Since leaving Cleveland in the 1990s, she has worked in radio in various big-city markets, including Philadelphia and Phoenix. The concert series continued on well into the 1990s and early 2000s, albeit much less frequently.[64][65]. He now works for Progressive Insurance. He became a part of the heyday of WMMS, which included on-air personalities like Kid Leo, Denny Sanders, Matt the Cat, Betty Korvan, Len Goldberg and the BLF Bash. [81], In the mid-1980s, WMMS was an important contributor in organizing a campaign (along with former Cleveland ad agency president Edward Spizel and author-deejay Norm N. Nite) which brought the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to Cleveland. The short-lived music magazine featured a diverse mix of interviews, opinion pieces, album reviews, Buzzard playlists, concert listings and photos from station events. [120] Finally, The Bob & Tom Show aired in the time slot from 2006 until April 2008. Buzzard Morning Zoo video featuring Mr. Leonard. "[83] Negative reaction was swift and widespread;[44][45] some called the scheme a mere "lack of judgement,"[44] while a reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal compared the station's response to that of discredited former Vice-president Spiro Agnew.[84]. One of their biggest contributions to our fine city was spearheading a grass roots effort to get the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame here in Cleveland. The duo reigned over a zany -- and revolving -- supporting cast of characters on "Buzzard Morning Zoo" for 18 years from 1976-1994. In November 1972, WMMS was sold to Malrite Communications, a Michigan-based firm that relocated to Cleveland upon purchase. During the 1990s, he applied the same, take-no-prisoners promotion, programming and marketing strategy as operations manager of WMJI-FM/105.7, pushing the oldies station to the top of the radio ratings. The Week in Cox is a weekly podcast featuring the best segments from The Alan Cox Show. Springsteen Concert Poster - Agora - August 9th, 1978, Springsteen - Agora - Scene Magazine - August, 1978. Sanders eventually turned over the program director job to Gorman, too, and they were close partners in building the station into a powerhouse. [78] Concertgoers occasionally fell or jumped off the steep stadium upper deck onto the concrete seating area far below, causing serious injury. People in radio say he was not an easy guy, that dealing with him was like a daily root canal. EC horror comics, Fritz the Cat, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Looney Tunes all served as inspirations for the "bird of prey with attitude" concept. [102], While the change in programming alienated many longtime listeners, many of whom switched to WNCX and their full-time classic rock format, WMMS boosted its ratings for the first time in years with a new, younger audience. [53] In time, the station adopted new slogans reflecting the callsign: "We're your Modern Music Station" and "your Music Marathon Station. 16 Times Riley Green Was The Hottest Bachelor On Instagram Nov 05, 2020. Subscribe Now To Listen Your Favorite Songs On Demand! You gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta get dooooooowwwwn!, His rant followed Bruce Springsteens Born to Run. The kickoff to the weekend continued with Ian Hunters Cleveland Rocks and Earth Quakes Friday on my mind.. Mike McConnell Eddie & Rocky Lance McAlister Mo Egger Gary Jeff Walker America's Truckin' Network with Bubba Bo Mike Allen Ken Broo Rachel Elliot Five Rounds with Rocky Gamble & Fin 700WLW Weekends Big Outdoors NFL Football Talk Dave the IT Guy Reds Hot Stove League TriHealth Medical Minute Features Advertise on 700WLW Rachel Elliot Home Posts [112] WMMS scheduled a second Green Day performance just two months later this time at Blossom Music Center and at a near-record-low cost of $5 per ticket, the station gave fans a "second chance" to see the band live. Denny Sanders came to WMMS in 1971 from Boston where hed been working as a DJ from the time he was just 16 years old. He's a history buff and writer, too. In 1988 The Plain Dealer printed a story which said the employees of WMMS had stuffed the ballot box to reign as 10 year champions. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Buzzard-Palooza was the first of these: held in July 1994 at the Nautica Stage, the all-day concert included sets from Collective Soul, Junkhouse and Fury in the Slaughterhouse,[111] but was cut short after turning into a "rock-and-bottle-throwing melee." Attendance was by general admission. The station claimed it was simply "a marketing strategy" and "much in line with what many stations did. For the station's tenth anniversary in 1978, WMMS hosted and broadcast a live Springsteen concert at the Agora Ballroom independent of his concert tour. Jeff and Flash were accompanied by a list of other talent over the years which made up the Buzzard Morning Zoo. Guest spots on WJR's Morning Show for Hollywood and Gossip Reports. The WMMS morning show Dick Dale & Rick hosted the event. "I gotta blast this baby all the way to New Jersey," Springsteen quipped. (Plain Dealer file photo), Proud Parma natives, this longtime duo is better known as the affable hosts of "The Brian and Joe Show." Springsteen and the band hit the stage full throttle, opening appropriately with a cover of "Summertime Blues," with Springsteen promising, "I'm a gonna raise a fuss/ I'm a gonna raise a holler.". 26 memorable DJs and radio personalities from WMMS-FM's past: The Buzzard turns 50 This year, WMMS turns 50. Ferenc also has a small advertising agency called Flashpoint. The other DJs in the photo are, from left: Doc Nemo, Vic Boc, Martin Perlich and Pat Mack. Two of her audiobook projects were nominated for Grammy awards in the Best Spoken Word category. She worked there until 1999. [33] Regarding the change, WMMS program director Bo Matthews (Alex Gutierrez) said, " nobody's killing anything Chief Wahoo is not on every piece of Indians promotional material Ronald McDonald is not in every McDonald's commercial We're not losing the letters. She stayed on when the station switched formats to modern rock in 1992, becoming 107.9 The End. WMMS will celebrate its birthday Sunday at Blossom Music Center with a special anniversary concert featuring Ozzy Osbourne. Widely regarded as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout its history, the station has also drawn controversy for unusually aggressive tactics both on and off the air. The other DJs in the photo are, from left: Billy Bass, Doc Nemo, Vic Boc and Pat Mack. He helped launch progressive-rock radio as a DJ and programmer at both WMMS-FM/100.7 and WNCR-FM/99.5. He joined the station in early 1972 before its sale to Malrite, and stayed in different capacities until 2004. [135] Former Lex and Terry producer Jason Carr was named the new WMMS assistant program director on February 1, 2018. The show itself rapidly covers a range of topics in a comedic format, from major current events to obscure pop culture; regular segments like "Sperm News", "Why Florida Sucks", and "Are You Smarter Than a Dumbass?" Jeff & Flash were also credited as being major contributors in bringing the Rock Hall to Cleveland, by heavily promoting on-air a USA Today reader poll to decide which city should get it.[82]. (Plain Dealer file photo), A DJ at WMMS-FM/100.7 in the 1980s, Stein went on to work in programming at Westwood One and Launch Radio Networks. On March 30, 1946,[50] radio station WHK owned at that time by United Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of Forest City Publishing, itself the parent company of The Plain Dealer launched an experimental FM station under the callsign W8XUB at 107.1 megahertz (MHz). In 1958, both WHK and WHK-FM were sold to Metropolitan Broadcasting, itself renamed MetroMedia two years later. Since retiring from WDVE last year, he's been roaming the country by car. DJ additions included station engineer Ric Bennett as "Rocco the Rock Dog,"[86] Scooter (WMMS music director Brad Hanson), former WRQC nighttime Personality and later WNCX Afternoon Drive and Production Director, Tom "Jack" Daniels (who returned to the Cleveland airwaves after a successful stint as Program Director of WLEV, Allentown, PA), Lisa Dillon[86] and station veteran Matt the Cat,[86] (who returned to the midday slot in 1990 after a two-year absence.) In 1986, Gorman and 12 other staff members left WMMS to start classic-rock station WNCX-FM/98.5. Already strained by ongoing contract renewal negotiations, the incident further alienated the two parties, and by November of that year the show was cancelled. Len "Boom" Goldberg's unmistakable voice was heard for three decades on 100.7 WMMS. Saul joined WMMS as a salesman after the station switched to a rock format. "Born to Run" was the essence of everything I loved about rock 'n' roll. He made his debut on WMMS in 1984. [129][130] Radio & Records twice named WMMS "Rock Station of the Year: Markets 1-25" (200506) as part of the now defunct publication's annual Industry Achievement Awards. Now Debbie joins Dave Noriega to host a daytime radio broadcast "Dave and Dujanovic" where they discuss Utah news, culture, and . [120] Meanwhile, ownership would change yet again as Nationwide Communications was bought out by Jacor in November 1997. (Plain Dealer file photo). Matt remains one of the most popular air personalities from WMMS' fifty year history. The second logo, first one in print, used by WMMS was the Tongue Logo. He would read some commercial copy and then "throw them in the bash bucket where they belong" and openly criticize music he didn't care for. It's about an ex-Marine who is a hitman in the Midwest on March 25th. (Plain Dealer file photo), First woman on radio in Cleveland as a morning-drive time DJ at WNCR-FM/99.5 and WMMS-FM/100.7. [134] Following Merluzzo's departure, senior vice president of programming for iHeartMedia's North Ohio region Keith Abrams was named as program director on December 4, 2017. WMMS-HD2, which relays its signal over low-power FM translator W256BT (99.1 FM), is the Cleveland affiliate for iHeart's all-news oriented Black Information Network. Gorman credits his decision to leave to changes in management, and the station's overall shift to a more "corporate" mentality. The change was done for many reasons: as a nod to the sudden influence Z100's format had on the Malrite group; Gorman and Sanders intention to stay with the current music trends as the album-oriented rock (AOR) format was, even then, in a state of decline; and as a means to attract a female audience. Fans were encouraged to drop off a self-addressed stamped envelope to a local record store in order to score tickets. Mike had been heard on a number of Cleveland radio stations over the years, putting in 40 years ol the air. On August 9, 1978, there was no hotter ticket in Cleveland. Co-Host of the Power 96 Morning Show with national Radio Personality, Michael J. Foxx. Owned by iHeartMedia . [83][89] Lisa Dillon, Ric Bennett and Tom Renzy also would depart the station that same day. The top 40 format also failed to make any major ratings impact. [148][149] All other air talent heard on WMMS is provided via iHeartMedia's "Premium Choice" voice-tracking service. She was among the first DJs to put the group's seven-minute opus, "Working Man," into regular rotation. ", WMMS-FM---FREEMAN,-Bill-'BLF-Bash'--(Date-Unknown). 50 Of The Longest-Lasting Celebrity Relationships Jun 09, 2022. A comedic mainstay of the morning show at WMMS-FM/100.7 for years, the character is the creation of comedian John Carillo, a California native who uses John Rio as his stage name. WMMS beat out large market radio stations like WNEW in New York, WMMR in Philadelphia and KROQ in Los Angeles. [160], WMMS's program lineup currently features Rover's Mornings Glory in morning drive, Dan Stansbury middays, The Alan Cox Show in afternoon drive and Corey Rotic evenings. "I think it's like a young nation, the changes of the times," said John Gorman, the station's program director during its 1970s and '80s Buzzard heyday. Most station imaging is produced out-of-market by national voice talents "David Lee" Olejniczak, Malcolm Ryker,[166] Rena-Marie Villano, and former WMMS creative services director Miles Hlivko; additional voice-over audio is produced on-site by WMMS imaging director Billy Black. On October 26, 2010, Rover hired a witch doctor to curse LeBron James after the NBA star left the Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo courtesy of Shauna Zurbrugg). of WIXY 1260. Created in April 1974 as "an ironic twist on Cleveland's down-and-out reputation as a decaying Rust Belt city," the station's longtime promotional mascot has been an anthropomorphic "Buzzard" cartoon character. WMMS did remote interviews at KSU all morning which included an interview from 1972 presidential candidate, Senator George McGovern, KSU student and gunshot survivor, Dean Kahler, other May 4th wounded who survived, Governor Dick Celeste, current students and others. [148][149][143][150], Radio personality Alan Cox, formerly host of The Morning Fix at WKQX/Chicago and The Alan Cox Radio Show at WXDX-FM/Pittsburgh, took over weekday afternoons as host of The Alan Cox Show on December 16, 2009. A major contributor to the ratings success was an airstaff that remained fundamentally unchanged for many years: personalities like Kid Leo, Jeff & Flash, Matt the Cat, Dia Stein, Denny Sanders, Murray Saul, Debbie Ullman, Betty "Crash" Korvan, Ruby Cheeks (Debra Luray), BLF Bash (Bill Freeman), TR (Tom Renzy) and the late Len "Boom" Goldberg were invaluable to the station's popularity. (Plain Dealer file photo), A true radio renaissance man, Perlich got his start in the 1960s as host of syndicated Cleveland Orchestra radio broadcasts, interviewing everyone from Aaron Copland to Isaac Stern. The show's big following has spawned an annual summer festival, Roverfest, which has been held in Lorain for the past three years. Radio Home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mark Madden, and The Woody Show. [98][106] The sale came almost immediately after passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, a time when radio companies nationwide rushed "at a fever pitch" to acquire new properties. He died in 2014 at the age of 86. [128] WMMS again served as the FM flagship to the Cleveland Browns Radio Network from 2002 to 2012, with Jim Donovan and Doug Dieken as announcers. While both Rover and Alan Cox are primarily "hot talk" programs, rock music airs during regular middays, nights, overnights, weekends and online during Cavaliers and Guardians play-by-play. [119] Neumann defended the decision later as the right thing to have done, noting how alternative rock would eventually fade as a format several years later. With content being supplied by journalists and WMMS personnel, it was the perfect companion to what WMMS was doing on air at the time with a focus on the new bands and artists of the alternative music era. The station serves as the FM flagship for both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Guardians radio networks. WMMS during this period would play a key role in breaking several major acts in the U.S., including: Rush, Roxy Music, Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Fleetwood Mac, Meat Loaf, The Pretenders, the New York Dolls, Lou Reed, Mott the Hoople, Boston, and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. He is part of the permanent radio exhibit in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was the same logo used by all of the FM radio stations owned by Metromedia at the time. Ratings steadily increased during the time of the First Gulf War, but The Howard Stern Show was soon picked up by a then struggling WNCX. The station first turned to adult contemporary, big band, the Drake-Chenault automated Hit Parade '69 and finally Top 40,. Date Unknown, William Lionel Freeman, better known by the name of his long time overnight show, "The BLF Bash" began his radio career in Fargo and later landed on the east coast in Boston. He is also the curator and archivist for the Ohio Broadcast Archive and Museum, and now teaches media communications classes at Kent State University and the University of Akron. The company will move its regional office, including nine stations, downtown from the suburbs. Listen To The Most Popular Podcasts On iHeartRadio! And indeed, it remains a special show in the memories of Springsteen, Weinberg and the members of the E Street Band too. The cast included Casey Coleman on sports, Pat Brady with traffic, Len Boom Goldberg as the voice of the morning show, Ruby Cheeks, Spaceman Scott, Captain Kenny Clean and Mr. Leonard. In 1966, in an effort to make the medium more commercially viable, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated that FM stations could no longer duplicate the programming of their AM sister stations. She has written several books, including "Boston Radio: 1920-2010." David Helton who at the time was working for American Greetings is the man responsible for giving us the iconic symbol we still use to this day. Ross Brittain temporarily filled in prior to the arrival of The Brian and Joe Radio Show on the Buzzard Morning Zoo, hosted by Brian Fowler and Joe Cronauer. Belkin Productions staged these events, attracting popular hard rock bands and as many as 88,000 fans. In addition to Boom's deep pipes being used every hour in the Top of the hour ID's, station sweepers and commercials, he held two on-air shifts on the weekends which he coined the Boom 'till noon. He can still be heard on the radio, too. WMMS (100.7 FM) - branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard - is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. (Plain Dealer file photo), Maria Farina landed at WMMS in 1986 fresh out of Ohio University and quickly gained popularity. (Plain Dealer file photo), One of Cleveland radio's most popular -- and enduring -- morning teams, Jeff Kinzbach and Ed "Flash" Ferenc were a cornerstone of WMMS-FM/100.7 during its Buzzard heyday. BLF also praised musicians and was a great fan of the Texas Tornadoes and Blue Cheer. 1," released in 1999. Cleveland's Rock Station, home of Rover's Morning Glory, The Alan Cox Show, and FM Home of Cleveland Guardians Baseball. [167] WMMS also transmits text to compatible analog receivers, such as station IDs and artist and song information, via the Radio Data System (RDS); similarly, WMMS transmits text to HD Radio receivers known as Program Service Data (PSD). February 7, 2021 WMMS. Seth "the Barbarian" Williams took the overnight shift when Pennington moved to evenings in 2001. Maria Farina landed at WMMS in 1986 fresh out of Ohio University and quickly gained popularity. 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Rolling Stone named WMMS "Radio Station of the Year" nine straight years (197987) as part of its annual Readers' Poll, but a February 1988 front-page story in The Plain Dealer revealed station employees had stuffed the annual survey's ballot box for the 1987 poll to allow for the possibility of a tenth straight win the following year. [44][45][46] Seven years later, members of the station's staff and management pleaded guilty to disrupting a national broadcast of The Howard Stern Show that originated via the local Stern affiliate, cross-town rival WNCX. After leaving WMMS, he moved to WMJI-FM/105.7, as program and operations director. The station also started to devote weekend programming to the classic rock format. [123] WMMS veteran John Gorman has remained a vocal critic of iHeartMedia, once remarking on the company's former Cleveland executive, Kevin Metheny (dubbed "Pig Virus" by Howard Stern during their time at WNBC): "He had a volatile time here. 54,419 people like this 52,406 people follow this http://www.wmms.com/ (216) 578-1007 The top 40 deejays were retained, but it was soon obvious that they were inadequate hosts for a progressive rock format. There were other really good rock stations around, but those other stations opted in to carry the live broadcast of the MMS birthday show (in 1978). [41][42] WMMS was also a major driving force behind the successful campaign to bring the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to Cleveland.[26][43]. (Halper is at center in the photo above, with members of Rush and WMMS staffers. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Today, she is a regular DJ on oWOW Radio on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons. In 2014, Springsteen finally released the Agora concert officially on CD and download. Thats how big MMS was. He briefly transformed WNWV-FM/107.3 into the adult album alternative station V 107.3. Some other possible meanings "Where Music Means Something" or "Weed Makes Me Smile". Good old Red! Eventually moved to WNCX-FM/98.5, where she was a popular afternoon-drive deejay for a number of years. This feature ran at the exact moment of the KSU shootings twenty years later. Win tickets to The Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival, 'People Magazine' Hits Newsstands On This Date in 1974, We're Celebrating Women Who Make Music & Culture. WMMS Art Director, Brian Chalmers was approached by Dreamworks to provide artwork and logos for their movie Almost Famous which came out in 2000. Named herself "The Screaming Queen Bitch." Sanders also booked the acts for WMMS' fame "Coffeebreak Concerts." [145] WMMS itself also airs The Rover Rewind, a weekly recap show on Saturday mornings. : Michael K. McIntyre's Tipoff", "Cleveland radio personality Chad Zumock no longer working at WMMS after OVI arrest", "Bo Matthews to Program Cleveland's New 99X", "Bo Matthews Named VP Of Programming For CCM+E-Cincinnati", "Cavaliers and iHeartMedia Announce AM/FM Simulcast", "Cavs and Monsters Announce Multi-Year Extensions of Radio Broadcast Agreements", "As a reminder, we cannot stream @Cavs or @Indians on the Internet or via the @iHeartRadio app", "Nope - you'll want to grab the exclusive NBA Game Time app for that", "No, but you can listen free online w/ NBA Audio League Pass or paid w/ the NBA League Pass app", "Cleveland Indians, WTAM AM/1100 reach 5-year deal to broadcast games", "Cleveland Indians, WTAM, WMMS reach multiyear deal to carry games through (at least) 2023", "Per MLB rules we are not allowed to stream games", "MLB At Bat app only for streaming audio", "Streaming? By the late 1980s, most of the original staff members had departed: John Gorman and Denny Sanders left in 1986 to launch upstart station WNCX, and Columbia Records hired Kid Leo in 1988. "[61], Under the leadership of station manager Billy Bass and program director Denny Sanders, WMMS helped break many new rock artists nationally, most notably David Bowie. His was the booming voice on the station's hourly IDs, music segues, sweepers, and commercials. Image of Bill Hader above wearing WMMS shirt for his upcoming HBO series called Barry. Seth's Big Fat Barbarian Wedding - August 19th, 2005 at Shooters on the Water. (Plain Dealer file photo). Late Friday we received an email from Cleveland radio legend John Gorman, the former longtime PD of the equally legendary WMMS, who shared the sad news of the passing of former longtime WMMS late-night personality Betty Korvan, who died at the age of 67. [147], Described by The Plain Dealer as "testosterone-fueled", the show dominates younger demographics, particularly male listeners ages 1834. [142], On April 3, 2009, The Maxwell Show went on the air claiming that Metallicain Cleveland for the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony the very next daywas playing a free show in the WMMS parking lot later that evening. Kid Leo Interviews Van Halen April 20, 1980. He returned to Cleveland radio in 1997, working at both WMJO-FM/105.7 and WZJM-FM/92.3. Goldfinger, The Refreshments, Triple Fast Action and others played the second stage at the top of the hill. [163] The station hosts two additional HD Radio subchannels: WMMS-HD2 is the Cleveland affiliate for the Black Information Network, [136][164], WMMS airs regular traffic and weather updates via the Total Traffic and Weather Network and former sister station WOIO (TV channel 19),[165] and the station satisfies U.S. Federal Communications Commission-mandated public affairs programming on Sunday mornings with the City Club of Cleveland's Friday Forum.