UPDATE 1/8/10 1:45 PM: The upcoming Jim Traficant radio show on Clear Channel Cleveland talk WTAM/1100 is "only the beginning", says the former Congressman's new management representation in an article in the Youngstown Vindicator this week. A choice quote:
Traficant signed a three-month contract with WTAM with a clause that lets him out of the deal if he decides to run for Congress, said Dennis Malloy, his director of communications. Feb. 18 is the filing deadline to run in the May 4 primary.
The WTAM program is “the first step in the puzzle for a syndicated radio show,” Malloy said.
So far, there appear to be no details about a potential syndication for the new Traficant show, though we wouldn't be shocked if the former Congressman's hometown WKBN/570 would also air the WTAM show. Traficant's vision (and ego) is clearly hoping for more than that, though... if he doesn't decide to run for Congress again...
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There's a lot to clean up off the "roadways" of Ohio media news here...and unlike in the "real world", none of it involves snow...
JIMBO RADIO AND....: We were one of the first outlets to pass along speculation about a radio career in the future of former Mahoning Valley congressman-turned-con Jim Traficant. As it turns out, we were thinking small.
Traficant did turn to the radio after he got out of prison. He made his first radio appearance as a free man on a weekend outdoors show on Clear Channel talk WKBN/570 Youngstown, and later did a couple of fill-in shifts sitting in for WKBN's Dan Rivers.
But he also did a couple of fiil-in shifts on WKBN's "big brother" talker in Cleveland, WTAM/1100...and as it turns out, that's where he lands.
WTAM announced this week that "The Jim Traficant Show" will become a regular part of its weekend lineup, with Jimbo's debut set for this Saturday. The show's time slot is set for 1-4 PM Saturdays. (No word what happens in the spring, when Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians become the regular occupant of that time slot most weeks.)
Quoting a WTAM release:
“It’s exciting to be on the air on WTAM. I’ve got much to say on many of the issues facing both Ohio and America today,” Traficant exudes, “and look forward to sharing my perspective and experiences on the biggest news station in Northeast Ohio!”
The release quotes WTAM program director Ray Davis, saying "listeners relate to his common sense approach to politics and life in general." Davis says Traficant is "quite a personality" (now, there's an understatement!), and says he is "all about giving people a second chance in life".
A second chance after a 7 year prison term which ended last fall, of course, a fact duly noted in the WTAM release.
And yes, we will be listening...
JIMBO'S FOLLOW: What has not been announced anywhere, as far as we know, is that Traficant's show will be followed, at least this Saturday, by another local call-in show.
OMW hears that former Clear Channel Akron/Canton hot AC WKDD/98.1 morning drive host Matt Patrick gets a "try out" on WTAM, and will be heard this Saturday 4-7 PM...immediately following the debut of Traficant.
The Patrick show Saturday on WTAM is considered an "audition", and there's no word of if the ex-WKDD veteran will be heard past this Saturday.
Matt Patrick is no stranger to conservative, issues talk radio, of course. When he exited WKDD in December, Patrick also exited his 9 AM-noon talk show on WKDD sister talk WHLO/640 Akron...and had hoped to retain the show despite the end of his "main job" on WKDD.
WHLO filled Patrick's old time slot this month by moving WPGB/Pittsburgh-based morning drive syndicated show "Quinn and Rose" into a delayed clearance in the 9 AM-noon slot. Morning drive was filled with "The WHLO Morning Show", a news-information show hosted by Akron and Canton radio veteran Jim Albright...
TOLEDO TV: OMW hears that Toledo Fox affiliate WUPW/36 "Fox Toledo" is making some early news changes.
The LIN TV owned station is shuttering the 4 PM early newscast of "Fox Toledo News", and is instead mounting a new half-hour long news program at 6:30.
The station's flagship 10 PM newscast is unaffected...
SUMMIT EXPANSION?: An OMW reader informs us that Akron Public Schools AAA WAPS/91.3 Akron "The Summit" has apparently picked up another signal.
"The Summit' is, according to our reader, announcing its availablity on a new Youngstown market signal...WKTL/90.7 Struthers.
That is the Struthers school district-owned station, and we don't know the details of the arrangement. We haven't been able to verify the simulcast as of yet, either...
5 comments:
Re: Saturday afternoons. I don't think you'll be seeing the Indians play on Saturday afternoon very often. Given the anticipated "rebuilding year", I'll be surprised if they're on the Fox game of the week more than a couple of times (and that starts at 4pm). So, maybe Jim'll be bumped by a couple of day games (typically only the Yankees and Blue Jays play Saturday day games, and northern teams in April), but not that many.
Yes, Indians home games are always scheduled for 7:05pm unless FOX televises them for the afternoon. They will play only some away games on Saturday afternoons.
Yes the Summit 91.3 is on Struthers radio 90.7 and comes in loud and clear here in Warren.
Wishing Matt Patrick good luck on his show at WTAM. I miss him in the morning on WKDD. Keith Kennedy is no replacement for him. And Krissy, waste of a microphone. And they voicetrack HER on 98.9 here in Youngstown...really. Krissy? This is what radio has become?
Matt Patrick was awful. His ratings had fallen off the charts in AM drive and his WHLO ratings, the audience he should have been huge with, were very bad. And you make fun of Krissy? Yes that is what radio has become. They all do voicetracking.
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