[72] Rather, WMMS adopted a buzzard as its mascot in April 1974 because of the then tenuous economic state of Cleveland less than five years away from becoming the first major American city to enter into default since the Great Depression[73] and the winged-creature's classification as a scavenger. [147], Described by The Plain Dealer as "testosterone-fueled", the show dominates younger demographics, particularly male listeners ages 1834. [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). Springsteen Concert Poster - Agora - August 9th, 1978, Springsteen - Agora - Scene Magazine - August, 1978. The first buzzard which has penned the name The Wrath of the Buzzard can be seen sitting atop a mushroom paying homage to the former logo along with the competitors call letters WGCL and WIXY grasped in its beak. Cleveland Magazine has also described both Rover and Cox as "talk shows with a rock-oriented sensibility". [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. WMMS sponsored the concerts. Bruce held on to the innocence and the romance. With Lou Reed. 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). Here's what some of your favorite personalities from the past are up to now. Guest spots on WJR's Morning Show for Hollywood and Gossip Reports. The eight-year radio host . His iconic rants have been preserved for posterity on the CD "Murray Saul: The Get Downs, Vol. [60] Sounds described the station programming at this time as "totally off-the-wall in its choice of records, playing anything it liked. There's proof! Featuring Kevin DuBrow on vocals, Frankie Banali on drums, Rudy Sarzo on bass and Carlos Cavazo on guitar. The show's big following has spawned an annual summer festival, Roverfest, which has been held in Lorain for the past three years. (Plain Dealer file photo), Proud Parma natives, this longtime duo is better known as the affable hosts of "The Brian and Joe Show." With news still in her blood, she returned to KSL-TV in 2013 where she rejoined the station's award-winning investigate team. [53] He died in late 2006. Spero is still active as an artist manager. Cleveland Magazine has called the show a "juggernaut", and readers of Cleveland Scene named Rover the best Cleveland radio personality in 2009, 2014, and 2015 (Scene had previously recognized either Rover or his show four straight years, from 2004 to 2007, all prior to the move to WMMS). (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. He offered "Solid Goldbergers" and ordered us to "EN-joy". He now works as a stand-up comedian, actor and writer. Condolences: Betty Korvan. [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]. Additionally, Rover was the Midwest replacement for Howard Stern under CBS's Free FM branding concept following Stern's move to Sirius Satellite Radio in 2006, originating from Chicago's WCKG. 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?" (Photo courtesy of Shauna Zurbrugg). He later took his groundbreaking progressive rock show to WNCR FM/95.5, working alongside pioneering Cleveland rock deejays Billy Bass and David Spero. The company will move its regional office, including nine stations, downtown from the suburbs. [115][116], The next of these multi-act shows, simply titled BuzzardFest, was held in May 1996 at Blossom Music Center and featured performances from 311 and No Doubt, along with Candlebox, The Nixons, Goldfinger, Gods Child, Dash Rip Rock, Holy Barbarians, and Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. All we're doing is shifting an image. 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. Korvan now lives in South Dakota. Photos. The movie is loosely written about director, Cameron Crowes life who as a child did in fact write for Rolling Stone and spent time on tour with bands like Led Zeppelin, Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd. He soon left radio and became an artist manager, working with the likes of Joe Walsh, Michael Stanley, Ian Hunter, Harry Nilsson, Yusuf (Cat) Stevens, Eric Carmen and others. He is now a professional photographer in Cleveland. (Additional reporting by cleveland.com staff. WMMS is known for breaking artists like Bruce Springsteen, Rush, Fleetwood Mac and David Bowie, and for its Coffee Break Concerts that featured live performances by many of the top acts of the days, including Springsteen, U2, Cyndi Lauper and Warren Zevon. WMMS-FM started up on Sept. 28, 1968, as a progressive-rock station, and earned fame as one of the country's most successful rock stations in the '70s. WMMS, WTAM and the other iHeart stations in Cleveland will get a new home this year. The new logo depicted the sex, drugs and rock and roll image that the owner was looking for. I met great radio personalities like Chuck Knapp, Lou King Kirby, Chuck Dunaway, Big John Roberts and Billy Bass. It was in use in 1971 but was discontinued after the band the Rolling Stones issued a cease and desist order against MetroMedia for it resemblance to their logo. 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. When WMMS program director John Gorman found out Rio was not under contract in Houston, he offered Rio a job, and the comedian eventually moved to Cleveland. [135] Former Lex and Terry producer Jason Carr was named the new WMMS assistant program director on February 1, 2018. 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 also worked in TV production in LA, including at "Entertainment Tonight," and as a freelance producer, editor and writer for an audio book abridger. (Plain Dealer file photo), The legendary gravel-voiced, graveyard-shift DJ at WMMS-FM/100.7, Bill Lionel Freeman, is best known in Cleveland by his initials, "BLF." On October 26, 2010, Rover hired a witch doctor to curse LeBron James after the NBA star left the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thats how big MMS was. WMMS will celebrate its birthday Sunday at Blossom Music Center with a special anniversary concert featuring Ozzy Osbourne. 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.) [121] The Jacor purchase closed on August 10, 1998; 59days later, on October 8, 1998, Clear Channel Communications won a bidding war for Jacor in a $6.5billion deal. Mama, come get your baby boy! The concert was broadcast on WMMS and an additional seven stations, reaching throughout the Midwest to Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis and other markets and would eventually reach far beyond that radius, thanks to the many who were rolling tape to record the concert from their stereo. The WMMS morning show Dick Dale & Rick hosted the event. They worked together on four different stations in the Cleveland/Akron area over the years: WONE-FM/97.5, WENZ-FM/107.9, WMMS-FM/100.7 and WMVX-FM/106.5. 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. 26 memorable DJs and radio personalities from WMMS-FM's past: The Buzzard turns 50 This year, WMMS turns 50. grand wailea pool menu; under armour ignite slides waterproof. Rumor has it that WMMS had ballots printed so the public could fill them out at various events. The very first logo to ever be created for WMMS was a red and white rainbow. Alford was subsequently caught, arrested and later sentenced to ten days in jail and a $1,000 fine. [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. Here's a look at some of the most iconic radio personalities to appear on the. After a brief relocation to Chicago in 2006, the show returned to Cleveland in 2008 to become a part of the morning programming at WMMS-FM/100.7, where it remains today. [143] Born in Chicago but raised in Las Vegas, Rover worked for rock stations KISW in Seattle and KXPK in Denver prior to arriving in Cleveland. During his time at WMMS, Bass coined the phrase, "Cleveland: The Rock 'n' Roll Capital of the World." 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. Win tickets to see Adam Sandler at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Win tickets to see Weezer at Blossom Music Center, Win tickets to see Disturbed at Blossom Music Center. [98][101] Gorman brought back the original Buzzard design, now drawn by David Helton's successor Brian Chalmers. Before FM took over the airwaves, before WMMS became the undisputed champ of Cleveland rock radio, WIXY 1260 AM ruled. [88] Management ordered a change to the Buzzard by giving it a flat-top and mullet. 20 Country Women We Are Celebrating During International Women's Day Mar 01, 2021. Saul kicked off the weekend every Friday at 6:00pm with his Get Down rants helping Clevelanders get ready for the weekend. Night on-air personality on The X. Get Started Channel Hosts In Your Vehicle Streaming HOWARD STERN Howard 100 Hoda Kotb Today Show Radio Peter Mansbridge Canada Talks Sandra Bernhard Radio Andy Erin Burnett CNN Billy Idol 1st Wave Mad Dog Russo Mad Dog Sports Radio 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. Perlich is second from right in the photo above, kickin' it with the WHK crew, circa 1968. Yes, the station had lost its way for a bit, but MMS was the standard. Syndicated radio show Rover's Morning Glory blends biting commentary, ridiculous antics and discussions that would get most people fired. In 1988 he left to work as an executive at Columbia Records, where he served until 2002. He first began in radio in 1973 at noted Cleveland rock station WMMS (100.7 FM, "The Buzzard"). During a June 19, 2012 interview with Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, the show broke news of the delayed release for Music from Another Dimension!, the band's first studio album in eight years. Listeners signed up to participate in the contest What would you do for $5,000 which took place at Dicks Last Resort on the Flats East Bank. No. (Plain Dealer file photo), Dillon got her start in Cleveland radio in 1988 on WMMS-FM/100.7, working on the morning show with Jeff and Flash. He stayed at WMMS until 1992, moving then to WNCX-FM/98.5 and WDOK-FM/102.1. She introduced Rush when they got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in June 2010. "Those guys who pilot those ships through here? She stayed on when the station switched formats to modern rock in 1992, becoming 107.9 The End. "Betty was one of the original . Goldberg started at WMMS-FM/100.7 in 1972 and remained there until 2004, longer than any other personality employed there during the Buzzard's heyday. 26 Celebrities & Their Moms May 06, 2022. [136], From the 1994 exit of Jeff Kinzbach and Ed Ferenc until the arrival of Rover's Morning Glory in 2008, WMMS gained notoriety for airing 13 distinct shows in morning drive. After being diagnosed with obscure condition known as POTS, the WMMS radio personality is searching for answers and working to put her life back in order. Today, she is an assistant professor of communication at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass. Cleveland's Rock Station, home of Rover's Morning Glory, The Alan Cox Show, and FM Home of Cleveland Guardians Baseball. Sanders was instrumental in WMMS' rise. The Buzzard made its first appearance in a print ad in a magazine called Zeppelin. Being one of the highest-rated radio stations in the country, he became the afternoon drive DJ in 1974, all the way until December of 1988 - which he then decided to part pays with Cleveland. Under Malrite ownership, WMMS would become an album-oriented rock (AOR) powerhouse, much in the same vein as its former MetroMedia progressive rock siblings. 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. The Alan Cox Show is rated #1 in several key demographics, and readers of Cleveland Scene named Alan Cox the best Cleveland radio personality four straight years (201013). [140] The Maxwell Show gradually evolved from airing mostly music to all talk, with Maxwell joined by WMMS music director Dan Stansbury and Tiffany "Chunk" Peck, the program's phone screener. Weiland and STP were touring in support of No. She left in 1989 to work for Top 40 station WPHR-FM/107. In honor of the station's milestone birthday, we've compiled a list of some of the Buzzard's most memorable DJs and behind-scenes personalities, spanning the full 50-year history of the station. The station was known as "The Home of the Buzzard" at first. Saul joined WMMS as a salesman after the station switched to a rock format. He also managed Grammy-winning R and B superstar Luther Vandross. 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). Of special note was the early support of Bruce Springsteen by Kid Leo and others, prior to the release of the Born to Run album. 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. Her LinkedIn Profile says she is now an independent radio professional in New York. : 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? [125] As part of the stunt, Denny Sanders returned to host an airshift, programming the music at his discretion. [74] Of all the personalities that worked at WMMS, Len "Boom" Goldberg remained the longest. "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. The stations involved are WMMS (FM), WTAM (AM/FM), WMJI (FM), WGAR (FM), WHLK (FM), WAKS (FM), WKAS (HD2) and WARF (AM). Album deejay Denny Sanders was brought in from Boston and key WNCR personnel (including former WHK-FM/WMMS personalities Martin Perlich and Billy Bass, and station newcomer David Spero) were soon hired by WMMS, taking most of their audience with them. Matt remains one of the most popular air personalities from WMMS' fifty year history. 'Pig Virus,' riles WGN Radio's Chicago fan base", http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1997/RR-1997-02-21.pdf, "Clear Channel Wins Bidding Contest, Agrees to Buy Jacor Communications", "Clear Channel Renames Itself iHeartMedia in Nod to Digital", "At the controls: Clear Channel programmer rules radio in Cleveland", "Buzzard scam gets WMMS what it wanted: more listeners", "Arbitron: Listening Up, Fave Stations The Same", "Browns next to explore market for radio rights", "CCM+E/Cleveland Names Chris Tyler PD Of WMMS, WAKS, 99X", "Jason Carr Named PD Alt 99.1 FM and APD for WMMS/Cleveland", "Pair of Indianapolis Morning Show Changes", "93X/Memphis Flips, ESPN Sportsradio 680 Gets FM Simulcast", "iHeartRadio: Rover's Morning Glory Replay", "iHeartRadio: Rover's Morning Glory On Demand", "June 4th 2014 - Tweens Kill For Slenderman/Chef Steve Schimoler In-Studio/Racism In America", "Rover and WMMS Agree to a Contract Extension That Will Keep Him on the Air Through 2017", "Best of Cleveland 2004: Best Morning DJ", "Best of Cleveland 2005: Best Radio Morning Show", "Best of Cleveland 2006: Best Radio-Host Homecoming", "Best of Cleveland 2007: Best Radio Show", "Best of Cleveland 2009: Best Local Radio Personality", "Best of Cleveland 2014: Best Radio Personality", "Best of Cleveland 2015: Best Radio Show", "Cleveland DJ Helps Cast a Spell on LeBron", "Best of Cleveland 2011: People & Places", "Best of Cleveland 2012: People & Places", "Best of Cleveland 2013: People & Places", "Alan Cox Talk Show Rocks Cleveland on WMMS-FM", "iHeartRadio Shows & Personalities: The Alan Cox Show 24/7", "December 16, 2014 episode - Alan Renews His Contract/The Show Recaps Bad Decisions/Drunk or Kid", "Cody 'Poundcake' Brown is out and entertaining as part of popular 'Alan Cox' show on WMMS", "Aerosmith Frontman Explains New Album Delay (Audio) - June 26, 2012", "Forbes has it in for Cleveland. Owned by iHeartMedia . WMMS' decline culminated on April 14, 1994, with the high-profile departure of Jeff Kinzbach, effectively ending "Jeff & Flash" on WMMS (Ferenc would leave the station several weeks later; both would pair up again at WWWE). Goldfinger, The Refreshments, Triple Fast Action and others played the second stage at the top of the hill. Monday, October 01, 2018. [33][34], Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, WMMS had a stable of personalities that remained fundamentally unchanged,[26][27] attained a dominant market share in the local ratings[27][35][36][37] and posted market record-high figures "never duplicated by any other Cleveland radio station since. [145] WMMS itself also airs The Rover Rewind, a weekly recap show on Saturday mornings. At the same time, the music communicates frustration and a constant longing to escape. Warren Zevon, John Mellencamp, Lou Reed, Tim Buckley, Peter Frampton, and a host of others performed on the program over the years, recordings of which are still widely available as bootlegs. The music structure also was modified at this time as artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince soon found airplay on WMMS. Tony Tilford, WMMS program director (19992003), WMMS shifted format to active rock on February 17, 1997, under the direction of Bob Neumann, who had previously programmed WNCX and WENZ. He now does the morning show on WONE-FM/97.5 in Akron. Brian Chalmers, Rock 'N' Roll Artist", "Film; Paul Schrader Plumbs Grassroots Rock", "iHeartMedia Cleveland To Move To New Facility As Company Begins Cloud Based Tech Rollout", "Downtown TV station group may move to the suburbs", "Cleveland Broadcast Radio Archives WMMS timeline", "Rock in Akron: The Music Of Greater Akron", "The Second WMMS Music Marathon Station TV Spot", "Recalling a couple of wacky radio guys", http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1994/RR-1994-11-04.pdf, http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1994/RR-1994-12-02.pdf, "Billboard/Airplay Monitor Radio Awards Bestowed", "Kevin Metheny, a.k.a. He now lives in Texas and works at an addiction recovery center, but he still does the Mr. Leonard character on former WMMS DJ Jeff Kinzbach's morning show on Akron's WONE-FM/97.5. On August 9, 1978, there was no hotter ticket in Cleveland. "Discover Financial Services (DFS.N), a provider . [52] On November 13, 1947, the new FM station transitioned from experimental to commercial status; increased its power; and changed its callsign to WHKX. During the 20th anniversary broadcast, Mike Olszewski, along with Jeff & Flash, spoke with Wally Bryson of the Raspberries and one of the National Guardsmen. [35] The fall 1998 Arbitron books showed WMMS with a substantial increase in listeners; Plain Dealer radio critic Roger Brown commented, "the scam worked" claiming it drove people to listen to the station again for what was supposedly the format's final days. Two of her audiobook projects were nominated for Grammy awards in the Best Spoken Word category.
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