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All about Raycom Media....


tyrannical bastard

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Meanwhile' date=' I found in this old Inside Edition report about the NAPTE a really old Raycom logo, at 4:07. They don't mention anything else about it, though.

Back in 1989, Raycom was simply a distributor of college sports play-by-play. They didn't own any stations.

 

The current Raycom Media didn't exist until Raycom Sports and Ellis Communications merged in 1994, taking the Raycom name in 1996.

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Back in 1989, Raycom was simply a distributor of college sports play-by-play. They didn't own any stations.

 

The current Raycom Media didn't exist until Raycom Sports and Ellis Communications merged in 1994, taking the Raycom name in 1996.

 

They took the Raycom name precisely because it was well-known for its college sports telecasts (particularly the ACC).

WOIO/WUAB has a new news director... Fred D'Ambrosi.

 

Ohio Media Watch notes that the press release makes no mention of "19 Action News," and gives some serious hints as to the pending change in tone at Reserve Square.

 

"CBS 19 News" is apparently being named-dropped as a replacement brand.

Looks like WTVM may be making the switch to the new Raycom graphics soon! They are giving hints on their site, which is now changed over to the new look.

 

http://columbus.raycomweather.com/2015/03/wet-unsettled-week-ahead.html

My hopes aren't too high with this hire. WOIO is either going to become another oblivious Raycom station, or it's going to become an unwatchable mess of web garbage.

 

Seeing as he was at the wheel of WUSA and it's quest for last place, it's now a question whether or not WEWS can keep out suck-ing them in the ratings with all of the Scripps destruction.

 

And to refresh your memory...there was this...

 

and may the new Raycom look not be subject to such mutilation....

 

WOIO/WUAB has a new news director... Fred D'Ambrosi.

 

Ohio Media Watch notes that the press release makes no mention of "19 Action News," and gives some serious hints as to the pending change in tone at Reserve Square.

 

"CBS 19 News" is apparently being named-dropped as a replacement brand.

 

Typical. Why continue something that works and that people actually like? Let's blow it up and do what we think they should like.

Typical. Why continue something that works and that people actually like? Let's blow it up and do what we think they should like.

As Myron Falwell and I pointed out, 19 Action News, despite its bouts of infamy, has been one of the most successful post-94 newscasts. Evidently, GM Dom Mancuso and ND Fred D'Ambrosi either got orders from the Raycom brass to drop Action News or those bozos saw only the bad parts of Action News and claimed it sucked. I bet the guys at Lakeside and at South Marginal will be laughing all the way to success.

 

As Myron Falwell and I pointed out, 19 Action News, despite its bouts of infamy, has been one of the most successful post-94 newscasts. Evidently, GM Dom Mancuso and ND Fred D'Ambrosi either got orders from the Raycom brass to drop Action News or those bozos saw only the bad parts of Action News and claimed it sucked. I bet the guys at Lakeside and at South Marginal will be laughing all the way to success.

 

Pretty much....and Euclid Avenue might have a prayer or two should the lighthouse start working again ;)

 

The last time Raycom got their way with WOIO/WUAB was with "Hometeam News". It was boring, mediocre, and looked no different than any other Raycom station at the time (and for the years to come until they started going HD). Instead of hiring another co-anchor for Denise Dufala, they simply moved Jack Marschall over to the 6 and 11 while keeping his slot on the 10 o'clock news. Ratings continued to flounder, even as Channel 3 was suffering through their final days on East 6th street with "News That's More Local..."

 

Their plans were dashed when the Indians took themselves from WUAB onto cable, which was a major blow for them. (The brand was conceived since WOIO and WUAB televised ALL of the major league teams at the time....WOIO had the Browns through CBS and WUAB was the TV home of the Cavs and Indians, Enter the blowup that made way for "Action News...."

As Myron Falwell and I pointed out, 19 Action News, despite its bouts of infamy, has been one of the most successful post-94 newscasts. Evidently, GM Dom Mancuso and ND Fred D'Ambrosi either got orders from the Raycom brass to drop Action News or those bozos saw only the bad parts of Action News and claimed it sucked. I bet the guys at Lakeside and at South Marginal will be laughing all the way to success.

As soon as Bill Applegate retired, the countdown to a reset of "Action News" began.

 

And yet, the strength of CBS' prime-time schedule, plus the presence of Romona Robinson alone, will keep WOIO from making a major collapse. You'll note that the current incarnation of "19 Action News" is heavily diluted from the original brash style that Applegate introduced.

 

As soon as Bill Applegate retired, the countdown to a reset of "Action News" began.

 

And yet, the strength of CBS' prime-time schedule, plus the presence of Romona Robinson alone, will keep WOIO from making a major collapse. You'll note that the current incarnation of "19 Action News" is heavily diluted from the original brash style that Applegate introduced.

 

I think Raycom is also (finally) tired of paying all the lawsuits that was popped up when Bill was there (especially with the recent sales dept drama) and want to rebrand 19 to a more-advertiser-friendly, less polarizing image.

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Like I said in the No Emotion Box earlier, WOIO/WUAB replaced John Young with a new voiceover for their news opens. I noticed it while watching it on Livestream earlier this week.

 

UPDATE (4/11/2015): Just learned it was John Beach. Thank you, NewsMaster.

Overreaction? But they should've launched the new graphics. The open is a huge "What?" to me.

Either this is a slow phase-out of the "Action News" branding, or they HAD to swap out the music at a specific date for contractural reasons with Gari/W-C, and the new graphics/brand aren't ready to go yet.

 

It's pretty obvious that, as soon as the new graphics package is unveiled, WOIO/WUAB will flip to "CBS 19 News" or some variation thereof.

 

Like I said in the No Emotion Box earlier, WOIO/WUAB replaced John Young with a new voiceover for their news opens. I noticed it while watching it on Livestream earlier this week.

 

UPDATE (4/11/2015): Just learned it was John Beach. Thank you, NewsMaster.

 

It just sounds so weird without John Young. I'm guessing the rebranding must be coming real soon.

Did John Young still voice commercials? I remember him doing stuff for "National Carpet Mill Outlet" and selected other WOIO/WUAB clients ALONGSIDE station voiceovers. (a major no-no in my book)

 

Imagine the chaos if they're forced to re-do the Young spots and they aren't able to replace them with Beach ones. (depending on the voice contracts.....it can happen!)

  • 3 weeks later...
Too bad that the old WUAB studio on Day Drive in Parma is no more. If memory serves me correctly, it was razed in 1996 for an OfficeMax location since it was across the street from a THEN successful mall, Parmatown. Soon after, South Park mall opened up in nearby Strongsville leading the area around Parmatown to slowly decline, eventually leading the OfficeMax that replaced WUAB's facility to close a few years back (along with most of Parmatown itself!)

 

EDIT: The OfficeMax building appears to be a Planet Fitness per Google Maps. The OfficeMax closed in 2006.

 

As for WOIO/WUAB, this new GM may be even more brash than Applegate....and since we're in May sweeps, will Action News actually be going away any time soon?

Did John Young still voice commercials? I remember him doing stuff for "National Carpet Mill Outlet" and selected other WOIO/WUAB clients ALONGSIDE station voiceovers. (a major no-no in my book)

 

Imagine the chaos if they're forced to re-do the Young spots and they aren't able to replace them with Beach ones. (depending on the voice contracts.....it can happen!)

I believe Ted Alexander (a longtime DJ/engineer/VO artist) still does commercial voiceovers for WOIO/WUAB.

Speaking of WOIO, the station will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary this month. So, Happy 30th CBS 19.

May 19th, to be exact.

 

And tape was rolling on WOIO's inaugural day, thanks to Ray "videoholic" Glasser. (Someone else also recorded the sign-on sequence the last time it was ever used, in late 1994... but the two videos combine seemlessly.)

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Yes, that is the late Bill "The Troll" Tullis reading the sign-on script. Not a surprise, given his connections with John Christopher Burns...

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