Browns Silence In Toledo?

Yeah, it surprised us, too.

Unless something's changed since late last week, it appears the Cleveland Browns currently have no Toledo radio affiliate lined up for the 2007 season.

Clear Channel sports WCWA/1230 ran the NFL team's games in 2006, but the Toledo Blade's John Wagner reports that "FOX Sports 1230" is declining to renew for this year. And he says sister rocker WIOT/104.7, which ran the games since the franchise started up again in 1999, is also not expected to carry Browns football.

The article notes that an independent company, "OnSports Productions", apparently tried to buy the Browns' Toledo rights with the aim of brokering the games on WCWA, but ran into too many conflicts with the station's broadcast of Cleveland Indians' games.

Wagner then rings up the other AM sports station in the Toledo market, Cumulus sports mainstay WLQR/1470 "The Ticket", where PD/afternoon host Norm Wamer tells the Blade that they're "happy" being the Detroit Lions affiliate in Northwest Ohio.

The Toledo market has a bunch of stations that would likely do well carrying the Browns. There are plenty of Browns fans in the region, as noted by Browns Radio Network honcho Joe Nero from the fourth floor of a certain building on Oak Tree.

Yet, the only one expressing interest is WLQR's sister talk station, WTOD/1560 "SuperTalk 1560"...where program director Chuck Matthews tells the newspaper that the station "would love to have the Browns".

The station's status as a daytime outlet wouldn't have an effect, says the long-time OMW reader (to the newspaper, not to us), since the games could be scooted to sister Cumulus FM outlets if necessary - much like WTOD does now for Michigan football games that air past the station's sign-off times.

(Hmm, the Browns and the Wolverines on the same station...how odd!)

Anyway, per the article, it appears that the Browns Radio Network would rather have a daytimer as an affiliate in Toledo, as opposed to having fans in the Glass City having to strain to pick up stations in Sandusky or Findlay.

Nero tells the Blade that he'll approach WTOD about the rights.

And unless someone else in the market steps up and gets the rights, and assuming Mr. Matthews can work out an agreement with those in the building where he used to work, "SuperTalk 1560" will likely become "Toledo's Home of the Browns" as soon as this coming weekend.

On the TV side, it's not nearly as complicated.

The Browns are in the AFC, which means CBS affiliate WTOL/11 can air as many Browns games as it wants. The Detroit Lions, in the NFC, likely rule the roost on Sundays at FOX affiliate WUPW/36 "FOX Toledo"...