Monday Odds And Ends

Not much really stands out about the below items, or for that matter, connects them. Well, aside from the fact that all the items have to do with persons no longer on the air in Cleveland in 2007 - or are about to leave the area.

But it's Monday, and we're dragging ourselves back to the grind.

A reminder: we're still in "sporadic update" mode due to various personal/off-blog issues. But we'll try to check in at least once every day or two...

MORE ON THE ANDERSON MOVE: The Plain Dealer's Julie Washington gets around to writing about the departure of WKYC/3 morning co-anchor John Anderson - who left the Gannett Cleveland NBC affiliate a week ago Friday bound for Philadelphia.

We've already touched on that here, of course. But Ms. Washington fills in some of the blanks we haven't.

For one, she reports that John's wife, WKYC reporter Kristin Anderson, is expected to remain with the station through the end of the year.

Julie also tells us that it was indeed Philly FOX O&O WTXF/29 GM Mike Renda who approached Anderson about the gig there. Renda, of course, knew Anderson from his days helming FOX O&O WJW/8 "FOX 8" here.

John starts his new role at "FOX 29"'s morning show today. Back in Cleveland, "Channel 3 News Today's" Barbara Gauthier has had fill-ins with her like Jacque Smith and Obie Shelton, but no permanent replacement has been named...

WHAT'S UP, DOC?: Former Clear Channel oldies WMJI/105.7 "Majic 105.7" staffer Doc Thompson has landed in his talk radio career, again.

OMW hears that Thompson, former producer for Majic's John Lanigan and Jimmy Malone morning drive talk fest and former imaging producer, takes a high profile afternoon drive slot at Clear Channel talk WRVA/1140 in Richmond, VA.

The station's announcement:

WRVA listeners have voted and the overwhelming winner is Doc Thompson! Doc will join our team on Monday October 29th. Thank you for participating in this very important decision. And thank you for listening to 1140 WRVA.

WRVA is another of those Clear Channel 50,000 watt "blowtorch" talk station. On a decent radio, it can actually be heard after sunset in much of Ohio.

The Richmond opening happened after incumbent WRVA afternoon driver Mac Watson packed it up for Phoenix, where he airs on Bonneville talk KTAR/92.3 (one of those Bonneville converted-from-AM large market talk outlets). Another former WRVA afternooner, Michael Graham, does mid-mornings on Boston's WTKK/96.9.

Before landing in Virginia's capital city, Doc had a short stint programming Albuquerque NM startup FM talker KAGM, which we're told was basically overloaded with high-priced talent - and collapsed under that financial weight not long after it started.

He's been operations manager of Magic Broadcasting's cluster in Dothan AL, which is run by Cleveland native and former CC Sandusky market manager Jeff Storey...

AND "GARY DEE"'S RETURN: In recorded form, of course, since the controversial former WHK/1420 morning drive talk show host has not been alive for some time.

His voice, though, returns to his former station's airwaves Wednesday night at 6 PM, as the Salem talker appropriately schedules a Gary Dee tribute show - "Amen and Hallelujah - The Gary Dee Radio Special" - on Halloween night. Mr. Gilbert certainly scared a few people, not to mention a few bosses, over his years on the air.

We've known about this for a while, but Ms. Washington's column provided us with the reminder this time around. She notes that it's characterized as another part of the station's year-long 85th Anniversary celebration.

Gary Dee did talk radio later in his career at WWWE "3WE", now Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100. But in our eyes (ears?), he's always been associated with his time on WHK in the 1970's.

WHK, we're reminded, was a country station outside of morning drive. Heck, Gary Dee himself may have played a tune or two, but that's certainly not why he was there.

He was there to poke pointed, sometimes outrageous fun at those in power in Cleveland, and other notable media personalities.

His career and personal life certainly hit some bumps - a notable attempt to move his act to Washington DC at an FM country station fell flat inside of six months. And his rocky and rather public marriage to WEWS/5 "Morning Exchange" co-host Liz Richards showed an ugly side of him - one we have trouble forgetting, or forgiving him for, as far as our memory goes.

But he's still a notable personality in Cleveland's radio history, even if his schtick may have to be watered down a bit to air for this week's airing on today's conservative talk station at his old home at AM 1420...