I like that the WCPN and WKSU have somewhat different programming, and hope that if they're merged to one, they will further differentiate that programming.  I actually like WKSU's lineup better, overall.

1 hour ago, LibertyBlvd said:

 

And it will affect WCLV which is also under Ideastream.  Apparently, the classical programming on WCLV will move to 90.3 and NPR programming will move to 104.9.

Oh? Where are you hearing that from?

14 minutes ago, Boomerang_Brian said:

Oh? Where are you hearing that from?

Here is some more info:

 

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2021/09/09/public-radio-stations-wksu-and-wcpn-considering-merger-sources-say/5756322001/

Its official:

 

WKSU And Ideastream Public Media Enter Into Merger Agreement

Ida Lieszkovzsky - Ideastream - Sep. 15, 2021

 

 

"The Kent State University Board of Trustees voted Wednesday to approve a merger that hands over operations of its public radio station, WKSU, to Cleveland-based Ideastream Public Media. Under the agreement, Ideastream will take over the management of WKSU starting on Oct. 1. WKSU employees are being offered jobs at Ideastream Public Media, and some of those jobs will be moved to Ideastream’s downtown Cleveland headquarters. Kent State will retain WKSU’s FCC license. ... Under the plan, by April 1, 2022, WKSU will become the region’s main NPR affiliated news and information station, and the two Ideastream stations will in essence trade places on the dial - and switch call letters. ... The agreement will expand Ideastream’s audience from 2.4 million to 3.6 million people, reaching 22 Northeast Ohio counties. Ideastream will now employ roughly 150 people, including 40 in the new unified newsroom."

Ok. So 89.7 will be the main NPR station and 90.3 will be classical music and 104.9 will be WCPN which is also an NPR affiliate?

40 minutes ago, freefourur said:

Ok. So 89.7 will be the main NPR station and 90.3 will be classical music and 104.9 will be WCPN which is also an NPR affiliate?

Yes.   I assume 90.3 will still have its HD2 subchannel.  If so, I am curious as to what programming they might air there.

 

Edited September 15, 20213 yr by LibertyBlvd

Longtime WTAM afternoon host Mike Trivisonno passed away suddenly this afternoon.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/10/cleveland-radio-talk-show-host-mike-trivisonno-dies.html

 

Edited October 28, 20213 yr by LibertyBlvd

21 minutes ago, LibertyBlvd said:

Longtime WTAM afternoon host Mike Trivisonno passed away suddenly this afternoon.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/10/cleveland-radio-talk-show-host-mike-trivisonno-dies.html

 

Say what you want about him, he was entertaining at times.   I only fear what kind of race-to-the-bottom it will be to fill his void and capture his audience. 

I grew up with him on the radio talking about the tribe in the 90s. Though my parents have tuned him out the past decade as he's gotten worse. He's from my part of town and we share an ethnicity so I understand where he comes from. Unfortunately he fell into Trumpism and anger like many of his age and background. RIP, but I won't miss his radio show.

6 hours ago, Cleburger said:

Say what you want about him, he was entertaining at times.   I only fear what kind of race-to-the-bottom it will be to fill his void and capture his audience. 

 

I thought his show was really good sports commentary way back when. Then for whatever reason they brought in a sidekick (Kim) I believe in order to be just like Robin on Howard Stern. Triv said "we don't want to sound like a bunch of guys talking in a locker room." That's about when topics started gravitating more toward politics and became dumber than normal. Have not tuned into WTAM in several years. 

I listened two him three to five times a week for about a half an hour at a time.  Like most of his listeners I suspect.   Sometimes on point, sometimes annoying and unlistenable, and that could be in the same show.

 

He got called the voice of Cleveland, say greater Cleveland and that’s not far from the truth, because he was more the voice of the ‘burbs than the city.   But he did talk a lot about “Cleveland 1” and “Cleveland 2”, which a lot of the local boosters didn’t care to hear.   Downtown advocates disliked that he pretty much single handedly kept the WTAM studios in Independence until tech reached the point where he could broadcast from home. 

 

 I agreed with him more than I didn’t.   I think I liked best that he didn’t really care what others thought he should think, and that he listened enough that his views could change.   His views on the limits on the availability of pain meds evolved over a few years towards mine:  that strict limits do a lot more harm than good.   I remember one time DeWiner came on his show clearly expecting to have his posterior smooched for his latest initiative, and he got vivisected instead.

 

RIP and it will be tough to replace him.   Dennis Kucinich might be able to do it if WTAM wanted to go in that direction.   From the right, it would take a Drew Carey and he’s busy.

 

People talk about Gary Dee and Pete Franklin, but he’s historically the big name.

At Cleveland.com, math skills are non-essential.

Coalition of Cleveland organizations raises more than $5.8 million to start nonprofit newsroom
 

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2021/11/coalition-of-cleveland-organizations-raises-more-than-58-million-to-start-nonprofit-newsroom.html

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A coalition of Cleveland-based organizations has raised more than $5.8 million in partnership with the American Journalism Project to create a nonprofit, independent newsroom in the city that aims to launch in 2022.

 

The Cleveland newsroom will start in the Central neighborhood. News will be free to access and will be available across various platforms, according to a news release.
 

The newsroom is expected to launch with a staff of 25, and the outlet wants residents to help set the agenda in its newsgathering, the release says. The community reporting model aims to train and pay residents to gather and report information from their communities.

 

 

 

 

https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/12/wkyc-anchor-hollie-strano-announces-she-has-covid-19.html

 

If there were any journalists left there, then yes, they would be embarrassed.

1 hour ago, X said:

If there were any journalists left there, then yes, they would be embarrassed.

They should be embarrassed about the overall content they put out.  They overly rely on syndicated columnists.  The web site's main page has stale and dated content.  Stories posted before an event occurs still remain up long after the event has occurred.  Fewer and fewer locally based writers are contributing content.  Weekend updates are minimal.  If one happens to pick up their printed medium, it is a regurgitation of stuff compiled during the week.  They often recycle old slideshow-type stories about shopping outlets from the past or old fast food places without any updates.  Back when they still had comments, the comments would have additions from the latest re-use with a 3-4 month jump from the last group of comments.

 

With the stale and syndication filler, Quinn will continue to push how "vital" they are as a publication and the "quality" of their material.  

Cleveland.com is rapidly on its way to becoming a supermarket tabloid. It would be embarrassing except for the fact that most of the grand old newspapers are but a shadow of themselves. But then, its not so much their fault but that the market changed around them - viewers and advertisers left in droves for the internet. They were forced to gut journalists and reporters. What are they to do other than put out one or two local pieces along with mostly syndicated pablum. 

If it weren't for the need to be a regional printing center for national-type publications, the Plain Dealer printing facility would not be a viable facility.  They also didn't help themselves when they so gutted their staff that the quality of the product went significantly downhill.  They also "sold their soul" to placate certain leaders like Mayor Jackson.  When Mark Naymik started pressing Jackson on uncomfortable subjects, it was not a coincidence that Naymik was forced out.  Certain statistics that reflected poorly on Jackson and his administration were "omitted".  The editorial board has been increasingly out-of-touch.  If it weren't for the reporters linked to the sports department, they would have barely any at all on staff.  It all adds up that publication being a shell of itself.

Edited December 26, 20213 yr by LifeLongClevelander

Agreed and that was kinda my point about Cleveland.com which l realize is an internet offering while being an offshoot of the PD which is itself a shrinking entity.

15 hours ago, cadmen said:

Agreed and that was kinda my point about Cleveland.com which l realize is an internet offering while being an offshoot of the PD which is itself a shrinking entity.

 

Newspapers themselves are a shrinking entity.   They spend a lot of money on paper, ink, printing, and distribution in order to be at a minimum several hours behind the news cycle.

The print journalism environment definitely became more difficult, but the decline of the Plain Dealer (and so many other local newspapers) falls squarely on Advance Publishing. 

 

They cannibalized the daily newspaper by creating a free site, with mostly the same stories, but a separate non-union news room. All that just to pushout and destroy one of the first news guilds in the country.

 

As soon as that was done they started putting their stories behind a paywall. Not sure how well that worked out for them, tough to ask people to start paying for something after you've provided it for free for so long and right after you bust a union in the manner that they did. 

 

And that's all without mentioning the decline reporting that LifeLongClevelander brings up. Seems like almost half their stories are just mad libs, fill-in-the-blank, police blotter stories without any larger context of crime in the city.

 

At least we have nonprofit papers like The Land and a couple more slates to get started in '22 to help fill the void. 

Advance not only destroyed the Plain Dealer but also my former employer, Sun Newspapers. But we could not have survived as-is anyway. Car advertising and classified advertising were some of our biggest revenue generators. It was decimated by the likes of Craigslist. 

The PG article even utilized current photos of the city. I couldn’t imagine the PD paying the $1,000 it likely cost to send a drone up to get fresh pics for a story.

You don't have to spend $1,000 to get fresh aerials. A staff photographer today should have one. Even I use fresh aerials but through the graciousness and generosity of those who do it for fun.

The ‘people being stupid on Wheel of Fortune’ clip went viral a few days ago. Is all over social media, where you can watch and read about the whole thing at your leisure.
Cleveland.com carries the ‘story’ and it’s a Subscriber Exclusive?!? 😅

^ It looks like an SNL skit.   😆 

 

 Just about everything on Cleveland.com is a subscriber exclusive now.

 

Edited March 3, 20223 yr by LibertyBlvd

the problem is nobody wants to pay for moderated and fact checked news anymore, so you just get bloggy opinions the easily duped take as gospel news. it's a whole can of worms and of course not just a cle issue.

On 3/3/2022 at 9:49 AM, LibertyBlvd said:

^ It looks like an SNL skit.   😆 

 

 Just about everything on Cleveland.com is a subscriber exclusive now.

 

 

Yay for my still-free blog! 🤑

I always look forward to reading Dear Annie! Some really good stuff.

On 12/26/2021 at 1:39 PM, LifeLongClevelander said:

If it weren't for the need to be a regional printing center for national-type publications, the Plain Dealer printing facility would not be a viable facility.  They also didn't help themselves when they so gutted their staff that the quality of the product went significantly downhill.  They also "sold their soul" to placate certain leaders like Mayor Jackson.  When Mark Naymik started pressing Jackson on uncomfortable subjects, it was not a coincidence that Naymik was forced out.  Certain statistics that reflected poorly on Jackson and his administration were "omitted".  The editorial board has been increasingly out-of-touch.  If it weren't for the reporters linked to the sports department, they would have barely any at all on staff.  It all adds up that publication being a shell of itself.

 

Naymik got better over the years, but early on these columns he wrote could have been used in a journalism school as an example of how to slant stories in favor of people you like.

 

It's also a good example  of a time when the comments section was used to accurately call such out, and of course it was removed.

1 hour ago, newyorker said:

I always look forward to reading Dear Annie! Some really good stuff.

 

Ha! Last week I bought my dad a Sunday paper as a treat (he still likes the actual paper) and the next day I was bringing it to the bin and a little tiny slip of paper fell out....I thought it was a coupon but it was Parade Magazine! Anyone remember Parade? It still exists, sort of. It's like four pages lol. 

2 hours ago, newyorker said:

I always look forward to reading Dear Annie! Some really good stuff.

 

We need a dear Ken section on the blog.

2 hours ago, newyorker said:

I always look forward to reading Dear Annie! Some really good stuff.

It is pretty sad that the main page for this "publication" to have 4, 5 or 6 days worth of syndicated Dear Annie columns listed.  This is on top of older stories that are out-dated such as lead-ups to events that have already passed.  They cannot even come up with enough fresh material to fill the web page.

I long for the day that Dorothy Fuldheim, Ted Henry, Wilma Smith and Gib Shanley ruled our local media.

 

I know, I know it's not diverse, but the Cleveland media was trustworthy!

 

9 hours ago, MyTwoSense said:

I long for the day that Dorothy Fuldheim, Ted Henry, Wilma Smith and Gib Shanley ruled our local media.

 

I know, I know it's not diverse, but the Cleveland media was trustworthy!

 

 

I don't think you're any older than me and I recall Al Roker and Leon Bibb.

6 hours ago, E Rocc said:

 

I don't think you're any older than me and I recall Al Roker and Leon Bibb.

 

.......on different networks

does anybody remember perky blonde Jenny Crimm. I think she was on the same news team with Dorothy Fuldheim, and did a lot of celebrity interviews. I tried to find her age but couldn't (must be in her late 70's now, at least) or exactly what years she was on air. But I remember the outrage she caused when she once casually announced that she had a large glass of Coke for breakfast every morning. Parents were not amused. lol

Yes, I remember  Ms Crimm from the noon news on WEWS with the late Joel Rose.  I believe she was also part of the Morning Exchange team during that time frame.  She would have to be in her late 70s now.

I'd say late-70s is a good guess based on this bio

http://www.clevelandwomen.com/people/jennycrimm.htm

Does anyone know the email address for architecture critic Steve Litt, formerly of The Plain Dealer and now of Cle.com?

 

I’m a Cle.com subscriber only so I can read his articles. There are links to his social media, but I don’t see a good, old fashioned email address. Thanks in advance if anyone knows. 

Apparently, cleveland.com is no longer displaying email addresses for their columnists.   A few times recently, I wanted to contact one of them to report an error in an article, but was unable to do so.

Forty years ago today, in fact at this exact time of day, Jonah Koslen and the Heroes played a Coffee Break Concert.   The beer age was 19 then (not that too many people really checked).  A few friends and I then proceeded to the parade.

 

I was today years old when I learned the show is on iTunes.

^ how i wish all the coffee break concert shows were available.

 

i dithered and debated for days about going to see little steven and the disciples of soul, but decided to stay home and tape it off the radio instead.

 

on 8 track. 😂

 

i can't find that one -- i think its lost to history and the office riot debacle after old malrite wmms collapsed.

 

somebody somewhere has a lot of these wmms backed concert tapes -- i wish they would let loose.

On 3/9/2022 at 10:46 AM, LibertyBlvd said:

Apparently, cleveland.com is no longer displaying email addresses for their columnists.   A few times recently, I wanted to contact one of them to report an error in an article, but was unable to do so.

Did you try first initial lastname at cleveland.com?

4 minutes ago, bjk said:

Did you try first initial lastname at cleveland.com?

No, but I did contact one recently via Facebook.

39 minutes ago, mrnyc said:

^ how i wish all the coffee break concert shows were available.

 

i dithered and debated for days about going to see little steven and the disciples of soul, but decided to stay home and tape it off the radio instead.

 

on 8 track. 😂

 

i can't find that one -- i think its lost to history and the office riot debacle after old malrite wmms collapsed.

 

somebody somewhere has a lot of these wmms backed concert tapes -- i wish they would let loose.

 

John Gorman reported that a lot of the masters were just copied over by corporate weenies after they took over the facilities.   I ended up taping the Generators show on a delay that I went to but the tape degraded.

 

I know I went to the St. Patrick's show and I vaguely remember it, but I also met some erstwhile teammates and we proceeded to the parade.   Which was supposedly one of the more sodden ones in history, and I don't mean the weather.   They immediately announced that open containers would be banned the next year.   

Interesting that Geraldo will end his 4 year run on WTAM due to increased responsibility with Fox.  His last show is Friday, April 1.

 

 I liked his adoption of Cleveland as a home town (principally due to his marriage to Local resident Erica Levy) 

and the raised profile of Cleveland with his frequent appearances on Fox with the Cleveland skyline behind him.  Hopefully, some of that will still happen when he’s in town. 

 

Like him or not (and I do) his career resume is undeniable and he raised WTAM’s national profile during his tenure. It should be interesting to see what Ray Davis comes up with to replace him in the AM slot. 
 

I’m also curious to know what the reaction around town has been to Triv’s replacement , “Bloomdaddy”.  A lot of changes at 1100. 

Geraldo does seem like a decent guy, though I never did hear his radio show. I had been a constant listener to 1100 for ages but the station has just been completely off my radar the past few years.

 

I do miss hearing Mike Snyder, super nice guy. And I am very nostalgic for late nights hearing about all the UFO's, time traveling, conspiracies, ghost planets and vampires with the incomparable Art Bell. 

 

I wonder whatever happened to Kevin Keene?