Mid-Michigan: April 2006 Archives

Sinclair Broadcast Group's WSMH-TV (FOX 66) and Meredith Corporation's WNEM-TV (CBS 5) have announced a news partnership in which WNEM will produce an hourly 10 p.m. newscast Monday through Sunday on WSMH, beginning April 24, 2006. The news share will be branded as, "TV5 News at 10 P.M. on FOX66 and will be anchored by current WNEM staffers that will be identified in the near future. Current newsroom employees of WSMH will be considered for positions at WNEM as it expands operations to cover the Channel 66 news programs.

"This is an exciting opportunity for us to partner with the number one- rated news in the market," commented David Schwartz, General Manager of WSMH. "Having WNEM produce our news gives us access to resources that are otherwise cost prohibitive, and allows us to air a higher quality, better known news product. We thank our news staff, who did a tremendous job in producing a solid and professional local newscast for the past 3-1/2 years."

"We are excited about partnering with FOX 66 in producing Mid-Michigan's only 10 p.m. newscast," said Al Blinke, WNEM's Vice President and General Manager. "We will invest by expanding our news resources to give both stations more coverage, and give FOX 66 viewers a newscast produced by our top-rated and award-winning news team."

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WSMH (Channel 66) will terminate its own nightly news program, with WNEM (Channel 5) taking over production of the 10 p.m. news in a new partnership. The changes, announced Monday, will go into effect April 24 when "TV5 News at 10 p.m. on Fox 66" hits the airwaves... Channel 5 take over 66 news (Tue 4/11, Flint Journal

Owosso's WOAP-AM 1080 has fallen silent, at least temporarily, according to an article in Friday's Flint Journal. The station has apparently received permission from the FCC to temporarily cease operations for a period of restructuring. A spokesperson for the station's owner, Michigan Catholic Radio of Garden City, offered no timetable for how long the station would be off the air, or what the reorganization would involve.

WOAP had filed a petition with the FCC for subtantial power increase and transmitter relocation closer to Lansing, as well as a change in its COL from Owosso to Waverly. The move would also allow for a power increase for sister station WCAR-AM 1090 (Garden City/Livonia).

MIchigan Catholic Radio is one of two Catholic radio networks currently operating in Michigan. The other, Ave Maria Radio, is an Ann Arbor based network headed by former Domino's Pizza owner Tom Mognahan.

Longtime Lansing morning radio host Tim Barron has found a new home at MacDonald Broadcasting's WHZZ (101.7 Mike FM). Barron's new morning show made its debut Monday 4/24, following about two weeks of on-air promotion and hints. He is joined by newscaster Katie Carollan, who covers the same duties for sister station WILS-AM. Many of Barron's fans called into yesterday's program to welcome him back to the airwaves and wish him well in his new venture.

Barron is no stranger to Lansing radio listeners, having previously served as morning co-host (with Deb Hart) for Classic Rock WMMQ-FM 94.9, and before that, for Rocker WJXQ-FM 106.1 (Q106).