Letter To Columbus Dispatch Editor

Released 03/30/06

Columbus Dispatch

Letters To The Editor

First, I would like to thank Dispatch Reporter Tim Feran for his story "McCleary resigns from WTVN" printed March 22, 2006.  In Feran's article, a comment attributed to me: Eight years is enough of this.  I've seen changes coming, begs for an explanation.

I was just going to walk away from the situation but, numerous telephone calls and emails that I have received from former listeners makes me feel like I owe the public a full explanation for my sudden departure from 610-WTVN radio station.

Eight years ago I came to WTVN as a community activist and the station's first black talk show host.  Going against the advice of the former program director, Daryl Parks, I used my program to educate the community on political issues and, allowed my program to be utilized by the everyday citizen to air their respective concerns.  My punishment for doing this was that I would only be allowed to be on the air on Sunday nights.  A punishment that I accepted.  I told myself that I was going to make Sunday nights as hot as a volcano, which I did.

In an attempt to minimize my effectiveness as a talk show host, every new producer hired by the station for the last eight years was assigned to work my show.  To offset this programming disadvantage, I always completely produced my show before arriving at the station to minimize the negative impact of having an inexperienced producer.  The show continued to be a great success.

Along the way several opportunities presented itself for me to advance as a major talent with both WTVN and ClearChannel in general.  My talent was proven.  I had success fully worked every talent time slot at the station with, the exception of the Bob Connors show.  I was still, for no reasons ever sited by the program directors, given the opportunity to advance.  Yet, white males, good people, who's proven talents where not even close to matching mine, where promoted over me.  I accepted this too.

Then comes Bruce Collins, WTVN's current program director.  Collins' hires a Sunday school teacher as my producer and flat out lied about it.  Then, two weeks after I get the Sunday school teacher as a producer, after a show, calls me and states that he has received complaints regarding my language on the air.

Now, being the experienced activist and professional private investigator that I am, it did not take me long to figure out that WTVN was setting me up to take me out because they could no longer legally justify holding me back.  It did not help matters that I made the mistake of sharing with Bruce Collins my concerns regarding past discriminatory practices at the station.

In many ways WTVN was good to me.  I truly enjoyed working at the station and the great relationship that I had built with the community.  I sincerely apologize to my many loyal listeners for having to leave the way that I did but I had too.  It was the only to protect myself.  I always knew that the day would come that the station would shut me down because I was getting too strong and too independent.  And, I was also always prepared to say good-bye.  Good-bye.

Cornell McCleary

Comments

[Marky]

It appears to me that WTVN does not have their act together. Why don't you go to another station and kick thier butts as the star at the other station? That should not be hard to do.

[Ben]

I agree...but I am also thankful that you started this blog...keep up the good work.

[Cornell]

Posting the blog was not that hard. Getting people to that I am here is going to be the challenge. From what I have researched so far, a blog can be more powerful than radio. ClearChannel (WTVN) is out of control because they have no real competition. I think that if I can get enough viewer to the blog consistently, I can compel WTVN to be more responsive to the community. Thanks for checking out the site Ben.

[Bryan Z]

I am also glad this blog has been started. Expose the ugly Cornell, Keep it up. Thanks.

[Ally]

Thank you Cornell for creating this blog, and I will definitely spread the word. I hope ClearChannel will realize that their policies are hurting the community.

[Cornell]

Ally, thanks for checking in. With the help of people like you logging into this site, we will get WTVN's attention.

[chuckadrian]

Cornell-As a friend for over 20 years now, your style, with your ability to tell it like it is, is still refreshing. In todays world of political idiots and robot news reporters, you remain the same; unafraid speak the truth. We are listening. Take care of yourself and keep up the good work.

[Cornell]

Thanks Chuck for your friendship and your kind words. I think that this blog thing may get to be as fun as being on the radio if I can get use to delayed gratification from having a good conversation.

[Daniel Brownstein]

Cornell --

It was always a pleasure working with you.

As you know, your show was the first thyat I produced, where I learned the ropes.

Even after being moved to weekend afternoons, I continued to listen, enjoying your forum for callers to talk about whatever moved them that particular day.

Unfortunately, certain things preclude me from being able to comment more specifically on your letter to the editor. Perhaps, someday I'll be able to.

I'll only say that I agree with much of your assessment.

Cheers brother and best of luck.

DB

[Cornell]

Hey Dan, hearing from you was really great. You more than anyone else know what I went through at WTVN all these years and, on behalf of the community I made the show into a real voice of the people. My goal is to work and develop this blog until it is getting 50,000 hits a day. When that day comes, and it will come, the people of Central Ohio will have spoken and WTVN and every other media, elected official and public official will be listening. This is the new "Power Play". Thanks for your comments my brother. Stay strong.

[BigRod]

When I saw the latest Arbitron's I was saddened to ses WTVN still number one in this pathetic market. How this is possible without you,Steve Cannon,Sterling, and Curt Boster is beyond my ability to understand.

You listened to me sobbing after the storms at Christmas 2004 put me in the dark with no oxygen machine. Whle AEP had the power on 50 feet from our house, to a business. And encouraged me to not give up and stay on AEP. We did and I was reimbursed.

Even when people disagreed, you never argued, you agreed to just disagree.A credit to your talent.

The classlessness of Bruce Collins and lackeys has neutered WTVN to nothing more than a hillbilly haven for residents of Logan. Even the website has been sanitized to remove anything to do with other than Corby, Joel, and BC. Fan sites, and part timers are all gone.

Why? We made a lot of noise after Sterling, got louder when it was Cannon, and became a nighmare from hell with Boster and you leaving.

People can make a difference. You go Cornell, I am with you.

[Cornell]

Hey BigRod, welcome to The Blog. Regarding WTVN's ratings, the current ratings are a result of people like me being at WTVN. The next rating period I'm sure that people are going to see WTVN take a hit. The reason that WTVN is so strong is mostly because of its sports and news coverage. WTVN's Corby and Conner shows are heavily rapped in sports, news & traffick. Their respective shows will be strong and stay strong. The station's local talent pool is put to the test starting with Joel Riley and the weekend talk show host. With me leaving the station the pressure is now on Joel to carry a bigger ball. I'm not trying to be mean-sprited or anything but Joel was given that job to keep him gainfully employed at ClearChannel not because of his talent. Personally, Joel was a great guy before he became a talk show host and discovered that he really did not have the talent. I believe that time will show that I am not just picking on Joel. The truth can stand on its own. To be totally honest, Joel was put in that spot by former WTVN Program Director Steve Konrad specificallly to avoid giving it to me. Steve Konrad personally told me that talent was not the issue when he gave Joel the job. Joel had seniority over me and Konrad specifically told me that seniority was the deciding factor. Prior to the Joel Riley situation, seniority has never been a factor in promoting talent.

[Bryan Z]

Cornell,

I must say, your blog is really coming along. I like how its set up. Its clean cut and to the point. Adding the Concerned citizens rescource/information section was a good idea. So I think you have done a very good job Cornell. I think this will be a GREAT substitute for your radio show. But I have one question, Why the link to the 'Free Press'? The Free Press has talked bad about you before. AND THEY ARE ULTRA LIBERAL. So just curious as to why you link them to your webpage...

[Ben]

Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer...

[Cornell]

Hi Ben, you asked a great question regarding the Free Press. You are right, the leadership of the Free Press are not my friends or my allies but, that was not always the case. Believe it or not, once upon a time I was the Chairman of the Board of their parent organization,I was the sole conservative on the executive board. There was about 25 board member most of whom were liberal or Democrat community leaders, journalist or political activist.

I included the Free Press and other liberal sources on the blog because I have never been afraid of the truth and, free and open debate, regardless of your politics or affiliations is the best way to maintain a free society.

If one is not willing to subject one's positions to public challenge then one's postions should be viewed as suspect by the general public (hint to political candidates and public officials).

Those that hate me or fear me, more often than not, do so because I strongly and often, advocate the truth in public forums and, rarely do the facts suggest that I am wrong. And, the truth may be the right thing to advocate but the right thing can, and usually does, kicks a many of asses along the way to getting people to do the right thing.

[Larry from Worthington]

Cornell,
Thank you for not slipping into obscurity.

I really hate you see you leave 610 but I saw it coming. A couple weeks before your last show, I said to you “every week, I am surprised that you are still on the air”. The same financial interests that are getting us involved in endless wars, building concentration camps and building a police state are also buying up all of the media companies. Clear Channel is one of these financial interests. Their control system relies on “dumb ass voters”. You were doing a hell of a job eliminating “dumb ass voters”.

I hope to hear you on a radio station talk show again. You truly have a talent to make people think for themselves.

Thank you for eight years of intelligent debate.

[Cornell]

Hi Larry thanks for the great comments. You are dead right, WTVN is a sign of the times but, I do believe that people are starting to wake up. This blog is interesting in that it gives me a way to keep in touch with people. Based upon the responses that I have been getting from people that I run into every day, I most likely will end up back in radio or on TV. I have mixed feelings about it but I'm sure that I will enjoy it if I get the chance to do it again. Thanks again. Keep in touch.

[Jim on a Cell Phone]

I too had wonder what happen to Cornell, thank you for the this blog, now I know. And the funny thing is I had a strong feeling that you were pushed out the door so to speak exactly for the reasons you gave. I enjoyed your Sunday night shows, and whenever you had the opportunity to fill in (which was often it seemed). Makes me wonder why people who seem to be popular with the general listening audience (you, Sterling, Steve Cannon, Curt Boster) are taken off the air and others of lesser talent are brought in (not to disparge Joel Riley who does a decent enough job on the 6-9 slot). Still, I can't help wonder why any station in this modern age would find that having a "black, political activitist", one who I would deem leans more to the right (as does 610wtvn), to be a problem that they have to make "go away". No doubt Bruce Collins is ignorant of what his loyal listeners really want.

Just to let you know, I'm a white, somewhat conservative male who truely enjoyed your show, even when we "agreed to disagree" which was not very often.

I'm glad I came across this site and plan on visiting more often. Know that "Power Play" is bookmarked on my computer and I'll check back soon.

[Cornell]

Hi Jim, I'm glad you found me. I hope many more of my former listners do the same thing.

I don't think that it was the intentions of WTVN to push me out the door. I think that it was more of Bruce Collins trying to establish who was the boss the wrong way at the wrong time.

Collins did not take enough time to learn his team members. If he did he would have learned how sensitive I am to being controlled or the appearance of being controlled.

I am trusted in a lot of arenas, black, white, Republican, Democrats etc. The control thing is of the utmost importance to my image. An evaluation of my personal ratings clearly indicated than my listners where accross the board (black, white, young and old) second only to Bob Connors.

I'm really sorry that I left the station for my loyal listners but the very thing that many people like me so much for (being honest) is the very reason why I felt compelled to leave.

[Mike]

Cornell,

You had a good show.

Joel is an OK guy, but he does better when part of a team - when the mic is ON AIR.

For example, he does well when Corby's show is ON AIR.

Bob Connors is an institution - a model of being a radio professional.

You have the gift, too, and Columbus needs your kind of - how shall I say - reminder of how the truth will put a dent in a City Hall Theory.

I'm glad to hear that Carla Wren (sp?) managed to hang on; she's unique, somewhat like you.

I think that WTVN made a mistake getting rid of "Sterling." As you did, he had built up an audience despite the odds. By the time they gave him the axe, he was a hit, but "Management Personalities" cannot seem to keep themselves out of the way of progress.

Wish you good luck, sir, and God Bless.

[Nelson]

This guy was a buffoon. He was actually rather ignorant. WTVN had mercy on Columbus by restricting this racist to one show a week.