Like Thursday, it's past 2:30 PM and we haven't been able to get to lunch yet, but here's a quick extra update on our way out the door for the weekend...
WHLO CHANGES: We've detailed moves about to be announced by Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland, with Premiere's Glenn Beck about to make his return to the station.
We've also told you that Beck's return to WTAM has forced current affiliate Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting talk WEOL/930 Elyria to move the newly acquired Laura Ingraham show into Beck's late morning time slot, starting November 5th.
We've also said we didn't know what Beck's other current Northeast Ohio affiliate, Clear Channel talk WHLO/640 Akron, would do after Beck returns to WTAM.
Well, OMW is hearing that WHLO late afternoon local host Matt Patrick has a "big announcement" planned for his 5-7 PM show this afternoon/evening.
Could it detail a potential very, very big change for the station's lineup, including one that would affect Patrick - who also continues to host his long-running morning show with co-host Angela Bellios on sister hot AC WKDD/98.1?
Which, according to the show's web page, now airs from 5 AM to 9 AM weekdays... not until 10 AM. (We believe it's been like that for some time.)
Feel free to put the pieces together...they fit pretty well from this end...
NO SOJ: And a final (for this week) followup to the mess involving Streetsboro Public Schools' radio station WSTB/88.9.
OMW hears that it's official - the station's weekend "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" will not be aired this Sunday.
Though it's been announced, it's no surprise...considering that as of this writing, WSTB has yet to return to the airwaves even with its regular "AlterNation" student alt-rock programming. And there appears to be no resolution to the standoff we've detailed below.
OK, anything else between now and Monday, you'll have to find out from somewhere else...we're heading out for the weekend...
Friday, October 17, 2008
Wrapping Up The Week
...with some followups, mostly.
We'll be putting up the "Gone Fishin'" sign for the weekend, though your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) has never actually fished. Except for media news stories...
WSTB FOLLOWUP: The shutdown of Streetsboro Public Schools station WSTB/88.9 has made it further into the mainstream media.
After the Akron Beacon Journal article we linked earlier, WJW/8's "FOX 8 News" made the trek to Portage County, with a live shot explaining the continuing off-air status of the station which normally airs the student-run "AlterNation" alt-rock format six days a week, and the adult volunteer-run "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" on Sundays.
The video from the report can be viewed here, and that's important to understanding the nuances of this story...since it also shows (with blurred faces) the "inappropriate" pictures which prompted school officials to pull out WSTB's computers on Monday night.
(Frankly, the "inappropriate" wording has to go. When this was first reported Tuesday, it invoked the thought of pictures that were not about kids and alcohol, but involving something else.)
A story for the Kent State University student newspaper "The Daily Kent Stater" by reporter Jackie Valley quotes former WSTB operations manager Bill Germani, and long-time WSTB general manager Bob Long, a local broadcast veteran:
Germani said the pictures stem from a New Year's Eve celebration this year in Columbus, in which a former student is photographed in the presence of alcohol. The other picture does not contain any alcohol.
Bob Long, general manager of WSTB, said the 18-year-old student photographed, who had parental consent to be in Columbus, never consumed alcohol that night because he was still on medication following a serious ATV accident in October 2007.
The article says Long has offered his resignation if the district doesn't allow two station IT workers to return - one he says has actually been banned from the building due to being in the aforementioned pictures.
For now, the station continues to be off the air, as school officials - who aren't saying anything now - apparently huddle with legal counsel.
In addition to breaking the long broadcast history of WSTB, the dispute will more than likely silence the "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" folks this weekend, barring a very quick resolution today. That programming alone has aired for over 10 years, and the station as a whole has been on for over 30.
We're a bit biased on this story, we admit.
We're not school administrators, or parents. We don't live in Streetsboro, and don't have much input into the "other side" of this.
Officials there probably never heard of us until they saw links on the various WSTB-related sites. They're welcome to chime in, either privately or in public. We welcome their response, but at this point they seem to be somewhat silent in the media reports we've passed along.
No, we're broadcasters, as are Mr. Long, the "SOJ" and others associated with the station. We're hoping that some mutually amicable resolution comes out of this...and that WSTB returns to the air soon...
BECK!: No, this is not an item about the announcement expected Monday, where Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland will unveil to listeners what OMW readers have known for many days - the return of Premiere syndicated late morning voice Glenn Beck to the WTAM airwaves on Monday, November 3rd.
It's about Beck himself, who has much larger items on his plate than his new Cleveland affiliate.
In a link helpfully provided on Beck's own website, MediaNewser reports that the multimedia conservative talk star will change his TV address next year, as Beck joins the staff at FOX News Channel.
He'll do a 5 PM (Eastern) show for the cable network.
Beck's current TV show airs on Headline News, CNN's second network, at 7 PM (Eastern), with a 9 PM repeat. Various reports show that Beck is the most popular host on "Headline News" who isn't named Nancy Grace.
The FNC show is set to start next Spring, and there's no word if Beck's Headline News stint will end early. The Premiere-syndicated radio show, of course, goes on as usual.
The New York Times reports that one possible "sticking point" in CNN's talks with Beck was Headline News' decision to drop the 9 PM repeat of the show. It will instead use that time slot to air a repeat of Lou Dobbs' show from the main CNN network...
BYE, FEDER: A veteran of the Newspaper Media Columnist Wars has shut down his word processor today.
He's Robert Feder, the nearly 30-year veteran of covering media for the Chicago Sun-Times, who wrote his last column today. Fellow Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper has a few thoughts on Feder's departure here.
Like large numbers of "ink-stained wretches", Feder took a buyout offered by the Chicago newspaper...which, like pretty much every newspaper in America, is trying to drastically cut staff in a feverish effort to reduce costs.
But Feder is not just another newspaper media columnist.
He's widely regarded in both businesses as the preeminent such columnist in the nation. Feder and his column are respected. He prided himself on accuracy. He's got a list of sources probably larger than most other media columnists put together.
And when he felt someone needed to be called on the carpet - like, for example, the now-departed general manager of Chicago CBS affiliate WBBM/2 - he did it.
Oh, and speaking of that station, and Cleveland...Feder also wrote a now-infamous column aimed at former WBBM boss Bill Applegate's memo regarding the clothing worn by the station's female on-air staff members. Applegate, of course, is now VP/GM at Raycom Media's WOIO/19-WUAB/43 here, and may well be toasting Feder's departure today in his office at Reserve Square.
We're guessing even Feder never imagined that Applegate would go on to approve, and encourage, a female reporter to take off her clothes on camera for a "story".
Anyway, we salute the 28-year run of Mr. Feder. We had the pleasure of having lunch with him a few years ago, thanks to some friends who brought us along.
And though it was only one meeting, our impression is that he basically felt like he was "just a lucky guy" to be doing a job he loved...
We'll be putting up the "Gone Fishin'" sign for the weekend, though your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) has never actually fished. Except for media news stories...
WSTB FOLLOWUP: The shutdown of Streetsboro Public Schools station WSTB/88.9 has made it further into the mainstream media.
After the Akron Beacon Journal article we linked earlier, WJW/8's "FOX 8 News" made the trek to Portage County, with a live shot explaining the continuing off-air status of the station which normally airs the student-run "AlterNation" alt-rock format six days a week, and the adult volunteer-run "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" on Sundays.
The video from the report can be viewed here, and that's important to understanding the nuances of this story...since it also shows (with blurred faces) the "inappropriate" pictures which prompted school officials to pull out WSTB's computers on Monday night.
(Frankly, the "inappropriate" wording has to go. When this was first reported Tuesday, it invoked the thought of pictures that were not about kids and alcohol, but involving something else.)
A story for the Kent State University student newspaper "The Daily Kent Stater" by reporter Jackie Valley quotes former WSTB operations manager Bill Germani, and long-time WSTB general manager Bob Long, a local broadcast veteran:
Germani said the pictures stem from a New Year's Eve celebration this year in Columbus, in which a former student is photographed in the presence of alcohol. The other picture does not contain any alcohol.
Bob Long, general manager of WSTB, said the 18-year-old student photographed, who had parental consent to be in Columbus, never consumed alcohol that night because he was still on medication following a serious ATV accident in October 2007.
The article says Long has offered his resignation if the district doesn't allow two station IT workers to return - one he says has actually been banned from the building due to being in the aforementioned pictures.
For now, the station continues to be off the air, as school officials - who aren't saying anything now - apparently huddle with legal counsel.
In addition to breaking the long broadcast history of WSTB, the dispute will more than likely silence the "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" folks this weekend, barring a very quick resolution today. That programming alone has aired for over 10 years, and the station as a whole has been on for over 30.
We're a bit biased on this story, we admit.
We're not school administrators, or parents. We don't live in Streetsboro, and don't have much input into the "other side" of this.
Officials there probably never heard of us until they saw links on the various WSTB-related sites. They're welcome to chime in, either privately or in public. We welcome their response, but at this point they seem to be somewhat silent in the media reports we've passed along.
No, we're broadcasters, as are Mr. Long, the "SOJ" and others associated with the station. We're hoping that some mutually amicable resolution comes out of this...and that WSTB returns to the air soon...
BECK!: No, this is not an item about the announcement expected Monday, where Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland will unveil to listeners what OMW readers have known for many days - the return of Premiere syndicated late morning voice Glenn Beck to the WTAM airwaves on Monday, November 3rd.
It's about Beck himself, who has much larger items on his plate than his new Cleveland affiliate.
In a link helpfully provided on Beck's own website, MediaNewser reports that the multimedia conservative talk star will change his TV address next year, as Beck joins the staff at FOX News Channel.
He'll do a 5 PM (Eastern) show for the cable network.
Beck's current TV show airs on Headline News, CNN's second network, at 7 PM (Eastern), with a 9 PM repeat. Various reports show that Beck is the most popular host on "Headline News" who isn't named Nancy Grace.
The FNC show is set to start next Spring, and there's no word if Beck's Headline News stint will end early. The Premiere-syndicated radio show, of course, goes on as usual.
The New York Times reports that one possible "sticking point" in CNN's talks with Beck was Headline News' decision to drop the 9 PM repeat of the show. It will instead use that time slot to air a repeat of Lou Dobbs' show from the main CNN network...
BYE, FEDER: A veteran of the Newspaper Media Columnist Wars has shut down his word processor today.
He's Robert Feder, the nearly 30-year veteran of covering media for the Chicago Sun-Times, who wrote his last column today. Fellow Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper has a few thoughts on Feder's departure here.
Like large numbers of "ink-stained wretches", Feder took a buyout offered by the Chicago newspaper...which, like pretty much every newspaper in America, is trying to drastically cut staff in a feverish effort to reduce costs.
But Feder is not just another newspaper media columnist.
He's widely regarded in both businesses as the preeminent such columnist in the nation. Feder and his column are respected. He prided himself on accuracy. He's got a list of sources probably larger than most other media columnists put together.
And when he felt someone needed to be called on the carpet - like, for example, the now-departed general manager of Chicago CBS affiliate WBBM/2 - he did it.
Oh, and speaking of that station, and Cleveland...Feder also wrote a now-infamous column aimed at former WBBM boss Bill Applegate's memo regarding the clothing worn by the station's female on-air staff members. Applegate, of course, is now VP/GM at Raycom Media's WOIO/19-WUAB/43 here, and may well be toasting Feder's departure today in his office at Reserve Square.
We're guessing even Feder never imagined that Applegate would go on to approve, and encourage, a female reporter to take off her clothes on camera for a "story".
Anyway, we salute the 28-year run of Mr. Feder. We had the pleasure of having lunch with him a few years ago, thanks to some friends who brought us along.
And though it was only one meeting, our impression is that he basically felt like he was "just a lucky guy" to be doing a job he loved...
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Check The Updates
It's been a busy, busy day for media news in Northeast Ohio...and for us.
We've been following three big stories: the year-end exit of Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 evening co-anchor Tim White after stalled contract talks, the death of long-time Cleveland radio and television personality Jack Reynolds, and the continuing off-air status of Streetsboro schools' radio station WSTB/88.9.
Rather than posting separate items updating all of today's news, we've updated the original items. Please scroll below this to see those updates...
We've been following three big stories: the year-end exit of Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 evening co-anchor Tim White after stalled contract talks, the death of long-time Cleveland radio and television personality Jack Reynolds, and the continuing off-air status of Streetsboro schools' radio station WSTB/88.9.
Rather than posting separate items updating all of today's news, we've updated the original items. Please scroll below this to see those updates...
THIS JUST IN: Tim White Leaving WKYC At Year's End
UPDATE 10/16/08 5:00 PM: The word has been posted on Channel 3's website this afternoon...about the departure of long-time evening co-anchor Tim White at the end of this year.
Quoting White in the WKYC release:
"For nearly a decade I've had the privilege of being part of one of the best local news operations in the country. The business has changed. What hasn't changed is my deep respect for my colleagues in the newsroom and my gratitude to the people of Northeast Ohio. I have a lot to do in the years ahead, and now is the time to get at it."
WKYC says White will remain on the air through the end of his contract. And, quoting from their announcement:
WKYC has not decided on future plans for replacing Tim in the co-anchor position. It is expected an announcement will be made sometime in mid to late December.
Cleveland Plain Dealer media columnist Julie Washington weighs in as well, with this quote from White, who joined "Channel 3 News" as Judd Hambrick's replacement in 1999:
"The business is changing and tough decisions have to be made. I'm not angry. I'm disappointed."
----------
From TV trade site TVNewsday:
Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC Cleveland (DMA 17) announced today that Tim White, evening news anchor with Romona Robinson since 1999, will leave the station when his contract expires at the end of this year.
White and WKYC were unable to agree on conditions for continuing the contract and have instead agreed on an amicable separation.
More, later...we're drowning in Breaking Media News today, and haven't had time to even grab a quick lunch...er...dinner...
Quoting White in the WKYC release:"For nearly a decade I've had the privilege of being part of one of the best local news operations in the country. The business has changed. What hasn't changed is my deep respect for my colleagues in the newsroom and my gratitude to the people of Northeast Ohio. I have a lot to do in the years ahead, and now is the time to get at it."
WKYC says White will remain on the air through the end of his contract. And, quoting from their announcement:
WKYC has not decided on future plans for replacing Tim in the co-anchor position. It is expected an announcement will be made sometime in mid to late December.
Cleveland Plain Dealer media columnist Julie Washington weighs in as well, with this quote from White, who joined "Channel 3 News" as Judd Hambrick's replacement in 1999:
"The business is changing and tough decisions have to be made. I'm not angry. I'm disappointed."
----------
From TV trade site TVNewsday:
Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC Cleveland (DMA 17) announced today that Tim White, evening news anchor with Romona Robinson since 1999, will leave the station when his contract expires at the end of this year.
White and WKYC were unable to agree on conditions for continuing the contract and have instead agreed on an amicable separation.
More, later...we're drowning in Breaking Media News today, and haven't had time to even grab a quick lunch...er...dinner...
THIS JUST IN: Jack Reynolds Passes Away
UPDATE 6:02 PM 10/16/08: WJW "FOX 8" confirms the passing of Jack Reynolds, father of "FOX 8" sports anchor Tony Rizzo, at the age of 71. Quoting the article on MyFoxCleveland.com:
Reynolds had been hospitalized for three 1/2 weeks for bypass heart surgery and then for an intestinal operation. He had weathered it all and was recovering, but he took a turn last night and died early this morning.
FOX 8 also provides details of his services:
Visitation will be Sunday, 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Ripepi Funeral Home, 5762 Pearl Road in Parma.
The funeral mass will be Monday morning at 9:30 at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, 14865 East Bagley Road, Middleburg Heights.
-------------
We don't have any details, but OMW is hearing that veteran Cleveland radio and television personality Jack Reynolds has passed away.
Jack was one of the original air staff members at the top 40 incarnation of WHK/1420 back in the 1960s, and was also heard on the old "3WE" (WWWE/1100, which is today's WTAM).
On the TV side of the ledger, many Clevelanders also remember him as the booth announcer and voice for WUAB/43, in its days as a popular independent station that "played favorites".
Many outside Cleveland knew Jack for his long-running work as a wrestling announcer with the World Wrestling Federation (today's WWE).
And still others know him as the father of popular local sportscaster Tony Rizzo, sports anchor at WJW/8 "FOX 8" and mid-morning host at WKNR/850 "ESPN 850". Reynolds has occasionally been heard calling into his son's radio show, and also took part in a recent tribute to WHK's 85th anniversary.
We'll pass along more as we hear it. For now, the only details we have are from sports handicapper Kevin O'Neill's "Real World Sports" blog here.
Our condolences to the family, to Tony Rizzo, and to Jack's friends in and out of the broadcasting business...
Reynolds had been hospitalized for three 1/2 weeks for bypass heart surgery and then for an intestinal operation. He had weathered it all and was recovering, but he took a turn last night and died early this morning.
FOX 8 also provides details of his services:
Visitation will be Sunday, 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Ripepi Funeral Home, 5762 Pearl Road in Parma.
The funeral mass will be Monday morning at 9:30 at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, 14865 East Bagley Road, Middleburg Heights.
-------------
We don't have any details, but OMW is hearing that veteran Cleveland radio and television personality Jack Reynolds has passed away.
Jack was one of the original air staff members at the top 40 incarnation of WHK/1420 back in the 1960s, and was also heard on the old "3WE" (WWWE/1100, which is today's WTAM).
On the TV side of the ledger, many Clevelanders also remember him as the booth announcer and voice for WUAB/43, in its days as a popular independent station that "played favorites".
Many outside Cleveland knew Jack for his long-running work as a wrestling announcer with the World Wrestling Federation (today's WWE).
And still others know him as the father of popular local sportscaster Tony Rizzo, sports anchor at WJW/8 "FOX 8" and mid-morning host at WKNR/850 "ESPN 850". Reynolds has occasionally been heard calling into his son's radio show, and also took part in a recent tribute to WHK's 85th anniversary.
We'll pass along more as we hear it. For now, the only details we have are from sports handicapper Kevin O'Neill's "Real World Sports" blog here.
Our condolences to the family, to Tony Rizzo, and to Jack's friends in and out of the broadcasting business...
WSTB Rally
UPDATE 10/16/08 2:30 PM: A temporary placeholder page is now up at the main website for WSTB's "AlterNation" weekday format, with this notice:
Sadly, this situation is out of the control of the many volunteers and staff that have worked hard over the years to provide you with the music and programming you've come to enjoy.
The site encourages listeners to make their feelings known to the Streetsboro school district and its board members, and provides links to contact information for those in the district.
It closes with a message to supporters:
We love you. Thank you for your support. We're really sorry that your radio "fix" has been taken away, we really hope to bring it back to you. We hate to ask you for more support after all of this, but you've always been there for us in the past and we're sure you'll make your opinion known.
Our original item is below...
-------------
With Streetsboro Public Schools station WSTB/88.9 still off the air, even despite the apparent resolution of a controversy over pictures found on station computers, we have word of a quickly-organized rally tonight meant to support the station.
WSTB's "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" has put up the notice on its web page...
Former and current staffers, school facility, and supporters of radio station WSTB are expected at a rally scheduled for Thursday, October 16th at 6:00 PM at the at Streetsboro City Park Pavillion.
The purpose of the rally is to set the record straight on events that led up to Streetsboro High School officials shutting down the station. The shutdown resulted in the disruption of broadcasting by the Alternation and sister station, the Sunday Oldies Jukebox.
The public is invited to the rally. Please come, get the facts, and show your support.
We don't know any more than that, so it'll be interesting to see what develops.
The notice is not posted on the "AlterNation" web site for good reason, as the site has been down since WSTB's computers were taken on Monday night. That site is currently landing on a blank page...
Sadly, this situation is out of the control of the many volunteers and staff that have worked hard over the years to provide you with the music and programming you've come to enjoy.
The site encourages listeners to make their feelings known to the Streetsboro school district and its board members, and provides links to contact information for those in the district.
It closes with a message to supporters:
We love you. Thank you for your support. We're really sorry that your radio "fix" has been taken away, we really hope to bring it back to you. We hate to ask you for more support after all of this, but you've always been there for us in the past and we're sure you'll make your opinion known.
Our original item is below...
-------------
With Streetsboro Public Schools station WSTB/88.9 still off the air, even despite the apparent resolution of a controversy over pictures found on station computers, we have word of a quickly-organized rally tonight meant to support the station.
WSTB's "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" has put up the notice on its web page...
Former and current staffers, school facility, and supporters of radio station WSTB are expected at a rally scheduled for Thursday, October 16th at 6:00 PM at the at Streetsboro City Park Pavillion.
The purpose of the rally is to set the record straight on events that led up to Streetsboro High School officials shutting down the station. The shutdown resulted in the disruption of broadcasting by the Alternation and sister station, the Sunday Oldies Jukebox.
The public is invited to the rally. Please come, get the facts, and show your support.
We don't know any more than that, so it'll be interesting to see what develops.
The notice is not posted on the "AlterNation" web site for good reason, as the site has been down since WSTB's computers were taken on Monday night. That site is currently landing on a blank page...
Pat's Staying
As it turns out, Akron Beacon Journal sports columnist Pat McManamon has dodged the Layoff Reaper - again.
An OMW reader points us to Tuesday's entry in Pat's "Beside the Point" blog:
First, a personal note: The Akron Beacon Journal taketh away and the Akron Beacon Journal giveth. I was informed this week that the layoff notice presented a few weeks ago has been rescinded. Thus I will stay with the Beacon Journal, at least until they get this layoff bug up their hind end again.
This may please some of you, and anger or disappoint others.
To those who wrote and offered support, I offer my heartfelt thanks and appreciation. It meant a lot.
McManamon informed readers a month ago in that same blog that he'd been given a 60 day layoff notice.
And it's not even Pat's first time dodging the layoff bullet at the Beacon Journal.
As OMW reported earlier, he managed to hold onto his job on East Exchange Street in August 2006, when new ABJ owner Black Press launched its first layoff series - with 40 employees out the door.
At the time, McManamon was the paper's Cleveland Browns beat reporter, but he later took the sports columnist role vacated when ABJ veteran Terry Pluto was hired by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
And speaking of that other newspaper, our reader wonders if Brian Windhorst's exit to the PD this month paved the way for the Beacon to hang onto McManamon...again.
While we're Talking Print, in our search for information about Windhorst, we overlooked a very detailed article on Rubber City Radio's AkronNewsNow about the Cleveland Cavaliers beat writer being one of 18 ABJ employees taking the latest buyout offer, and his move north to the PD.
The ANN piece by Tina Kaufmann is worth a look even now, as the list of those taking the buyout includes some very big names at the Beacon, including columnist David Giffels, reporter Carl Chancellor, photographers Lew Stamp and Ken Love, and editorial cartoonist Chip Bok.
The complete list comes courtesy of the BJ Retirees (now BJ Alums) Blog Wall of Honor, in case you're wondering what happened to your favorite ABJ writer or other staffer.
The ANN article notes that Giffels is heading for a job at the University of Akron.
It also notes that the union covering Beacon Journal employees will have "under 70" workers in its ranks after these buyouts take hold.
There's no word if McManamon will have to help cover Akron City Council meetings, or write obituaries, in addition to his sports duties...or if George M. Thomas will be called on to edit the movie listings on days the Cavaliers don't play...
(Yes, it's a joke. We think...we hope...)
An OMW reader points us to Tuesday's entry in Pat's "Beside the Point" blog:
First, a personal note: The Akron Beacon Journal taketh away and the Akron Beacon Journal giveth. I was informed this week that the layoff notice presented a few weeks ago has been rescinded. Thus I will stay with the Beacon Journal, at least until they get this layoff bug up their hind end again.
This may please some of you, and anger or disappoint others.
To those who wrote and offered support, I offer my heartfelt thanks and appreciation. It meant a lot.
McManamon informed readers a month ago in that same blog that he'd been given a 60 day layoff notice.
And it's not even Pat's first time dodging the layoff bullet at the Beacon Journal.
As OMW reported earlier, he managed to hold onto his job on East Exchange Street in August 2006, when new ABJ owner Black Press launched its first layoff series - with 40 employees out the door.
At the time, McManamon was the paper's Cleveland Browns beat reporter, but he later took the sports columnist role vacated when ABJ veteran Terry Pluto was hired by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
And speaking of that other newspaper, our reader wonders if Brian Windhorst's exit to the PD this month paved the way for the Beacon to hang onto McManamon...again.
While we're Talking Print, in our search for information about Windhorst, we overlooked a very detailed article on Rubber City Radio's AkronNewsNow about the Cleveland Cavaliers beat writer being one of 18 ABJ employees taking the latest buyout offer, and his move north to the PD.
The ANN piece by Tina Kaufmann is worth a look even now, as the list of those taking the buyout includes some very big names at the Beacon, including columnist David Giffels, reporter Carl Chancellor, photographers Lew Stamp and Ken Love, and editorial cartoonist Chip Bok.
The complete list comes courtesy of the BJ Retirees (now BJ Alums) Blog Wall of Honor, in case you're wondering what happened to your favorite ABJ writer or other staffer.
The ANN article notes that Giffels is heading for a job at the University of Akron.
It also notes that the union covering Beacon Journal employees will have "under 70" workers in its ranks after these buyouts take hold.
There's no word if McManamon will have to help cover Akron City Council meetings, or write obituaries, in addition to his sports duties...or if George M. Thomas will be called on to edit the movie listings on days the Cavaliers don't play...
(Yes, it's a joke. We think...we hope...)
A WSTB Update
Streetsboro High School radio station WSTB/88.9 is still off the air as of this writing, but the circumstances that forced it off the air have become somewhat clearer.
And for that matter, it all seems rather silly at this point.
An article written on the web site of the weekly "Gateway News" newspaper, which we linked here earlier this week, cited "inappropriate photos" as the reason school officials took out WSTB computers Monday night. The move took out the computer used to operate the station on-air, leading to the loss of programming.
What were the "inappropriate photos", a phrase attributed to school officials by local newspapers? Probably not what some thought.
From the Akron Beacon Journal, this morning:
One photo showed a party and there was a question of whether a student was there drinking, (Streetsboro police) Detective Richard Polivka said Wednesday.
However, there was no criminal wrongdoing and the investigation was concluded, he added.
So, it would appear to be all said and done...oh, except for the fact that WSTB's "AlterNation" alt-rock format is still among the missing as of this writing, and for that matter, it's not known if this weekend's "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" will be able to broadcast on the station.
The absence of WSTB's 88.9 signal has brought some listeners south and west of Akron the signal of Ashland University's WRDL/88.9 Ashland.
Oh, speaking of "Sunday Oldies Jukebox", an adult-run all volunteer effort...while trying to figure out how to get back on the air, SOJ volunteer program director Bill Weisinger shares his own thoughts on the past few days with OMW.
"As we expected, it turns out to be much ado about nothing....the nothing being a few (fully clothed) ADULTS at a New Year's party. Any of these pictures could have been printed on ANY newspaper society page in the nation," "Uncle Bill" tells OMW.
He adds, "(it) seems someone in the administration was misled, or just got bad advice, that resulted in this storm of inappropriate and unnecessary bad press for a station with over 30 years of solid community service."
If "SOJ", which provides a popular oldies format on Sundays to the Akron market, returns this coming weekend, it might be without computer assistance.
It's not known how the station's on-air computer was dismantled, and not known if it can be easily returned to service. If there's a problem, the "SOJ" volunteer on-air personalities could well break out the CDs on Sunday, instead of running music off of computers.
But with the situation resolved, here's hoping they, and the student-run "AlterNation" format which airs Monday through Saturday, return soon...
And for that matter, it all seems rather silly at this point.
An article written on the web site of the weekly "Gateway News" newspaper, which we linked here earlier this week, cited "inappropriate photos" as the reason school officials took out WSTB computers Monday night. The move took out the computer used to operate the station on-air, leading to the loss of programming.
What were the "inappropriate photos", a phrase attributed to school officials by local newspapers? Probably not what some thought.
From the Akron Beacon Journal, this morning:
One photo showed a party and there was a question of whether a student was there drinking, (Streetsboro police) Detective Richard Polivka said Wednesday.
However, there was no criminal wrongdoing and the investigation was concluded, he added.
So, it would appear to be all said and done...oh, except for the fact that WSTB's "AlterNation" alt-rock format is still among the missing as of this writing, and for that matter, it's not known if this weekend's "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" will be able to broadcast on the station.
The absence of WSTB's 88.9 signal has brought some listeners south and west of Akron the signal of Ashland University's WRDL/88.9 Ashland.
Oh, speaking of "Sunday Oldies Jukebox", an adult-run all volunteer effort...while trying to figure out how to get back on the air, SOJ volunteer program director Bill Weisinger shares his own thoughts on the past few days with OMW.
"As we expected, it turns out to be much ado about nothing....the nothing being a few (fully clothed) ADULTS at a New Year's party. Any of these pictures could have been printed on ANY newspaper society page in the nation," "Uncle Bill" tells OMW.
He adds, "(it) seems someone in the administration was misled, or just got bad advice, that resulted in this storm of inappropriate and unnecessary bad press for a station with over 30 years of solid community service."
If "SOJ", which provides a popular oldies format on Sundays to the Akron market, returns this coming weekend, it might be without computer assistance.
It's not known how the station's on-air computer was dismantled, and not known if it can be easily returned to service. If there's a problem, the "SOJ" volunteer on-air personalities could well break out the CDs on Sunday, instead of running music off of computers.
But with the situation resolved, here's hoping they, and the student-run "AlterNation" format which airs Monday through Saturday, return soon...
A WEWS Exit
Another change is about to come to Scripps Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS/5, though this one isn't being initiated by the station.
OMW hears that "NewsChannel 5" Akron Bureau reporter Jonathan Costen will leave the station in the next couple of weeks, right before the November ratings period.
We're hearing that the decision was Costen's, as he's leaving the TV business for another non-broadcast job he's already secured.
Right now, Costen is the only reporter in the "NewsChannel 5" Akron bureau, as former bureau chief Pete Kenworthy recently made the move to co-anchor the station's "Good Morning Cleveland". Costen started covering Akron news for WEWS in 1999.
(We haven't checked, but as far as we know, veteran photographer Joe McGee is also still in the bureau, which is located at the Akron Beacon Journal's newsroom.)
We don't know who'll be brought into Akron to replace Costen, Kenworthy and/or both...
OMW hears that "NewsChannel 5" Akron Bureau reporter Jonathan Costen will leave the station in the next couple of weeks, right before the November ratings period.
We're hearing that the decision was Costen's, as he's leaving the TV business for another non-broadcast job he's already secured.
Right now, Costen is the only reporter in the "NewsChannel 5" Akron bureau, as former bureau chief Pete Kenworthy recently made the move to co-anchor the station's "Good Morning Cleveland". Costen started covering Akron news for WEWS in 1999.
(We haven't checked, but as far as we know, veteran photographer Joe McGee is also still in the bureau, which is located at the Akron Beacon Journal's newsroom.)
We don't know who'll be brought into Akron to replace Costen, Kenworthy and/or both...
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
THIS JUST IN: WKYC Adopts New "Look"
Visual changes have come to Gannett Cleveland NBC affiliate WKYC/3.
WKYC senior director and "Director's Cut" blogger Frank Macek has details of the new on-air look at "Channel 3 News", along with some screen shots from this afternoon's noon newscast.
Macek notes that the new look means WKYC's owner has joined the companies standardizing the on-air appearance of newscasts:
This new look is part of Gannett's companywide, G3, initiative look that will appear on all of the company's broadcast properties.
The standardization, presumably, means that the company can "centralize" the graphics out of one hub...leading to less (or no!) need for locally-produced graphics...
WKYC senior director and "Director's Cut" blogger Frank Macek has details of the new on-air look at "Channel 3 News", along with some screen shots from this afternoon's noon newscast.
Macek notes that the new look means WKYC's owner has joined the companies standardizing the on-air appearance of newscasts:
This new look is part of Gannett's companywide, G3, initiative look that will appear on all of the company's broadcast properties.
The standardization, presumably, means that the company can "centralize" the graphics out of one hub...leading to less (or no!) need for locally-produced graphics...
Brian Of The What?
Forgive us the brief side move into Ohio Print Media Watch for this entry.
So, your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) was losing sleep early this morning. Stomach tumbling around in the wee hours, we sought help to feel better...and reached for the Mighty Laptop, since we were up, anyway.
A quick run through the Internet led us to the Cleveland Plain Dealer's sports news blog...headed up by an item tabbed to "Brian Windhorst's Cavaliers Blog". Huh?
This early morning surfing session was starting to mess with our fuzzy early morning head. What was the long-time Akron Beacon Journal Cleveland Cavaliers beat writer doing in the PD's sports blog?
Had budget cuts at newspapers led to this conclusion - the two local papers sharing a single beat writer for the area's NBA team?
(We hope you can forgive us for that, as Ohio's newspapers have actually been running stories from each other on a regular basis for the past few months, complete with bylines, And then, there's the running joke - at least we hope it's a joke - that the tough newspaper times will end up with the shrinking Beacon Journal becoming a supplement to the also-shrinking Plain Dealer.)
No, we'd just missed one of the bigger stories in local newspapering, that's all...understandable, since it's not our usual beat.
As it turns out, Brian Windhorst started October 6th as the Plain Dealer's Cavaliers beat writer. After much searching, we'll give a hat tip to former Beacon Journal politics writer Abe Zaidan for the details on his own "Grumpy Abe" blog.
(Zaidan also notes the unrelated exit of ex-ABJ employee Stuart Warner from the PD, part of wide-reaching buyout offers to the paper's employees.)
Windhorst, meanwhile, joins former ABJ colleague Terry Pluto on the Cleveland paper's staff.
And despite the fact that newspapers are dumping staffers like so much discarded garbage, the Windhorst move is a very good one for the PD. It's not quite the high-wattage move the Pluto hiring was, but is very close.
Ask anyone who knows about Northeast Ohio sports, and they'll tell you Windhorst has set the standard for covering the Cavaliers in the LeBron James era.
Windhorst, who also wrote a book about LeBron and the Cavs (with ex-ABJ/new PD co-worker Pluto) and is a contributor to ESPN.com, ran rings around other reporters who covered the team, both nationally and locally.
Evidence of that came fairly recently, when Windhorst - still with the Beacon Journal - first broke the news that the Cavaliers had obtained Mo Williams from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Did we mention that Windhorst happened to phone in his scoop on the way home from the hospital, where he'd spent nearly two months recovering from a very serious illness? We'd be lucky if we had the mental and physical presence to even find our way back to our own home after such an ordeal.
Windhorst's story of recovery is inspiring enough, but he has done more than just return to work from the hospital...he's soaring.
Back at 44 East Exchange Street, it looks like Beacon Journal sportswriter and OMW reader George M. Thomas takes over the Cavaliers beat. Quoting Thomas' first blog entry about the Cavaliers:
First, let’s deal with the two-ton elephant in this cyber room if you will. I ain’t Brian Windhorst. Although he and I possess the same physique, I’ve got about 13 years on him and I have a much better tan - much better. I’d like to say he’s a friend. He’s taught me a few things about hoops and the Cavs in particular, but he and I are different people. So, by all means, feel free to bash me in different ways.
We presume that since he's jumping into the Cavaliers' beat right before the thick of the season starts, George will probably not have a moment's time to file "Airing It Out" items about local sports media.
Thank you, Mr. Thomas, for items we used as links... and best of luck to you filling some rather big shoes on that beat...
So, your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) was losing sleep early this morning. Stomach tumbling around in the wee hours, we sought help to feel better...and reached for the Mighty Laptop, since we were up, anyway.
A quick run through the Internet led us to the Cleveland Plain Dealer's sports news blog...headed up by an item tabbed to "Brian Windhorst's Cavaliers Blog". Huh?
This early morning surfing session was starting to mess with our fuzzy early morning head. What was the long-time Akron Beacon Journal Cleveland Cavaliers beat writer doing in the PD's sports blog?
Had budget cuts at newspapers led to this conclusion - the two local papers sharing a single beat writer for the area's NBA team?
(We hope you can forgive us for that, as Ohio's newspapers have actually been running stories from each other on a regular basis for the past few months, complete with bylines, And then, there's the running joke - at least we hope it's a joke - that the tough newspaper times will end up with the shrinking Beacon Journal becoming a supplement to the also-shrinking Plain Dealer.)
No, we'd just missed one of the bigger stories in local newspapering, that's all...understandable, since it's not our usual beat.
As it turns out, Brian Windhorst started October 6th as the Plain Dealer's Cavaliers beat writer. After much searching, we'll give a hat tip to former Beacon Journal politics writer Abe Zaidan for the details on his own "Grumpy Abe" blog.
(Zaidan also notes the unrelated exit of ex-ABJ employee Stuart Warner from the PD, part of wide-reaching buyout offers to the paper's employees.)
Windhorst, meanwhile, joins former ABJ colleague Terry Pluto on the Cleveland paper's staff.
And despite the fact that newspapers are dumping staffers like so much discarded garbage, the Windhorst move is a very good one for the PD. It's not quite the high-wattage move the Pluto hiring was, but is very close.
Ask anyone who knows about Northeast Ohio sports, and they'll tell you Windhorst has set the standard for covering the Cavaliers in the LeBron James era.
Windhorst, who also wrote a book about LeBron and the Cavs (with ex-ABJ/new PD co-worker Pluto) and is a contributor to ESPN.com, ran rings around other reporters who covered the team, both nationally and locally.
Evidence of that came fairly recently, when Windhorst - still with the Beacon Journal - first broke the news that the Cavaliers had obtained Mo Williams from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Did we mention that Windhorst happened to phone in his scoop on the way home from the hospital, where he'd spent nearly two months recovering from a very serious illness? We'd be lucky if we had the mental and physical presence to even find our way back to our own home after such an ordeal.
Windhorst's story of recovery is inspiring enough, but he has done more than just return to work from the hospital...he's soaring.
Back at 44 East Exchange Street, it looks like Beacon Journal sportswriter and OMW reader George M. Thomas takes over the Cavaliers beat. Quoting Thomas' first blog entry about the Cavaliers:
First, let’s deal with the two-ton elephant in this cyber room if you will. I ain’t Brian Windhorst. Although he and I possess the same physique, I’ve got about 13 years on him and I have a much better tan - much better. I’d like to say he’s a friend. He’s taught me a few things about hoops and the Cavs in particular, but he and I are different people. So, by all means, feel free to bash me in different ways.
We presume that since he's jumping into the Cavaliers' beat right before the thick of the season starts, George will probably not have a moment's time to file "Airing It Out" items about local sports media.
Thank you, Mr. Thomas, for items we used as links... and best of luck to you filling some rather big shoes on that beat...
Still Not Theirs
Here's one from our Technicality Department.
A brief item in AllAccess today confirms what we'd wondered about while looking at FCC records online - rock WRQK/106.9 Canton is still technically owned by Cumulus, not Clear Channel.
Of course, WRQK was involved in a multi-station swap, where Cumulus sent it to Clear Channel, and received a number of stations in Michigan in return.
The deal was filed in December 2006, and approved by the FCC in December 2007.
The proposed swap was extensively reported right here in OMW, long before it was even filed. Clear Channel actually took over operations of WRQK in January 2007...and has run the station known as "Rock 106.9" ever since.
No, WRQK is not leaving Freedom Avenue.
AllAccess reports that "a tower problem" for one of the Michigan outlets going to Cumulus - WWWW-FM/Ann Arbor - has held up the consummation of the deal, and forced the filing of two extensions. (You'll note that the above-linked FCC approval has no consummation date.)
Time-wise, it's gotten to the point that Cumulus and Clear Channel have now refiled the deal with the FCC (shown here on the WRQK end of things).
Again, we're in Technicality Land.
Clear Channel continues to run WRQK under an LMA, and Cumulus is doing the same for the Michigan stations, while the licensing issues sort out. Listeners have no idea which company name is on the official license, with the future owners already in charge.
And since the swap has already been approved in its present state, except quick FCC action after all the Michigan tower issues get ironed out...
A brief item in AllAccess today confirms what we'd wondered about while looking at FCC records online - rock WRQK/106.9 Canton is still technically owned by Cumulus, not Clear Channel.
Of course, WRQK was involved in a multi-station swap, where Cumulus sent it to Clear Channel, and received a number of stations in Michigan in return.
The deal was filed in December 2006, and approved by the FCC in December 2007.
The proposed swap was extensively reported right here in OMW, long before it was even filed. Clear Channel actually took over operations of WRQK in January 2007...and has run the station known as "Rock 106.9" ever since.
No, WRQK is not leaving Freedom Avenue.
AllAccess reports that "a tower problem" for one of the Michigan outlets going to Cumulus - WWWW-FM/Ann Arbor - has held up the consummation of the deal, and forced the filing of two extensions. (You'll note that the above-linked FCC approval has no consummation date.)
Time-wise, it's gotten to the point that Cumulus and Clear Channel have now refiled the deal with the FCC (shown here on the WRQK end of things).
Again, we're in Technicality Land.
Clear Channel continues to run WRQK under an LMA, and Cumulus is doing the same for the Michigan stations, while the licensing issues sort out. Listeners have no idea which company name is on the official license, with the future owners already in charge.
And since the swap has already been approved in its present state, except quick FCC action after all the Michigan tower issues get ironed out...
Hi, Glenn!
The ongoing saga of changes about to be made to Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100's lineup continues to amuse us.
This time, your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) is right in the middle of the action involving the Cleveland talk station's immediate future plans.
According to one of our readers, OMW was actually quoted/invoked by Premiere syndicated talk host Glenn Beck during his "Insiders" webcam feed between the 9 AM and 10 AM hours of his Tuesday broadcast.
(We picked this picture off of the website of Beck's Akron affiliate WHLO/640 because he's pointing at "us", as it were.)
Since we're not an "Insider", we didn't hear it (we're not sure we'll spend $7 a month to hear a national radio host talking about us for a small part of one day's offerings)...but we're told he read portions of our last item on his impending return to WTAM, and chuckled without comment.
Our item was also picked up Tuesday by the radio trade site AllAccess, which elicited a response from WTAM program director Ray Davis. Davis wouldn't confirm to the AllAccess folks anything we have put up here, but did helpfully note that the station planned a programming announcement on October 20th. (Hey! That's "next week", as we said! Imagine that!)
Sorry to mess up your scheduled unveiling, Mr. Davis...but we are doing some free publicity work for you.
Anyway, all is status quo regarding the timeline here, with Beck making his WTAM debut on Monday, November 3rd at 9 AM.
Later that same day, as we reported earlier, current WTAM late morning host Bob Frantz moves into evenings, starting at 7 PM.
We've done some digging, and OMW now hears that Frantz will NOT become the "Sportsline" replacement for now-former host Kevin Keane.
Instead, expect to hear much the same kind of show Frantz has been doing from 9 AM to noon weekdays...a show focusing on news, current events, politics and other local issues.
Of course, WTAM's heavy dose of sports continues, with Cavaliers and Indians (and Browns) play-by-play showing up in the evening hours, along with pre-game and post-game shows. That's something that will continue no matter who hosts the evening show, otherwise, as WTAM and Clear Channel have long-term contracts with all the major professional teams.
And if sports makes news, we're sure Bob will talk about it, as he has done on his daytime show.
But it'll be "The Bob Frantz Show", not "Sportsline with Bob Frantz"...and that will mark something of the end of an era, as "Sportsline" has existed in evenings on WTAM for (as far as we know) well over 30 years, dating back to the Pete Franklin days.
Not only was the show the first place current WTAM afternoon driver Mike Trivisonno was heard hosting on the station, Triv also planted the early seeds for his future radio career on "Sportsline" as a regular caller to the Franklin show, using the nickname "Mr. Know-It-All".
Back to Glenn Beck for a moment...it appears with his show debuting on WTAM on November 3rd, there will be a two-day overlap with current Beck affiliate WEOL/930 Elyria. That station has already announced plans to move Talk Radio Network's Laura Ingraham into the late morning slot, but that move isn't scheduled until November 5th.
And of course, we've heard there's this little election thing on the 4th...
This time, your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) is right in the middle of the action involving the Cleveland talk station's immediate future plans.
According to one of our readers, OMW was actually quoted/invoked by Premiere syndicated talk host Glenn Beck during his "Insiders" webcam feed between the 9 AM and 10 AM hours of his Tuesday broadcast.(We picked this picture off of the website of Beck's Akron affiliate WHLO/640 because he's pointing at "us", as it were.)
Since we're not an "Insider", we didn't hear it (we're not sure we'll spend $7 a month to hear a national radio host talking about us for a small part of one day's offerings)...but we're told he read portions of our last item on his impending return to WTAM, and chuckled without comment.
Our item was also picked up Tuesday by the radio trade site AllAccess, which elicited a response from WTAM program director Ray Davis. Davis wouldn't confirm to the AllAccess folks anything we have put up here, but did helpfully note that the station planned a programming announcement on October 20th. (Hey! That's "next week", as we said! Imagine that!)
Sorry to mess up your scheduled unveiling, Mr. Davis...but we are doing some free publicity work for you.
Anyway, all is status quo regarding the timeline here, with Beck making his WTAM debut on Monday, November 3rd at 9 AM.
Later that same day, as we reported earlier, current WTAM late morning host Bob Frantz moves into evenings, starting at 7 PM.
We've done some digging, and OMW now hears that Frantz will NOT become the "Sportsline" replacement for now-former host Kevin Keane.
Instead, expect to hear much the same kind of show Frantz has been doing from 9 AM to noon weekdays...a show focusing on news, current events, politics and other local issues.
Of course, WTAM's heavy dose of sports continues, with Cavaliers and Indians (and Browns) play-by-play showing up in the evening hours, along with pre-game and post-game shows. That's something that will continue no matter who hosts the evening show, otherwise, as WTAM and Clear Channel have long-term contracts with all the major professional teams.
And if sports makes news, we're sure Bob will talk about it, as he has done on his daytime show.
But it'll be "The Bob Frantz Show", not "Sportsline with Bob Frantz"...and that will mark something of the end of an era, as "Sportsline" has existed in evenings on WTAM for (as far as we know) well over 30 years, dating back to the Pete Franklin days.
Not only was the show the first place current WTAM afternoon driver Mike Trivisonno was heard hosting on the station, Triv also planted the early seeds for his future radio career on "Sportsline" as a regular caller to the Franklin show, using the nickname "Mr. Know-It-All".
Back to Glenn Beck for a moment...it appears with his show debuting on WTAM on November 3rd, there will be a two-day overlap with current Beck affiliate WEOL/930 Elyria. That station has already announced plans to move Talk Radio Network's Laura Ingraham into the late morning slot, but that move isn't scheduled until November 5th.
And of course, we've heard there's this little election thing on the 4th...
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Computer Probe Takes WSTB Off Air
Streetsboro Public Schools-owned WSTB/88.9 Streetsboro is off the air this afternoon...for an unusual reason.
The Gateway News, the Record Publishing weekly newspaper serving that Portage County city, reports on its web site this afternoon that something apparently found on station computers has led to the station being taken off the air:
Computers used to run the station have been seized by school officials after inappropriate photos were found on them, according to Superintendent Linda T. Keller.
"We are looking to resolve this situation quickly," Keller said.
The Gateway News reports that the WSTB computers in question were seized Monday night.
It quotes Keller as saying the station will return to the air, but it's not known when. As of this writing, early Tuesday evening, we can confirm that the station is not broadcasting.
WSTB programs a student-run alternative rock music format called "The AlterNation" on weekdays and Saturdays, and carries the adult-run "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" on Sundays...
The Gateway News, the Record Publishing weekly newspaper serving that Portage County city, reports on its web site this afternoon that something apparently found on station computers has led to the station being taken off the air:
Computers used to run the station have been seized by school officials after inappropriate photos were found on them, according to Superintendent Linda T. Keller.
"We are looking to resolve this situation quickly," Keller said.
The Gateway News reports that the WSTB computers in question were seized Monday night.
It quotes Keller as saying the station will return to the air, but it's not known when. As of this writing, early Tuesday evening, we can confirm that the station is not broadcasting.
WSTB programs a student-run alternative rock music format called "The AlterNation" on weekdays and Saturdays, and carries the adult-run "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" on Sundays...
Monday, October 13, 2008
EXCLUSIVE: WTAM Adding Beck, Frantz Moves To Evenings
At some point today, with all the noise surrounding this, with multiple confirmations both inside and connected to Oak Tree, it became silly to wait to share something we've known for some time now.
And frankly, Premiere's Glenn Beck nudged us over the "wait to share this" line today, announcing a "Cleveland" tour stop date on Beck's "Christmas Sweater" tour - December 13th at Playhouse Square's Allen Theatre.
Since he's been heard on Clear Channel talk WHLO/640, Beck has in the past brought his tour to Akron's E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall. The page linked above lists no presenting radio station sponsor for the Cleveland tour date.
That, and those "I'm baaaack" announcements in Beck's voice, that have already aired on Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland. If WTAM is trying to keep this secret, this isn't the way to do it.
So, here it is.
OMW hears that WTAM/1100 will indeed return The Glenn Beck Program to its former spot on the station's schedule, 9 AM-noon weekdays. We hear the move will be announced officially next week, and we believe Beck will debut on/return to WTAM on Monday, November 3rd, one day before the closely-watched presidential election.
Since WTAM can only broadcast one show at a time, we can also report what we've heard about the fate of current 9-noon time slot occupant Bob Frantz. OMW hears that Frantz is indeed set to move into the evening slot that has been occupied by "Sportsline" host Kevin Keane.
We reported Friday that Keane is no longer at Oak Tree, and a quick check of the WTAM website shows that "Sportsline with Kevin Keane" has been removed from the "Shows" pull-down menu, and his regular show page has been removed from the WTAM.com servers. (Keane's name will still be found on the daily schedule PDF files, but we presume those just haven't been changed yet.)
The one piece of information no one seems to have: No one seems sure what kind of program Frantz will head up during those evening hours, in a shift that starts at 7 PM and ends most nights after Indians or Cavaliers play-by-play (as late as midnight). Without play-by-play and post-game components, it's scheduled until 11 PM.
We haven't been able to determine if the evening show will be billed as "Sportsline with Bob Frantz", or "The Bob Frantz Show" with non-sports topics also present, though we'll have to presume sports will be a core no matter what due to the station's existing and longstanding play-by-play/pre-game/post-game commitments, which are not going away.
Frantz, of course, has a long sports radio background (including a previous stint doing sports for WTAM), and is well-suited for even a mixed role.
Even as a general issues host in late mornings, he's helped out the station's sports department with such things as Browns pre-game/post-game shows (when sports director Mike Snyder has to sub for Browns radio play-by-play voice Jim Donovan during WKYC/3-aired pre-season games) and has regularly contributed to NFL draft coverage and sports "roundtable" specials.
At very least, assuming that the time slot's format doesn't change from sports talk, Frantz's flexibility will come in handy in covering non-sports related topics that occasionally come up in evenings...such as political coverage, news events and the like, which Keane has had to cover very occasionally over the years.
We presume, but don't know for sure, that Mark Schwab and Andre Knott (and maybe others) will do "Sportsline" the next couple of weeks - and that Frantz will continue his 9-noon show through the end of October. This part of our report is just an educated guess. We assume with the Indians off, the Browns in action and Schwab's usual past presence as the primary sub host for Keane, he'll be heard the most.
In our item earlier this morning, we already reported that the Beck-to-WTAM move has forced the show off of Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting talk WEOL/930 Elyria, which will move up the newly-added Laura Ingraham Show from 6-8 PM into Beck's late morning time slot in early November - we hear WEOL will make that switch on November 5th.
We have no idea what Beck's Akron affiliate, Clear Channel talk WHLO/640, plans to do - if the show would be kept (second affiliation a la Rush Limbaugh's WHLO clearance), or if another show will be brought in to replace it.
Even if WEOL wanted to keep Glenn Beck, they would not be able to do so. Elyria is in the Cleveland radio market, and WEOL is owned by an independent company.
WHLO is in the Akron radio market, and owned by Clear Channel (the parent company of Beck's syndicator, and a sister station to WTAM), so that decision would appear to fall to the folks on Freedom Avenue.
We'll see...
And frankly, Premiere's Glenn Beck nudged us over the "wait to share this" line today, announcing a "Cleveland" tour stop date on Beck's "Christmas Sweater" tour - December 13th at Playhouse Square's Allen Theatre.
Since he's been heard on Clear Channel talk WHLO/640, Beck has in the past brought his tour to Akron's E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall. The page linked above lists no presenting radio station sponsor for the Cleveland tour date.
That, and those "I'm baaaack" announcements in Beck's voice, that have already aired on Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland. If WTAM is trying to keep this secret, this isn't the way to do it.
So, here it is.
OMW hears that WTAM/1100 will indeed return The Glenn Beck Program to its former spot on the station's schedule, 9 AM-noon weekdays. We hear the move will be announced officially next week, and we believe Beck will debut on/return to WTAM on Monday, November 3rd, one day before the closely-watched presidential election.
Since WTAM can only broadcast one show at a time, we can also report what we've heard about the fate of current 9-noon time slot occupant Bob Frantz. OMW hears that Frantz is indeed set to move into the evening slot that has been occupied by "Sportsline" host Kevin Keane.
We reported Friday that Keane is no longer at Oak Tree, and a quick check of the WTAM website shows that "Sportsline with Kevin Keane" has been removed from the "Shows" pull-down menu, and his regular show page has been removed from the WTAM.com servers. (Keane's name will still be found on the daily schedule PDF files, but we presume those just haven't been changed yet.)
The one piece of information no one seems to have: No one seems sure what kind of program Frantz will head up during those evening hours, in a shift that starts at 7 PM and ends most nights after Indians or Cavaliers play-by-play (as late as midnight). Without play-by-play and post-game components, it's scheduled until 11 PM.
We haven't been able to determine if the evening show will be billed as "Sportsline with Bob Frantz", or "The Bob Frantz Show" with non-sports topics also present, though we'll have to presume sports will be a core no matter what due to the station's existing and longstanding play-by-play/pre-game/post-game commitments, which are not going away.
Frantz, of course, has a long sports radio background (including a previous stint doing sports for WTAM), and is well-suited for even a mixed role.
Even as a general issues host in late mornings, he's helped out the station's sports department with such things as Browns pre-game/post-game shows (when sports director Mike Snyder has to sub for Browns radio play-by-play voice Jim Donovan during WKYC/3-aired pre-season games) and has regularly contributed to NFL draft coverage and sports "roundtable" specials.
At very least, assuming that the time slot's format doesn't change from sports talk, Frantz's flexibility will come in handy in covering non-sports related topics that occasionally come up in evenings...such as political coverage, news events and the like, which Keane has had to cover very occasionally over the years.
We presume, but don't know for sure, that Mark Schwab and Andre Knott (and maybe others) will do "Sportsline" the next couple of weeks - and that Frantz will continue his 9-noon show through the end of October. This part of our report is just an educated guess. We assume with the Indians off, the Browns in action and Schwab's usual past presence as the primary sub host for Keane, he'll be heard the most.
In our item earlier this morning, we already reported that the Beck-to-WTAM move has forced the show off of Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting talk WEOL/930 Elyria, which will move up the newly-added Laura Ingraham Show from 6-8 PM into Beck's late morning time slot in early November - we hear WEOL will make that switch on November 5th.
We have no idea what Beck's Akron affiliate, Clear Channel talk WHLO/640, plans to do - if the show would be kept (second affiliation a la Rush Limbaugh's WHLO clearance), or if another show will be brought in to replace it.
Even if WEOL wanted to keep Glenn Beck, they would not be able to do so. Elyria is in the Cleveland radio market, and WEOL is owned by an independent company.
WHLO is in the Akron radio market, and owned by Clear Channel (the parent company of Beck's syndicator, and a sister station to WTAM), so that decision would appear to fall to the folks on Freedom Avenue.
We'll see...
An Old Voice Teases
Offered without much further explanation, for now.
A number of OMW readers tell us that Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland has been airing liners many times over the weekend, much to this effect:
"Hey, Cleveland....I'm baaack!"
We're told the voice heard was none other than the voice of former WTAM syndicated mainstay Glenn Beck, the Premiere host who was unceremoniously knocked off Cleveland's "Big One" to make way for syndicated liberal host, trash TV talkmeister and former Cincinnati mayor Jerry Springer.
Not only was Springer not a very good radio host, he had immense trouble hanging onto an audience. We heard that "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry"'s ratings after taking over the 9-11:30 AM slot on WTAM were nothing short of disastrous.
And that wording may be too kind. It may not be overstating it to say that Springer's show basically torched Beck's listener base on 1100 in Cleveland.
Springer, of course, was later dispatched by WTAM in factor of a new local mid-morning issues show with former WTAM sports host Bob Frantz. Beck's show found alternate affiliates in the region in Lorain-Elyria Broadcasting talk WEOL/930 Elyria, and Clear Channel sister talk station WHLO/640 Akron.
Based on these "teaser" liners with Beck being heard on WTAM this past weekend, and our reporting related to the station the past few days, a lot of our readers are adding two plus two, and some of them may even be coming close to four.
But this is all we have to say, for now.
Oh, aside from the fact that we hear that the aforementioned WEOL has already announced in-house that on the first week of November, the Elyria station will move TRN's Laura Ingraham from 6-8 PM, into the 9-11:45 AM time slot now occupied by Glenn Beck on 930.
Things that make you go "hmmm"...
A number of OMW readers tell us that Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland has been airing liners many times over the weekend, much to this effect:
"Hey, Cleveland....I'm baaack!"
We're told the voice heard was none other than the voice of former WTAM syndicated mainstay Glenn Beck, the Premiere host who was unceremoniously knocked off Cleveland's "Big One" to make way for syndicated liberal host, trash TV talkmeister and former Cincinnati mayor Jerry Springer.
Not only was Springer not a very good radio host, he had immense trouble hanging onto an audience. We heard that "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry"'s ratings after taking over the 9-11:30 AM slot on WTAM were nothing short of disastrous.
And that wording may be too kind. It may not be overstating it to say that Springer's show basically torched Beck's listener base on 1100 in Cleveland.
Springer, of course, was later dispatched by WTAM in factor of a new local mid-morning issues show with former WTAM sports host Bob Frantz. Beck's show found alternate affiliates in the region in Lorain-Elyria Broadcasting talk WEOL/930 Elyria, and Clear Channel sister talk station WHLO/640 Akron.
Based on these "teaser" liners with Beck being heard on WTAM this past weekend, and our reporting related to the station the past few days, a lot of our readers are adding two plus two, and some of them may even be coming close to four.
But this is all we have to say, for now.
Oh, aside from the fact that we hear that the aforementioned WEOL has already announced in-house that on the first week of November, the Elyria station will move TRN's Laura Ingraham from 6-8 PM, into the 9-11:45 AM time slot now occupied by Glenn Beck on 930.
Things that make you go "hmmm"...
Friday, October 10, 2008
EXCLUSIVE: WTAM Changes
OMW hears that Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 Cleveland "Sportsline" host Kevin Keane has left the building.
We don't know why, but we don't believe his exit was related to anything he did on or off the air. Keane's "Sportsline" page is still up, untouched, at this hour, and "Sportsline"'s other regular host, WTAM Indians beat reporter Mark Schwab, is on the air this Friday evening.
Oh, it's almost anti-climactic at this point...but we've confirmed the exit of Mike Trivisonno's latest regular female sidekick, who was only known as "Chrissy" on the air. We heard a young woman named "Melissa" on the show Friday afternoon, and don't know why "Chrissy" is no longer there.
We'll assume the voice we heard is the Melissa pictured on producer Marty Allen's page of Interns...and for now, we assume she'll continue to be an intern....
We don't know why, but we don't believe his exit was related to anything he did on or off the air. Keane's "Sportsline" page is still up, untouched, at this hour, and "Sportsline"'s other regular host, WTAM Indians beat reporter Mark Schwab, is on the air this Friday evening.Oh, it's almost anti-climactic at this point...but we've confirmed the exit of Mike Trivisonno's latest regular female sidekick, who was only known as "Chrissy" on the air. We heard a young woman named "Melissa" on the show Friday afternoon, and don't know why "Chrissy" is no longer there.
We'll assume the voice we heard is the Melissa pictured on producer Marty Allen's page of Interns...and for now, we assume she'll continue to be an intern....
BREAKING NEWS: I-Team's Merriman Exits TV For Law Firm
The heads up comes this afternoon from Cleveland Plain Dealer media columnist Julie Washington on Cleveland.com - WJW/8 "FOX 8" I-Team reporter Tom Merriman is leaving the now-Local TV-owned station to join a local law firm.
The move to Cleveland-based Landskroner, Grieco & Madden actually brings Merriman back to his law career roots, which he left behind in 1995 to join Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 as an investigative reporter...before landing at WJW in 2001. The article says Merriman headed up the Ohio Attorney General's Cleveland office before moving to TV.
He tells the PD that he's covered the law firm as a reporter:
"They're great lawyers who do a lot of high-impact, public interest-oriented litigation. Now when people call me, I can not only tell their story, I can put on the gloves and fight for them in court. It's going to be a blast."
Merriman tells Washington that he turned down a one-year contract extension offered by the station last month.
And the PD item sheds more light on what we've reported here extensively - the exit, either voluntarily or involuntarily, of over two dozen FOX 8 employees connected to the sale of the station by the network which owned it until this year. Quoting the Washington piece:
Channel 8 lost about 25 people in the months surrounding its sale to Local TV in July, Merriman estimated. Some employees retired before the sale became final to take advantage of Fox's benefits package, he said.
Departures among the on-air staff included weekend anchor/reporter Dray Clark and reporters Gary Stromberg, John Damschroder, Angele Ringo and Gary Libertore.
Clark, by the way, is now working as a general assignment reporter at CBS O&O KYW/3 in his hometown of Philadelphia. We previously reported the departure of Damschroder, as WJW closed its Columbus bureau. Stromberg, a Cleveland TV news vet, retired in April.
Washington lists Ringo as an anchor at San Diego's ABC affiliate, and Libertore as a weekend anchor/reporter in Utica NY, his hometown.
And about the "Fox benefits package" line - it's no surprise to us, because we reported that before the Local TV sale was announced, company executives warned employees at South Marginal that the new owner's benefits package "may not be as robust" as that provided by FOX.
WJW VP/GM Greg Easterly says "not all" of those who left will be replaced.
Washington says Merriman felt "the station was not making a long-term commitment to the investigative team", and indeed, the other two members of his unit now have other primary assignments - Lorrie Taylor is a consumer reporter, and Bill Sheil is heading for the weekend anchor desk.
But Easterly calls the station's commitment to the I-Team concept "unwavering". He tells Washington that he expects Sheil, Taylor and other FOX 8 News reporters "to contribute investigative reports"...saying Sheil's new role will increase his visibility in investigating.
You'll still see Merriman on FOX 8 News for a while.
Washington reports that Merriman will stick around through the November sweeps, finish up some projects, and exit South Marginal on December 31st...and will join the law firm on January 1st...
The move to Cleveland-based Landskroner, Grieco & Madden actually brings Merriman back to his law career roots, which he left behind in 1995 to join Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 as an investigative reporter...before landing at WJW in 2001. The article says Merriman headed up the Ohio Attorney General's Cleveland office before moving to TV.
He tells the PD that he's covered the law firm as a reporter:
"They're great lawyers who do a lot of high-impact, public interest-oriented litigation. Now when people call me, I can not only tell their story, I can put on the gloves and fight for them in court. It's going to be a blast."
Merriman tells Washington that he turned down a one-year contract extension offered by the station last month.
And the PD item sheds more light on what we've reported here extensively - the exit, either voluntarily or involuntarily, of over two dozen FOX 8 employees connected to the sale of the station by the network which owned it until this year. Quoting the Washington piece:
Channel 8 lost about 25 people in the months surrounding its sale to Local TV in July, Merriman estimated. Some employees retired before the sale became final to take advantage of Fox's benefits package, he said.
Departures among the on-air staff included weekend anchor/reporter Dray Clark and reporters Gary Stromberg, John Damschroder, Angele Ringo and Gary Libertore.
Clark, by the way, is now working as a general assignment reporter at CBS O&O KYW/3 in his hometown of Philadelphia. We previously reported the departure of Damschroder, as WJW closed its Columbus bureau. Stromberg, a Cleveland TV news vet, retired in April.
Washington lists Ringo as an anchor at San Diego's ABC affiliate, and Libertore as a weekend anchor/reporter in Utica NY, his hometown.
And about the "Fox benefits package" line - it's no surprise to us, because we reported that before the Local TV sale was announced, company executives warned employees at South Marginal that the new owner's benefits package "may not be as robust" as that provided by FOX.
WJW VP/GM Greg Easterly says "not all" of those who left will be replaced.
Washington says Merriman felt "the station was not making a long-term commitment to the investigative team", and indeed, the other two members of his unit now have other primary assignments - Lorrie Taylor is a consumer reporter, and Bill Sheil is heading for the weekend anchor desk.
But Easterly calls the station's commitment to the I-Team concept "unwavering". He tells Washington that he expects Sheil, Taylor and other FOX 8 News reporters "to contribute investigative reports"...saying Sheil's new role will increase his visibility in investigating.
You'll still see Merriman on FOX 8 News for a while.
Washington reports that Merriman will stick around through the November sweeps, finish up some projects, and exit South Marginal on December 31st...and will join the law firm on January 1st...
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Toledo and Tampa
Two TV-related items, both involving cities with names starting with the letter "T". (Hey, it's what passes for creativity around here!)
TOLEDO TV RADIO NEWS: Toledo ABC O&O WTVG/13 and the Cumulus cluster in the Glass City are crowing about their new alliance.
The Toledo Blade reports that seven Cumulus radio stations in Toledo will be getting weather, news and sports updates from the "13ABC" folks.
The deal apparently doesn't include, at least according to the Blade article, top 40 WTWR/98.3 "Tower 98-3", which has all but fully left the Cumulus Toledo cluster to directly serve north suburban Monroe MI. We hear "Tower" is now being completely run out of Michigan, with the exception of some production services being done in Toledo.
Weather is the big part of this deal, as the entire WTVG team of forecasters will join 13ABC's Bill Spencer on the Cumulus stations. Spencer has already been a contributor to the morning team at country WKKO/99.9 "K100" and oldies WRQN/93.5.
The deal also calls for news updates to be provided to Cumulus by WTVG, though we don't know if this affects existing news director London Mitchell's presence on WKKO, WRQN and talk WTOD/1560 "SuperTalk 1560".
We also don't know if the promised local sports updates will displace local updates we've heard on sports WLQR/1470 "The Ticket".
The Blade article says the partnership starts "in a few weeks"...and will expand through the end of the year...
SHE MOVES IN TAMPA: Since Florida isn't a usual stop for us, we'll have to explain this one.
Stephanie Roberts, who's been a fill-in weather forecaster at Tampa CBS affiliate WTSP/10, has been tapped to be morning weather forecaster at the market's ABC affiliate, WFTS/28. (She had also filled in there before WTSP.)
And that's where things start falling into place for us, as Roberts had a good run right here in Cleveland, leaving Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5's "Good Morning Cleveland" in 2005 to head for Florida.
St. Petersburg Times TV/media critic Eric Deggans mentions that in his item on the changes, reminding us that WFTS is a Scripps-owned sister station to "NewsChannel 5" here.
Roberts' bio from her days at WEWS is still up on NewsNet5.com... telling viewers that the Chicago-area native and Penn State grad came to Cleveland in 1999 from Toledo NBC affiliate WNWO/24 to do news, weather and even sports at Raycom CBS affiliate WOIO/19. She moved to WEWS to take the "GMC" forecasting job in 2002.
The other article linked from NewsNet5 above also reminds us that Roberts was replaced on "GMC" by Susanne Horgan. We reported earlier that Horgan is moving to weekends, and that her WEWS contract will be allowed to expire without being renewed...
TOLEDO TV RADIO NEWS: Toledo ABC O&O WTVG/13 and the Cumulus cluster in the Glass City are crowing about their new alliance.
The Toledo Blade reports that seven Cumulus radio stations in Toledo will be getting weather, news and sports updates from the "13ABC" folks.
The deal apparently doesn't include, at least according to the Blade article, top 40 WTWR/98.3 "Tower 98-3", which has all but fully left the Cumulus Toledo cluster to directly serve north suburban Monroe MI. We hear "Tower" is now being completely run out of Michigan, with the exception of some production services being done in Toledo.
Weather is the big part of this deal, as the entire WTVG team of forecasters will join 13ABC's Bill Spencer on the Cumulus stations. Spencer has already been a contributor to the morning team at country WKKO/99.9 "K100" and oldies WRQN/93.5.
The deal also calls for news updates to be provided to Cumulus by WTVG, though we don't know if this affects existing news director London Mitchell's presence on WKKO, WRQN and talk WTOD/1560 "SuperTalk 1560".
We also don't know if the promised local sports updates will displace local updates we've heard on sports WLQR/1470 "The Ticket".
The Blade article says the partnership starts "in a few weeks"...and will expand through the end of the year...
SHE MOVES IN TAMPA: Since Florida isn't a usual stop for us, we'll have to explain this one.
Stephanie Roberts, who's been a fill-in weather forecaster at Tampa CBS affiliate WTSP/10, has been tapped to be morning weather forecaster at the market's ABC affiliate, WFTS/28. (She had also filled in there before WTSP.)And that's where things start falling into place for us, as Roberts had a good run right here in Cleveland, leaving Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5's "Good Morning Cleveland" in 2005 to head for Florida.
St. Petersburg Times TV/media critic Eric Deggans mentions that in his item on the changes, reminding us that WFTS is a Scripps-owned sister station to "NewsChannel 5" here.
Roberts' bio from her days at WEWS is still up on NewsNet5.com... telling viewers that the Chicago-area native and Penn State grad came to Cleveland in 1999 from Toledo NBC affiliate WNWO/24 to do news, weather and even sports at Raycom CBS affiliate WOIO/19. She moved to WEWS to take the "GMC" forecasting job in 2002.
The other article linked from NewsNet5 above also reminds us that Roberts was replaced on "GMC" by Susanne Horgan. We reported earlier that Horgan is moving to weekends, and that her WEWS contract will be allowed to expire without being renewed...
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
We Were Right About Laura
Back when Talk Radio Network syndicated midday host Laura Ingraham lost Salem talk WHK/1420 Cleveland - and all her other Salem affiliates - due to a dispute between the broadcast group and the syndicator, we took a stab at which area station would become her "Cleveland market" affiliate.
In a long, "educated guess" post the weekend after Salem and WHK dropped Ingraham's show, we made the case for Spirit Media talk/variety WELW/1330 Willoughby as Ingraham's new local outlet.
It sure made sense to us, but TRN instead revealed that Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting talk WEOL/930 Elyria would be picking up the show in evenings, via tape delay.
As it turns out, our earlier post has actually turned out to be correct.
An eagle-eyed OMW reader spotted this listing on Ingraham's website, under the "Station Finder" list for Ohio:
Cleveland WELW 1330AM 9pm-11pm M-F
Cleveland WEOL 930AM 6pm-8pm M-F
Sure enough, a quick trip to the Willoughby station's web site shows that they're welcoming Laura Ingraham to the lineup - and not just for a late night clearance. WELW's site lists Ingraham's show airing (presumably) live from 11 AM to noon weekdays, in addition to the 9-11 PM clearance.
A quick look at the revised WELW schedule shows the Ingraham move apparently displaces two of the three daily "Lake Effect Radio" airings - the locally-based talk/variety hour we presume is brokered on WELW. The Lake Effect programming is still listed from 4-5 PM weekdays.
So, we were at least partially right...but it took longer than we thought. And Ingraham's show now has clearances on stations serving both the East Side and the West Side, give or take listeners in the Cleveland market who are outside the range of 930 or 1330.
Oh, a note about that corrected WEOL clearance.
OMW hears that the 6-8 PM time slot may not be Ingraham's permanent weekday time slot on the Elyria station - starting as soon as early November. More on that, later...
In a long, "educated guess" post the weekend after Salem and WHK dropped Ingraham's show, we made the case for Spirit Media talk/variety WELW/1330 Willoughby as Ingraham's new local outlet.
It sure made sense to us, but TRN instead revealed that Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting talk WEOL/930 Elyria would be picking up the show in evenings, via tape delay.
As it turns out, our earlier post has actually turned out to be correct.
An eagle-eyed OMW reader spotted this listing on Ingraham's website, under the "Station Finder" list for Ohio:
Cleveland WELW 1330AM 9pm-11pm M-F
Cleveland WEOL 930AM 6pm-8pm M-F
Sure enough, a quick trip to the Willoughby station's web site shows that they're welcoming Laura Ingraham to the lineup - and not just for a late night clearance. WELW's site lists Ingraham's show airing (presumably) live from 11 AM to noon weekdays, in addition to the 9-11 PM clearance.
A quick look at the revised WELW schedule shows the Ingraham move apparently displaces two of the three daily "Lake Effect Radio" airings - the locally-based talk/variety hour we presume is brokered on WELW. The Lake Effect programming is still listed from 4-5 PM weekdays.
So, we were at least partially right...but it took longer than we thought. And Ingraham's show now has clearances on stations serving both the East Side and the West Side, give or take listeners in the Cleveland market who are outside the range of 930 or 1330.
Oh, a note about that corrected WEOL clearance.
OMW hears that the 6-8 PM time slot may not be Ingraham's permanent weekday time slot on the Elyria station - starting as soon as early November. More on that, later...
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