Clear Channel Abandons City of Cincinnati

Well, if you listen to their radio stations it is clear they do not give a damn about the actual City of Cincinnati, so it comes as no surprise that they are running scared to Kenwood. I guess Bill Cunningham wants to ride his tricycle to work.

I think this is a move for Clear Channel to start reducing local programming and even local staff. What better way than cutting jobs during a move, people will not notice quite so much.

Why didn't the city do anything to try and keep them downtown? Well, that is a leading question. I wonder what they offered or if Clear Channel even told anyone they were leaving before their deal was signed? I wonder if this at all factual:

Kinney said Clear Channel's Austin, Texas-based real estate broker talked to the city of Cincinnati about incentives for keeping Clear Channel inside city limits.

"We did talk to Cincinnati, just to see if there was anything they could do, and there wasn't really anything much to do," Kinney said. "We got a good deal and a good location (in Kenwood)."

There wasn't anything they could do? Huh? Are all of the downtown buildings full? Of course not. This is move is occurring for two reasons. They do want more space, but additionally there will be a pull back of City Coverage, and of general local coverage across the board. If there will be any local coverage, then it will be suburban and Northern Kentucky. I would in the years expect WLW to have less news, more sports, and the talk shows will only cover national or suburban topics.

WDBZ is moving downtown next month, so why couldn't Clear Channel find room?

MIAMI 44 Northwestern 14

Love and honor to Miami,
Our college old and grand,
Proudly we shall ever hail thee,
Over all the land.

Alma mater now we praise thee,
Sing joyfully this lay,
Love and honor to Miami,
Forever and a day.

Hack Headlines and Fear Fakers

Who the hell wrote the headline to this story?

Is downtown safe?
Recent statistics say violent crime is down, but the reality of reported incidents has the public seeing danger on every corner

Now the shear length of the subheadline is an obvious problem, but could the question be more leading? The only thing more leading could be the classicly poor question to pose in an interview or press conference: When did you stop beating your wife?

The article's point is that even with the reduction of crime in downtown based on statistics, the image of downtown will not change with incidents several assaults and shootings getting hyped up and sensational reporting (I added the hyped and sensational point, I don’t know if the reporter would). This is true, but this paragraph from the story sums up the duplicitous role the media plays:

As city leaders strive to polish downtown's reputation, still showing the lingering effects of the 2001 riots and other setbacks, they recognize that a single headline about a shooting can trump all the positive statistics and other upbeat developments -- among them, downtown's new stadiums, museums and growing upscale residential options -- in fixing an image of the center city.

I have to ask the reporter, Barry M. Horstman , how do you talk out both sides of your mouth? Your newspaper is part of the media that is creating the invalid perception that downtown is unsafe, and your headline (which was likely from your editor) is doing nothing but selling papers and putting fear into the minds of ignorant and easily influenced suburbanites. If newspapers/local TV news outlets want to analyze crime based on anecdotal reports instead of statistics, then they are clearly lying to the public. Now, many would say they regularly lie to the public, but I don’t really think that is true, they just tease with blood, sex, violence and fear of death to get you do watch through the next commercial. I thought newspapers still had a lower level of sales driven editing choices, but it appears that the Post wants you to fear for your life as much as the local TV news programs that will tell you if your child will die, right after this commercial break.

Dear Diary

Is Maggie Downs being held back a little? This is a good column, but I think she could still be writing on topics with much more complexity than this. Why not tackle the Cranley vs. Spencer battle over Main Street?

I am amazed over one thing in this article though. As a blogger, which is a new form of journalist and a much more personal one, I do write about my self on occasion. In the world of columnists that has been true for a while.

I was interviewed for CityBeat earlier this year and the reporter Maria Rodgers asked me how I could be so open about myself on my blog. I am open about myself, but I do wall off some of my emotions, or at least direct reference to them. Talking about my love life is one thing I could not do, well at least not beyond talking about my lack of one. Maggie is straightforward with it. That takes guts. My blog here is only read by a small number of people, while she is read weekly in large newspaper. I could not write about this type of topic. I would like to read more of her opinions on stuff, but what she is doing is interesting, and keeps me reading.

I do have to ask one other question. What kind of boyfriend does have that can take off three months and go to Europe in the fall? I wish my employer would let me do that. I would pick England and Ireland instead of Italy though.

Doctor Heal Thine Self

Darryl Parks was complaining on WLW this morning that John Ritter’s death was the headline on his station’s newscast. I have some news for Mr. Parks: YOU ARE THE BOSS OF WLW. If Darryl does not like the news broadcast, then he should get off his ass and chew out the news director for running with the human stories as the lead. Don’t just whine on the air, do your damn job.

Nate Livingston Impersonating Me Again?
Does Nate really think he is fooling anyone? I wonder if I should sue Nate for either identity theft or more likely defamation. Well if you read this message thread at Cincymusic.com, guess what, it is not me, and Nate seems to be having fun trying to discredit me. Why does Nate have time to waste on me? I am just a wanna-be newsboy after all. So a "mighty leader" like Nate has time to deal with a minor blogger/journalist like myself. If I am so insignificant, why does the gnat spend his time trying to defame me?

Kroger Gets Their Garage
This was a forgone conclusion, but the city will build Kroger a parking garage. I don't really have a major problem with building a parking garage. Parking is not easy everywhere downtown. If Central Parkway continues to develop, then more parking it will come in handy. The problem with the situation was the arrogance and vile business practices of Kroger’s. Making threats is not a good long run business practice. It might work for the short run thinkers who want to quell the tide today (wringing the stone for last ounce of blood), but for us true “conservative” business people, working honestly and fairly gets you more friends then foes. Kroger’s now has bunch of foes. If they do not help find a developer for their former College Hill store, or if they let the Vine Street store fall apart again, then they might feel the pinch instead of the warm body massage from city council.

Cole's comments from the debate are either piss poor or just not quoted in their entirety:

"This deal stinks," Cole said. "It stinks for the council. It stinks for the taxpayers. It stinks so bad that I beg the administration to get its act together and get us the information we need before we have to make any more of these decisions."

Why? Why does the plan stink? Is it just because the city has to pay for it? Well, the city has built many many parking garages around town. I do not think this will be a Kroger only garage, at least I hope not. So we all get some value out of it. It will make good parking for the Taste of Cincinnati. Cole's comments are just electioneering at their most ineloquent.

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