A shakeup has begun at Alpha Media Hot AC “Mix 94.1” WHBC-FM Canton OH as OM/PD/afternoon host John Stewart and Music Director/morning co-host Kathy Vogel have both exited the station.
Stewart joined WHBC-FM in January 2013 after a decade as PD at CHR “Q92” 92.5 WDJQ Alliance/Canton. He has also programmed KBKS Seattle and WSSR Tampa during his career. Vogel joined the station in 2008 after runs in mornings at WDJQ and Rock 97.5 WONE Akron.
A shakeup has begun at Alpha Media Hot AC “Mix 94.1” WHBC-FM Canton OH as OM/PD/afternoon host John Stewart and Music Director/morning co-host Kathy Vogel have both exited the station.
Stewart joined WHBC-FM in January 2013 after a decade as PD at CHR “Q92” 92.5 WDJQ Alliance/Canton. He has also programmed KBKS Seattle and WSSR Tampa during his career. Vogel joined the station in 2008 after runs in mornings at WDJQ and Rock 97.5 WONE Akron.
Eric Jon Magnuson says: RAMP notes a new Repository story that adds a little more detail (e.g., specifically saying that Ms. Vogel was “fired”)…
http://www.cantonrep.com/news/20180823/kathy-vogel-fired-at-whbc
Charles Everett says: Mix 94.1 going Country? WQMX from Akron has a city-grade signal into Canton.
Nathan Obral says: iHeart has country on a W259BW/99.7 (which clears Bobby Bones in Northern Ohio). Plus K105 in Youngstown has a monster signal that easily covers Canton.
wolfenforcer32 says: Not likely, seeing as how there are enough country outlets in that area. They’ll stay AC.
Les Talk says: We already have the essentially jockless My 101.7 in the market. IHR can’t even voicetrack it anymore. Is Mix 94.1 going to do the same? Yawn. Also, there is absolutely no reason for yet another country station in the market.
kennedyideas says: Nextmedia overpaid for these two signals back in 2000, giving Beaverkettle 42 Million. The Vodrey family made out like bandits in a market that Nextmedia thought they could turn into a power cluster that never materialized.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Alpha dump Canton as a market in the near future. iHeart is at capacity, but Rubber City could take it, and with the recent sales at Dix, maybe they’d consider it to compliment WQKT Wooster?
MediaFan85 says: I can see Rubber City taking over those signals. I can see WHBC-FM staying as an AC, though what about WHBC-AM with WAKR basically having the same format and approach?
MediaFan85 says: I heard a guy filling in on afternoons today named “Bo.” I wonder if it’s Bo Matthews from Alpha’s Dayton cluster. He was once programming WMMS and WAKS in Cleveland.
Mark W. says: Alpha is cheap…cheap…cheap.
They will likely stick to the script they’ve used at numerous other stations of theirs in recent years and insert the syndicated Brooke & Jubal show into the A.M. Drive slot.
Stewart’s responsibilities will likely be handed off to another employee already within the company.
Les Talk says: Only my opinion, but I could see Rubber City more a seller than a buyer. WAKR and WHBC-AM are lucky to have a tenth of their audience. Both have terrible signals. And, outside a few hours a day each, rather boring programming. How many hours a day is Dave Ramsey on the WAKR schedule – like 12? I could see Alpha leaving Canton entirely – but selling to who? Dix sold its Western Maryland properties a few years ago. They do well with their plug in and play formats in Wooster – with their additional local news, etc. Ironically, I could see Q92/DJP purchasing the Alpha properties more than anyone else already in, or bordering the market.
Nathan Obral says: WQMX (and even WONE) makes more than enough money to keep WAKR afloat. Thom Mandel runs RCRG almost as a hobby, which is fine, but it does lead to some questionable moves – buying WNWV and a Lansing, Michigan cluster (which floundered and was eventually sold) come to mind.
Nathan Obral says: As for WAKR, they do double-run Dave Ramsey in evenings (but note that they air Indians/Cavs/tOSU basketball PBP/high school football-basketball almost nightly) and Red Eye Radio overnights, but are live-local all day long. Which is fine, but they’re going up against WNIR/100.1, which almost isn’t a fair fight.
Ironically one of WAKR’s current afternoon hosts, Sam Bourquin, had been a WHBC-AM fixture until management tried to move him to morning drive, and he balked.
cartwright says: And Kayleigh Kriss still hangs on… she has survived every cut and change imaginable at that station.
RAMP notes a new Repository story that adds a little more detail (e.g., specifically saying that Ms. Vogel was “fired”)…
http://www.cantonrep.com/news/20180823/kathy-vogel-fired-at-whbc
I think it will go country as 94.1 the bull???
Mix 94.1 going Country? WQMX from Akron has a city-grade signal into Canton.
iHeart has country on a W259BW/99.7 (which clears Bobby Bones in Northern Ohio). Plus K105 in Youngstown has a monster signal that easily covers Canton.
Not likely, seeing as how there are enough country outlets in that area. They’ll stay AC.
We already have the essentially jockless My 101.7 in the market. IHR can’t even voicetrack it anymore. Is Mix 94.1 going to do the same? Yawn. Also, there is absolutely no reason for yet another country station in the market.
Nextmedia overpaid for these two signals back in 2000, giving Beaverkettle 42 Million. The Vodrey family made out like bandits in a market that Nextmedia thought they could turn into a power cluster that never materialized.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Alpha dump Canton as a market in the near future. iHeart is at capacity, but Rubber City could take it, and with the recent sales at Dix, maybe they’d consider it to compliment WQKT Wooster?
I can see Rubber City taking over those signals. I can see WHBC-FM staying as an AC, though what about WHBC-AM with WAKR basically having the same format and approach?
I heard a guy filling in on afternoons today named “Bo.” I wonder if it’s Bo Matthews from Alpha’s Dayton cluster. He was once programming WMMS and WAKS in Cleveland.
Alpha is cheap…cheap…cheap.
They will likely stick to the script they’ve used at numerous other stations of theirs in recent years and insert the syndicated Brooke & Jubal show into the A.M. Drive slot.
Stewart’s responsibilities will likely be handed off to another employee already within the company.
Only my opinion, but I could see Rubber City more a seller than a buyer. WAKR and WHBC-AM are lucky to have a tenth of their audience. Both have terrible signals. And, outside a few hours a day each, rather boring programming. How many hours a day is Dave Ramsey on the WAKR schedule – like 12? I could see Alpha leaving Canton entirely – but selling to who? Dix sold its Western Maryland properties a few years ago. They do well with their plug in and play formats in Wooster – with their additional local news, etc. Ironically, I could see Q92/DJP purchasing the Alpha properties more than anyone else already in, or bordering the market.
WQMX (and even WONE) makes more than enough money to keep WAKR afloat. Thom Mandel runs RCRG almost as a hobby, which is fine, but it does lead to some questionable moves – buying WNWV and a Lansing, Michigan cluster (which floundered and was eventually sold) come to mind.
As for WAKR, they do double-run Dave Ramsey in evenings (but note that they air Indians/Cavs/tOSU basketball PBP/high school football-basketball almost nightly) and Red Eye Radio overnights, but are live-local all day long. Which is fine, but they’re going up against WNIR/100.1, which almost isn’t a fair fight.
Ironically one of WAKR’s current afternoon hosts, Sam Bourquin, had been a WHBC-AM fixture until management tried to move him to morning drive, and he balked.
And Kayleigh Kriss still hangs on… she has survived every cut and change imaginable at that station.