they used to pay for stories from local reporters. Want to win an AP award? Submit the application and the $100 fee and you’ll win one.
I'm pretty sure Oak Tree doesn't wait and I know Rubber City doesn't; those little things called websites mean the rush is on to post first as well as get on the air first, and the AP does a pretty decent job of monitoring websites as well as newsletters from not only local radio but also local TV (as well as monitor TV in Columbus in all of the Ohio TV markets thanks to satellite), local newspapers and independent sites such as OMW. It is a much smaller world and believe me, we ALL watch, listen to and read each other.
WHBC-AM had a 10.7 share 12+ in the most recent (Fall) ratings. My question is, what will they receive in the Spring ratings book taking place right now? Up? Down? How much and where?
WHBC- FM has changed as well moving closer to KDD and My 101.7 should take a portion of the 45-54 W numbers. This will be a very interesting ratings period down in Canton, to say the least. What does everyone else think?
PBRTV capped its recap of your AP item with the following ...
The coveted "Silver Sow Award" was once again given to Les Nessman of WKRP, Cincinnati.
Worked for me.
I know there are many unhappy WHBC listeners on both the AM and the FM side. Should be a very interesting book to say the least
Attention all frustrated ex-programmers and employees! Nobody makes decisions based on 12+ ratings. NextMedia obviously saw what the average age was on both of thier stations, and made the appropriate changes. If you were all so smart, you would be working.
As for the AM, everyone complains how syndication is killing the business and satellite can't compete with being local. I admire a company and a station that is being LOCAL. You do not have to like Ponder or Russell, but you can't have it both ways.
As for the FM, check out what is happening in NYC. The "Fresh" version of AC is cutting into WLTW, the perennial ratings winner. If you want to blame anyone, then why not try Madison Avenue? As long as A25-54 remains the core buying demo, you will continue to see this trend.
Work on your resumes. Your comments make it obvious why you are all destined to spend this summer on the beach.
Here's my idea:
If WHBC wasnt going to go with an all oldies format, they had to go news-talk eventually. I think where they might have made the mistake is waiting too long and making too many changes at once..Any change is going to upset long time listeners, but if you make changes gradually, it isn't as much of a shock..
Wow! A bit defensive eh? Thanks for the radio update from New York, Jeff.
And, good luck with your 25-54 Spring ratings. Speaking of updating your resume....
The question still remains as to why NextMedia waited six years to do what everyone in the market knew needed to be done..
NextMedia may have saved their Canton combo just in the nick of time..if anything, the AM may pick up some 25-54 men..but you'll still see it lead in 35+..I seriously doubt if all the complaining elderly go anywhere else..the Indians and Cavaliers will also help keep the numbers up..the AM probably finishes with a 11.4 in 12+..but the key numbers are going to be P25-54 and M-25-54..will there be any pickup of a younger demo, which is what NextMedia wanted in the first place..
As far as the FM, dumping all the music it shared with the AM should have been done years ago..their morning show may actually be viable for a change..dumping John Tesh would be a plus as well..'KDDs impact on Mix has always been in the suburbs..let's see if My 101-7 adds to the sense of impending ratings collapse..
Mix has suffered from weak books in Fall 2001 and in Spring 2005..and has been able to rebound to a degree, but its never been the dominant station it could have been..
John Tesh just does not fit well with WHBC-FM anymore with the change in music they want, but that contract is hard to get out of so.....
The Tesh contract likely has a 90 day out clause..getting out of it takes a phone call..if you're not going to take it live, use a satellite service..this is not rocket science by any means..
How about this from yesterday at 5:15P on WHBC-F:
G&R Sweet Child 'O Mine into
Hoobastank The Reason into
Madonna Music
WTF? Is this a special drive time program or something? Holy Crap! This is geared towards WOMEN?
Re WHBC AM: Doing local talk in a market as small and conservative as Canton can't be easy — it's the kind of place where not much of anything ever happens, and when things get dull, you can't just go back to playing records — but at least the NextMedia suits have some awareness that without a local focus, the station is dead. Will what they're doing bring the demos DOWN, which is what they needed most to do? We'll see.
Skip Hornyak has been retired for some years now, but is still around. A great air personality in his day, as were so many others at WHBC.
Nothing much happens in Canton?
What does that mean? Nothing really happens in Akron either but WNIR seems to do fine. People who live in a community are obviously interested in what happens there. You obvioulsy do not live though so you don't care what happens in Canton.
Of course crappy local hosts like Brady Russell don't help because he pretty much rips and reads Fox News stories of the computer. But maybe they'll get someone else in there in afternoons who knows what they are doing.
What WHBC-AM needs is a PD with a talk background..until that happens, nothing will change..Brady Russell isnt going anywhere..the whining from ''Kayleigh Kriss'' and ''Madison Woods'' would be enough to make ears bleed if it were to happen a second time.
those that know radio, media and marketing know that whbc had no choice but to go to all talk in that market. its the one format that will work for them in that market. naysayers (especailly those that are wannabe radio types) will always take pot shots at what they admire, don't understand or are jealous of. however, whether or not whbc can successfully pull it off remains to be seen.
Or, more accurately, radio professionals, those employed and have a track record of success, will question a poorly executed and lackluster product.
And it isn't limited to the AM side on Market Ave. S. Enough with AC/DC You Shook Me... and G&R Welcome to the Jungle on Mix. There is still a week left in the book. Pull your act together!!
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