You may notice that we're trying out some new things, and new ways of updating the Mighty Blog of Fun(tm).
Just bear with us...as we're testing how these new methods work in practice. For the nonce, you could well see Twitter-style mini-updates in the main OMW stream for a while...like below...
HAILING COLUMBUS: OMW hears that the new Central Ohio 102.5 signal, licensed to Baltimore OH, has apparently made its move to the new facility intended on serving the Columbus market.
An OMW reader on Columbus' east side, near the suburb of Bexley, tells us he can hear what is now known as "Highway 102.5", now legally WCVZ/Baltimore:
"...before today getting 102.5 was out of question. Now I can hear 102.5...with no problems and little to no static from (their) new tower"
The move comes after the swap we detailed below. Try to follow along, as this one takes a few twists -
Back in the day, there was a three station AM/FM/TV combo in the Southeastern Ohio town of Zanesville - WHIZ/1240, WHIZ-FM/102.5 and WHIZ-TV/18.
The FM side of the WHIZ Media Group equation has been through a lot, lately.
Some time ago, WHIZ filed for a relocated signal for 102.5, moving it to the Columbus ex-urb of Baltimore... a southeast rimshot signal that would put a decently-listenable signal over much of Franklin County.
The community-minded WHIZ folks didn't want to be without an FM signal once 102.5 headed for the Big City, so they purchased WCVZ/92.7 South Zanesville from Columbus area-based Christian Voice of Central Ohio...which had been operating it as CCM "92.7 The River" as a sister station with its WCVO/104.9 Gahanna ("104.9 The River").
WHIZ Media Group then moved the locally-programmed hot AC "Z" format from 102.5 to the newly acquired 92.7 as "Z92". CVCO decamped to its new noncomm WZNP/89.3 Newark "The Promise", folding in some of the WCVZ "River" programming with the "Promise" lineup of Christian teaching/talk.
After a simulcast period, WHIZ made WCVZ/92.7 the sole home of the "Z92" hot AC format, and launched automated country music on the former "Z" frequency, 102.5, at the time still serving the Zanesville area.
That's the way it's been until today
Wednesday, WHIZ Media/Southeastern Ohio Broadcasting Systems swapped calls on its two FM stations.
Hot AC "Z92" is now WHIZ-FM, and country "Highway 102" is now WCVZ. The formats remain unchanged.
In a story aired by the TV side of the WHIZ newsroom, group owner Hank Littick talked about the changes, including the transmitter site relocation for now-WCVZ/102.5:
The new WCVZ will continue with a country music format and will serve most of the Muskingum County area, but not all,
It will open up access to hundreds of thousands of listeners west of Zanesville and all around the Columbus market. Littick says where a lot of impact will be felt is the northwest and west side of Columbus. He says starting today (Wednesday) that area will have a new radio station.
Littick says the move will also be a big win for advertisers who will have access to over 1.4 million potential listeners in the new signal area in an affordable, economical way.
As we've said before, we're not betting on "Highway 102" lasting as a Columbus market station.
We don't believe Mr. Littick and company intend to operate it long-term over there, and that the eventual plan for 102.5 is a sale to some other operator. Of course, the radio sales landscape has pretty much hit rock bottom since the filing to move 102.5 to the Columbus market.
The only active buyer of stations in markets the size of Columbus these days appears to be California-based Educational Media Foundation, which is spreading its "K-Love" satellite-fed CCM format all over this part of the country.
Just in the past few of months, EMF has put new in-market signals on the air in Pittsburgh, where it bought then-WOGI/98.3 Duquesne PA from Keymarket and flipped "Froggy 98" to K-Love ("Froggy" took the WOGI calls to 104.3 Moon Township PA, which heads up the simulcast now...K-Love moved the WPKV calls to 98.3).
In Indianapolis, EMF just took over former classic hits outlet WKLU/101.9 Brownsburg IN from owner Russ Oasis, and also flipped it to "K-Love".
We're not ready to predict that the new Columbus market 102.5 will eventually end up in EMF's hands as a K-Love outlet. But...who else is out there buying radio stations?
Perhaps Alpha Broadcasting is a player. The new Oregon-based group is headed up by Larry Wilson, the man who built Citadel before selling it off to its current owners - who then went on a spending binge right before the recession and paid a gazillion-dollars for the former ABC Radio big market stations.
Wilson's back in the game, spending just north of $50 million to restablish a presence in Portland.
It'd been thought that Alpha would concentrate on the Pacific Northwest, but there's this interesting quote from today's Taylor on Radio-Info newsletter, written by respected columnist Tom Taylor:
Wilson’s got backing from Endeavour Capital (which invested with Wilson’s Citadel back in 1996) and they’re now saying they’re interested in mid-sized markets all over the country. That broadens the scope from the earlier emphasis on the West coast.
Assuming "mid-sized" markets means places like Portland, say, Columbus...though we suspect Alpha, if it ever does find the 614 area code, would like to have more than one station. CBS Radio has already sold out of the market, so we wonder who else would be interested.
Again, this is all just speculation. We have no idea if Larry Wilson can find Columbus on a map, let alone if his Alpha group is interested in buying stations there...
A BIG PROMOTION: It's the market move of the week, as a Toledo sports TV veteran heads for the Big Time.
That's as in New York City, where ABC O&O WTVG/13 "13abc" sports anchor Rob Powers is headed as a weekend sports anchor at the network's flagship station, WABC/7.
Quoting a "13abc" story on Powers' move:
He'll be traveling back and forth working for both stations for the next few weeks before moving to WABC full time October 17.
And Powers will still be getting his paychecks from the same company, of course, as WTVG is also owned by Disney/ABC.
The story notes that Powers has been the Toledo station's sports director for eleven years, and also says he has been co-anchoring the station's 5:30 PM newscasts for the past five years.
OMW hears that Powers is from suburban Cleveland (Westlake, to be specific), and had job offer nibbles from this market in the past...
EMERGING: The folks at New Vision TV crow that they've emerged from the bankruptcy process. From a company release:
New Vision Television today emerged from its 80-day restructuring process with a solid balance sheet, significant working capital, experienced management and employees, and a proven business plan.
“New Vision’s restructuring process was extraordinarily efficient – about ten weeks from start to finish,” said Jason Elkin, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of New Vision. “Among the major TV broadcasting groups, we are the first to emerge from this court-supervised process. With the elimination of all $400 million of our historical debt, New Vision now has one of the strongest balance sheets in our sector. Being debt-free will enable us to invest in our people, our product and complementary acquisitions to drive New Vision forward, while our competitors continue to focus on daily liquidity and covenant compliance.”
Since this isn't The Financial Section, we don't really have much to say about this bit of corporate puffery.
But as a reminder, New Vision owns Youngstown market CBS affiliate WKBN/27 and sister Fox affiliate WYFX "Fox Youngstown", and operates Parkin Broadcasting ABC affiliate WYTV/33 and its sister MyNetwork TV affiliate "MyYTV"...
Showing posts with label economy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label economy. Show all posts
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Brian And Joe Back - Sort Of - And So's Marty
Some local radio veterans now on "the beach" are plotting their next move.
Local morning drive radio mainstays Brian Fowler and Joe Cronauer were unceremoniously dumped from their long-time spot on Clear Channel Cleveland hot AC WMVX/106.5 "Mix 106.5" in late April, part of a nationwide job purge by the San Antonio-based radio giant.
The duo had to ride out a Clear Channel non-compete, which expired September 1st.
"Brian and Joe" aren't back on the radio just yet, but they've found a microphone. And they aren't the only victims of the April Clear Channel job massacre to do so.
"The Brian and Joe Show" has launched in podcast form on the pair's new website, conveniently called BrianAndJoeShow.com, which also has blogs, pictures from the duo's long career, and information about personal appearances.
Don't expect a full 4 hour radio-like show, of course. The "showcast" segments are just a few minutes long, but enough to keep the voices of the former "Mix" morning team in your head while they're looking for their next opportunity.
Quoting the site:
We’ve been working together in radio for 21 years and back at the end of April – we were told “see ya!” Due to legal mumbo jumbo we weren’t allowed to do any radio or broadcast for the last four months. Now we’re finally allowed to do our thing again! Are we going to show up on radio? Time will tell – but we can’t wait any longer to do our show for you,
In the opening "showcast", Brian and Joe make it clear that they are hoping to return to radio, somehow, though they're obviously aware of the economic conditions facing the business both here and elsewhere.
Those conditions are somewhat muted compared to even the spring of 2008, when former WXTM/92.3 "Xtreme Radio" morning man Shane "Rover" French was able to bounce over to Clear Channel's WMMS/100.7 in a lucrative new deal.
"Rover's Morning Glory" landed on WMMS on April Fools' Day 2008 - just 13 months before "Brian and Joe" became WMVX's former morning show.
Then...the worldwide economy collapsed.
(Since then, of course, WMVX imported Los Angeles-based Sean Valentine - formerly heard on sister top 40 WAKS/96.5 "Kiss FM" - for its morning drive slot. Oh, and WXTM became jock-free WKRK "Radio 92.3".)
We'll be watching to see if "Brian and Joe" find a microphone with a radio transmitter attached to it, somehow. For now, they've managed to get some big name sponsors for their website (like Cleveland banking giant KeyBank, which has them doing an appearance this weekend at one branch). Bringing sponsor money with you is not exactly a bad thing, of course.
The "showcast" is being produced at the downtown Cleveland studio of Broadcast Media Ideas, the agency run by former Cleveland TV veteran Michael Settoni. BMI is headquartered at the Galleria in downtown Cleveland, a short elevator ride from the studios of Good Karma sports WKNR/850 "ESPN 850" in that same complex.
We'll also be watching the radio fate of another former Clear Channel employee let loose by the company in the April job bloodbath, who's also launched his online radio presence.
Former talk WTAM/1100 afternoon drive producer Marty "Big Daddy" Allen is now doing regular live Internet radio broadcasts at his own website.
The current schedule for the live Internet version of "The Marty Allen Show" is listed as Monday-Wednesday and Fridays at 9 PM (Eastern, of course). It looks like Marty is using the services of popular live video streamer UStream.
Based on some of Marty's previously recorded efforts, it's probably not a "G-rated" show...with no FCC guidelines on the Internet and the late evening time slot.
Allen has made no secret of his desire to "strike out on his own" after a long stint as a studio producer/on-air sidekick for WTAM afternoon driver Mike Trivisonno.
We wish him well, but he also faces the same hurdles as "Brian and Joe" - it's not exactly a seller's market when it comes to radio personalities in 2009, even those with recognized names and local broadcast history.
As always, we're rooting for people to overcome the current radio environment, land in new gigs, and prosper.
As of yet, we've heard nothing about the media plans of the other WTAM afternoon drive producer let go in the April Clear Channel purge - Paul Rado. We believe he's been promoting game tournaments for charity in the Cleveland area, and Trivisonno even mentioned that in response to a caller recently.
And that's a hint to displaced Northeast Ohio radio personalities doing new ventures, no matter what.
We're more than happy to give you the publicity and the links.
While much of OMW's readership lies within local media operations, we're also the first place many regular listeners reach when looking for their favorite now-former personalities.
Back in April, we reported extensively about both "Brian and Joe" and Marty Allen's departures from Oak Tree. Those posts get indexed by Google (which owns Blogger, by the way, our blogging platform), and if people do a search for "where is (personality)", it often brings them right to OMW.
Thus, we get E-mail from folks asking us "Whatever happened to Brian and Joe?", "Where's Marty Allen now", etc.
(We believe we still get an E-mail every couple of months asking about the whereabouts of now-split-up now-out-of-Cincinnati country morning radio team "Ken and Kitty".)
We had to find out about both of these new Internet ventures through third parties.
So, add us to your list...it'll help you...
Local morning drive radio mainstays Brian Fowler and Joe Cronauer were unceremoniously dumped from their long-time spot on Clear Channel Cleveland hot AC WMVX/106.5 "Mix 106.5" in late April, part of a nationwide job purge by the San Antonio-based radio giant.
The duo had to ride out a Clear Channel non-compete, which expired September 1st.
"Brian and Joe" aren't back on the radio just yet, but they've found a microphone. And they aren't the only victims of the April Clear Channel job massacre to do so.
"The Brian and Joe Show" has launched in podcast form on the pair's new website, conveniently called BrianAndJoeShow.com, which also has blogs, pictures from the duo's long career, and information about personal appearances.Don't expect a full 4 hour radio-like show, of course. The "showcast" segments are just a few minutes long, but enough to keep the voices of the former "Mix" morning team in your head while they're looking for their next opportunity.
Quoting the site:
We’ve been working together in radio for 21 years and back at the end of April – we were told “see ya!” Due to legal mumbo jumbo we weren’t allowed to do any radio or broadcast for the last four months. Now we’re finally allowed to do our thing again! Are we going to show up on radio? Time will tell – but we can’t wait any longer to do our show for you,
In the opening "showcast", Brian and Joe make it clear that they are hoping to return to radio, somehow, though they're obviously aware of the economic conditions facing the business both here and elsewhere.
Those conditions are somewhat muted compared to even the spring of 2008, when former WXTM/92.3 "Xtreme Radio" morning man Shane "Rover" French was able to bounce over to Clear Channel's WMMS/100.7 in a lucrative new deal.
"Rover's Morning Glory" landed on WMMS on April Fools' Day 2008 - just 13 months before "Brian and Joe" became WMVX's former morning show.
Then...the worldwide economy collapsed.
(Since then, of course, WMVX imported Los Angeles-based Sean Valentine - formerly heard on sister top 40 WAKS/96.5 "Kiss FM" - for its morning drive slot. Oh, and WXTM became jock-free WKRK "Radio 92.3".)
We'll be watching to see if "Brian and Joe" find a microphone with a radio transmitter attached to it, somehow. For now, they've managed to get some big name sponsors for their website (like Cleveland banking giant KeyBank, which has them doing an appearance this weekend at one branch). Bringing sponsor money with you is not exactly a bad thing, of course.
The "showcast" is being produced at the downtown Cleveland studio of Broadcast Media Ideas, the agency run by former Cleveland TV veteran Michael Settoni. BMI is headquartered at the Galleria in downtown Cleveland, a short elevator ride from the studios of Good Karma sports WKNR/850 "ESPN 850" in that same complex.
We'll also be watching the radio fate of another former Clear Channel employee let loose by the company in the April job bloodbath, who's also launched his online radio presence.
Former talk WTAM/1100 afternoon drive producer Marty "Big Daddy" Allen is now doing regular live Internet radio broadcasts at his own website.
The current schedule for the live Internet version of "The Marty Allen Show" is listed as Monday-Wednesday and Fridays at 9 PM (Eastern, of course). It looks like Marty is using the services of popular live video streamer UStream.Based on some of Marty's previously recorded efforts, it's probably not a "G-rated" show...with no FCC guidelines on the Internet and the late evening time slot.
Allen has made no secret of his desire to "strike out on his own" after a long stint as a studio producer/on-air sidekick for WTAM afternoon driver Mike Trivisonno.
We wish him well, but he also faces the same hurdles as "Brian and Joe" - it's not exactly a seller's market when it comes to radio personalities in 2009, even those with recognized names and local broadcast history.
As always, we're rooting for people to overcome the current radio environment, land in new gigs, and prosper.
As of yet, we've heard nothing about the media plans of the other WTAM afternoon drive producer let go in the April Clear Channel purge - Paul Rado. We believe he's been promoting game tournaments for charity in the Cleveland area, and Trivisonno even mentioned that in response to a caller recently.
And that's a hint to displaced Northeast Ohio radio personalities doing new ventures, no matter what.
We're more than happy to give you the publicity and the links.
While much of OMW's readership lies within local media operations, we're also the first place many regular listeners reach when looking for their favorite now-former personalities.
Back in April, we reported extensively about both "Brian and Joe" and Marty Allen's departures from Oak Tree. Those posts get indexed by Google (which owns Blogger, by the way, our blogging platform), and if people do a search for "where is (personality)", it often brings them right to OMW.
Thus, we get E-mail from folks asking us "Whatever happened to Brian and Joe?", "Where's Marty Allen now", etc.
(We believe we still get an E-mail every couple of months asking about the whereabouts of now-split-up now-out-of-Cincinnati country morning radio team "Ken and Kitty".)
We had to find out about both of these new Internet ventures through third parties.
So, add us to your list...it'll help you...
Monday, August 03, 2009
A Couple With Julie
Of course, we're talking about Julie Washington, the Cleveland Plain Dealer media writer who is basically the only other person in this area writing about local media outlets...and the only one getting paid to do so.
One week ago, OMW provided extensive details about economic hard times at Cleveland's PBS/NPR combo, WVIZ/25 and WCPN/90.3, which are under the corporate umbrella of Ideastream. (Sorry, we refuse to use the lower case "i".)
The changes at Playhouse Square ended up with 9 employees being let go, which amounts to about 8 percent of the company's combined workforce. Most were not on-air employees.
The company's upper management also took a pay cut, which we also reported. The stations report that a massive reduction in state funding, and hard hits from a drop in corporate support, were to blame.
Ms. Washington ran the story last Thursday online, and Friday in print, after Ideastream issued a press release - apparently on Wednesday. Crain's Cleveland Business also ran a story based on that release Wednesday afternoon on its website.
We assume that if Julie had seen our Monday item, she'd have pursued it earlier, so she apparently isn't a regular OMW reader these days.
But in case she is, we'd like to answer a question she put forth.
UPDATED 8/3/09 2:17 PM: We actually just found the article in question, written Thursday morning by Washington, on Cleveland.com. We found it...umm...from our own Twitter feed. It's Monday, and the brain cells aren't fully functioning yet.
Julie wondered about the fate of WCPN jazz host Dan Polletta. His "Jazz from the North Coast" evening show was knocked off the WCPN schedule with the changes, with a syndicated program originating from Chicago's WFMT in its place. Quoting:
A big question mark hangs over the fate of Dan Polletta, longtime host of WCPN's "Jazz from the North Coast." The show was replaced Monday, July 27, with the syndicated "Jazz with Bob Parlocha" from the Jazz Satellite Network. The show is heard 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday.
Polletta could not be reached for comment.
Our sources at Playhouse Square tell us that Polletta is still in the building as a full-time employee, having been moved into other duties...doing things like contributing to the station's "Around Noon" show, and other on-air/announcing work.
We're told that the move involving Polletta took place a few months ago, and that WCPN music director Bobby Jackson had been moved into the "Jazz from the North Coast" time slot. It's presumed that Ideastream already was eyeing the syndicated program at that point, and knew the local show would eventually end.
As we reported earlier, Jackson is the only on-air employee apparently affected by the Ideastream layoffs, and will be able to stick around until October 2nd, the effective date of the cuts.
The second item was dropped into our mailbox by an OMW reader (maybe we should give HIM the Search Cleveland.com job!).
He found this "clarification" by Clear Channel to a story Julie Washington wrote back in May about cuts at the radio giant, and the lesser use of local voices as a result.
Please note: The original article ran in mid-May, and Clear Channel's attempts at clarification were published at the start of August.
We don't know if a special CC PR team spent two and a half months working up a response to the Julie Washington piece, or if the PD's entertainment editors didn't get a Round Tuit(tm) until now.
Clear Channel apparently very much wants you to know certain things, like the fact the company's situation isn't properly described as a "financial quagmire". (Since we have no Business Section, we'll leave that up to others to hash out.)
It "clarifies" the fact that two shows affected in this year's cuts, the now-out-the-door "Brian and Joe" show on hot AC WMVX/106.5, and talk WTAM/1100's afternoon drive talk fest with Mike Trivisonno, do not target the 18-34 audiences Julie listed in her original piece. Fair enough, they don't. Or, didn't, in the case of "Brian and Joe".
Clear Channel also notes that its local listenership was "basically flat" over the past few years in Cleveland, trying to counter the perception of "listeners turning off over-air radio" in the article.
It also notes the number of program directors at its Cleveland stations - down from 5 in 2004 to 4 in 2009, accounting for rock WMMS/100.7 program director Bo Matthews adding the programming duties at top 40 WAKS/96.5 "Kiss FM" to his plate at Oak Tree.
And it proudly notes it still employs two program directors in Akron/Canton - long-time OMW reader Keith Kennedy (hot AC WKDD/98.1), and Greg Ausham (rock WRQK/106.9-talk WHLO/640), with Kennedy serving as programming operations director for the entire cluster on Freedom Avenue...which also includes AC WHOF/101.7 and sports WARF/1350.
Finally, the Clear Channel "clarification" notes the use of the company's nationally distributed programming is limited to certain dayparts (overnights, some weekends) on four of the five Oak Tree stations - WAKS, WMMS, classic hits WMJI/105.7 and country WGAR/99.5.
The note says WMVX "Mix 106.5" doesn't use the "Premium Choice" programming, and that the company's Akron/Canton stations also don't use "PC". (Of course, nighttime host Billy Bush on WKDD is separately syndicated by a company not connected to Clear Channel.)
Neither the clarification, or Ms. Washington's original article, notes that at least some local employees at Oak Tree are actually providing some of the "Premium Choice" programming to the national feed. WGAR's Chuck Collier and WMJI's Don "Action" Jackson would be on that list...
One week ago, OMW provided extensive details about economic hard times at Cleveland's PBS/NPR combo, WVIZ/25 and WCPN/90.3, which are under the corporate umbrella of Ideastream. (Sorry, we refuse to use the lower case "i".)
The changes at Playhouse Square ended up with 9 employees being let go, which amounts to about 8 percent of the company's combined workforce. Most were not on-air employees.
The company's upper management also took a pay cut, which we also reported. The stations report that a massive reduction in state funding, and hard hits from a drop in corporate support, were to blame.
Ms. Washington ran the story last Thursday online, and Friday in print, after Ideastream issued a press release - apparently on Wednesday. Crain's Cleveland Business also ran a story based on that release Wednesday afternoon on its website.
We assume that if Julie had seen our Monday item, she'd have pursued it earlier, so she apparently isn't a regular OMW reader these days.
But in case she is, we'd like to answer a question she put forth.
UPDATED 8/3/09 2:17 PM: We actually just found the article in question, written Thursday morning by Washington, on Cleveland.com. We found it...umm...from our own Twitter feed. It's Monday, and the brain cells aren't fully functioning yet.
Julie wondered about the fate of WCPN jazz host Dan Polletta. His "Jazz from the North Coast" evening show was knocked off the WCPN schedule with the changes, with a syndicated program originating from Chicago's WFMT in its place. Quoting:
A big question mark hangs over the fate of Dan Polletta, longtime host of WCPN's "Jazz from the North Coast." The show was replaced Monday, July 27, with the syndicated "Jazz with Bob Parlocha" from the Jazz Satellite Network. The show is heard 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday.
Polletta could not be reached for comment.
Our sources at Playhouse Square tell us that Polletta is still in the building as a full-time employee, having been moved into other duties...doing things like contributing to the station's "Around Noon" show, and other on-air/announcing work.
We're told that the move involving Polletta took place a few months ago, and that WCPN music director Bobby Jackson had been moved into the "Jazz from the North Coast" time slot. It's presumed that Ideastream already was eyeing the syndicated program at that point, and knew the local show would eventually end.
As we reported earlier, Jackson is the only on-air employee apparently affected by the Ideastream layoffs, and will be able to stick around until October 2nd, the effective date of the cuts.
The second item was dropped into our mailbox by an OMW reader (maybe we should give HIM the Search Cleveland.com job!).
He found this "clarification" by Clear Channel to a story Julie Washington wrote back in May about cuts at the radio giant, and the lesser use of local voices as a result.
Please note: The original article ran in mid-May, and Clear Channel's attempts at clarification were published at the start of August.
We don't know if a special CC PR team spent two and a half months working up a response to the Julie Washington piece, or if the PD's entertainment editors didn't get a Round Tuit(tm) until now.
Clear Channel apparently very much wants you to know certain things, like the fact the company's situation isn't properly described as a "financial quagmire". (Since we have no Business Section, we'll leave that up to others to hash out.)
It "clarifies" the fact that two shows affected in this year's cuts, the now-out-the-door "Brian and Joe" show on hot AC WMVX/106.5, and talk WTAM/1100's afternoon drive talk fest with Mike Trivisonno, do not target the 18-34 audiences Julie listed in her original piece. Fair enough, they don't. Or, didn't, in the case of "Brian and Joe".
Clear Channel also notes that its local listenership was "basically flat" over the past few years in Cleveland, trying to counter the perception of "listeners turning off over-air radio" in the article.
It also notes the number of program directors at its Cleveland stations - down from 5 in 2004 to 4 in 2009, accounting for rock WMMS/100.7 program director Bo Matthews adding the programming duties at top 40 WAKS/96.5 "Kiss FM" to his plate at Oak Tree.
And it proudly notes it still employs two program directors in Akron/Canton - long-time OMW reader Keith Kennedy (hot AC WKDD/98.1), and Greg Ausham (rock WRQK/106.9-talk WHLO/640), with Kennedy serving as programming operations director for the entire cluster on Freedom Avenue...which also includes AC WHOF/101.7 and sports WARF/1350.
Finally, the Clear Channel "clarification" notes the use of the company's nationally distributed programming is limited to certain dayparts (overnights, some weekends) on four of the five Oak Tree stations - WAKS, WMMS, classic hits WMJI/105.7 and country WGAR/99.5.
The note says WMVX "Mix 106.5" doesn't use the "Premium Choice" programming, and that the company's Akron/Canton stations also don't use "PC". (Of course, nighttime host Billy Bush on WKDD is separately syndicated by a company not connected to Clear Channel.)
Neither the clarification, or Ms. Washington's original article, notes that at least some local employees at Oak Tree are actually providing some of the "Premium Choice" programming to the national feed. WGAR's Chuck Collier and WMJI's Don "Action" Jackson would be on that list...
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Midweek Potpourri
Here we go, again...as our list of items continues to grow...
C-BUS TO DETROIT: OMW hears that Clear Channel Columbus top 40 WNCI/97.9-AC WLZT/93.3 program director Michael McCoy is heading to Michigan, and not to watch the Buckeyes play the Wolverines.
McCoy is heading for a new job at Clear Channel sister top 40 outlet WKQI/95.5 "Channel 95-5" in Detroit. We hear his last day will be this Friday.
Back in Columbus, OMW hears about the temporary shuffle to fill-in for the exiting McCoy, which takes place starting Monday.
1) WBWR/105.7 "The Brew"-WRXS/106.7 "Radio 106.7" programmer Laura Lee will take over as interim program director at WNCI, in addition to her current work.
2) Country WCOL/92.3-CC Columbus cluster programmer John Crenshaw adds interim PD duties at WLZT.
3) "Daveman" will add music duties at WBWR, in addition to his role as the cluster's online content director.
4) Former WTVN/610 midday talker (and still primary fill-in host) Joel Riley adds the WBWR "Brew" morning drive shift to his current work on WTVN and WLZT.
We hear that the station's search for McCoy's replacement starts "immediately", and that the above list of changes is only in place until a new programmer is found...
WOOF, THEY'RE ON TV: Here at your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm), we generally studiously avoid giving a lot of digital ink to radio or TV promotional events...unless there's some reason to write about them.
Thus, not a word was written about Clear Channel rock/talk WMMS/100.7's "Roverfest" over the weekend, though we were certainly aware of it, and it has apparently grown to some size.
The show passed along a "recap" to us earlier this week, and we'll note one item - "Roverfest" was videotaped in HDTV format, and a program about the event will air on the cable network "MavTV".
That should ring a bell or two here, as MavTV is the young male-oriented HDTV network recently added to the Time Warner Cable lineup, roughly about the time that Mark Cuban's HDNet and HDMovies were yanked.
We haven't watched much of it, but MavTV seems like it's a 24 hour version of HDNet's late night "guy" shows hosted by one Art Mann. The station's on-air logo features a silhouette of a curvy, bikini-clad woman...need we say more?
Anyway, MavTV's aiming at the same young-drooling-male-swilling-brew demographic that's home to many "Rover's Morning Glory" listeners, so it'll probably be a good fit...
SPEAKING OF PROMOTIONAL EVENTS: Scripps Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS/5 certainly has enough promotional muscle, between its on-air signal and the NewsNet5 website, to drum up votes... so we declined to mention this before the voting ended.
The station has been pushing for morning anchors Kimberly Gill and Pete Kenworthy to be granted a spot guest hosting on the syndicated talk show "Live with Regis and Kelly", as part of that show's own promotion. Of course, Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa's daily show airs on - wow, what a surprise! - WEWS.
(Well, we didn't expect WJW's Stefani Schaefer to be in the running, or WKYC's Mark Finan, or whoever does mornings on a certain CBS affiliate at Reserve Square. It's an affiliate promotional event, not a real contest.)
As such promotions go, best of luck to Kimberly and Pete, who seem well suited to take the promotional gig...
SPEAKING OF TV SIGNALS: A reader passes along a tip that Parkin Broadcasting ABC affiliate WYTV/33 Youngstown has officially received FCC approval to build its 1000 kW full-power digital TV facility.
But, can the station afford to build it out?
WYTV has lagged far behind the market's three other full-power stations in terms of power levels. Until now, WYTV-DT RF 36 has been broadcasting with a quite-less-than-impressive 50 (!) kW power level. That may be enough to get its signal to Warren, on a good day.
The new facility won't instantly turn WYTV into the market's strongest signal, we're told. It is licensed for just 177 meters above average terrain, just a bit higher up the tower than the current facility.
New Vision now-LMA sister station WKBN-DT RF 41's signal is running with just slightly less power (700 kW), but the digital antenna is much higher above average terrain - somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 meters high. We're not sure if it'll land at 384 meters or 418 meters, based on its applications.
The low-slung WYTV digital antenna may be fine within the station's market area - the immediate Mahoning Valley - but those of us in neighboring markets like Cleveland and Pittsburgh may have more difficulty trying to catch the new facility.
Well, at least receiving a digital signal over air from this market's ABC affiliate (WEWS) is not a problem for the most part...unlike the CBS and Fox affiliates.
Anyway, you'll note that we said "can the station afford to build it out?"
WYTV's ownership is now officially listed as "PBC Broadcasting of Youngstown, LLC, Debtor-in-Possession"...with Parkin Broadcasting and its entities filing for bankruptcy earlier this month...along with the filing by WKBN/WYFX LMA partner New Vision, which we already reported.
Maybe they've already budgeted for the WYTV power increase, and it'll happen as scheduled...
AND MORE: And stay tuned to your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) later today, for some more items, including the story of a retirement party for a local TV veteran in Cleveland...
C-BUS TO DETROIT: OMW hears that Clear Channel Columbus top 40 WNCI/97.9-AC WLZT/93.3 program director Michael McCoy is heading to Michigan, and not to watch the Buckeyes play the Wolverines.
McCoy is heading for a new job at Clear Channel sister top 40 outlet WKQI/95.5 "Channel 95-5" in Detroit. We hear his last day will be this Friday.
Back in Columbus, OMW hears about the temporary shuffle to fill-in for the exiting McCoy, which takes place starting Monday.
1) WBWR/105.7 "The Brew"-WRXS/106.7 "Radio 106.7" programmer Laura Lee will take over as interim program director at WNCI, in addition to her current work.
2) Country WCOL/92.3-CC Columbus cluster programmer John Crenshaw adds interim PD duties at WLZT.
3) "Daveman" will add music duties at WBWR, in addition to his role as the cluster's online content director.
4) Former WTVN/610 midday talker (and still primary fill-in host) Joel Riley adds the WBWR "Brew" morning drive shift to his current work on WTVN and WLZT.
We hear that the station's search for McCoy's replacement starts "immediately", and that the above list of changes is only in place until a new programmer is found...
WOOF, THEY'RE ON TV: Here at your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm), we generally studiously avoid giving a lot of digital ink to radio or TV promotional events...unless there's some reason to write about them.
Thus, not a word was written about Clear Channel rock/talk WMMS/100.7's "Roverfest" over the weekend, though we were certainly aware of it, and it has apparently grown to some size.
The show passed along a "recap" to us earlier this week, and we'll note one item - "Roverfest" was videotaped in HDTV format, and a program about the event will air on the cable network "MavTV".
That should ring a bell or two here, as MavTV is the young male-oriented HDTV network recently added to the Time Warner Cable lineup, roughly about the time that Mark Cuban's HDNet and HDMovies were yanked.
We haven't watched much of it, but MavTV seems like it's a 24 hour version of HDNet's late night "guy" shows hosted by one Art Mann. The station's on-air logo features a silhouette of a curvy, bikini-clad woman...need we say more?
Anyway, MavTV's aiming at the same young-drooling-male-swilling-brew demographic that's home to many "Rover's Morning Glory" listeners, so it'll probably be a good fit...
SPEAKING OF PROMOTIONAL EVENTS: Scripps Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS/5 certainly has enough promotional muscle, between its on-air signal and the NewsNet5 website, to drum up votes... so we declined to mention this before the voting ended.
The station has been pushing for morning anchors Kimberly Gill and Pete Kenworthy to be granted a spot guest hosting on the syndicated talk show "Live with Regis and Kelly", as part of that show's own promotion. Of course, Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa's daily show airs on - wow, what a surprise! - WEWS.
(Well, we didn't expect WJW's Stefani Schaefer to be in the running, or WKYC's Mark Finan, or whoever does mornings on a certain CBS affiliate at Reserve Square. It's an affiliate promotional event, not a real contest.)
As such promotions go, best of luck to Kimberly and Pete, who seem well suited to take the promotional gig...
SPEAKING OF TV SIGNALS: A reader passes along a tip that Parkin Broadcasting ABC affiliate WYTV/33 Youngstown has officially received FCC approval to build its 1000 kW full-power digital TV facility.
But, can the station afford to build it out?
WYTV has lagged far behind the market's three other full-power stations in terms of power levels. Until now, WYTV-DT RF 36 has been broadcasting with a quite-less-than-impressive 50 (!) kW power level. That may be enough to get its signal to Warren, on a good day.
The new facility won't instantly turn WYTV into the market's strongest signal, we're told. It is licensed for just 177 meters above average terrain, just a bit higher up the tower than the current facility.
New Vision now-LMA sister station WKBN-DT RF 41's signal is running with just slightly less power (700 kW), but the digital antenna is much higher above average terrain - somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 meters high. We're not sure if it'll land at 384 meters or 418 meters, based on its applications.
The low-slung WYTV digital antenna may be fine within the station's market area - the immediate Mahoning Valley - but those of us in neighboring markets like Cleveland and Pittsburgh may have more difficulty trying to catch the new facility.
Well, at least receiving a digital signal over air from this market's ABC affiliate (WEWS) is not a problem for the most part...unlike the CBS and Fox affiliates.
Anyway, you'll note that we said "can the station afford to build it out?"
WYTV's ownership is now officially listed as "PBC Broadcasting of Youngstown, LLC, Debtor-in-Possession"...with Parkin Broadcasting and its entities filing for bankruptcy earlier this month...along with the filing by WKBN/WYFX LMA partner New Vision, which we already reported.
Maybe they've already budgeted for the WYTV power increase, and it'll happen as scheduled...
AND MORE: And stay tuned to your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) later today, for some more items, including the story of a retirement party for a local TV veteran in Cleveland...
Monday, July 27, 2009
Hoping For Good News
Yes, your Primary Editorial Voice(tm) is the bearer of bad news again.
On our Twitter account, we shamelessly begged for some good news to throw into the below mix, but there doesn't seem to be much to share.
And yes, we're as tired of the drumbeat of bad economic news as you are, but here we go again...we don't make the media news, we just report it...
IDEASTREAM CUTS: OMW hears that Cleveland public broadcaster Ideastream is cutting 8 percent of its full-time staff - resulting in the elimination of nine full-time positions.
And the pubcaster - which owns PBS affiliate WVIZ/25 and NPR affiliate WCPN/90.3 - has named one very specific culprit for the job cuts...in addition to the economy in general, and the reduction in corporate backing that all public media outlets have seen.
It was thought to be good news in Columbus recently, when state lawmakers and Governor Ted Strickland came to an agreement on a new budget. The spending plan got to the finish line...filling an over $3 billion budget gap... with a reported combination of new income from slot machines at horse racing tracks, and a host of spending cuts.
Those cuts have thrown Ideastream for a budget loop.
A staff memo Friday from CEO Jerry Wareham, which floated down from Playhouse Square to the OMW World Headquarters, explains:
---
At a staff meeting this afternoon, we announced action being taken to maintain financial stability so ideastream can continue to provide valued service.
In anticipation of declines in grants and contracts funded through the State of Ohio and declines in support from corporations, the ideastream budget for fiscal year 2010 (October 1, 2009 – September 30, 2010) reduces unrestricted operating expenses by 7% from the $21.2 million budgeted for the current fiscal year.
Various grants and contracts funded through the State of Ohio for Educational Services, WVIZ/PBS, and 90.3 WCPN that totaled $1,469,274 at the beginning of fiscal year 2009 are expected to decline by 57% to a total of $636,654 in 2010. Support from corporations is also expected to decline 10% to 15%.
-----------
OMW hears that in addition to staff reduction by attrition, and part-time hours reductions, key officials at Ideastream have also taken pay cuts. CEO Wareham himself will take a 15 percent cut in his salary.
OMW has heard only one on-air name directly affected by the job cuts - Bobby Jackson, who is music director for WCPN, and who has also hosted the evening local jazz music show in recent months.
Those expecting to hear that show will not hear it starting tonight, though the station will continue with jazz music in the evening hours.
WCPN will instead turn to a syndicated jazz music show. "Jazz with Bob Parlocha", which originates at WFMT/Chicago's Jazz Satellite Network. Parlocha himself is based in Northern California, where he once programmed commercial jazz outlet KJAZ, and records his programs for the WFMT service.
We're hearing today that Mr. Jackson is still in the building for now. The job cuts take effect at the end of the group's fiscal year in early October, and staffers have the option of staying around until October 2nd. The evening jazz programming change takes effect immediately, we're told, as of tonight.
The other eight full-time positions affected are administrative jobs across the Ideastream system...
MORE PUBLIC TV PROBLEMS: OMW has reported that Erie PA PBS affiliate WQLN/54 has lost its analog cable carriage in far eastern Ohio.
Time Warner Cable dumped WQLN on analog in the Ashtabula region, replacing it with carriage of TBN O&O WDLI/17 Canton. The cable company later partially relented, but stuck WQLN's feed only on digital channel 379.
Despite Ashtabula County's proximity to WQLN, the area is in the Cleveland market. The Time Warner system in Ashtabula already carried Cleveland's WVIZ as its sole PBS outlet on the analog side, and needed to make room there for wider WDLI carriage...which bounced WQLN from analog cable.
But it's a planned cable change elsewhere that could deliver a fatal body blow to the Erie public TV station, and threatens its very existence.
WQLN depends on Canadian viewers for a large chunk of its financial support. The station has long been carried on cable in the London, Ontario region, and actively pursues those viewers to the point of carrying "WQLN-TV Erie/London" legal IDs, and airing programming to attact Canadian viewers, particularly on weekends.
But it's about to lose those London cable viewers, reports the Erie Times-News:
Rogers Cable decided to replace WQLN-TV with Detroit's public television station, WTVS-TV, and plans to end transmission of WQLN on Aug. 18. (WQLN president Dwight) Miller said contributions from about 1,700 London viewers account for about 20 percent of his station's total donations.
Why would the Canadian cable system dump WQLN for the Detroit outlet?
Signal quality, according to Rogers officials. Rogers receives WQLN over-air, but can pipe in WTVS directly by fiber.
Like the big American systems, Rogers has an extensive group of interconnected systems in Southern Ontario, and hauling the WTVS feed to London can be done by Rogers internally with little effort...much like Time Warner Cable can bring WVIZ to Ashtabula with no signal problems on the far eastern edge of the Cleveland TV market.
Its survival at stake, WQLN is hoping to find a way to provide its own fiber feed to Rogers, and hopes that'll keep it on the cable system's channel 8 in London.
It's also mobilizing viewers, directing them on WQLN.org (and presumably over air) to let Rogers know how they feel.
Oh, and did we mention that like WVIZ and other public broadcasters, WQLN is looking at a large budget cut out of the state of Pennsylvania?
WQLN is not alone in getting significant Canadian viewership. Just up I-90 and the New York Thruway, Buffalo PBS outlet WNED also has a healthy viewer base in nearby Toronto ("WNED-TV Buffalo/Toronto"), which has helped it weather Western New York's long-declining economy.
And in a situation even more akin to WQLN's, WPBS-TV Watertown NY aims at viewers and supporters in Canada's capital, Ottawa...a base which dwarfs the tiny Watertown TV market...
JUST DOWN THE ROAD: Here's another Northwest Pennsylvania item with some effect in far Eastern Ohio.
The man who lived out his radio dreams in a small town on the Pennsylvania/Ohio border has passed away. The Meadville Tribune reports the death of Arthur W. Cervi Sr. on June 14th, at the age of 89. (A hat tip to the Erie Press and Tower media blog, and long-time friend and colleague Scott Fybush at NorthEast Radio Watch, for the item.)
Cervi kept a "day job" at Westinghouse for decades, and did disk jockey work at night at venues around Pittsburgh. But his career passion was establishing and operating WVCC-FM/101.7 in Linesville PA.
Linesville, as the town name would suggest, is a very short drive from Ohio on the PA side of the state line. The station also served Ohio communities like Andover, and other small towns along Ohio Route 7 and Ohio Route 11 near Pymatuning Lake.
Cervi put WVCC ("The Wonderful Voice of Crawford County") on the air in 1970, and ran it from his Linesville home until as recently as 2003. He sold WVCC to the Vilkie family, which now operates it as classic hits WMVL "Cool 101.7", and targets it to nearby Meadville PA.
Oh, and there's one more Ohio connection.
We're told that Mr. Cervi once owned a second broadcast license - the station formerly known as WAQI and WAST at 1600 in Ashtabula. That station is long dark and deleted. But one of our regular readers tells us that a quick trip off of U.S. 20 on North Bend Road will take you to its small, brick former studio building...now overcome by weeds...
CALLING TIME WARNER SUBSCRIBERS: We'd like to hear from you, if you're a Time Warner Cable subscriber having major issues.
Like one of our regular readers, Phil in Bainbridge, who gives us this account:
Here in the Bainbridge area, we had an outage of all SDV channels (starting on Wednesday). I was credited 4 days service, as I subscribe to MLB Extra Innings.
At this point, we have no evidence that such outages are widespread.
But we note that the aforementioned Mr. Fybush has had some struggles with both Time Warner Cable broadcast and Internet service in his hometown of Rochester NY the past few days, and that our colleague Jeremy Moses at Tri-State Media Watch reports a problem with some PPV events in the company's Southwest Ohio service area.
Here at OMW World Headquarters, we're not seeing any problems, even with the SDV channels recently added to upgrade TWC's HDTV lineup. But...we want to know if we're missing something more widespread.
And yes, former Comcast subscribers now in the TWC empire, we're well aware that you haven't joined the New HD Channel Parade just yet.
It's yet another example of how splintered the entire TWC network is, here in Northeast Ohio. The company swallowed two very distinct systems when it merged in the former Adelphia/Cleveland-based system, and the Comcast system serving the Elyria and Mentor areas. Problems like described above by our reader in Bainbridge could be somewhat localized.
We haven't yet heard of any resolution to the Comcast issues...but we're assured we'll be able to let you know when something does happen...
A BEAR OF A STORY: Normally, OMW leaves the Rest of the News Not Related to Media to other media outlets. But one story this morning has a very slight media connection.
Kent State University is warning its community of the sighting of a black bear near the university's main campus.
Though we're not Ohio Bear Watch, a detail in this story got us to thinking. From the Cleveland Plain Dealer's update via Cleveland.com:
City and University police are on the lookout for a hungry black bear spotted early Sunday evening nosing around a Dumpster at a Bob Evans restaurant.
The bear made an appearance about 8:30 p.m. near the corner of Ohio 261 and South Water Street, according to police.
It didn't take long for us to process that location, on the far southern edge of the main KSU campus, in our Media Mind.
Just a short drive - or bear walk - down Ohio 261 from the Bob Evans, you'll find our friends at Western Reserve PBS (WNEO/45-WEAO/49)...which is located on Campus Center Drive just south of 261. Campus Center is the very next intersection past Water Street heading east/northeast on the four-lane road.
No, we haven't heard any Bear Sightings from regular OMW readers like Western Reserve station manager Bill O'Neil, or communications coordinator and OMW liaison Diane Steinert, so we'll assume the bear didn't wander over to Campus Center Drive.
But O'Neil does note: "We often see deer here and an occasional coyote..."
On our Twitter account, we shamelessly begged for some good news to throw into the below mix, but there doesn't seem to be much to share.
And yes, we're as tired of the drumbeat of bad economic news as you are, but here we go again...we don't make the media news, we just report it...
IDEASTREAM CUTS: OMW hears that Cleveland public broadcaster Ideastream is cutting 8 percent of its full-time staff - resulting in the elimination of nine full-time positions.
And the pubcaster - which owns PBS affiliate WVIZ/25 and NPR affiliate WCPN/90.3 - has named one very specific culprit for the job cuts...in addition to the economy in general, and the reduction in corporate backing that all public media outlets have seen.
It was thought to be good news in Columbus recently, when state lawmakers and Governor Ted Strickland came to an agreement on a new budget. The spending plan got to the finish line...filling an over $3 billion budget gap... with a reported combination of new income from slot machines at horse racing tracks, and a host of spending cuts.
Those cuts have thrown Ideastream for a budget loop.
A staff memo Friday from CEO Jerry Wareham, which floated down from Playhouse Square to the OMW World Headquarters, explains:
---
At a staff meeting this afternoon, we announced action being taken to maintain financial stability so ideastream can continue to provide valued service.
In anticipation of declines in grants and contracts funded through the State of Ohio and declines in support from corporations, the ideastream budget for fiscal year 2010 (October 1, 2009 – September 30, 2010) reduces unrestricted operating expenses by 7% from the $21.2 million budgeted for the current fiscal year.
Various grants and contracts funded through the State of Ohio for Educational Services, WVIZ/PBS, and 90.3 WCPN that totaled $1,469,274 at the beginning of fiscal year 2009 are expected to decline by 57% to a total of $636,654 in 2010. Support from corporations is also expected to decline 10% to 15%.
-----------
OMW hears that in addition to staff reduction by attrition, and part-time hours reductions, key officials at Ideastream have also taken pay cuts. CEO Wareham himself will take a 15 percent cut in his salary.
OMW has heard only one on-air name directly affected by the job cuts - Bobby Jackson, who is music director for WCPN, and who has also hosted the evening local jazz music show in recent months.
Those expecting to hear that show will not hear it starting tonight, though the station will continue with jazz music in the evening hours.
WCPN will instead turn to a syndicated jazz music show. "Jazz with Bob Parlocha", which originates at WFMT/Chicago's Jazz Satellite Network. Parlocha himself is based in Northern California, where he once programmed commercial jazz outlet KJAZ, and records his programs for the WFMT service.
We're hearing today that Mr. Jackson is still in the building for now. The job cuts take effect at the end of the group's fiscal year in early October, and staffers have the option of staying around until October 2nd. The evening jazz programming change takes effect immediately, we're told, as of tonight.
The other eight full-time positions affected are administrative jobs across the Ideastream system...
MORE PUBLIC TV PROBLEMS: OMW has reported that Erie PA PBS affiliate WQLN/54 has lost its analog cable carriage in far eastern Ohio.
Time Warner Cable dumped WQLN on analog in the Ashtabula region, replacing it with carriage of TBN O&O WDLI/17 Canton. The cable company later partially relented, but stuck WQLN's feed only on digital channel 379.
Despite Ashtabula County's proximity to WQLN, the area is in the Cleveland market. The Time Warner system in Ashtabula already carried Cleveland's WVIZ as its sole PBS outlet on the analog side, and needed to make room there for wider WDLI carriage...which bounced WQLN from analog cable.
But it's a planned cable change elsewhere that could deliver a fatal body blow to the Erie public TV station, and threatens its very existence.
WQLN depends on Canadian viewers for a large chunk of its financial support. The station has long been carried on cable in the London, Ontario region, and actively pursues those viewers to the point of carrying "WQLN-TV Erie/London" legal IDs, and airing programming to attact Canadian viewers, particularly on weekends.
But it's about to lose those London cable viewers, reports the Erie Times-News:
Rogers Cable decided to replace WQLN-TV with Detroit's public television station, WTVS-TV, and plans to end transmission of WQLN on Aug. 18. (WQLN president Dwight) Miller said contributions from about 1,700 London viewers account for about 20 percent of his station's total donations.
Why would the Canadian cable system dump WQLN for the Detroit outlet?
Signal quality, according to Rogers officials. Rogers receives WQLN over-air, but can pipe in WTVS directly by fiber.
Like the big American systems, Rogers has an extensive group of interconnected systems in Southern Ontario, and hauling the WTVS feed to London can be done by Rogers internally with little effort...much like Time Warner Cable can bring WVIZ to Ashtabula with no signal problems on the far eastern edge of the Cleveland TV market.
Its survival at stake, WQLN is hoping to find a way to provide its own fiber feed to Rogers, and hopes that'll keep it on the cable system's channel 8 in London.
It's also mobilizing viewers, directing them on WQLN.org (and presumably over air) to let Rogers know how they feel.
Oh, and did we mention that like WVIZ and other public broadcasters, WQLN is looking at a large budget cut out of the state of Pennsylvania?
WQLN is not alone in getting significant Canadian viewership. Just up I-90 and the New York Thruway, Buffalo PBS outlet WNED also has a healthy viewer base in nearby Toronto ("WNED-TV Buffalo/Toronto"), which has helped it weather Western New York's long-declining economy.
And in a situation even more akin to WQLN's, WPBS-TV Watertown NY aims at viewers and supporters in Canada's capital, Ottawa...a base which dwarfs the tiny Watertown TV market...
JUST DOWN THE ROAD: Here's another Northwest Pennsylvania item with some effect in far Eastern Ohio.
The man who lived out his radio dreams in a small town on the Pennsylvania/Ohio border has passed away. The Meadville Tribune reports the death of Arthur W. Cervi Sr. on June 14th, at the age of 89. (A hat tip to the Erie Press and Tower media blog, and long-time friend and colleague Scott Fybush at NorthEast Radio Watch, for the item.)
Cervi kept a "day job" at Westinghouse for decades, and did disk jockey work at night at venues around Pittsburgh. But his career passion was establishing and operating WVCC-FM/101.7 in Linesville PA.
Linesville, as the town name would suggest, is a very short drive from Ohio on the PA side of the state line. The station also served Ohio communities like Andover, and other small towns along Ohio Route 7 and Ohio Route 11 near Pymatuning Lake.
Cervi put WVCC ("The Wonderful Voice of Crawford County") on the air in 1970, and ran it from his Linesville home until as recently as 2003. He sold WVCC to the Vilkie family, which now operates it as classic hits WMVL "Cool 101.7", and targets it to nearby Meadville PA.
Oh, and there's one more Ohio connection.
We're told that Mr. Cervi once owned a second broadcast license - the station formerly known as WAQI and WAST at 1600 in Ashtabula. That station is long dark and deleted. But one of our regular readers tells us that a quick trip off of U.S. 20 on North Bend Road will take you to its small, brick former studio building...now overcome by weeds...
CALLING TIME WARNER SUBSCRIBERS: We'd like to hear from you, if you're a Time Warner Cable subscriber having major issues.
Like one of our regular readers, Phil in Bainbridge, who gives us this account:
Here in the Bainbridge area, we had an outage of all SDV channels (starting on Wednesday). I was credited 4 days service, as I subscribe to MLB Extra Innings.
Then on Sunday, the outage moved to regular HD and digital channels like ESPN HD, HGTV HD, and TNT HD. Those are not SDV channels. They have been intermittent. As of the time I'm writing this email to you, they are out.
At this point, we have no evidence that such outages are widespread.
But we note that the aforementioned Mr. Fybush has had some struggles with both Time Warner Cable broadcast and Internet service in his hometown of Rochester NY the past few days, and that our colleague Jeremy Moses at Tri-State Media Watch reports a problem with some PPV events in the company's Southwest Ohio service area.
Here at OMW World Headquarters, we're not seeing any problems, even with the SDV channels recently added to upgrade TWC's HDTV lineup. But...we want to know if we're missing something more widespread.
And yes, former Comcast subscribers now in the TWC empire, we're well aware that you haven't joined the New HD Channel Parade just yet.
It's yet another example of how splintered the entire TWC network is, here in Northeast Ohio. The company swallowed two very distinct systems when it merged in the former Adelphia/Cleveland-based system, and the Comcast system serving the Elyria and Mentor areas. Problems like described above by our reader in Bainbridge could be somewhat localized.
We haven't yet heard of any resolution to the Comcast issues...but we're assured we'll be able to let you know when something does happen...
A BEAR OF A STORY: Normally, OMW leaves the Rest of the News Not Related to Media to other media outlets. But one story this morning has a very slight media connection.
Kent State University is warning its community of the sighting of a black bear near the university's main campus.
Though we're not Ohio Bear Watch, a detail in this story got us to thinking. From the Cleveland Plain Dealer's update via Cleveland.com:
City and University police are on the lookout for a hungry black bear spotted early Sunday evening nosing around a Dumpster at a Bob Evans restaurant.
The bear made an appearance about 8:30 p.m. near the corner of Ohio 261 and South Water Street, according to police.
It didn't take long for us to process that location, on the far southern edge of the main KSU campus, in our Media Mind.
Just a short drive - or bear walk - down Ohio 261 from the Bob Evans, you'll find our friends at Western Reserve PBS (WNEO/45-WEAO/49)...which is located on Campus Center Drive just south of 261. Campus Center is the very next intersection past Water Street heading east/northeast on the four-lane road.
No, we haven't heard any Bear Sightings from regular OMW readers like Western Reserve station manager Bill O'Neil, or communications coordinator and OMW liaison Diane Steinert, so we'll assume the bear didn't wander over to Campus Center Drive.
But O'Neil does note: "We often see deer here and an occasional coyote..."
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Weather And Storms
And the latter part of our title, this time, isn't necessarily about thunderstorms...it's about economic storms, again. But first...
MCSHEA RETURNS: OMW hears that former Cleveland Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 meteorologist and "Good Company" co-host Eileen McShea is about to return to local TV, but not at 13th and Lakeside.
Instead, she'll be doing weather on Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 "NewsChannel 5"'s weekend newscasts...at least for now.
The folks at 3001 Euclid are "down one" weather anchor, after the station declined to renew the contract of third forecaster Jeff Mackel at the end of last month.
OMW hears that McShea joins the "NewsChannel 5" weather team on a freelance basis "for the next few weeks".
We don't know if WEWS plans to hire a third regular, full-time meteorologist - or if the former WKYCer is up for the gig, if they are. We get the idea that the freelancing - by McShea or whoever could show up later - will be the status quo for now.
McShea left WKYC in 2008 after an apparent economic/money dispute over her co-hosting role on "Good Company", the mid-morning talk show now hosted by Fred Griffith, Andrea Vecchio and Michael Cardamone. (The Plain Dealer's Julie Washington wrote about this last October. For whatever reason, we apparently did not.)
The station has since rechristened the show "Good Company Today", to link it to the 20 hours of NBC's "Today" show and its successors before the show airs. (OK, so it's not 20 hours.)
The show features any number of lifestyle/talk segments, many of them sponsored.
McShea's long tenure at Channel 3, before that, included 12 years as a meteorologist, and some weekend news anchor work...
ANOTHER HEADED FOR 11?: We can't blame TV station employees if they avoid the financial news...and the news could be pretty bad for one station owner that has a number of Ohio stations.
As New Vision TV (WKBN/WYFX/WYTV) works with its lenders to eventually wind out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, giving the lenders control of the group, another group could be headed there.
Sinclair Broadcasting has warned that a Chapter 11 filing could be in its future.
Among the usual menu of economic problems facing any media company in 2009, Sinclair has another Big Problem - the faltering economics surrounding Cunningham Broadcasting. That's the company which allows Sinclair to operate two TV stations in markets where a straight dual-ownership isn't allowed by FCC guidelines.
In Ohio, those Cunningham stations are Columbus Fox affiliate WTTE/28 (sister to Sinclair ABC affiliate WSYX/6), and Dayton Fox affilate WRGT/45 (sister to Sinclair ABC affiliate WKEF/22). Fox affiliate WVAH/11 in the Charleston-Huntington WV market reaches parts of southern Ohio.
Broadcasting and Cable outlines the base of the Cunningham Problem:
Cunningham has until July 31 to pay off a $33.5 million debt. Should Cunningham default, Sinclair may be forced into Chapt. 11. Having Cunningham in bankruptcy could impact Sinclair to the tune of $50-$60 million, Sinclair execs said--$26 million in direct contributions for the LMAs, and the rest in annual cost savings and general synergies between the stations.
Cunningham is not that far removed from Sinclair. Family members of Sinclair CEO David Smith control the company, including Smith's mother.
("Mom? Can you hang onto some TV stations for me?")
These companies, which allow groups like Sinclair to control extra stations in lieu of ownership, are very common. Brecksville's own Mission Broadcasting serves a similar purpose for Nexstar. As we recall, Mission used to be based in a private home in Medina County's Sharon Township, according to a Beacon Journal profile of the company.
The head of Mission Broadcasting is also named David Smith, but as far as we know, he's no relation to Sinclair's CEO.
With the economy continuing to crater advertising revenue, these "other" companies are just as badly hit as their LMA partners...
LIKE A RADIO VIRGIN: Cleveland native and former then-WZJM/92.3 air personality Tim Virgin has made another big market move.
AllAccess reports that Virgin exits the PD/afternoon drive slot at Phoenix alt-rock KEDJ "The Edge" for Chicago, where he'll be the MD/afternoon driver at Emmis alt-rock WKQX "Q101" starting a week from Thursday.
It's actually a return to the Chicago station for Virgin, who worked there in the late 1990's.
In addition to his stint in Cleveland, before 92.3 adopted the "Jammin' Oldies" format, Virgin is known for his work at legendary Washington DC/Baltimore alt-rocker WHFS/99.1, and later at the 105.7 frequency that took the WHFS calls.
The latter stop at 105.7 involved hosting alt-rock music on a station that became a talk outlet, and is now sports WJZ-FM "The Fan". 99.1 is Spanish-language WLZL, and of course, 92.3 here is today's mainly automated alt-rock WKRK-FM "Radio 92.3"...oh, and the WHFS calls are now parked on a syndicated AM talk outlet in Washington...
WAMO: At the moment, this is an OMW exclusive...and the station isn't even in our coverage area. But since it is heard in the Western Pennsylvania parts of the Youngstown market, we'll share it here.
We've been following the coverage of the sale of legendary hip hop outlet WAMO/106.9 in the Pittsburgh market by Friend of OMW Pat Cloonan, who writes a media column for the McKeesport Daily News in that Pittsburgh-area community.
Cloonan noticed that there was a rescinding of the approval of the sale of WAMO and its two AM sister stations (WAMO/860 and WPGR/1510) to St. Joseph Missions, a group of local residents who plan to convert all three stations to Catholic religious programming.
There were also objections filed to the sale, one by a Pittsburgh resident decrying the upcoming loss of programming to the region's African-American community.
Well, according to the FCC database, the station sale has officially been approved (again?) by the FCC...as of today. (MCM/MCL is the corporate station ownership name for Pittsburgh's Sheridan Broadcasting, the seller.)
Cloonan noted in a story earlier today that the objection had been reclassified by the FCC as an "informal" objection, which carries about as much weight as a soaking paper towel. The FCC noted to the Pittsburgh resident that as a standing rule, it doesn't get involved in format decisions.
As far as we remember, there isn't an LMA provision in the sale to St. Joseph's, so the sale would presumably have to close before the programming changes on the three stations.
Again, WAMO's FM operation is a Pittsburgh market station. But the station's move from 105.9 in the city, to 106.7 licensed to Beaver Falls, brought its signal into a pretty decent chunk of the Youngstown market.
We'd link Pat's articles, but his newspaper places them behind a subscription wall...
MCSHEA RETURNS: OMW hears that former Cleveland Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 meteorologist and "Good Company" co-host Eileen McShea is about to return to local TV, but not at 13th and Lakeside.
Instead, she'll be doing weather on Scripps ABC affiliate WEWS/5 "NewsChannel 5"'s weekend newscasts...at least for now.
The folks at 3001 Euclid are "down one" weather anchor, after the station declined to renew the contract of third forecaster Jeff Mackel at the end of last month.
OMW hears that McShea joins the "NewsChannel 5" weather team on a freelance basis "for the next few weeks".
We don't know if WEWS plans to hire a third regular, full-time meteorologist - or if the former WKYCer is up for the gig, if they are. We get the idea that the freelancing - by McShea or whoever could show up later - will be the status quo for now.
McShea left WKYC in 2008 after an apparent economic/money dispute over her co-hosting role on "Good Company", the mid-morning talk show now hosted by Fred Griffith, Andrea Vecchio and Michael Cardamone. (The Plain Dealer's Julie Washington wrote about this last October. For whatever reason, we apparently did not.)
The station has since rechristened the show "Good Company Today", to link it to the 20 hours of NBC's "Today" show and its successors before the show airs. (OK, so it's not 20 hours.)
The show features any number of lifestyle/talk segments, many of them sponsored.
McShea's long tenure at Channel 3, before that, included 12 years as a meteorologist, and some weekend news anchor work...
ANOTHER HEADED FOR 11?: We can't blame TV station employees if they avoid the financial news...and the news could be pretty bad for one station owner that has a number of Ohio stations.
As New Vision TV (WKBN/WYFX/WYTV) works with its lenders to eventually wind out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, giving the lenders control of the group, another group could be headed there.
Sinclair Broadcasting has warned that a Chapter 11 filing could be in its future.
Among the usual menu of economic problems facing any media company in 2009, Sinclair has another Big Problem - the faltering economics surrounding Cunningham Broadcasting. That's the company which allows Sinclair to operate two TV stations in markets where a straight dual-ownership isn't allowed by FCC guidelines.
In Ohio, those Cunningham stations are Columbus Fox affiliate WTTE/28 (sister to Sinclair ABC affiliate WSYX/6), and Dayton Fox affilate WRGT/45 (sister to Sinclair ABC affiliate WKEF/22). Fox affiliate WVAH/11 in the Charleston-Huntington WV market reaches parts of southern Ohio.
Broadcasting and Cable outlines the base of the Cunningham Problem:
Cunningham has until July 31 to pay off a $33.5 million debt. Should Cunningham default, Sinclair may be forced into Chapt. 11. Having Cunningham in bankruptcy could impact Sinclair to the tune of $50-$60 million, Sinclair execs said--$26 million in direct contributions for the LMAs, and the rest in annual cost savings and general synergies between the stations.
Cunningham is not that far removed from Sinclair. Family members of Sinclair CEO David Smith control the company, including Smith's mother.
("Mom? Can you hang onto some TV stations for me?")
These companies, which allow groups like Sinclair to control extra stations in lieu of ownership, are very common. Brecksville's own Mission Broadcasting serves a similar purpose for Nexstar. As we recall, Mission used to be based in a private home in Medina County's Sharon Township, according to a Beacon Journal profile of the company.
The head of Mission Broadcasting is also named David Smith, but as far as we know, he's no relation to Sinclair's CEO.
With the economy continuing to crater advertising revenue, these "other" companies are just as badly hit as their LMA partners...
LIKE A RADIO VIRGIN: Cleveland native and former then-WZJM/92.3 air personality Tim Virgin has made another big market move.
AllAccess reports that Virgin exits the PD/afternoon drive slot at Phoenix alt-rock KEDJ "The Edge" for Chicago, where he'll be the MD/afternoon driver at Emmis alt-rock WKQX "Q101" starting a week from Thursday.
It's actually a return to the Chicago station for Virgin, who worked there in the late 1990's.
In addition to his stint in Cleveland, before 92.3 adopted the "Jammin' Oldies" format, Virgin is known for his work at legendary Washington DC/Baltimore alt-rocker WHFS/99.1, and later at the 105.7 frequency that took the WHFS calls.
The latter stop at 105.7 involved hosting alt-rock music on a station that became a talk outlet, and is now sports WJZ-FM "The Fan". 99.1 is Spanish-language WLZL, and of course, 92.3 here is today's mainly automated alt-rock WKRK-FM "Radio 92.3"...oh, and the WHFS calls are now parked on a syndicated AM talk outlet in Washington...
WAMO: At the moment, this is an OMW exclusive...and the station isn't even in our coverage area. But since it is heard in the Western Pennsylvania parts of the Youngstown market, we'll share it here.
We've been following the coverage of the sale of legendary hip hop outlet WAMO/106.9 in the Pittsburgh market by Friend of OMW Pat Cloonan, who writes a media column for the McKeesport Daily News in that Pittsburgh-area community.
Cloonan noticed that there was a rescinding of the approval of the sale of WAMO and its two AM sister stations (WAMO/860 and WPGR/1510) to St. Joseph Missions, a group of local residents who plan to convert all three stations to Catholic religious programming.
There were also objections filed to the sale, one by a Pittsburgh resident decrying the upcoming loss of programming to the region's African-American community.
Well, according to the FCC database, the station sale has officially been approved (again?) by the FCC...as of today. (MCM/MCL is the corporate station ownership name for Pittsburgh's Sheridan Broadcasting, the seller.)
Cloonan noted in a story earlier today that the objection had been reclassified by the FCC as an "informal" objection, which carries about as much weight as a soaking paper towel. The FCC noted to the Pittsburgh resident that as a standing rule, it doesn't get involved in format decisions.
As far as we remember, there isn't an LMA provision in the sale to St. Joseph's, so the sale would presumably have to close before the programming changes on the three stations.
Again, WAMO's FM operation is a Pittsburgh market station. But the station's move from 105.9 in the city, to 106.7 licensed to Beaver Falls, brought its signal into a pretty decent chunk of the Youngstown market.
We'd link Pat's articles, but his newspaper places them behind a subscription wall...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
New Vision Bankruptcy
The operator of nearly all commercial TV stations in the Youngstown market is now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
New Vision Television owns CBS affiliate WKBN/27 and Fox affiliate WYFX (WYFX-LP 62/WFXI-CA 17/WKBN-DT 27.2), and operates PBC (Parkin Broadcasting) owned ABC affiliate WYTV/33 and sister MyNetworkTV affiliate MyYTV (WYTV/33.2). That's every commercial station in the Mahoning Valley except for one big one, Vindicator NBC affiliate WFMJ/21, along with its sister CW affiliate "WBCB" (WFMJ/21.2).
From New Vision's latest release today:
New Vision Television announced the approval of all of its first-day motions by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
"The Court's prompt action is good news for New Vision's employees, advertisers, business partners and viewers," said Jason Elkin, New Vision's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The Court's decision will allow us continue to operate our business as usual. The Court's quick ruling also marks a smooth entry into what we hope will be a short and consensual bankruptcy process that will restructure all of the company's debt and lead to the emergence of New Vision as a much stronger entity going forward."
The process is expected to be short because the company's lenders will basically end up owning the broadcaster themselves...though it takes money to keep the doors open:
New Vision received Court approval during its first-day hearings to keep all employee pay and benefits intact. The Court also approved New Vision's access on an interim basis to a new $28 million line of credit that will provide ample funding for the company through the remainder of the restructuring process. Next, the Court permitted New Vision to make key operational payments, including for taxes and insurance programs. Under the Court's order, sales incentives will also be funded. Finally, the Court established procedures to streamline the proceedings with the goal of speeding New Vision's emergence from bankruptcy.
How's this playing on Sunset Boulevard in Youngstown?
Well, if you want to know about the inside workings of the market's TV stations, you go to Youngstown Business Journal publisher Andrea Wood, also an OMW reader. From her article earlier today:
News travels fast inside the news business, so fast that newsroom employees of WKBN/WYFX and WYTV learned their parent company had filed bankruptcy when a reporter at competitor WFMJ called late Monday seeking comment.
New Vision Television sought protection from its creditors after the close of business July 13, and word that the Los Angeles operator of 14 TV stations had filed Chapter 11 spread quickly online and was reported by WFMJ and WKBN radio before local station managers could meet with employees Tuesday morning.
Oops! Yes, often the worst inter-office communications are in...the communications business.
There's not much more to say, locally. New Vision's local management isn't commenting, referring all questions to corporate headquarters. We imagine the folks on Sunset Boulevard, and those who moved over from WYTV's former Shady Run Road studios, are a bit shellshocked....crossing their fingers, and wondering if locusts are next.
But at least New Vision "gets" this whole new media thing! Quoting their release:
New Vision will consistently update its employees, advertisers and business partners at newvisiontv.com/restructuring.html. New Vision has also created a hotline to help answer questions about the restructuring process: 1-888-855-0777. Finally, New Vision employees and other interested parties can receive Twitter updates by following newvisiontv.
And oddly enough, New Vision PR staffer Lisa Cohen must be an OMW reader, at least via Google search, as we're getting these releases directly...
New Vision Television owns CBS affiliate WKBN/27 and Fox affiliate WYFX (WYFX-LP 62/WFXI-CA 17/WKBN-DT 27.2), and operates PBC (Parkin Broadcasting) owned ABC affiliate WYTV/33 and sister MyNetworkTV affiliate MyYTV (WYTV/33.2). That's every commercial station in the Mahoning Valley except for one big one, Vindicator NBC affiliate WFMJ/21, along with its sister CW affiliate "WBCB" (WFMJ/21.2).
From New Vision's latest release today:
New Vision Television announced the approval of all of its first-day motions by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
"The Court's prompt action is good news for New Vision's employees, advertisers, business partners and viewers," said Jason Elkin, New Vision's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The Court's decision will allow us continue to operate our business as usual. The Court's quick ruling also marks a smooth entry into what we hope will be a short and consensual bankruptcy process that will restructure all of the company's debt and lead to the emergence of New Vision as a much stronger entity going forward."
The process is expected to be short because the company's lenders will basically end up owning the broadcaster themselves...though it takes money to keep the doors open:
New Vision received Court approval during its first-day hearings to keep all employee pay and benefits intact. The Court also approved New Vision's access on an interim basis to a new $28 million line of credit that will provide ample funding for the company through the remainder of the restructuring process. Next, the Court permitted New Vision to make key operational payments, including for taxes and insurance programs. Under the Court's order, sales incentives will also be funded. Finally, the Court established procedures to streamline the proceedings with the goal of speeding New Vision's emergence from bankruptcy.
How's this playing on Sunset Boulevard in Youngstown?
Well, if you want to know about the inside workings of the market's TV stations, you go to Youngstown Business Journal publisher Andrea Wood, also an OMW reader. From her article earlier today:
News travels fast inside the news business, so fast that newsroom employees of WKBN/WYFX and WYTV learned their parent company had filed bankruptcy when a reporter at competitor WFMJ called late Monday seeking comment.
New Vision Television sought protection from its creditors after the close of business July 13, and word that the Los Angeles operator of 14 TV stations had filed Chapter 11 spread quickly online and was reported by WFMJ and WKBN radio before local station managers could meet with employees Tuesday morning.
Oops! Yes, often the worst inter-office communications are in...the communications business.
There's not much more to say, locally. New Vision's local management isn't commenting, referring all questions to corporate headquarters. We imagine the folks on Sunset Boulevard, and those who moved over from WYTV's former Shady Run Road studios, are a bit shellshocked....crossing their fingers, and wondering if locusts are next.
But at least New Vision "gets" this whole new media thing! Quoting their release:
New Vision will consistently update its employees, advertisers and business partners at newvisiontv.com/restructuring.html. New Vision has also created a hotline to help answer questions about the restructuring process: 1-888-855-0777. Finally, New Vision employees and other interested parties can receive Twitter updates by following newvisiontv.
And oddly enough, New Vision PR staffer Lisa Cohen must be an OMW reader, at least via Google search, as we're getting these releases directly...
Friday, July 10, 2009
Friday Pileup
We've had a rough time fitting the Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) into our regular week this week, so here are some of the items that have been on that back burner...
GRAPHIC CUTS: OMW hears that Scripps, owner of Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS/5, has joined the Graphics Outsourcing Parade.
It was announced by the group today that like other TV ownership groups with Cleveland market holdings - Gannett (WKYC/3) and Fox (former owner of WJW/8) - Scripps will centralize its graphics operations. Since "centralize" and "outsource" usually mean "job cuts", it's no surprise that the move will result in the loss of three jobs at 3001 Euclid by late October.
The graphics duties will fall to a centralized Scripps hub at its WFTS in Tampa. The move will also presumably result in a standardized graphic look among the Scripps stations, much like a similar move at Gannett affected WKYC's on-air look.
OMW also hears that traffic operations (commercial spot traffic, not "on the roads" traffic) will also be centralized at two hubs in Tampa and Phoenix. We don't know how many WEWS employees that'll affect, or those down in Tri-State Media Watch territory at WCPO/Cincinnati...
SPEAKING OF CINCINNATI: We do normally leave the Queen City media news to the TSMW Empire, but this one can't go without some notice.
The Cincinnati Enquirer, owned by WKYC owner Gannett, has made one of those eye-popping layoffs...with as many as 100 employees shown the door. Gannett is also shuttering the "CiNWeekly" free entertainment-oriented paper, and is replacing it online (and it appears in print) with the Metromix brand...which also used online by WKYC.
Gannett announced earlier that some 1,400 staffers would be cut in its "community publishing" (print) division.
We'll leave the heavy lifting on this to TSMW...but we couldn't go without mentioning it...
MAHONING VALLEY FLIPS: If it's July, it must be time for a small Mahoning Valley radio group to make some format and positioning changes.
Yes, we're talking about Warren-based Beacon Broadcasting, which has made those changes to two of its stations.
After the July 4th holiday weekend, Beacon flagship WANR/1570 Warren moved from classic hits to sports. 1570 has become the Youngstown-Warren market affiliate for Premiere's Fox Sports Radio.
A hat tip to Premiere's Kurt Kretzschmar, an OMW reader (!), who tells us that WANR is also airing the local "Cappy and Christian" sports talk show from 9 AM to noon, and Premiere's separately syndicated Jim Rome from noon-3.
(Of course, FSR now airs The Content Factory's Dan Patrick from 9-noon, which clears elsewhere in the market - on delay on Cumulus sports WBBW/1240 "ESPN 1240".)
Elsewhere in the Beacon Media Empire, we already tipped you to the repositioning of Christian rock WEXC/107.1 Greenville PA, the Youngstown market rimshot that has changed from "Freq 107" to "Indie 107.1".
Beacon's Gregg Allen, also an OMW reader, weighed in on our earlier item, noting that "Freq" hasn't been exclusively a Christian rocker:
Yes we do play Christian music along with Matchbox 20, Hanna Montana, the Jonas Brothers, David Burn, Peter Moon Band, and a lot of independent artists! Freq 107 has been like that for at least the last 4 years according to my GM.
Now don't get confused, we are a Faith Based Company, which means, we will do all we can to play music that will not compromise our values.
The Freq name is one that didn't really describe us very well, where Indie 107.1 nails it! With big corporate radio going mostly national, we want people to know that local radio still exists and cares about the community, and quite frankly, our listeners like our mix of music. I found it interesting that you folks didn't notice that we dropped the Freq from 1540 too, now that is a Christian station, 100%.
Gregg, since we're not actually in the Youngstown market, we pick this stuff up on occasion, like when we're driving through the area. We appreciate your clarification.
Gregg also gave us the first tip of the now-complete WANR flip to Fox Sports Radio...
GRAPHIC CUTS: OMW hears that Scripps, owner of Cleveland ABC affiliate WEWS/5, has joined the Graphics Outsourcing Parade.
It was announced by the group today that like other TV ownership groups with Cleveland market holdings - Gannett (WKYC/3) and Fox (former owner of WJW/8) - Scripps will centralize its graphics operations. Since "centralize" and "outsource" usually mean "job cuts", it's no surprise that the move will result in the loss of three jobs at 3001 Euclid by late October.
The graphics duties will fall to a centralized Scripps hub at its WFTS in Tampa. The move will also presumably result in a standardized graphic look among the Scripps stations, much like a similar move at Gannett affected WKYC's on-air look.
OMW also hears that traffic operations (commercial spot traffic, not "on the roads" traffic) will also be centralized at two hubs in Tampa and Phoenix. We don't know how many WEWS employees that'll affect, or those down in Tri-State Media Watch territory at WCPO/Cincinnati...
SPEAKING OF CINCINNATI: We do normally leave the Queen City media news to the TSMW Empire, but this one can't go without some notice.
The Cincinnati Enquirer, owned by WKYC owner Gannett, has made one of those eye-popping layoffs...with as many as 100 employees shown the door. Gannett is also shuttering the "CiNWeekly" free entertainment-oriented paper, and is replacing it online (and it appears in print) with the Metromix brand...which also used online by WKYC.
Gannett announced earlier that some 1,400 staffers would be cut in its "community publishing" (print) division.
We'll leave the heavy lifting on this to TSMW...but we couldn't go without mentioning it...
MAHONING VALLEY FLIPS: If it's July, it must be time for a small Mahoning Valley radio group to make some format and positioning changes.
Yes, we're talking about Warren-based Beacon Broadcasting, which has made those changes to two of its stations.
After the July 4th holiday weekend, Beacon flagship WANR/1570 Warren moved from classic hits to sports. 1570 has become the Youngstown-Warren market affiliate for Premiere's Fox Sports Radio.
A hat tip to Premiere's Kurt Kretzschmar, an OMW reader (!), who tells us that WANR is also airing the local "Cappy and Christian" sports talk show from 9 AM to noon, and Premiere's separately syndicated Jim Rome from noon-3.
(Of course, FSR now airs The Content Factory's Dan Patrick from 9-noon, which clears elsewhere in the market - on delay on Cumulus sports WBBW/1240 "ESPN 1240".)
Elsewhere in the Beacon Media Empire, we already tipped you to the repositioning of Christian rock WEXC/107.1 Greenville PA, the Youngstown market rimshot that has changed from "Freq 107" to "Indie 107.1".
Beacon's Gregg Allen, also an OMW reader, weighed in on our earlier item, noting that "Freq" hasn't been exclusively a Christian rocker:
Yes we do play Christian music along with Matchbox 20, Hanna Montana, the Jonas Brothers, David Burn, Peter Moon Band, and a lot of independent artists! Freq 107 has been like that for at least the last 4 years according to my GM.
Now don't get confused, we are a Faith Based Company, which means, we will do all we can to play music that will not compromise our values.
The Freq name is one that didn't really describe us very well, where Indie 107.1 nails it! With big corporate radio going mostly national, we want people to know that local radio still exists and cares about the community, and quite frankly, our listeners like our mix of music. I found it interesting that you folks didn't notice that we dropped the Freq from 1540 too, now that is a Christian station, 100%.
Gregg, since we're not actually in the Youngstown market, we pick this stuff up on occasion, like when we're driving through the area. We appreciate your clarification.
Gregg also gave us the first tip of the now-complete WANR flip to Fox Sports Radio...
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Changes, Cuts And Kudos
We've got a news-filled update this morning...linked only by alliteration...
WAVE MAKES MORNING CHANGE: Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Cleveland market smooth jazz mainstay WNWV/107.3 "The Wave" is making a change in morning drive.
OMW hears that Tom Murphy, who's been helming the Wave morning drive shift since 1996 (according to his bio), is no longer in the building...and apparently not of his own choice.
Though we don't know why Murphy is not with WNWV anymore, the voice who will replace him is very familiar to "Wave" listeners - Mike Kessler.
Kessler has been doing weekend shifts at WNWV for a while now, but he's much better known to 107.3's listeners as the voice of traffic and news during...you guessed it, Tom Murphy's morning show.
Kessler had been doing those updates from the now-closed offices of Metro Networks in Independence. Metro packed up and headed for Detroit on June 15th, leaving behind three Cleveland-based staffers "embedded" at local affiliates....and an empty floor at a Granger Road office complex...
TV CUTS: This one's about more TV job cuts, and worries about job cuts that may affect TV stations - even indirectly.
Shortly after we passed along word that Local TV Fox affiliate WJW/8's buyouts had been accepted by veterans Belinda Prinz and Dan Coughlin, we spotted this word on the popular NewsBlues inside-the-newsroom-scoop site - run by former (long-ago) WKYCers Mike James and Mona Scott:
Scripps-owned WEWS-5-ABC in Cleveland (Market #17) laid off four news editors yesterday...including one with 32 years experience. A tipster claims News Director Jill Manuel called in sick to avoid having to do the dirty work.
That one got put on our back burner for a while, but we decided to pursue the loose ends of this recently.
Sources at 3001 Euclid tell us that the four news editors are gone because of the march of technology and multitasking, basically.
With producers and photographers doing editing on their own with laptop computers, the thought in the building is that there's less need for dedicated "editors" slaving over dedicated machines...or so the story goes.
We still don't have confirmation that "NewsChannel 5" news boss Jill Manual took a sick day instead of canning four editors.
But we understand the pressure at TV stations to have more people doing more things with an assist from technology. We're pretty sure our blogging colleague over at Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3, senior director Frank Macek, does roughly five jobs at once, not counting an occasional use of the Flip video camera...
AND SPEAKING OF GANNETT (PRINT SIDE): The Wall Street Journal reports that the media giant is expected to get the Job Cut Axe out - and we're talking Clear Channel-sized numbers. Quoting the Journal's Russell Adams:
Gannett Co., the largest U.S. newspaper publisher by daily circulation, will cut between 1,000 and 2,000 jobs out of its 41,500-person work force in response to continuing revenue declines, according to a person familiar with the company's thinking.
The cuts will come from the U.S. Community Publishing division, which consists of Gannett's more than 80 local dailies, the person said, and won't affect the company's flagship, USA Today. The exact number of jobs to be cut wasn't clear. The cuts will be disclosed in the next few days.
And as such, there's no talk in the article that any of the planned job cuts will affect the TV side of Gannett's operation. Though that would presumably spare WKYC, Gannett has a whole host of newspapers in Ohio...from the Cincinnati Enquirer to the Zanesville Times-Recorder and Mansfield News Journal, just to name three.
Blogs watching Gannett are almost a cottage industry. Jim Hopkins' Gannett Blog has been the mostly widely watched, but it's apparently going away on July 10th. That blog's "recommended successor" is "Gannettoid".
If we're reading that latter blog correctly, it appears they believe the broadcast side of the latest Gannett hits involved the recently reported tiered salary reduction - which reportedly spared WKYC, because they'd gone through their own cuts not that long ago.
Yes, we get tired of having to report this sort of thing, too.
But like most big media giants having extra indigestion in an economy where revenue drops are in the double digit percentages most months, Gannett's indigestion is heavily linked to its big newspaper business...
SO, BETTER NEWS: And the "Kudos" part of our update.
Here at your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm), we don't generally reprint long awards lists. When the Ohio Associated Press handed out statewide broadcast news awards not that long ago, we included a link to the list on the OAPB website and not much else.
But this one's easy, as we're an Ohio-based blog...and only two awards from the latest awards list are headed back here.
Akron's Rubber City Radio Group took home two national Edward R. Murrow Awards. Quoting the local radio group's news site AkronNewsNow.com:
AkronNewsNow reporter Tina Kaufmann has won the 2009 National Edward R. Murrow Award, in small market radio, for the category of "Investigative Reporting" for her story and series on Bungalo Five and Hot Spots.
Kaufmann's original story on Bungalo Five aired in April of 2008 and looked at how the city used police overtime at the local nightclub. Her story lead to a policy change in Akron in less than 24 hours.
The AkronNewsNow.com site itself picked up its second-year-in-a-row award for best small market radio news website. And at this rate, Ms. Kaufmann is going to have to go shopping for her own awards cabinet.
As for all these awards, we note: we don't know "who entered and who didn't", kind of the nature of broadcast news awards in 2009...but even in a changed media and news world, it's still quite an honor to gain national recognition for a local effort in Akron, Ohio.
The "Akron Radio Center Newsroom" on West Market Street serves oldies/news WAKR/1590, country WQMX/94.9 and rock WONE/97.5...
WAVE MAKES MORNING CHANGE: Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Cleveland market smooth jazz mainstay WNWV/107.3 "The Wave" is making a change in morning drive.
OMW hears that Tom Murphy, who's been helming the Wave morning drive shift since 1996 (according to his bio), is no longer in the building...and apparently not of his own choice.
Though we don't know why Murphy is not with WNWV anymore, the voice who will replace him is very familiar to "Wave" listeners - Mike Kessler.
Kessler has been doing weekend shifts at WNWV for a while now, but he's much better known to 107.3's listeners as the voice of traffic and news during...you guessed it, Tom Murphy's morning show.
Kessler had been doing those updates from the now-closed offices of Metro Networks in Independence. Metro packed up and headed for Detroit on June 15th, leaving behind three Cleveland-based staffers "embedded" at local affiliates....and an empty floor at a Granger Road office complex...
TV CUTS: This one's about more TV job cuts, and worries about job cuts that may affect TV stations - even indirectly.
Shortly after we passed along word that Local TV Fox affiliate WJW/8's buyouts had been accepted by veterans Belinda Prinz and Dan Coughlin, we spotted this word on the popular NewsBlues inside-the-newsroom-scoop site - run by former (long-ago) WKYCers Mike James and Mona Scott:
Scripps-owned WEWS-5-ABC in Cleveland (Market #17) laid off four news editors yesterday...including one with 32 years experience. A tipster claims News Director Jill Manuel called in sick to avoid having to do the dirty work.
That one got put on our back burner for a while, but we decided to pursue the loose ends of this recently.
Sources at 3001 Euclid tell us that the four news editors are gone because of the march of technology and multitasking, basically.
With producers and photographers doing editing on their own with laptop computers, the thought in the building is that there's less need for dedicated "editors" slaving over dedicated machines...or so the story goes.
We still don't have confirmation that "NewsChannel 5" news boss Jill Manual took a sick day instead of canning four editors.
But we understand the pressure at TV stations to have more people doing more things with an assist from technology. We're pretty sure our blogging colleague over at Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3, senior director Frank Macek, does roughly five jobs at once, not counting an occasional use of the Flip video camera...
AND SPEAKING OF GANNETT (PRINT SIDE): The Wall Street Journal reports that the media giant is expected to get the Job Cut Axe out - and we're talking Clear Channel-sized numbers. Quoting the Journal's Russell Adams:
Gannett Co., the largest U.S. newspaper publisher by daily circulation, will cut between 1,000 and 2,000 jobs out of its 41,500-person work force in response to continuing revenue declines, according to a person familiar with the company's thinking.
The cuts will come from the U.S. Community Publishing division, which consists of Gannett's more than 80 local dailies, the person said, and won't affect the company's flagship, USA Today. The exact number of jobs to be cut wasn't clear. The cuts will be disclosed in the next few days.
And as such, there's no talk in the article that any of the planned job cuts will affect the TV side of Gannett's operation. Though that would presumably spare WKYC, Gannett has a whole host of newspapers in Ohio...from the Cincinnati Enquirer to the Zanesville Times-Recorder and Mansfield News Journal, just to name three.
Blogs watching Gannett are almost a cottage industry. Jim Hopkins' Gannett Blog has been the mostly widely watched, but it's apparently going away on July 10th. That blog's "recommended successor" is "Gannettoid".
If we're reading that latter blog correctly, it appears they believe the broadcast side of the latest Gannett hits involved the recently reported tiered salary reduction - which reportedly spared WKYC, because they'd gone through their own cuts not that long ago.
Yes, we get tired of having to report this sort of thing, too.
But like most big media giants having extra indigestion in an economy where revenue drops are in the double digit percentages most months, Gannett's indigestion is heavily linked to its big newspaper business...
SO, BETTER NEWS: And the "Kudos" part of our update.
Here at your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm), we don't generally reprint long awards lists. When the Ohio Associated Press handed out statewide broadcast news awards not that long ago, we included a link to the list on the OAPB website and not much else.
But this one's easy, as we're an Ohio-based blog...and only two awards from the latest awards list are headed back here.
Akron's Rubber City Radio Group took home two national Edward R. Murrow Awards. Quoting the local radio group's news site AkronNewsNow.com:
AkronNewsNow reporter Tina Kaufmann has won the 2009 National Edward R. Murrow Award, in small market radio, for the category of "Investigative Reporting" for her story and series on Bungalo Five and Hot Spots.
Kaufmann's original story on Bungalo Five aired in April of 2008 and looked at how the city used police overtime at the local nightclub. Her story lead to a policy change in Akron in less than 24 hours.
The AkronNewsNow.com site itself picked up its second-year-in-a-row award for best small market radio news website. And at this rate, Ms. Kaufmann is going to have to go shopping for her own awards cabinet.
As for all these awards, we note: we don't know "who entered and who didn't", kind of the nature of broadcast news awards in 2009...but even in a changed media and news world, it's still quite an honor to gain national recognition for a local effort in Akron, Ohio.
The "Akron Radio Center Newsroom" on West Market Street serves oldies/news WAKR/1590, country WQMX/94.9 and rock WONE/97.5...
Thursday, June 25, 2009
We Know And We Don't Know
UPDATE 6/25/09 2:21 PM: Our report of the buyouts accepted by WJW/8 "Fox 8" veterans Belinda Prinz and Dan Coughlin has been confirmed/separately reported by Cleveland Plain Dealer media columnist Julie Washington...
---------
There is a lot of information floating around, most of it related to broadcast television in Northeast Ohio.
And we "know" most of it, though some of it is still speculation based on information that's out there...
WE KNOW - TV: OMW hears that two veteran local TV names are the latest to take the exit ramp off of the Full-Time TV Highway.
We're told that two staffers at Local TV Fox affiliate WJW/8 have taken a company-offered buyout: news reporter Belinda Prinz and sports reporter/anchor Dan Coughlin.
Our sources say the buyout means the end of Prinz' media career, after a total of over 30 years in radio and TV.
As far as Coughlin, a sports media institution who came to TV out of a long newspaper career, OMW hears that he may still do some part-time work for "Fox 8" during the high school football season.
We believe Coughlin has contributed to the Lorain Morning Journal and sister paper Lake County News-Herald, but find no evidence that he's written anything for them recently. And we don't have all morning to search...
WE KNOW, MOSTLY - TV: We first got word from the popular TV news insider tipsheet NewsBlues that struggling media giant Gannett was instituting a forced salary reduction for its non-contracted employees.
MinnPost.com, an excellent non-profit online news site in Minnesota established by a host of former newspaper and media types in that state, posted the staff memo explaining the pay cuts. Gannett owns NBC affiliate KARE/11 in the Twin Cities.
Quoting the memo from David Lougee, president of Gannett's broadcast division, from the blog by MinnPost's David Brauer:
In effect, we have to have our own “reset” to match the changes in the broadcasting business. As a result, we are making the following changes in compensation for employees making $30,000 or more in order to reduce costs and minimize the need for additional job-related actions in the future.
Effective July 1, for:
• Employees making $30,000 to $39,999, compensation is reduced 4%.
• Employees making $40,000 to $49,999, compensation is reduced 5%.
• Employees making $50,000 and higher, compensation is reduced 6%.
Lougee says Gannett's broadcast financial results are at the "top of the industry". We'd hate to see what'd happen if the results were at "the bottom".
Now, thanks to the NewsBlues folks, the story that affects Northeast Ohio.
The industry news newsletter reported Wednesday that Gannett's big broadcast property here, WKYC/3, will not be impacted by the above listed pay cuts...along with the company's WCSH/6 in Portland ME.
Why?
They've already taken the pay cut pain. (Cleveland...pioneer in TV's New Economic Model!)
And of course, as we reported back in March, Gannett staffers have been forced into taking unpaid furloughs. That may explain why a prominent WKYC reporter and anchor has "Gone Fishin'" on a week when the biggest story in his portion of the region came to a head on Tuesday...the fishing pole was forced into his hand.
There's one other WKYC connection in this sub-story.
NewsBlues is written by former Orlando FL sports anchor Mike James, who apparently also once toiled at WKYC. His wife is the daily contributor of a grammar section written under the name "Mrs. B", and helps her husband put out the final product.
Unless you weren't in Northeast Ohio in the 1970's and 1980's, or Central Ohio after that, you know "Mrs. B" better as Mona Scott, the former WKYC anchor who moved to Columbus' WCMH/4 in the 1980's - along with then-husband and then-co-anchor Doug Adair. In an era where WKYC still lagged behind news powerhouse WJW/8 (then the market's CBS affiliate), "Doug and Mona" were popular, both on-camera and off-camera.
Mona retired from the TV news game after a brief return to Columbus, where she anchored on the WBNS/10 morning show until 1998. An excellent article on the Cleveland Seniors website tells of her love of Lake Erie and suburban Bay Village, and a brief mid-career non-TV period where she lived with a relative in Ravenna, but we can't access it at this writing.
We don't know if Mona still has sources at the station (now at 13th and Lakeside, in the "Digital Broadcast Center" built long after Mona left Cleveland), but it's a coincidence nonetheless...
WE DON'T KNOW - TV: We couldn't help but notice an ad posted on fellow blogger Frank Macek's always-excellent "Director's Cut" blog, a great source of information about the aforementioned WKYC.
The station has posted a job opening, believe it or not, for a "multi-media journalist" for the WKYC "Good Morning Today" show and its associated morning newscasts:
WKYC-TV is currently accepting applications for the position of Multi-Media Journalist for AM newscast.
POSITION SUMMARY DESCRIPTION: * Shoot, write, edit, and report stories for daily AM newscasts. * Enterprise stories and package ideas. * Deliver live stories and packages from remote locations and in studio. * Produce daily content for website and social media platforms. * Work with desk on follow-up. * Other related duties as assigned.
We don't know what this means for the station's morning show, which is currently hosted by Mark Nolan alongside meteorologist Hollie Strano. We also don't know if they intend to replace now-former co-host Abby Ham, now firmly "back home" at Gannett sister NBC affiliate WBIR/10 in Knoxville TN. (Did we mention Abby really loves Eastern Tennnesee?)
But the job ad is interesting nonetheless...
WE DON'T KNOW - TV: No, your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) has no idea why Canton-licensed infomerical outlet WOAC/67 hasn't changed hands yet.
The incoming owner of the station, Illinois-based Tri-State Christian Television, annoucned to newsletter subscribers late last week that they planned to take over WOAC yesterday - and change its call letters to WRLM. The switch was, the group said, planned to happen during the outlet's live, midday talk show, "TCT Today", during the 1 PM Eastern hour.
We got the tip from Cleveland Classic Media's Tim Lones, who signed up for that E-mail newsletter when he learned of the WOAC sale. Like many in Canton, he has memories of WOAC's days as a local independent station.
But...nothing happened on Wednesday afternoon. As of this writing, late Thursday morning, WOAC is still pumping out the infomercials...complete with spots asking potential advertisers to call Ron Rembert at a Kent phone number - 330-677-6760. (Hey, maybe if the TCT folks called Ron now, they could book time on WOAC by the hour...before they take it over!)
FCC records still show that the sale of WOAC to TCT's Radiant Life Ministries was approved on June 10th, and that TCT/RLM applied for the WRLM calls for WOAC on June 17th.
We're guessing that they are waiting for the official lawyerly paperwork to be noted by the FCC, and we're guessing the change will happen sometime during that "TCT Today" show in the next few days...
WE KNOW - RADIO: The reach of the Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) sometimes surprises us, and we've been doing this for nearly 4 years now.
If you talk about someone and ask questions about them, they're bound to show up in the OMW E-mail box, and that's exactly what happened with former Metro Networks morning news anchor Chris Coleman.
Chris' virtual ears (eyes?) were burning, so he dropped us a note explaining his current situation - which we were curious about since we heard him filling in for Metro's Jeff Thomas on Good Karma sports WKNR/850 "ESPN 850"'s morning sports updates.
Chris has done that before, but this time, Metro is a company without a local studio, and Mr. Coleman was clearly not located at WKNR's Galleria studios...Jeff Thomas' new work location after Metro shut down its operation on Granger Road this month.
Maybe Chris is sharing space with a former U.S. vice president this week, as he tells us he is doing the WKNR updates from "an undisclosed location in Independence". He confirms that he did not follow Metro's local operations to Detroit, and he isn't one of the staffers "embedded" at Metro's area affiliates.
Coleman tells OMW that after he finishes filling in for Thomas, he'll officially be a former Metro Networks employee.
For now, his next move is outside radio. He tells us he plans to "begin pursuing advanced college degrees, with the goal of teaching journalism at the college level".
But we're not sure we've heard the last of Chris Coleman on the radio.
It's a crazy business, and those who pursue it, then leave, are often lured back in one way or the other.
Maybe it's a virus, and it's nearly impossible to expunge it from your body...and we would not at all be surprised to hear in the future that Chris has combined his new college studies with some sort of stint behind a microphone...
---------
There is a lot of information floating around, most of it related to broadcast television in Northeast Ohio.
And we "know" most of it, though some of it is still speculation based on information that's out there...
WE KNOW - TV: OMW hears that two veteran local TV names are the latest to take the exit ramp off of the Full-Time TV Highway.
We're told that two staffers at Local TV Fox affiliate WJW/8 have taken a company-offered buyout: news reporter Belinda Prinz and sports reporter/anchor Dan Coughlin.
Our sources say the buyout means the end of Prinz' media career, after a total of over 30 years in radio and TV.
As far as Coughlin, a sports media institution who came to TV out of a long newspaper career, OMW hears that he may still do some part-time work for "Fox 8" during the high school football season.
We believe Coughlin has contributed to the Lorain Morning Journal and sister paper Lake County News-Herald, but find no evidence that he's written anything for them recently. And we don't have all morning to search...
WE KNOW, MOSTLY - TV: We first got word from the popular TV news insider tipsheet NewsBlues that struggling media giant Gannett was instituting a forced salary reduction for its non-contracted employees.
MinnPost.com, an excellent non-profit online news site in Minnesota established by a host of former newspaper and media types in that state, posted the staff memo explaining the pay cuts. Gannett owns NBC affiliate KARE/11 in the Twin Cities.
Quoting the memo from David Lougee, president of Gannett's broadcast division, from the blog by MinnPost's David Brauer:
In effect, we have to have our own “reset” to match the changes in the broadcasting business. As a result, we are making the following changes in compensation for employees making $30,000 or more in order to reduce costs and minimize the need for additional job-related actions in the future.
Effective July 1, for:
• Employees making $30,000 to $39,999, compensation is reduced 4%.
• Employees making $40,000 to $49,999, compensation is reduced 5%.
• Employees making $50,000 and higher, compensation is reduced 6%.
Lougee says Gannett's broadcast financial results are at the "top of the industry". We'd hate to see what'd happen if the results were at "the bottom".
Now, thanks to the NewsBlues folks, the story that affects Northeast Ohio.
The industry news newsletter reported Wednesday that Gannett's big broadcast property here, WKYC/3, will not be impacted by the above listed pay cuts...along with the company's WCSH/6 in Portland ME.
Why?
They've already taken the pay cut pain. (Cleveland...pioneer in TV's New Economic Model!)
And of course, as we reported back in March, Gannett staffers have been forced into taking unpaid furloughs. That may explain why a prominent WKYC reporter and anchor has "Gone Fishin'" on a week when the biggest story in his portion of the region came to a head on Tuesday...the fishing pole was forced into his hand.
There's one other WKYC connection in this sub-story.
NewsBlues is written by former Orlando FL sports anchor Mike James, who apparently also once toiled at WKYC. His wife is the daily contributor of a grammar section written under the name "Mrs. B", and helps her husband put out the final product.
Unless you weren't in Northeast Ohio in the 1970's and 1980's, or Central Ohio after that, you know "Mrs. B" better as Mona Scott, the former WKYC anchor who moved to Columbus' WCMH/4 in the 1980's - along with then-husband and then-co-anchor Doug Adair. In an era where WKYC still lagged behind news powerhouse WJW/8 (then the market's CBS affiliate), "Doug and Mona" were popular, both on-camera and off-camera.
Mona retired from the TV news game after a brief return to Columbus, where she anchored on the WBNS/10 morning show until 1998. An excellent article on the Cleveland Seniors website tells of her love of Lake Erie and suburban Bay Village, and a brief mid-career non-TV period where she lived with a relative in Ravenna, but we can't access it at this writing.
We don't know if Mona still has sources at the station (now at 13th and Lakeside, in the "Digital Broadcast Center" built long after Mona left Cleveland), but it's a coincidence nonetheless...
WE DON'T KNOW - TV: We couldn't help but notice an ad posted on fellow blogger Frank Macek's always-excellent "Director's Cut" blog, a great source of information about the aforementioned WKYC.
The station has posted a job opening, believe it or not, for a "multi-media journalist" for the WKYC "Good Morning Today" show and its associated morning newscasts:
WKYC-TV is currently accepting applications for the position of Multi-Media Journalist for AM newscast.
POSITION SUMMARY DESCRIPTION: * Shoot, write, edit, and report stories for daily AM newscasts. * Enterprise stories and package ideas. * Deliver live stories and packages from remote locations and in studio. * Produce daily content for website and social media platforms. * Work with desk on follow-up. * Other related duties as assigned.
We don't know what this means for the station's morning show, which is currently hosted by Mark Nolan alongside meteorologist Hollie Strano. We also don't know if they intend to replace now-former co-host Abby Ham, now firmly "back home" at Gannett sister NBC affiliate WBIR/10 in Knoxville TN. (Did we mention Abby really loves Eastern Tennnesee?)
But the job ad is interesting nonetheless...
WE DON'T KNOW - TV: No, your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) has no idea why Canton-licensed infomerical outlet WOAC/67 hasn't changed hands yet.
The incoming owner of the station, Illinois-based Tri-State Christian Television, annoucned to newsletter subscribers late last week that they planned to take over WOAC yesterday - and change its call letters to WRLM. The switch was, the group said, planned to happen during the outlet's live, midday talk show, "TCT Today", during the 1 PM Eastern hour.
We got the tip from Cleveland Classic Media's Tim Lones, who signed up for that E-mail newsletter when he learned of the WOAC sale. Like many in Canton, he has memories of WOAC's days as a local independent station.
But...nothing happened on Wednesday afternoon. As of this writing, late Thursday morning, WOAC is still pumping out the infomercials...complete with spots asking potential advertisers to call Ron Rembert at a Kent phone number - 330-677-6760. (Hey, maybe if the TCT folks called Ron now, they could book time on WOAC by the hour...before they take it over!)
FCC records still show that the sale of WOAC to TCT's Radiant Life Ministries was approved on June 10th, and that TCT/RLM applied for the WRLM calls for WOAC on June 17th.
We're guessing that they are waiting for the official lawyerly paperwork to be noted by the FCC, and we're guessing the change will happen sometime during that "TCT Today" show in the next few days...
WE KNOW - RADIO: The reach of the Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) sometimes surprises us, and we've been doing this for nearly 4 years now.
If you talk about someone and ask questions about them, they're bound to show up in the OMW E-mail box, and that's exactly what happened with former Metro Networks morning news anchor Chris Coleman.
Chris' virtual ears (eyes?) were burning, so he dropped us a note explaining his current situation - which we were curious about since we heard him filling in for Metro's Jeff Thomas on Good Karma sports WKNR/850 "ESPN 850"'s morning sports updates.
Chris has done that before, but this time, Metro is a company without a local studio, and Mr. Coleman was clearly not located at WKNR's Galleria studios...Jeff Thomas' new work location after Metro shut down its operation on Granger Road this month.
Maybe Chris is sharing space with a former U.S. vice president this week, as he tells us he is doing the WKNR updates from "an undisclosed location in Independence". He confirms that he did not follow Metro's local operations to Detroit, and he isn't one of the staffers "embedded" at Metro's area affiliates.
Coleman tells OMW that after he finishes filling in for Thomas, he'll officially be a former Metro Networks employee.
For now, his next move is outside radio. He tells us he plans to "begin pursuing advanced college degrees, with the goal of teaching journalism at the college level".
But we're not sure we've heard the last of Chris Coleman on the radio.
It's a crazy business, and those who pursue it, then leave, are often lured back in one way or the other.
Maybe it's a virus, and it's nearly impossible to expunge it from your body...and we would not at all be surprised to hear in the future that Chris has combined his new college studies with some sort of stint behind a microphone...
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Three Quick Hits
We have been working on some things that aren't confirmed - or can't be printed, yet - so here's what we CAN bring you...
THE DECLINE OF WOAC: OK, so most of our readers would say that Canton-licensed WOAC/67's decline began when the station dumped its Canton-focused secular independent programming for infomercials, home shopping and then, more infomercials.
But we're getting an insight into the financial problems faced by the TV division of brokered ethnic radio king Arthur Liu's Multicultural Broadcasting empire. You can blame the economy...and by extension, local network affiliates.
From a recent Inside Radio item:
Many infomercial programmers were able to buy time on VHF network affiliates who had long shunned their dollars.
Last October Liu defaulted on his loan to Wells Fargo Foothill, Pacific Media Capital and a Daniel Zwirn-run fund. Operations were turned over to trustee Lee Shubert.
The sale of WOAC-TV, Cleveland-Akron (Channel 67) to Radiant Life Ministries for $7 million begins the sell-off of Multicultural Television. An appraiser calls that a “pathetic” price for a full-market station covering 1.5 million households.
So, basically, the recession made Prime TV Real Estate (time on major network affiliates) turn to infomercials to fill time slots once filled by, oh, say, news. See our recent item on the end of Sunday morning news on CBS affiliate WOIO/19 and Fox affiliate WJW/8 for that part of the story.
With the big network affiliates hungry for cash, they were willing to sell that time at presumably competitive rates...certainly competitive if you count the more visible platform vs. a station like WOAC.
The changing market conditions could also explain the presence of recent paid programming on WOAC, such as some shows which migrated over from Media-Com's "The Cat" (WAOH-LP 29 Akron/W35AX Cleveland) - "Handy Andy Auto Care", "Dining with Steve" and "The Art of Living". (Yes, Diana Ray, we finally mentioned your show!)
We'll have to assume that at some point, WOAC made the cost of buying a half-hour of time more reasonable to these folks. We'll also assume all of them will be bounced off WOAC when the TCT folks take it over.
And that "pathetic" price for WOAC? Of course, blame the current state of media dealmaking for that.
With credit for such things as TV station purchases extremely hard to get, very few companies, groups or funds can buy a station like WOAC.
It's the religious operators, like incoming WOAC owner Radiant Life Ministries/Tri-State Christian Television (TCT), Trinity Broadcasting or (on the radio side) "K-Love" parent Educational Media Foundation that are pretty much the only ones with cash on the barrelhead to buy media properties in 2009.
(And yes, we spotted Bernard Radio's Daniel Zwirn in that item. We didn't know he funded TV deals...)
By the way, Liu continues as usual with his radio group, and Inside Radio reports that he's still dealing in TV - as a programming supplier of Chinese-language channels to the Verizon FiOS television service...
WVMX...WESTERVILLE: Long time Friend of OMW Scott Fybush spots this from his NorthEast Radio Watch outpost in upstate New York.
We missed it as well, but Scott alerts us that it appears Saga hot AC WVMX/107.9 "Mix 107-9" has been granted a construction permit that moves its city of license from Delaware to Westerville.
The new construction permit doesn't specify a facility move, so the station will still - for now, at least, transmit from that big tower south of Delaware along I-71...next to the sign for 107.9's previous oldies format.
That "classic hits" format landed on WODB/104.3 Richwood, which also took the former calls 107.9 abandoned when Saga moved to fill the "Mix" hot AC hole after Dispatch/RadiOhio's WBNS-FM/97.1 became the new FM home of WBNS/1460's sports format as "97.1 The Fan".
As for 107.9's future, presumably, Saga is twiddling all the bits in their engineering database to see if THEY can file to nudge the tower site further south for a new facility closer to the city, a filing which Clear Channel hot AC WKDD/98.1 made some time after gaining a COL change from Canton to the Akron suburb of Munroe Falls.
But Scott tells us any move south of 107.9-now-Westerville will be difficult, as spacing to Radio One urban WCKX/107.5 "Power 107.5" is already tight from the Delaware-area site...
DUH-DUH-DUM...DUH-DUH-DUM!: We'll give a hint of the item we can't finalize yet.
Earlier, we passed along an item from Southern California, where former Columbus sports talker Brooks Melchoir contended that the folks at ESPN Radio were out looking for cash.
As the story went, ESPN Radio would ask for as much as six figures in cash compensation out of its non-owned-and-operated affiliates in top 30 markets (hello, "ESPN 850 WKNR"!), and lesser amounts out of smaller market stations.
OMW hears from a reader that Fox Sports Radio was heard, briefly, last night...on one of those affected smaller market ESPN Radio affiliates in Ohio. The station in question is back to ESPN Radio, with no sign of FSR, as of this writing.
Could someone there be testing out the satellite feed for an eventual flip from ESPN to Fox Sports Radio?
As far as we know, the station has no FSR programming on its schedule, unlike WKNR, which carries FSR afternoon drive, night and weekend shows on its "little brother" station, WWGK/1540 "KNR2". (Well, "night" depending on when sunset forces WWGK to sign off.)
Right now...and the company which owns the non-top 30 market station is notorious for cost savings. It's as if a move to dump the suddenly costly ESPN Radio was written...ummm....in the clouds...over the Valley...
THE DECLINE OF WOAC: OK, so most of our readers would say that Canton-licensed WOAC/67's decline began when the station dumped its Canton-focused secular independent programming for infomercials, home shopping and then, more infomercials.
But we're getting an insight into the financial problems faced by the TV division of brokered ethnic radio king Arthur Liu's Multicultural Broadcasting empire. You can blame the economy...and by extension, local network affiliates.
From a recent Inside Radio item:
Many infomercial programmers were able to buy time on VHF network affiliates who had long shunned their dollars.
Last October Liu defaulted on his loan to Wells Fargo Foothill, Pacific Media Capital and a Daniel Zwirn-run fund. Operations were turned over to trustee Lee Shubert.
The sale of WOAC-TV, Cleveland-Akron (Channel 67) to Radiant Life Ministries for $7 million begins the sell-off of Multicultural Television. An appraiser calls that a “pathetic” price for a full-market station covering 1.5 million households.
So, basically, the recession made Prime TV Real Estate (time on major network affiliates) turn to infomercials to fill time slots once filled by, oh, say, news. See our recent item on the end of Sunday morning news on CBS affiliate WOIO/19 and Fox affiliate WJW/8 for that part of the story.
With the big network affiliates hungry for cash, they were willing to sell that time at presumably competitive rates...certainly competitive if you count the more visible platform vs. a station like WOAC.
The changing market conditions could also explain the presence of recent paid programming on WOAC, such as some shows which migrated over from Media-Com's "The Cat" (WAOH-LP 29 Akron/W35AX Cleveland) - "Handy Andy Auto Care", "Dining with Steve" and "The Art of Living". (Yes, Diana Ray, we finally mentioned your show!)
We'll have to assume that at some point, WOAC made the cost of buying a half-hour of time more reasonable to these folks. We'll also assume all of them will be bounced off WOAC when the TCT folks take it over.
And that "pathetic" price for WOAC? Of course, blame the current state of media dealmaking for that.
With credit for such things as TV station purchases extremely hard to get, very few companies, groups or funds can buy a station like WOAC.
It's the religious operators, like incoming WOAC owner Radiant Life Ministries/Tri-State Christian Television (TCT), Trinity Broadcasting or (on the radio side) "K-Love" parent Educational Media Foundation that are pretty much the only ones with cash on the barrelhead to buy media properties in 2009.
(And yes, we spotted Bernard Radio's Daniel Zwirn in that item. We didn't know he funded TV deals...)
By the way, Liu continues as usual with his radio group, and Inside Radio reports that he's still dealing in TV - as a programming supplier of Chinese-language channels to the Verizon FiOS television service...
WVMX...WESTERVILLE: Long time Friend of OMW Scott Fybush spots this from his NorthEast Radio Watch outpost in upstate New York.
We missed it as well, but Scott alerts us that it appears Saga hot AC WVMX/107.9 "Mix 107-9" has been granted a construction permit that moves its city of license from Delaware to Westerville.
The new construction permit doesn't specify a facility move, so the station will still - for now, at least, transmit from that big tower south of Delaware along I-71...next to the sign for 107.9's previous oldies format.
That "classic hits" format landed on WODB/104.3 Richwood, which also took the former calls 107.9 abandoned when Saga moved to fill the "Mix" hot AC hole after Dispatch/RadiOhio's WBNS-FM/97.1 became the new FM home of WBNS/1460's sports format as "97.1 The Fan".
As for 107.9's future, presumably, Saga is twiddling all the bits in their engineering database to see if THEY can file to nudge the tower site further south for a new facility closer to the city, a filing which Clear Channel hot AC WKDD/98.1 made some time after gaining a COL change from Canton to the Akron suburb of Munroe Falls.
But Scott tells us any move south of 107.9-now-Westerville will be difficult, as spacing to Radio One urban WCKX/107.5 "Power 107.5" is already tight from the Delaware-area site...
DUH-DUH-DUM...DUH-DUH-DUM!: We'll give a hint of the item we can't finalize yet.
Earlier, we passed along an item from Southern California, where former Columbus sports talker Brooks Melchoir contended that the folks at ESPN Radio were out looking for cash.
As the story went, ESPN Radio would ask for as much as six figures in cash compensation out of its non-owned-and-operated affiliates in top 30 markets (hello, "ESPN 850 WKNR"!), and lesser amounts out of smaller market stations.
OMW hears from a reader that Fox Sports Radio was heard, briefly, last night...on one of those affected smaller market ESPN Radio affiliates in Ohio. The station in question is back to ESPN Radio, with no sign of FSR, as of this writing.
Could someone there be testing out the satellite feed for an eventual flip from ESPN to Fox Sports Radio?
As far as we know, the station has no FSR programming on its schedule, unlike WKNR, which carries FSR afternoon drive, night and weekend shows on its "little brother" station, WWGK/1540 "KNR2". (Well, "night" depending on when sunset forces WWGK to sign off.)
Right now...and the company which owns the non-top 30 market station is notorious for cost savings. It's as if a move to dump the suddenly costly ESPN Radio was written...ummm....in the clouds...over the Valley...
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Thursday's Mixed Bag
Try as we might, we can't get our daily updates to always fit into a neat, tidy little bag...
THIS IS A TEST, OR WILL BE: Say, what are you doing on May 21st, at 7:30 AM, 12:30 PM or 7:30 PM?
If you're watching over-air analog TV that day, anywhere in the nation, you could be watching a national DTV test.
The Wall Street Journal reports this week that the FCC is working on a plan that would ask TV stations across the United States to, quoting the article, "suspend regular programming and instead show a public-service ad about the digital transition for three five-minute periods May 21 as part of an effort to make sure Americans are ready for the switch."
The "test" would be similar to regional DTV tests already conducted in various parts of the country, including two tests we saw here in Ohio in late 2008 and early this year.
Stations which have already shut off their analog signals - in Northeast Ohio, Western Reserve PBS' WNEO/Alliance, Mid-State independent WMFD/Mansfield, TBN O&O WDLI/Canton, and Multicultural Broadcasting infomercial outlet WOAC/Canton (to be sold to Tri-State Christian Television) - would not have to run the tests.
We have just one comment - if the FCC was really serious about this, they'd put one of the tests in the middle of prime time. Of course, the major networks would probably cry foul...
STACIA'S MOVE: Former Youngstown TV news anchor Stacia Erdos is coming back to the Mahoning Valley media scene...but not as a member of a local TV news operation.
Erdos is joining the staff of the Youngstown Business Journal, in a role we'll let Business Journal publisher and OMW reader Andrea Wood explain:
Erdos, who anchored the 6 and 11 p.m. weeknight newscasts on WYTV Channel 33 from 1990 to 1998, has joined The Business Journal as a video reporter/anchor and columnist. Her focus will be on local business topics and the media. She will write a regular column for the biweekly publication, and will also produce and anchor video reports that will appear on the publication’s Web site, www.business-journal.com.
“I am very excited to be back working where I live, and collaborating with the Valley’s most respected source of business information,” says Ms. Erdos. “In this progressive and impressive move, The Business Journal will leap to the forefront in delivering what matters to the Valley, offering video and interviews shot on location on its Web site.”
Erdos has been an anchor and reporter for Cox-owned Pittsburgh NBC affiliate WPXI/11, and as far as we know, she's been commuting to WPXI from the home she and her husband own in the southern Youngstown suburb of North Lima.
And it looks like your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) will see a lot of Erdos' work, as publisher Wood notes that she'll take over the business paper's "Media Scope" column on local media - from Wood herself.
As such, Erdos is sure to write (and talk) about the landscape she left behind some 10 years ago...which has changed dramatically.
Back when Erdos was a fixture at ABC affiliate WYTV/33, after all, "33 News" existed as a separate operation on Shady Run Road. Now, it's a "virtual set" in a corner of the WKBN/27 "27 First News" studios on Sunset Boulevard...
SOME NEEDLING: OMW reported earlier about some behind the scenes intrigue among Cleveland TV newsrooms regarding a recent news story...and the breaking of a Cleveland Clinic news embargo by Raycom Media's WOIO/19-WUAB/43's "19 Action News".
In the scheme of things...it's not terribly significant. Honoring a news embargo by a source like the Clinic is professional courtesy, usually extended because the Clinic is a major local institution that can be a helpful source.
The story in this case was a planned event, a news conference with the Steubenville-area woman who received a face transplant at the Clinic. We're not talking about a story of malfeasance or corruption that a news organization should uncover on its own, with or without cooperation from the institution, agency or government involved.
And nothing, really, can stop "19 Action News" from putting word of such an event on the air, even if asked by the Clinic to wait. Nothing, also, can stop the Cleveland Clinic from notifying the other three local newsrooms that they can air the story earlier than the embargo time wtih the Clinic's blessing.
But we had to chuckle at the latest Twitter update by Local TV Fox affiliate WJW/8's "Fox 8 News":
-----
Tonight at 6pm, Only on Fox8, an exclusive follow up to the face transplant story. Could be weeks before 19 has this one.
-----
So far, in Twitter-land, WOIO is not taking the bait. We did see its brief note Monday mentioning the face transplant patient before the embargo was set to be lifted, and this note Tuesday from 19's Paul Joncich, apparently written after the market's other stations aired the story at 5:
-----
joncich here. the face transplant patient...a look at her life before the accident is coming up on 19 action news @ 6pm.
-----
Our only reason for updating this one?
The fact that newsrooms, now encouraged to share "behind the scenes" details with viewers on blogs, in Twitter posts, Facebook pages and the like, means that this inter-station "play" is now occasionally public as well...and fodder for your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm)...
BUT ON THE POSITIVE SIDE: OK, so it's very easy to poke fun at the folks at Reserve Square.
"Honest. Fair. Everywhere." is their current slogan, and with its brash, tabloid style, "19 Action News" basically has a target painted upon its virtual back for those who talk about local media... like us.
But let's give WOIO/WUAB its props for a big event coming up:
The "Biggest Job Fair in Ohio" will be held May 15th at the Tri-C Gymnasium located at East 30th and Community College Avenue from 10am to 4pm. There will be free parking available throughout the Tri-C campus.
Representatives from local and national companies will be on hand interviewing candidates for more than 1,000 job openings.
Early registration has over five thousand people confirmed to attend with more than ten thousand expected.
Now, WOIO/WUAB isn't the first media outlet that's conducted a job fair in Ohio...a state hard hit by the deep recession, even before much of the rest of the nation.
But this does sound like it'll be pretty big. From an article by TVNewsday's Arthur Greenwald:
Previous, smaller local job fairs have proven the importance of such amenities (feeding volunteers, porta potties and crowd control), says (Raycom Cleveland marketing director Rob) Boenau. "One suburban job fair had only 90 jobs- but thousands showed up and it was closed down by the fire marshal."
To ensure a better outcome, the station partnered early on with Cuyahoga Community College (known locally as Tri-C) and also with Cleveland State University which is also offering plenty of free parking. The station and colleges have already lined up hundreds of volunteers and begun security rehearsals with the campus police forces.
That suburban job fair, of course, was the one that caused quite a mess for commuters on Rockside Road in Independence...as the mass of job seekers at the Holiday Inn Independence flowed out of the hotel and parking lot.
CSU and Tri-C are also providing a variety of services for job seekers, including resume-building help and job seeking skills seminars.
The job fair effort has also spilled over onto WOIO/WUAB's classifieds website, ClevelandClassifieds.TV, with the station actively building up job listings there as well...
THIS IS A TEST, OR WILL BE: Say, what are you doing on May 21st, at 7:30 AM, 12:30 PM or 7:30 PM?
If you're watching over-air analog TV that day, anywhere in the nation, you could be watching a national DTV test.
The Wall Street Journal reports this week that the FCC is working on a plan that would ask TV stations across the United States to, quoting the article, "suspend regular programming and instead show a public-service ad about the digital transition for three five-minute periods May 21 as part of an effort to make sure Americans are ready for the switch."
The "test" would be similar to regional DTV tests already conducted in various parts of the country, including two tests we saw here in Ohio in late 2008 and early this year.
Stations which have already shut off their analog signals - in Northeast Ohio, Western Reserve PBS' WNEO/Alliance, Mid-State independent WMFD/Mansfield, TBN O&O WDLI/Canton, and Multicultural Broadcasting infomercial outlet WOAC/Canton (to be sold to Tri-State Christian Television) - would not have to run the tests.
We have just one comment - if the FCC was really serious about this, they'd put one of the tests in the middle of prime time. Of course, the major networks would probably cry foul...
STACIA'S MOVE: Former Youngstown TV news anchor Stacia Erdos is coming back to the Mahoning Valley media scene...but not as a member of a local TV news operation.
Erdos is joining the staff of the Youngstown Business Journal, in a role we'll let Business Journal publisher and OMW reader Andrea Wood explain:
Erdos, who anchored the 6 and 11 p.m. weeknight newscasts on WYTV Channel 33 from 1990 to 1998, has joined The Business Journal as a video reporter/anchor and columnist. Her focus will be on local business topics and the media. She will write a regular column for the biweekly publication, and will also produce and anchor video reports that will appear on the publication’s Web site, www.business-journal.com.
“I am very excited to be back working where I live, and collaborating with the Valley’s most respected source of business information,” says Ms. Erdos. “In this progressive and impressive move, The Business Journal will leap to the forefront in delivering what matters to the Valley, offering video and interviews shot on location on its Web site.”
Erdos has been an anchor and reporter for Cox-owned Pittsburgh NBC affiliate WPXI/11, and as far as we know, she's been commuting to WPXI from the home she and her husband own in the southern Youngstown suburb of North Lima.
And it looks like your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) will see a lot of Erdos' work, as publisher Wood notes that she'll take over the business paper's "Media Scope" column on local media - from Wood herself.
As such, Erdos is sure to write (and talk) about the landscape she left behind some 10 years ago...which has changed dramatically.
Back when Erdos was a fixture at ABC affiliate WYTV/33, after all, "33 News" existed as a separate operation on Shady Run Road. Now, it's a "virtual set" in a corner of the WKBN/27 "27 First News" studios on Sunset Boulevard...
SOME NEEDLING: OMW reported earlier about some behind the scenes intrigue among Cleveland TV newsrooms regarding a recent news story...and the breaking of a Cleveland Clinic news embargo by Raycom Media's WOIO/19-WUAB/43's "19 Action News".
In the scheme of things...it's not terribly significant. Honoring a news embargo by a source like the Clinic is professional courtesy, usually extended because the Clinic is a major local institution that can be a helpful source.
The story in this case was a planned event, a news conference with the Steubenville-area woman who received a face transplant at the Clinic. We're not talking about a story of malfeasance or corruption that a news organization should uncover on its own, with or without cooperation from the institution, agency or government involved.
And nothing, really, can stop "19 Action News" from putting word of such an event on the air, even if asked by the Clinic to wait. Nothing, also, can stop the Cleveland Clinic from notifying the other three local newsrooms that they can air the story earlier than the embargo time wtih the Clinic's blessing.
But we had to chuckle at the latest Twitter update by Local TV Fox affiliate WJW/8's "Fox 8 News":
-----
Tonight at 6pm, Only on Fox8, an exclusive follow up to the face transplant story. Could be weeks before 19 has this one.
-----
So far, in Twitter-land, WOIO is not taking the bait. We did see its brief note Monday mentioning the face transplant patient before the embargo was set to be lifted, and this note Tuesday from 19's Paul Joncich, apparently written after the market's other stations aired the story at 5:
-----
joncich here. the face transplant patient...a look at her life before the accident is coming up on 19 action news @ 6pm.
-----
Our only reason for updating this one?
The fact that newsrooms, now encouraged to share "behind the scenes" details with viewers on blogs, in Twitter posts, Facebook pages and the like, means that this inter-station "play" is now occasionally public as well...and fodder for your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm)...
BUT ON THE POSITIVE SIDE: OK, so it's very easy to poke fun at the folks at Reserve Square.
"Honest. Fair. Everywhere." is their current slogan, and with its brash, tabloid style, "19 Action News" basically has a target painted upon its virtual back for those who talk about local media... like us.
But let's give WOIO/WUAB its props for a big event coming up:
The "Biggest Job Fair in Ohio" will be held May 15th at the Tri-C Gymnasium located at East 30th and Community College Avenue from 10am to 4pm. There will be free parking available throughout the Tri-C campus.
Representatives from local and national companies will be on hand interviewing candidates for more than 1,000 job openings.
Early registration has over five thousand people confirmed to attend with more than ten thousand expected.
Now, WOIO/WUAB isn't the first media outlet that's conducted a job fair in Ohio...a state hard hit by the deep recession, even before much of the rest of the nation.
But this does sound like it'll be pretty big. From an article by TVNewsday's Arthur Greenwald:
Previous, smaller local job fairs have proven the importance of such amenities (feeding volunteers, porta potties and crowd control), says (Raycom Cleveland marketing director Rob) Boenau. "One suburban job fair had only 90 jobs- but thousands showed up and it was closed down by the fire marshal."
To ensure a better outcome, the station partnered early on with Cuyahoga Community College (known locally as Tri-C) and also with Cleveland State University which is also offering plenty of free parking. The station and colleges have already lined up hundreds of volunteers and begun security rehearsals with the campus police forces.
That suburban job fair, of course, was the one that caused quite a mess for commuters on Rockside Road in Independence...as the mass of job seekers at the Holiday Inn Independence flowed out of the hotel and parking lot.
CSU and Tri-C are also providing a variety of services for job seekers, including resume-building help and job seeking skills seminars.
The job fair effort has also spilled over onto WOIO/WUAB's classifieds website, ClevelandClassifieds.TV, with the station actively building up job listings there as well...
Monday, May 04, 2009
Regrouping On Monday
We're back for a Monday morning update, with some new stuff, and not one direct mention of Something Else that's been kicking around the local media world recently. But this update appears to be All About Clear Channel...like most of last week...
A CLEVELAND VALENTINE: OMW reported last week that Los Angeles-based Sean Valentine, he of the one-named "Valentine in the Morning", would be once again expanding his empire to Cleveland.
The hot AC KBIG/104.3 "My 104.3" host's syndicated offering was once heard on Clear Channel top 40 WAKS/96.5 "Kiss FM" in the market...a long run that wrapped up recently when WAKS became one of the earliest affiliates of New York-based Elvis Duran's morning show - now syndicated by CC's Premiere Radio.
It's official: Valentine starts his return to Cleveland radio this morning at hot AC WMVX/106.5 "Mix 106.5", taking the place occupied for many years by now-deposed local morning drivers "Brian and Joe".
Quoting a Clear Channel press release:
“Kicking mornings off with an amazing talent like Valentine gives this station a strong foundation for success,” said Chris Miller, Program Director for Mix 106.5. He continued, “I guarantee listeners are going to love what they hear on Cleveland’s Best Mix, Mix 106.5.”
“I know every song they play on Mix 106.5 and you're going to sing along with me…even though you're probably a better singer,” said Valentine. He continued, “It is great to back on the air in Cleveland!”
Of course, when Valentine's voicetracked show was on WAKS, "every song they play" was different. But, nevermind on that...with the Valentine show, it's not about the music they play around all the "Hollywood interviews" and other such content.
The station release confirmed who's left, locally, at "Mix":
Cleveland’s Best Mix, Mix 106.5 continues to be home for Cleveland broadcasting veterans Daune Robinson and Jay Hudson.
Now, it can be told. During the heat of the Clear Channel layoff crunch on Tuesday, there were very loud, very strong rumors that Jay Hudson was on the Involuntary Exit list.
If you go back and read our items from that day, you'll note that we talked about two unconfirmed names being rumored as being out at Oak Tree, that we were not ready to report.
Our reliable sources in the building indicated that the on-air cut list ended at four - WMVX's "Brian and Joe", along with WTAM producer/co-hosts Marty Allen and Paul Rado...information which turned out to be accurate.
Unlike some who post online, we don't just throw up stuff here to see if it sticks. We're not perfect, we don't know everything, but there IS a filter here...
WRAPPING UP CC DEPARTURES, WE THINK: We're still missing some names from Clear Channel's Purge of People last week, but someone did pass along some names we haven't printed.
This blog deals mostly with on-air or programming employees at radio stations, and we don't usually talk about office staff...but one of our sources passed along the off-air casualties of Clear Channel's 590 employee layoff a week ago. (Or is that 900 employees? Some trade reports suggest that's close to the final staff reduction numbers...)
One of our sources at the Clear Channel World Domination HQ on Oak Tree in suburban Cleveland gives us a list of the off-air exits there last week:
-----
Suzanne Holley, long-time human resources director
Adria Dudzinski (Redmon), administrative assistant (and former producer of classic hits WMJI/105.7's "Lanigan and Malone", though we suspect former co-host John Webster was still in the mix at that time as well...and the station didn't shy away from the "o" word back then, either)
Jim Brusse, traffic director
Two others, including a full-time IT assistant and a part-time assistant in national sales
-----
In Clear Channel's Ashland/Mansfield cluster, an Alert OMW Reader passes along this story from the Mansfield News Journal over the weekend:
Veteran reporter and news anchor Dave Pennell of WMAN-1400 AM is a victim of Clear Channel Communications Inc.'s recent round of job cuts.
Clear Channel, the largest owner of U.S. radio stations, announced almost 600 job cuts Tuesday that included some on-air personalities. It was the company's second round of layoffs this year
Market Manager Dan Lankford wouldn't release the positions or names of Mansfield and Ashland station employees who lost their jobs, but said he doesn't foresee further cuts.
We don't know who is left, if anyone, in the newsroom at talk WMAN/1400.
You might recall from our earlier report on the expanding Clear Channel "news hub" system that Ashland/Mansfield was a market tabbed to receive remote-anchored reports from the company's Columbus newsroom at talk WTVN/610.
In some areas, so far at least, the remote reports haven't fully taken over - even if they've forced other news employees into job changes. For now, talk WIMA/1150 Lima still has two news employees, and newscasts out of WTVN occupy middays there - along with FM morning drive casts.
We heard talk WKBN/570 Youngstown's Jim Michaels last week in a role he filled last time the station's news anchoring came from Oak Tree - doing a report from the field. How long will that last? We don't know.
But it would appear that WTAM/1100's Darren Toms, Ken Robinson and others are doing the regular anchor work on WKBN now...after the exit of veteran WKBN news director John Nagy in the Clear Channel cuts last week...
SPEAKING OF CLEAR CHANNEL NEWS EXITS: The wave of Clear Channel-related news this past week has been so strong and furious, even your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) can't directly track news items from the company in Ohio.
So, we quote this item from Friday's AllAccess Net News scroll - a Clear Channel departure not caused directly by last's weeks round of job cuts, but affected by it:
CLEAR CHANNEL TOLEDO Director of News Operations CASSIE WILSON has announced her resignation, effective MAY 19th. WILSON tells ALL ACCESS that she is "really proud of my work here, and that I was able to use my major-market experience from BALTIMORE, WASHINGTON, DC and ATLANTA and create an award-winning news department at WSPD" and is looking for new opportunities in light of CLEAR CHANNEL's news "hub" outsourcing.
OMW reported earlier that Toledo was on the receiving end of that "news hub" list, with non-drivetime newscasts being fed out of the company's Cincinnati newsroom at talk WLW/700.
It's actually the second time around for WSPD/1370 as far as being a receiver of remote anchoring from another Clear Channel station...when the "news hub" system first started here in Ohio, WSPD received newscasts from Columbus' WTVN.
As far as we know, Cassie Wilson's departure doesn't affect her husband's presence at the Toledo news/talker....he's WSPD program director and afternoon drive host Brian Wilson, who continues both as PD and 3-6 PM host on the station.
As far as the "news hub" story is concerned, the same AllAccess scroll links to an article out of Denver-based weekly newspaper Westword, with more on the process from Colorado...
SPEAKING FRENCH: We thought it was a joke at first.
An OMW reader told us last week that WTAM Saturday afternoon host Simon Badinter and his "Simon Rendezvous" were coming to Chicago, where the French advertising executive would be heard on Tribune talk powerhouse WGN/720.
Ummm...it's no joke.
Quoting Lewis Lazare in the Chicago Sun-Times last week:
Perhaps the most intriguing hire is Simon Badinter, a native Parisian and the son of French Sen. Robert Badinter and Elisabeth Badinter, a feminist writer. Described as a highly opinionated advertising executive who loves life, Badinter will host a show called "Simon Rendezvous," which (WGN program director Kevin) Metheny indicated would be unlike any other WGN program or anything on Chicago radio.
Yeah, no kidding.
Sure enough, "Simon Rendezvous" now airs 6-9 PM Sunday on the Chicago talker. (And Badinter must be rich enough to live in both Cleveland and Chicago, as his WGN bio says he's been "proudly living and working in Chicago, IL for many years", much like his WTAM bio said for Cleveland.)
When Badinter's show began its run on WTAM in late 2007, we briefly mentioned it, but declined to spend a lot of time talking about it. It was our impression that the heavily-accented ad executive broke out the checkbook and paid for the two hour weekly show as a vanity project in Cleveland.
(We don't know the actual financial status of "Simon Rendezvous". They could well be paying him the standard going rate for non-employee weekend hosts.)
But, who knows this time around?
The connection, of course, is obvious. WGN programmer Metheny is the former programming vice president at Clear Channel's Cleveland cluster on Oak Tree, before heading into the Land of Former Jacor People at Tribune under the company's COO - ex-Jacor/Clear Channel Radio head Randy Michaels.
We're pretty sure there's at least one former Jacor employee who hasn't followed suburban Cincinnati resident Michaels to Tribune. Maybe two.
We're not sure if Badinter's show is technically still on the WTAM schedule. It's effectively pre-empted for much of the next few months due to Cleveland Indians baseball. Simon still shows up on the master WTAM Saturday schedule on non-Indians game days, but isn't found on the "Other Personalities" page at WTAM.com.
Neither the Sun-Times article, nor a brief item by Radio-Info.com columnist Tom Taylor in his E-mail newsletter this morning, mention Simon's run at WTAM.
Maybe "Simon Rendezvous" is more fit for Chicago, a "world city", than for Cleveland, a "desparately wants to be a world city"...and maybe we're missing a trend here. We never claimed to be news/talk programmers...
A CLEVELAND VALENTINE: OMW reported last week that Los Angeles-based Sean Valentine, he of the one-named "Valentine in the Morning", would be once again expanding his empire to Cleveland.
The hot AC KBIG/104.3 "My 104.3" host's syndicated offering was once heard on Clear Channel top 40 WAKS/96.5 "Kiss FM" in the market...a long run that wrapped up recently when WAKS became one of the earliest affiliates of New York-based Elvis Duran's morning show - now syndicated by CC's Premiere Radio.
It's official: Valentine starts his return to Cleveland radio this morning at hot AC WMVX/106.5 "Mix 106.5", taking the place occupied for many years by now-deposed local morning drivers "Brian and Joe".
Quoting a Clear Channel press release:
“Kicking mornings off with an amazing talent like Valentine gives this station a strong foundation for success,” said Chris Miller, Program Director for Mix 106.5. He continued, “I guarantee listeners are going to love what they hear on Cleveland’s Best Mix, Mix 106.5.”
“I know every song they play on Mix 106.5 and you're going to sing along with me…even though you're probably a better singer,” said Valentine. He continued, “It is great to back on the air in Cleveland!”
Of course, when Valentine's voicetracked show was on WAKS, "every song they play" was different. But, nevermind on that...with the Valentine show, it's not about the music they play around all the "Hollywood interviews" and other such content.
The station release confirmed who's left, locally, at "Mix":
Cleveland’s Best Mix, Mix 106.5 continues to be home for Cleveland broadcasting veterans Daune Robinson and Jay Hudson.
Now, it can be told. During the heat of the Clear Channel layoff crunch on Tuesday, there were very loud, very strong rumors that Jay Hudson was on the Involuntary Exit list.
If you go back and read our items from that day, you'll note that we talked about two unconfirmed names being rumored as being out at Oak Tree, that we were not ready to report.
Our reliable sources in the building indicated that the on-air cut list ended at four - WMVX's "Brian and Joe", along with WTAM producer/co-hosts Marty Allen and Paul Rado...information which turned out to be accurate.
Unlike some who post online, we don't just throw up stuff here to see if it sticks. We're not perfect, we don't know everything, but there IS a filter here...
WRAPPING UP CC DEPARTURES, WE THINK: We're still missing some names from Clear Channel's Purge of People last week, but someone did pass along some names we haven't printed.
This blog deals mostly with on-air or programming employees at radio stations, and we don't usually talk about office staff...but one of our sources passed along the off-air casualties of Clear Channel's 590 employee layoff a week ago. (Or is that 900 employees? Some trade reports suggest that's close to the final staff reduction numbers...)
One of our sources at the Clear Channel World Domination HQ on Oak Tree in suburban Cleveland gives us a list of the off-air exits there last week:
-----
Suzanne Holley, long-time human resources director
Adria Dudzinski (Redmon), administrative assistant (and former producer of classic hits WMJI/105.7's "Lanigan and Malone", though we suspect former co-host John Webster was still in the mix at that time as well...and the station didn't shy away from the "o" word back then, either)
Jim Brusse, traffic director
Two others, including a full-time IT assistant and a part-time assistant in national sales
-----
In Clear Channel's Ashland/Mansfield cluster, an Alert OMW Reader passes along this story from the Mansfield News Journal over the weekend:
Veteran reporter and news anchor Dave Pennell of WMAN-1400 AM is a victim of Clear Channel Communications Inc.'s recent round of job cuts.
Clear Channel, the largest owner of U.S. radio stations, announced almost 600 job cuts Tuesday that included some on-air personalities. It was the company's second round of layoffs this year
Market Manager Dan Lankford wouldn't release the positions or names of Mansfield and Ashland station employees who lost their jobs, but said he doesn't foresee further cuts.
We don't know who is left, if anyone, in the newsroom at talk WMAN/1400.
You might recall from our earlier report on the expanding Clear Channel "news hub" system that Ashland/Mansfield was a market tabbed to receive remote-anchored reports from the company's Columbus newsroom at talk WTVN/610.
In some areas, so far at least, the remote reports haven't fully taken over - even if they've forced other news employees into job changes. For now, talk WIMA/1150 Lima still has two news employees, and newscasts out of WTVN occupy middays there - along with FM morning drive casts.
We heard talk WKBN/570 Youngstown's Jim Michaels last week in a role he filled last time the station's news anchoring came from Oak Tree - doing a report from the field. How long will that last? We don't know.
But it would appear that WTAM/1100's Darren Toms, Ken Robinson and others are doing the regular anchor work on WKBN now...after the exit of veteran WKBN news director John Nagy in the Clear Channel cuts last week...
SPEAKING OF CLEAR CHANNEL NEWS EXITS: The wave of Clear Channel-related news this past week has been so strong and furious, even your Mighty Blog of Fun(tm) can't directly track news items from the company in Ohio.
So, we quote this item from Friday's AllAccess Net News scroll - a Clear Channel departure not caused directly by last's weeks round of job cuts, but affected by it:
CLEAR CHANNEL TOLEDO Director of News Operations CASSIE WILSON has announced her resignation, effective MAY 19th. WILSON tells ALL ACCESS that she is "really proud of my work here, and that I was able to use my major-market experience from BALTIMORE, WASHINGTON, DC and ATLANTA and create an award-winning news department at WSPD" and is looking for new opportunities in light of CLEAR CHANNEL's news "hub" outsourcing.
OMW reported earlier that Toledo was on the receiving end of that "news hub" list, with non-drivetime newscasts being fed out of the company's Cincinnati newsroom at talk WLW/700.
It's actually the second time around for WSPD/1370 as far as being a receiver of remote anchoring from another Clear Channel station...when the "news hub" system first started here in Ohio, WSPD received newscasts from Columbus' WTVN.
As far as we know, Cassie Wilson's departure doesn't affect her husband's presence at the Toledo news/talker....he's WSPD program director and afternoon drive host Brian Wilson, who continues both as PD and 3-6 PM host on the station.
As far as the "news hub" story is concerned, the same AllAccess scroll links to an article out of Denver-based weekly newspaper Westword, with more on the process from Colorado...
SPEAKING FRENCH: We thought it was a joke at first.
An OMW reader told us last week that WTAM Saturday afternoon host Simon Badinter and his "Simon Rendezvous" were coming to Chicago, where the French advertising executive would be heard on Tribune talk powerhouse WGN/720.
Ummm...it's no joke.
Quoting Lewis Lazare in the Chicago Sun-Times last week:
Perhaps the most intriguing hire is Simon Badinter, a native Parisian and the son of French Sen. Robert Badinter and Elisabeth Badinter, a feminist writer. Described as a highly opinionated advertising executive who loves life, Badinter will host a show called "Simon Rendezvous," which (WGN program director Kevin) Metheny indicated would be unlike any other WGN program or anything on Chicago radio.
Yeah, no kidding.
Sure enough, "Simon Rendezvous" now airs 6-9 PM Sunday on the Chicago talker. (And Badinter must be rich enough to live in both Cleveland and Chicago, as his WGN bio says he's been "proudly living and working in Chicago, IL for many years", much like his WTAM bio said for Cleveland.)
When Badinter's show began its run on WTAM in late 2007, we briefly mentioned it, but declined to spend a lot of time talking about it. It was our impression that the heavily-accented ad executive broke out the checkbook and paid for the two hour weekly show as a vanity project in Cleveland.
(We don't know the actual financial status of "Simon Rendezvous". They could well be paying him the standard going rate for non-employee weekend hosts.)
But, who knows this time around?
The connection, of course, is obvious. WGN programmer Metheny is the former programming vice president at Clear Channel's Cleveland cluster on Oak Tree, before heading into the Land of Former Jacor People at Tribune under the company's COO - ex-Jacor/Clear Channel Radio head Randy Michaels.
We're pretty sure there's at least one former Jacor employee who hasn't followed suburban Cincinnati resident Michaels to Tribune. Maybe two.
We're not sure if Badinter's show is technically still on the WTAM schedule. It's effectively pre-empted for much of the next few months due to Cleveland Indians baseball. Simon still shows up on the master WTAM Saturday schedule on non-Indians game days, but isn't found on the "Other Personalities" page at WTAM.com.
Neither the Sun-Times article, nor a brief item by Radio-Info.com columnist Tom Taylor in his E-mail newsletter this morning, mention Simon's run at WTAM.
Maybe "Simon Rendezvous" is more fit for Chicago, a "world city", than for Cleveland, a "desparately wants to be a world city"...and maybe we're missing a trend here. We never claimed to be news/talk programmers...
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