Time Warner Cable HD Express Unscheduled Stop

In a well-planned and deliberate effort to add 30 new HDTV channels for its Northeast Ohio customers, Time Warner Cable’s HDTV Express has to make an unscheduled stop.

The next group of seven new HD channels to be offered in the TWC NEO footprint did not meet an intended April 29th launch on Wednesday, and we don’t have any indication when that group of channels will launch.

But OMW hears that the company is still working on the second wave of new HD channels, and will let us know when the new launch date will be.

We also hear that they expect the other groups of new HDTV channels to be added on schedule.

No, we don’t know why there’s a delay.

Some of our readers are suggesting problems with the “Switched Digital Video” system that allows the cable operator to make room for large numbers of new channels – a system that has been implemented in at least some limited areas of the TWC Northeast Ohio footprint.

Basically, “SDV” moves groups of channels out of the main bandwidth, and those channels are only transmitted directly to a home when a cable box (or other SDV-compatible device like a TiVo HD/S3’s tuning adapter) requests the channel. This “quasi-on-demand” system means there is room for a lot more channels than without it.

But we don’t know if that technology is responsible for the current “pause” in the HDTV channel additions.

As it turns out, some of the information we’re relaying here is already showing up on TWC NEO’s official “programming notices” page on its website, which has just been updated.

About the current “waiting” channels, it says:

—–

The launch of the following HD channels in all areas is postponed with no new date available: Bravo, CNBC, The Learning Channel, Animal Plant, ABC Family, ESPNews and MLB.

—–

But the notices are still listed with “on or after” dates for upcoming, planned channels:

—–

On or after May 26, 2009, the following services will be added to standard HD in some areas: Golf Channel, CNN, FX, Fox News Network, Science Channel

On or after May 26, 2009, the following services will be added to HD in some areas for customers with the Digital Basic Tier: National Geographic.

On or after May 27, 2009 the following services will be added to HD Tier in some areas: Smithsonian & Mav TV.

On or after June 15, 2009, the following services will be added to standard HD in some areas: Lifetime Moves, Travel, AMC.

On or after June 15, 2009, the following services will be added to HD for customers with the Digital Basic Tier in some areas: Versus, Speed and ESPNU.

On or after June 15, 2009, the following services will be added to HD for customers with MLB Extra Innings Package in some areas: Game HD.

—–

(For that matter, we have no idea what “Mav TV” is.)

The programming notices page also reveals that the recently launched WUAB subchannel “This TV” (WUAB-DT 43.2 over air) will come to Time Warner Cable’s “digital access” tier “on or after” May 15th.

Also listed are minor channel moves for stations like WIVM-LP/52 Canton and its simulcaster, WIVN-LP/29 Newcomerstown, the addition of WVIZ’/25’s “Create” subchannel to areas without it (and a similiar addition of WGTE/30 Toledo’s version of “Create” in its part of the TWC NEO service area), and other changes we’ve already mentioned here…

Picking Up Some Pieces

…pieces involving more fallout from Clear Channel’s latest doings, cable TV and more…but we have to get the umbrella first…

MORE LAYOFF FALLOUT: OMW hears that in the wake of the involuntary departure of long-time Clear Channel talk WTAM/1100 producer/sidekicks Marty Allen and Paul Rado, the station has officially announced changes in staff involving afternoon host Mike Trivisonno’s show.

Long-time WTAM board operator Kurt McLaughlin (“Dirty Kurt”) has been named full-time technical producer for Triv’s show. And overnight traffic producer Steve Douglas moves into the role of “show producer” for the WTAM afternoon drive talk fest.

Seth Williams takes Douglas’ place on overnights. That job also involves building oversight for the Oak Tree cluster.

And yes, we’re aware of The Rumor circling with fury and force around not only the Internet, but also on the air at Oak Tree – it’s being spread by other hosts in the building (Rover, COME ON DOWN!) on their shows – about the departure of Allen and Rado…and Triv’s alleged role in their exits.

That’s as far as we’re going to go.

We have no facts to report regarding The Rumor.

But one fact is now clear – this has played out on the air, and listeners are now asking us about it after hearing those broadcasts.

On Triv’s show Wednesday, we heard the WTAM afternoon drive mouth tell a caller asking about the rumor that he “didn’t know what he was talking about”, and with Triv saying his “hands were tied” re: replying to the other hosts’ accusations – means this has gotten into public circulation even without our help.

After the call, Trivisonno made it quite clear that he felt there was “one constant” (or did he say “consistent”?) in the success of the WTAM afternoon drive show in recent years…of course, he was talking about the name on the show, the host himself.

We have no solid information about The Rumor, though we’ve heard it from roughly 20 people just in our E-mail box the past two days. And as such, we’re not going to detail it.

If you want to hear more, just listen to the radio, say, to WMMS/100.7 in morning drive…or maybe Rover’s podcasts…

MORE CLEAR CHANNEL CHANGES: OMW is aware that this week’s Clear Channel layoffs have not spared the company’s Ashland/Mansfield cluster, but we don’t have any names to pass along as of yet.

We can tell you that two of the company’s Mid-Ohio cluster stations have installed syndicated morning drive programs.

At top 40 WYHT/105.3 Mansfield “Y105”, WNCI/97.9 Columbus-based morning team “Dave and Jimmy” have gained another affiliate just 70 miles up Interstate 71.

At classic rock trimulcast WFXN/102.3 Galion-WXXR/98.3 Fredericktown-WXXF/107.7 Loudonville (whew!) “The Fox Rock Network”, it’s syndicated morning drive show “Lex and Terry” now joining the station’s lineup.

UPDATE 4/30/09 3:50 PM: We JUST remembered that Dallas-based “Lex and Terry” are syndicated right out of Northeast Ohio, via Beachwood’s Envision Radio Networks…

TIME WARNER CABLE HDTV UPDATE LATER: Yes, we’re aware that Wednesday was the scheduled day for the long-promised latest wave of new HDTV channels in Time Warner Cable’s Northeast Ohio system.

Based on TWC NEO’s channel notices, and our own earlier reports, the HD channels scheduled to be available for viewers “on or after” April 29th are the HD versions of ESPNNews, MLB Network, TLC, Animal Planet, ABC Family, Bravo and CNBC.

Here at the OMW World Headquarters, we don’t have the new channels…and we believe they’re not “live” yet anywhere in the TWC NEO empire – at least as of this writing.

We’ve invoked a local TWC spokesperson, and hope to get an update from the cable company sometime later today or tomorrow.

But remember, the official notices for these channels, as noted above, do say they will appear “on or after” April 29th.

TWC has been pretty close to the promised date for the earlier HD channel additions in this wave, and we don’t expect that to change this time around…but it certainly makes sense to add “or after” to the promised dates…

Time Warner Cable Gets The Flu

With growing worldwide attention to the swine flu situation, Time Warner Cable’s “Northeast Ohio Network” (NEON) is offering up a special local program on the topic this week.

And OMW readers may be interested in who’s hosting it.

From a TWC press release:

—–

Medical Special About Swine Flu to Air on Time Warner Cable’s Northeast Ohio Network (NEON)

Cleveland Clinic Expert Dr. Thomas Tallman to Discuss Local and National Aspects of the Disease

Akron, OH (APRIL 2009) – With the swine flu outbreak making headlines across the country, many Northeast Ohio residents are seeking a local perspective on the issue. This Wednesday and Thursday, Time Warner Cable’s Northeast Ohio Network (NEON) will air a 30-minute special with an expert from the Cleveland Clinic to address the current health crisis.

Titled “Swine Flu: Crisis or Concern, a Time Warner Cable Special,” Dr. Thomas Tallman, Chairman for Emergency Preparedness at the world renowned Cleveland Clinic, and host Mark Williamson, City of Akron Director of Communications, will put the situation into perspective, focusing on what local, state and national health officials are doing about the problem, and how we as individuals can reduce our risk to the disease.

“Despite all the news coverage, many people still want answers to how this flu outbreak affects them in Ohio,” said Bill Jasso, Time Warner Cable Northeast Ohio Vice President of Communications. “With this 30-minute special, we hope to inform people about what swine flu is, what to look for and how to avoid it, all with a local perspective in mind.”

The show will air on NEON, channel 23, Wednesday and Thursday, April 29 and 30, at 7:30 p.m. NEON is a primetime, local network only available to Time Warner Cable customers in the Northeast Ohio footprint. The network offers 24 hours per week of locally produced programs.

The special will also be available in free, “On Demand” format with Time Warner’s Digital Cable service on Local On Demand, channel 501 or 1.

—–

Yes, the host will be Mark Williamson, communications director for the city of Akron, in what may well be his first “TV gig” since then-WAKC/23’s local news department was shuttered by Pax TV those many years ago.

And of course, the local newscast which became “23 Newsday’s” successor in local news, the WKYC/3-produced “Akron/Canton News”, ended its own run on that very same Time Warner Cable “NEON” channel…after a run on broadcast 23 after Pax TV agreed to air the renewed cast.

Anyway, media geek excitement aside, it sounds like the special will be informative, not hyped… and sounds like it’s well worth a view…

Local News And Premium Choice

Isn’t branding a wonderful thing?

“Local news” is a brand, really. Radio stations that still offer news on a local basis hammer that into listeners’ brains. “DEPEND on us for LOCAL news!” “We’re your LOCAL NEWS SOURCE!”

The reality is somewhat different in 2009.

For many stations which once had a, well, “local” newsroom…the “source” is often an anchor in a newsroom anywhere from 25 to a few hundred miles away, trying to sound like they know the area they’re serving via computer file upload.

None of this is new to Clear Channel, which has been “remote anchoring” stations as far away as Milwaukee from a certain newsroom on Oak Tree Boulevard in the Cleveland suburb of Independence for years.

But…it’s back with a vengeance.

Clear Channel’s latest operations plan will, in effect, accelerate the feeding of news from one market to another.

Here’s a list of Ohio markets that will be feeding other markets in Ohio and beyond. Much of this was already being done before this week, and some of it is new:

CLEVELAND:
————–
Milwaukee
Pittsburgh
Akron
Youngstown

CINCINNATI:
—————
Boston
Toledo
Memphis
Nashville

COLUMBUS:
————–
Lima
Defiance
Marion
Ashland/Mansfield
Chillicothe

We already have evidence of some of the new arrangements taking place today.

For example, Clear Channel Cleveland has officially returned to providing remote anchoring to its Youngstown sister cluster.

We heard WTAM/1100 news director Darren Toms this morning on talk WKBN/570…filling the news hole once filled by now-former WKBN news director John Nagy.

We heard WKBN news anchor Jim Michaels doing traffic, though we don’t know if that was recorded (it’s construction information and the like).

We assume Jim is still at South Avenue, and don’t know what role he’ll play in the new Clear Channel News Universe. When the anchors in Cleveland fed Youngstown before, he contributed and voiced reports for them, and occasionally did some afternoon anchoring himself.

Eerily, we heard a pre-recorded news feature voiced by Nagy, during the fill on the WKBN streaming audio feed.

Over in Lima, we hear that the cluster’s FM stations are now getting the newscasts fed out of Columbus’ WTVN/610, which are also being heard in middays on talk WIMA/1150. WIMA still has local news staffers, but it appears it and other markets being fed from elsewhere that still have news staff will get midday newscasts from the remote newsroom. Again, for now.

Here’s what Clear Channel lays out for its staffers about remote news anchoring… and we’re guessing that they’re writing it just as much for federal lawmakers and regulators as much as they are for their own staff:

—–

Improved Commitment to Local Communities

* Our goal is to utilize technology along with our very best and experienced news reporters to enhance our local commitment to news

* We will match up these regional resources with our local teams in the market to deliver superior local news coverage

* We will train and redirect local staff members to help give us more depth when it comes to the number of people in a local market assisting with news coverage and community connection

——

No, that last line doesn’t read “we will train and redirect FM program directors, disc jockeys, sales people, and anyone who can speak into a phone clearly to help us try to resemble a real local news operation”. That’s just our own interpretation.

In the “we’re pretty sure they wrote this for the FCC and Congress” department, the plan gives examples of the company using remote news anchors and resources to serve markets otherwise without local news operations.

Among the situations specifically noted was the effort by the company’s Syracuse newsroom to cover the recent multiple fatal shooting incident in Binghamton NY, where Clear Channel has no newsroom. It also highlighted the Binghamton cluster’s role, which was basically providing studio space and “local hits” for Syracuse from the Binghamton program director.

The plan also highlights the company’s recently announced expanded commitment to localized PSAs.

When a Clear Channel station without a dedicated, local newsroom – or a decimated one – runs liners saying “DEPEND on us for local news” or “Your LOCAL NEWS SOURCE”, are they lying?

We don’t at all fault the existing Clear Channel news anchors and reporters, in places like Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati or the other markets that will feed “local newscasts” out to other stations.

This isn’t something they begged for, it’s not their choice, and we presume they aren’t getting any significant extra money for this…if they’re getting any extra money at all. (Our guess: they aren’t getting an extra dime, or even penny.)

We don’t at all fault managers like CC/Youngstown veteran market manager Bill Kelly. We have absolutely no evidence that Mr. Kelly wanted to send 40-plus year WKBN veteran newsman John Nagy packing on Tuesday.

In fact, we have evidence of Mr. Kelly’s commitment to a locally-staffed newsroom just months ago, when he originally nudged aside the Cleveland-fed newscasts. We presume he hasn’t changed his mind in that short time.

Our guess – and it’s only a guess, since we haven’t heard from Kelly, who’s written us before – is that he actively lobbied to hold off as many of Tuesday’s changes as he could.

And WKBN has managed to hold onto three local weekday full-time hosts – morning driver Robert Mangino, program director Dan Rivers (middays), and afternoon driver Ron Verb – despite presumed pressure from corporate masters we imagine are just itching to put Glenn Beck into middays and Sean Hannity into afternoons.

But…it’s a different world at Clear Channel, even from before when it was owned by two large private equity funds.

Yes, we know other newsrooms have shrunken, even those not owned by Clear Channel. The once-full newsroom at NextMedia’s WHBC/1480 Canton is now basically news/program director Pam Cook and anchor Geoff Mears.

But at least Pam and Geoff are still there, physically, on Market Avenue South on the southern edge of downtown Canton. Who’ll be left if Clear Channel corporate decides that it doesn’t need Jim Michaels in Youngstown? How can a company claim a devotion to local news if you force your local cluster to dump a 40 year veteran newsman still at the top of his game?

In 2009, you can count fully-staffed local radio newsrooms in Ohio concentrating only on their home market (i.e. Akron’s Rubber City Radio, Cox’s WHIO in Dayton) on one hand and still have room to twiddle a few fingers around.

The second part of our discourse is about “Premium Choice”, Clear Channel’s clever name for its canned music programming.

The names that first surfaced included existing syndicated hosts Ryan Seacrest and Cleveland’s Steve Harvey.

Now, thanks to AllAccess, here’s Clear Channel’s list of (some) local hosts that will contribute to the “Premium Choice” menu for stations needing inexpensive, national fill on-air personalities:

WAXQ/NEW YORK middayer MARIA MILTO
WBBG/MIAMI afternooner DOC RENO
WXTB/TAMPA middayer BIG RIG
WFBQ/INDIANAPOLIS afternooner LAURA STEELE
WTUE/DAYTON afternooner JOHN “THE B-MAN” BEAULIEU
WHTZ/NEW YORK night dude BILLY THE KIDD
KIIS/LOS ANGELES middayer SISANIE
WDCG/RALEIGH PD/afternooner RANDI WEST

From what we’re hearing, all of these personalities are currently voicetracking non-local-specific generic national shows for their format. And we hear that at least one Clear Channel Cleveland personality is also involved in this effort…and we suspect a couple of others at Oak Tree will join that personality.

Randi West is a name familiar to many in Ohio. She once voicetracked a number of stations during her live shift at a Cincinnati Clear Channel outlet, an effort described in a newspaper article.

But these “shows” will be different. We don’t believe any of the personalities will provide ANY specific, local content in this effort. Ms. West will sound the same in one market as she will in her other markets outside Raleigh, for example. If Clear Channel wants to add local content, they’ll apparently rely on those expanded local PSAs and other community announcements.

Doesn’t it just excite the heck out of you? Aren’t you just dying to hear this programming?

Uh, OK.

Our final comment in this very long item: To us, “Premium Choice” sounds like the name for the house brand at Wal-Mart.

Oh, wait, that’s “President’s Choice”. Target, maybe?

CC Cuts: Lima

OMW has now confirmed Clear Channel’s job cuts in its Lima cluster:

“DJ OL SKOOL”, program director, rhythmic top 40 WLWD/93.9 “Wild 93-9”
Eric Michaels, program director, rock WZRX/107.5 “X-107.5”
John Bell, business manager
Ed Douglas, operations manager
Russ Ryder, imaging director/music director, country WIMT/102.1-rhythmic top 40 WLWD/93.9-country WCKY/103.7, nights, WCKY
Frank Barber, news anchor, talk WIMA/1150

Clear Channel Cuts Aftermath, Second Time Around

As with the last time radio giant Clear Channel cut large numbers of employees in a one day sweep, we’re still dealing with the aftermath in day two.

First, the big picture, courtesy of our friends at AllAccess:

—–

CLEAR CHANNEL has announced another major wave of staff reductions resulting in the loss of 590 positions, just over 3% of the company, focusing on positions in programming, on-air, engineering, information technology and business office posts such as accounting and customer service.

While on-air programming is part of this reduction, it’s not the majority of it, even though they are the majority of names we have that are out. Those positions will be filled with a combination of syndication and premium choice programming.

—–

(More on that last part, later in this item. But first, more from AllAccess:)

—–

CLEAR CHANNEL is indicating that this downsizing should be it, but adds the caveat that it can’t predict the future. Based on analysis, and if the economy and market conditions hold and CLEAR CHANNEL keeps outperforming the rest of the industry, any further large reductions in force are not anticipated.

A company-wide change announced in parallel is that after APRIL 30th, 401k matching would be suspended for this year. It will, however, be retroactively restored if 90% of the 2009 budget goals are met for employees who continue to contribute to the 401k plan, and are eligible.

—–

This latest job reduction wave has been rumored since January, when Clear Channel cleared their employee rosters of some 1,850 workers – many in sales and marketing, with cuts in the dozens at big operations like the company’s Cleveland cluster on Oak Tree Boulevard in Independence.

Locally, let’s run through some of the reporting about cuts in Northeast Ohio, and other effects.

Now-former WTAM staffers Paul Rado and Marty Allen showed up on WEWS/5’s “NewsChannel 5” Tuesday, keeping their sense of humor intact by holding up these signs pictured: “WILL WORK FOR FOOD”/”WE MEAN A LOT OF FOOD”. (Photo courtesy: NewsNet5.com)

Quoting:

—–

Allen and Rado lost their jobs Monday afternoon, just hours after their show grabbed another No. 1 spot in the ratings book.

“They said, ‘You’re No, 1, congratulations,’ at 11 a.m. At 5:15, they said, ‘Your services are no longer needed. Have a nice day. There’s the elevator,'” said Allen.

The two are longtime producers and sidekicks of radio host Mike Trivisonno, whom they said they’ve not heard from since the firings.

—–

We’re not sure why Clear Channel felt the need to dump Rado and Allen in mid-show one day before just about anyone else nationwide in the company was let go, though we have our guesses. We have no solid information, so we’ll pass on elaborating on this, for now. The timing seems very, very odd to us.

UPDATE 4/29/09 9:35 AM: Rereading this item, we see below that WMVX’s “Brian and Joe” were called on Monday afternoon and told “not to report for their show Tuesday”, according to the PD’s Julie Washington. We hear from our sources at Oak Tree that the official firings of the WMVX pair took place at about 7:30 on Tuesday morning, though they certainly could have guessed something was coming down after the Monday call.

WTAM’s Allen and Rado were the first to actually get their proverbial (and real) walking papers at Oak Tree, as reported, in the middle of Triv’s Monday show.

We’re also not surprised they haven’t heard from Trivisonno.

The WTAM afternoon driver did not mention the dismissal of his two long-time colleagues – Marty Allen has been with Triv since literally his start at 1100, and before (at WERE/WNCX). Rado has been there in TrivLand a long chunk of that time as well.

Through other job cuts, through other show cast members, uh, being shown the door one way or the other…(yeah, that’s it, “shown the door”)…Allen and Rado remained at Triv’s side. Until this week, when they were removed.

The only on-air sign of their exit – that we heard – came in the first half hour of Triv’s Tuesday show…when a caller asked about it.

Triv tried to deflect the caller, shouting out that he hadn’t smoked in a year and a half, and finally…in a VERY quick reply, confirmed Allen and Rado were no longer with the show (“they’re both gone”, in a low voice).

The terse reply was only a couple of words longer than “no comment”, and when the caller tried to invoke the name of President Obama, Triv quickly replied that “the president had nothing to do with this”, and moved on. Quickly.

In the first day of Triv Without Rado And Big Daddy, he pulled others onto the air, including board operator “Dirty Kurt”, and WTAM Browns beat reporter Andre Knott. We’re not sure if that’ll be a regular strategy, as Triv was no stranger to putting non-show members/other WTAM staffers on the air even when his now-former producers were in the mix.

The “NewsChannel 5” piece quotes an unnamed Clear Channel executive as confirming the departures, including those of WMVX/106.5 morning drivers Brian Fowler and Joe Cronauer.

Over at the Plain Dealer, our search team found this item on Cleveland.com by PD media columnist Julie Washington:

—–

Brian Fowler and Joe Cronauer, the longtime morning duo at Clear Channel’s “Mix” WMVX FM/106.5, were contacted Monday afternoon and told not to report for their show Tuesday, Cronauer said.

Instead, the team attended a meeting where they were told they were being laid off.

—–

And of the other pair no longer working at Oak Tree:

—–

(Marty) Allen said he and Rado were pulled out of Monday afternoon’s show on WTAM AM/ 1100 and told that they were being let go. Trivisonno finished the show alone, Allen said.

Trivisonno briefly acknowledged that Allen and Rado were off the show in response to callers’ questions during Tuesday’s show, which is heard from 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays.

“No, they’re both gone,” was all he said to the first caller about 3:25 p.m. A little after 4 p.m. a woman called and asked if he was allowed to talk about it. He replied it was an internal business matter.

Trivisonno did not return calls from The Plain Dealer asking for comment.

—–

Again, no surprise here.

All of the former Clear Channel personalities are itching to get back on the air, according to the article:

—–

After years spent producing shows by most of Cleveland’s prominent broadcasters, Allen said he’s ready to develop his own radio show.

Cronauer said he and Fowler hope to be back on Cleveland’s airwaves.

—–

Moving onto other updates and clarifications:

CLEVELAND: OMW hears, and Radio & Records confirms in their list of cuts, that Brian and Joe will be replaced on WMVX by a show hosted by one (Sean) Valentine, being fed from Clear Channel sister hot AC KBIG/104.3 “My 104.3” in Los Angeles.

Yes, that Valentine, who, using only his last name as “Valentine in the Morning”, was the original morning drive voicetracked show on WMVX top 40 sister station WAKS/96.5 “Kiss FM” – going back to “Kiss”‘s days at 104.9 (now classical WCLV).

Valentine lasted at “Kiss” in Cleveland until very recently, when he was replaced by the live syndicated show headed up by WHTZ/100.3 “Z100” morning star Elvis Duran out of New York City…

TOLEDO: To amend our list, OMW hears that top 40 WVKS/92.5 “Kiss FM”‘s “Boomer” will retain his music director duties when he moves to afternoon drive, but won’t be programming the station in the wake of the departure of PD Nathan Reed.

And Radio & Records has this as well, in their list:

—–

MD/night jock Boomer moves to afternoons (and retains his MD duties), and his former night shift will now be voice-tracked Pyke, afternoon jock on rock sister WIOT. Reed can be reached at 810-444-2571 or nathansr328@gmail.com. FYI: director of programming ops Bill Michaels will retake the reins of his former longtime station, WVKS TFN.

—–

UPDATE 4/29/09 9:45 AM: OMW hears that Boomer had indeed been announced within the Superior Street building as the new “Kiss” PD earlier Tuesday, but that apparently was adjusted later…

YOUNGSTOWN: It’s now “out there” – a name rumored on the cut list at South Avenue is being reported in the local TV news world. And it’s a “wow” moment.

How about a 40 year station veteran, a man almost singularly identified with your news department, being shown the door?

From NBC affiliate WFMJ/21’s website:

—–

Another round of job cuts at Clear Channel radio stations including an on-air personality who has been a voice at 570 WKBN Radio for 40 years.

John Nagy was cut after four decades of service, along with Dan Gonder who has 19-years on the job. Sean Stevens and Lorraine Hall were also told it was their last day. A total of five people were let go.

General Manager Bill Kelly tells 21 News it is part of a corporate wide reduction in force due to the state of the economy

—–

We hear that Clear Channel Youngstown TV news partner (and former sister station) WKBN/27 is also reporting the cuts, though we can’t find the item on its website.

One reason for Nagy’s exit may be apparent: Newsrooms at Clear Channel clusters in some Ohio markets will expand their duties providing remote newscasts for other markets, under a wide ranging nationwide Clear Channel plan that’s being implemented starting this week.

OMW hears that among the expansions and changes, Clear Channel’s Cleveland newsroom will once again return to providing news updates for Clear Channel’s Youngstown stations – an arrangement which was pushed aside a while back.

We’ll have more on the news end of these Clear Channel changes later, including a list of which markets get fed from where…

The CC Ohio Cut List, As We Know It

UPDATE: This list will be updated as new names come in…

———–

The following is a list of all the Clear Channel employees we know to have been cut this week in Ohio.

There are some new names on the list, that we haven’t yet reported, and still some unconfirmed names.

For the most part, this list contains names on-air or programming department employees laid off at the company’s stations starting Monday.

It’s our belief that each cluster lost at least one or two off-air employees. If we know that information, we’ll pass it along. If we don’t, assume there are others not listed.

There are some markets here where we’re hearing rumblings (Lima, Ashland/Mansfield, etc.) that haven’t been confirmed yet.

And as such, rather unfortunately, even late at night, we can’t guarantee that this approaches a final list. Last time Clear Channel went on a Mad Layoff Spree in January, we were getting updates well into the next day…

CLEVELAND:

Marty Allen, producer/co-host, talk WTAM/1100’s “Mike Trivisonno Show”
Paul Rado, producer/co-host, talk WTAM/1100’s “Mike Trivisonno Show”
Brian Fowler, co-host, hot AC WMVX/106.5 “Mix 106-5″‘s “Brian and Joe”
Joe Cronauer, co-host, hot AC WMVX/106.5 “Mix 106-5″‘s “Brian and Joe”

AKRON/CANTON:

Amy Malone, co-host, AC WHOF/101.7 “My 101.7″‘ morning show
Megan, nights, rock WRQK/106.9 “Rock 106-9″/afternoon traffic reporter
Chad Jensen, production
Bruce Rogers, engineering

YOUNGSTOWN:

Dan Gonder, afternoon drive, hot AC WMXY/98.9 “Mix 98-9″/morning drive, standards WNIO/1390
Sean Stevens, program director, top 40 WAKZ/95.9 “Kiss FM”
John Nagy, news director, news/talk WKBN/570
Lorraine Hall, news, news/talk WKBN/570

COLUMBUS:

Chuck Gillespie, afternoon drive, AC WLZT/93.3
Maxwell, nights/music director, top 40 WNCI/97.9
Marty Scott, part-time, top 40 WNCI/97.9
Dan Van Duesen, promotions director, talk WTVN/610
Two other WNCI part-time staff, two business office staffers
(WNCI’s Maxwell, of course, is no relation to WMMS/100.7 Cleveland afternoon host Maxwell, who is not on the cut list)

TOLEDO:

Nathan Reed, program director, top 40 WVKS/92.5 “Kiss FM”
Mookie, assistant program director/afternoon drive, top 40 WVKS/92.5 “Kiss FM”
K.C. Palmer, afternoon drive, AC WRVF/101.5 “The River”
Two part-time news/programming staffers, one full-time office staffer

CINCINNATI:

Paul Daugherty, “Sportsline” host, talk WLW/700
Alan Cutler, sports talk host, talk WLW/700 and Bengals Radio Network
C. Trent Rosencrans, blogger, sports talk WCKY/1530
Travis Holmes, producer, sports talk WCKY/1530
Mark Chalifoux, producer, sports talk WCKY/1530
Matt Steinmann, producer (Bill Cunningham, Mike McConnell shows), talk WLW/700
(Our thanks to the updated item by Cincinnati Enquirer radio/TV writer John Kiesewetter for these names.)

LIMA/FINDLAY:

“DJ OL SKOOL”, program director, rhythmic top 40 WLWD/93.9 “Wild 93-9”
Eric Michaels, program director, rock WZRX/107.5 “X-107.5”
John Bell, business manager
Ed Douglas, operations manager
Russ Ryder, imaging director/music director, country WIMT/102.1-rhythmic top 40 WLWD/93.9-country WCKY/103.7, nights, WCKY
Frank Barber, news anchor, talk WIMA/1150
(Note: Though WCKY/103.7 is now licensed to the Wood County town of Pemberville, in the Toledo market, it still falls under the oversight of Clear Channel’s Lima cluster.)

CC Cuts: Akron/Canton and Youngstown Updates

Even our short hiatuses go interrupted! Heh.

But we have come up with some more information regarding Clear Channel markets we hadn’t heard about yet, and felt the need to put these items up…

AKRON/CANTON: OMW hears that Clear Channel’s Akron/Canton cluster on Freedom Avenue has lost four staffers:

Amy Malone, morning co-host at AC WHOF/101.7 “My 101.7”
Megan, 7-midnight personality on rock WRQK/106.9 “Rock 106-9″/afternoon traffic reporter
Production staffer Chad Jensen
Engineer Bruce Rogers

YOUNGSTOWN: We’re still confirming some rumored names, but we can now confirm two of the names we’ve heard.

Exiting are:

Sean Stevens, program director at top 40 WAKZ/95.9 “Kiss FM”
Dan Gonder, afternoon drive at hot AC WMXY/98.9 “Mix 98-9”

We’re not sure if he was still doing it, but we believe Gonder was also heard in morning drive at standards WNIO/1390.

We are hearing at least one other major on-air name rumored to be on the South Avenue cut list, but we have yet to confirm that person’s departure.

National reports say that 590 people, or some 3 percent of the remaining Clear Channel work force, were let go in today’s round of cuts…spread among programming departments, engineering and IT departments, and business office staffers.

More on the national angle of it, later…and our comments…

Taking An Afternoon Break

We’re going on our very first “just a few hours long” hiatus.

We’ll continue to compile items out of the second wave of Clear Channel layoffs off blog (feel free to continue to E-mail and otherwise contact us), and we’ll regroup a little later this afternoon or evening with a new update.

But dealing with the crush of news on this topic has us looking for our favorite headache medicine, in “extra strength” dosage.

That’s sure better than being a victim of the cuts.

And as such, our thoughts and sympathies out to those talented radio pros who fell to the budget axe, either directly or indirectly, at Ohio’s Clear Channel clusters.

Our updates automatically post to our Twitter account, so feel free to just watch that for word on when we’ll be rested and ready for more later today…

Your Hourly Clear Channel Job Cuts Update

At this rate, we should do this at the top of every hour, and sell a sponsor billboard…with the proceeds going to fired Clear Channel employees…

B&J PURGED: OMW confirmed it earlier this morning, and now the Soviet Style Purge has happened.

Clear Channel hot AC WMVX/106.5 “Mix 106-5” has now removed long-time morning drive team “Brian and Joe” from its website’s schedule pull-down menu, and from its front page.

We clicked the link we posted earlier to the “Brian and Joe” section of the site, and it’s still up…you just can’t get there from the front page anymore.

The “Brian and Joe” menu item is gone from the main WMVX page, and the “On-Air” schedule pull-down menu list now starts with midday/afternoon/all day voicetracker Daune Robinson.

While the now-former WMVX morning pair still has an accessible web page, albeit off the beaten web track, let’s copy some of the text there:

Brian and Joe are as “hometown” as hometown gets. Born and raised in Northeast Ohio and now in their 22th year on the air – Brian and Joe mix it up early weekday mornings on Cleveland’s Mix 106.5!

Yes, it says “22th”. No, there’s no point in correcting it, as the page is likely to disappear not long after this item is posted.

Oh, wait. We see it’s not a Full Soviet Style Purge, as a banner for a series of Brian and Joe promotions is still atop the site! Quoting the linked page:

Join Brian and Joe and MGD 64 for ‘”The Little Game.” The Little Game is a ‘lighter’ version of Brian and Joe’s “The Big Game” where you compete against other contestants for a chance to win prizes!

We’re wondering if the no-longer-employed-by-WMVX duo will be at the following locations anyway, even if they presumably would no longer be giving away a six month gym membership and a chance at a Wii Fit:

4/30 – 6:8 pm The Garage Bar 1859 West 25th Street in Cleveland
5/7 – 6-8 pm Around The Corner 18616 Detroit Ave in Lakewood

UPDATE 4/28/09 2:14 PM: We just stumbled onto this WJW/8 “Fox 8 News” story on Brian and Joe’s exit:

CLEVELAND–After more than 20 years on the radio in Cleveland, Brian Fowler and Joe Cronauer’s mics have been silenced.

The popular morning duo at WMVX/106.5 were called to a meeting with station management Monday and told not to report for the “The Brian and Joe Show.”

The radio shows usually airs from 5 to 10 a.m Monday-Friday.

Clear Channel is said to have laid many other employees, including other notable names in Cleveland.

Brian and Joe have been heard on Mix 106.5 for the past 10 years.

Yes, that fourth line is probably Fox 8 newsies referring to our items, though we’re pretty sure we’ve used the term “laid off”, not “laid”…

MORE HEARD FROM: We’ve managed to cobble together a decent list of the cuts at Clear Channel’s Toledo cluster.

We already passed along word, thanks to FMQB.com, of the exit of top 40 WVKS/92.5 “Kiss FM” program director Nathan Reed. We also have confirmed that “Kiss” staffer “Mookie” is also out in the cuts.

We do hear that “Kiss” morning driver “Andrew Z”‘s show is still intact (as far as we know, as is), and that “Boomer” will be program director of WVKS from now on.

(We’re running out of quotation marks! Send more!)

Also out at CC/Toledo: AC WRVF/101.5 “The River” afternoon driver K.C. Palmer, along with two part-timers in news and programming, and one full-time office staffer…

YOUNGSTOWN: We’re still processing Youngstown, though one other significant potential cut has been rumored in our comments again.

We’re not able to confirm or dispell any of those rumors at this point, so take what you see in the comments with a grain of salt…