Ohio Cable Net ONN to Close at August's End

Cable channel ONN, the Ohio News Network, is shutting down Aug. 31, bringing a 15-year run to a close.

ONN is owned by Dispatch Printing Company, parent of WBNS Columbus and the Columbus Dispatch, which previously reported of ONN's demise.

Said Dispatch in a statement: "We launched our 24-hour statewide network in 1997 and have focused on bringing viewers coverage of Ohio news, weather, sports and politics in the most professional manner possible. Changing news consumer habits is the primary contributor to us making this most difficult decision. We thank viewers for the support of ONN over the past 15 years."

ONN Radio will continue, Dispatch's executives said.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.