Tying Up Loose Ends

And enjoy the weekend, for it's expected to be very nice weather-wise...

CONFIRMATION: Cleveland Plain Dealer media columnist Julie Washington gives the official Mainstream Media Confirmation on two items reported here earlier this week.

On the PD's Entertainment Blog on Cleveland.com, Washington confirms our item about the departure of Akron Beacon Journal politics and government reporter Kymberli Hagelberg to Ideastream NPR outlet WCPN/90.3 Cleveland. She'll cover a similar beat there.

Since WCPN is under that corporate umbrella with PBS outlet WVIZ/25, it would appear she could also do television work...though the item was first presented to us as a move to WCPN. WVIZ does air occasional news/public affairs specials, but the workload for news reporting would be greater on the radio side.

Hagelberg tells Ms. Washington that "it seemed like a challenge I would regret not taking". She starts with the Ideastream folks on August 1st, and as we were told earlier this week, today is her last day on Exchange Street.

Julie also confirms another item we posted here, the pending departure of WOIO/19 "19 Action News" morning anchor Allison Alexander, and arrival of her replacement, WSVN/7 Miami reporter/anchor Tiffani Tucker. We were first tipped by the TV news/gossip site NewsBlues, and learned of the non-renewal of Alexander's contract through our local sources.

Ms. Washington reports that the switch will take place sometime this fall, as Allison will stick around on the "Action News" morning beat until Tucker arrives.

AND ONE WE DIDN'T HAVE: The Julie Washington item has one WOIO-related item we didn't know.

She reports that "Action News" reporter Jonathan Carter is leaving the station for a morning co-anchor job at the FOX affiliate in New Orleans. The move is apparently due to the continued presence of Carter's family in his home city until moving here, Mobile, Alabama...

AND GOOD WISHES WE NEVER GOT AROUND TO GIVING: Our best wishes and good thoughts for Good Karma sports WKNR/850 "ESPN 850" Cleveland producer and mid-morning co-host Aaron Goldhammer and his family.

"Hammer", the sidekick to WJW/8 "FOX 8" sports anchor Tony Rizzo on his "Rizzo on the Radio" show, has been absent this week due to what's been described as a medical procedure/operation involving his father in his native Denver.

As far as we've heard on the Rizzo show, all has gone well for Aaron's father, and he's expected back on the show on Monday.

Maybe Hammer is taking around a microphone and collecting soundbites from obscure Colorado sports figures for the next "Who Said That?".

The last one was finally guessed this week, as being from YouTube video from a 1982 NBC football special with former New York Jets president Jim Kensil.

Who???

Anyway, all kidding aside, our best thoughts and prayers for the Goldhammer family, and welcome back, Aaron...