He was the station's best-known personality and instrumental in breaking artists such as Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Pat Benatar and Mott the Hoople. Monday, October 01, 2018. At the same time, the music communicates frustration and a constant longing to escape. After leaving WMMS, he moved to WMJI-FM/105.7, as program and operations director. Kid Leo Interviews Van Halen April 20, 1980. Widely regarded as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout its history,[a][b][26][27] the station has also drawn controversy for unusually aggressive tactics both on and off the air. As WMMS-FM/100.7 program director from 1973-86, Gorman led the Buzzard troops on a campaign of conquest that transformed an unknown, FM upstart into a rock 'n' roll powerhouse. He now runs his own music consulting business, LJT Entertainment, and is program director and an on-air host of "Underground Garage" on Sirius XM Radio. WMMS also streams it's coverage of selected games on iHeartRadio, even outside of the Cleveland market. He now does the morning show on WONE-FM/97.5 in Akron. His current roster includes Kenny Loggins, Marc Cohn, Dicky Betts, Simon Kirke, Richie Furay and others. All we can do is hope to create something cool so that in 20 years people will say, 'Man, remember what WMMS used to be like? [96] Gorman changed the WMMS format to alternative rock,[97] playing new acts like Nirvana, The Offspring, and Nine Inch Nails, on October 27. 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. Moms to be participated in the bikini contest for a chance to win $1,000. Candlebox headlined the 2 stage show at Blossom Music Center on May 18, 1996. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Halper left Cleveland in 1975 to work at Mercury Records in New York City, then spent years working in radio as a consultant and various other capacities. Saul joined WMMS as a salesman after the station switched to a rock format. [131][132], In September 2007, WMMS management chose to "de-emphasize" both The Buzzard and WMMS call letters, referring to the station as simply "100.7", save for the FCC-mandated legal ID at the top of every hour. [90][92], During the now infamous broadcast, WMMS engineer William Alford snipped a broadcast wire used for the Stern show's satellite feed. Denny was also instrumental in convincing former WMMS owner Milton Maltz to continue the stations rock format in the mid-1970s. They were rewarded with a night that they would remember for the rest of their lives. [137] Cantle later called the failure of Sean, Cristi and Hunter as "a real team effort" and compared herself unfavorably to Johnny Manziel: "too young, too overconfident and too drunk to handle the responsibility however I have no intentions of playing Canadian football". Fans were encouraged to drop off a self-addressed stamped envelope to a local record store in order to score tickets. He worked the afternoon-drive shift until 1997 when he headed to Los Angeles. He influenced many listeners of the station and kept the momentum alive pushing new music into the ears and speakers of the audience of WMMS. 20 Country Women We Are Celebrating During International Women's Day Mar 01, 2021. She started at the Buzzard in 1976, and stayed until 1983, working mostly the evening shift. Owned by iHeartMedia . The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. professional boxing referees; uf college of medicine class of 2023; kalalau valley hippies We all have such respect for what this station did back in the day. The Alan Cox Show is a daily talk show on 100.7 WMMS in Cleveland hosted by Alan Cox with co-hosts Bill Squire, Mary . [51], Among the most notorious broadcasts of The Howard Stern Show occurred on June 10, 1994. On February 9, 2010, the show aired "Parma State of Mind", both a parody of the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys hit "Empire State of Mind" and a way of continuing the Northeast Ohio tradition of poking fun at the Cleveland suburb. From celebrities and high profile sports stars, to iconic DJs who know music, SiriusXM has the best hosts in radio. (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. [170][171][172], WMMS has also served as the FM flagship station for the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network since 2013, again sharing network flagship status with AM sister station WTAM. Today, he is the principal and chief content officer of WOW Media, LLC -- the parent company of oWOW. Goldberg is at right in the photo above, with Jeff Kinzbach in the WMMS studio. [94] Station management initially claimed that Alford acted alone,[93] however WMMS Promotions Director Heidi Klostermanworking under the name Heidi Kramerlater pleaded guilty to a felony charge of attempted disruption of a public service and a misdemeanor of receiving stolen property; Greg Smith, a former Klosterman colleague, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of breaking and entering. [141] Maxwell was known for having feuds with other radio personalities during the show's time at WMMS, including Rover of Rover's Morning Glory and fellow WTAM afternoon host Mike Trivisonno; by 2009, Maxwell had become the number one afternoon program in several key demographics. His voice is also heard on a number of Cleveland area radio and TV commercials. He left in the late '80s to become program director for WRQK-FM/106.9 in Canton. ", "We had the right staff, the right soundtrack at the time. [161][162] The House of Hair with Dee Snider also airs on Sunday evenings. In 2014, Springsteen finally released the Agora concert officially on CD and download. (Plain Dealer file photo), Halper worked as a DJ and music director for WMMS-FM/100.7 from 1973-75 and was instrumental in helping the band Rush land a record deal. Under Malrite ownership, WMMS would become an album-oriented rock (AOR) powerhouse, much in the same vein as its former MetroMedia progressive rock siblings. [127] A new airstaff was assembled after the stunt: Tim "Slats" Guinane was hired for afternoon drive replacing Brian & Joe, who were transferred to WMVX, and music director Mark Pennington replaced Bill "BLF Bash" Freeman in overnights. (Lapczinski is at far right in this photo along with his Buzzword crewmates in the WMMS studios) (Plain Dealer file photo), Kid Leo, whose real name is Lawrence James Travagilante, ruled the Buzzard roost at WMMS for 16 years from 1973-1988. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Listen To The Most Popular Podcasts On iHeartRadio! (Photo courtesy of Shauna Zurbrugg). [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. [58][59] During this time, WMMS used slogans derived from its call sign: first as "Music Means Satisfaction", and later as the place "Where Music Means Something". She has written several books, including "Boston Radio: 1920-2010." The top 40 deejays were retained, but it was soon obvious that they were inadequate hosts for a progressive rock format. The broadcast consists entirely of talk, a mix of current events, pop culture, and stories from the staff. who killed athena in the witch of portobello; what game relates to a rainbow; ventura county obituary past 3 days; sri lanka parliament election 2015 preferential votes; [145] WMMS itself also airs The Rover Rewind, a weekly recap show on Saturday mornings. (Plain Dealer file photo), Proud Parma natives, this longtime duo is better known as the affable hosts of "The Brian and Joe Show." The company will move its regional office, including nine stations, downtown from the suburbs. 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. [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. [148][149] All other air talent heard on WMMS is provided via iHeartMedia's "Premium Choice" voice-tracking service. [147], Described by The Plain Dealer as "testosterone-fueled", the show dominates younger demographics, particularly male listeners ages 1834. Brian and Joe were the first to broadcast from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's radio station in 1995. She was on-air from 1993-1997, and had a popular 7-midnight show. wmms radio personalities. [139], Bo Matthews (Alex Gutierrez), who became the station's program director in early 2004, hired Ohio native Benjamin "Maxwell" Bornstein that April for a more "personality-driven" afternoon show following the departure of Tim "Slats" Guinane for WXTM. Gun rights advocates on the other hand, have warned this could bring unwarranted scrutiny on the overwhelming majority of law-abiding gun owners. And indeed, it remains a special show in the memories of Springsteen, Weinberg and the members of the E Street Band too. 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. He had that gig for seven years and parlayed it into a regular show on WCLV-FM-95.5 called the "Perlich Project," featuring everything from classical music to jazz to progressive rock. Jeff and Flash were accompanied by a list of other talent over the years which made up the Buzzard Morning Zoo. I met great radio personalities like Chuck Knapp, Lou King Kirby, Chuck Dunaway, Big John Roberts and Billy Bass. One day a co-worker overheard him ranting in the halls of the radio station and got the idea to feature him on the air with a salute to the weekend. [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). [103] Despite signs of success, the stations were sold again in 1996: WMMS went to Nationwide Communications,[105] while WHK went to Salem Communications. Guest spots on WJR's Morning Show for Hollywood and Gossip Reports. WMMS was directly influenced by then and current sister station WHTZ/New York (Z100), which rose to the top of the ratings books immediately after installing a contemporary hit radio (CHR) format. John Gorman, Denny Sanders and Kid Leo organized the original campaign with Tunc Erim, assistant to Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegun. He was also a member of "The Buzzard Morning Zoo" in the mid-1980s. John Gorman and Denny Sanders left the station in fall of 1986, leading fourteen staff members with them to start rival station WNCX. "Discover Financial Services (DFS.N), a provider . Thats how big MMS was. [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. The band clearly enjoyed performing on Nautica's stage, right next to the waterfront, with Weiland stopping at one point to point out the large boats that were passing by. Image of Bill Hader above wearing WMMS shirt for his upcoming HBO series called Barry. (Plain Dealer file photo). WMMS Cleveland, Ohio United States Broadcast area Greater Cleveland Northeast Ohio Frequency 100.7MHz(HD Radio) Branding 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard Programming Language(s) English Format Active rock/hot talk Subchannels HD2: BIN 99.1(All-news) Affiliations Cavaliers AudioVerse Cleveland Guardians WOIO Ownership Owner iHeartMedia (iHM Licenses, LLC) 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). (Plain Dealer file photo), Matt Lapczinski, better known as "Matt The Cat," started at WMMS-FM/100.7 in 1974, fresh out of Cleveland State University. One listener was selected to marry the love of his life or at least at the time during a live broadcast on 100.7 WMMS. EC horror comics, Fritz the Cat, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Looney Tunes all served as inspirations for the "bird of prey with attitude" concept. During his time at WMMS, Bass coined the phrase, "Cleveland: The Rock 'n' Roll Capital of the World." [137][138], In 2000, the station turned to Wakin' up with Wolf and Mulrooneyhosted by Bob Wolf and John Mulrooneyfrom Albany's WPYX, which initially continued to originate and simulcast the program. Rosenhaus hosts the network pregame show; and Hamilton hosts the network postgame show. In the trailer for the new show the character Barry, played by Bill Hader is wearing a vintage WMMS shirt. Share this Story: UPDATE: Erika Lauren announced on Twitter Dec. 7 that she would not return to the Alan Cox Show in 2020. Those 50 years have seen a lot of change for the station. Other stations carried their birthday show. The stations involved are WMMS (FM), WTAM (AM/FM), WMJI (FM), WGAR (FM), WHLK (FM), WAKS (FM), WKAS (HD2) and WARF (AM). The WMMS Coffee Break Concerts were booked and directed by Denny Sanders and hosted by Len "Boom" Goldberg, Debbie Ullman, and later, Matt the Cat. He would go on and on about what is wrong with the world, horrible co-workers and bosses and the daily grind of the work day. The other DJs in the photo are, from left: Doc Nemo, Vic Boc, Martin Perlich and Pat Mack. She stayed on when the station switched. [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. Throughout the 1970s and '80s, the station played home to some of Cleveland's most recognizable personalities: Matt the Cat, Denny Sanders, Murray Saul, Betty "Crash" Korvan, Ruby Cheeks, BLF. (Billy Bass is at far left in the photo, kickin' it with the WHK crew, circa 1968. wmms radio personalities. [107][108][109][110], During this time, WMMS held a series of sold-out rock festivals that featured many of the new up-and-coming artists receiving station airplay. She introduced Rush when they got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in June 2010. Syndicated radio show Rover's Morning Glory blends biting commentary, ridiculous antics and discussions that would get most people fired. The second logo, first one in print, used by WMMS was the Tongue Logo. [68][69][70] WMMS also began referring to its frequency in promotions as "101 FM", a rounding-off which continued for the next decade. We had a pretty good run with it in the '70s to the mid-'80s.". Perlich is second from right in the photo above, kickin' it with the WHK crew, circa 1968. 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. Murray Saul joined the WMMS staff as a salesman. He joined the station in early 1972 before its sale to Malrite, and stayed in different capacities until 2004. The station was known as "The Home of the Buzzard" at first. 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. Boom also spent time on the Buzzard Morning Zoo and filled in during other air shifts. ), Bass built one of the most versatile careers in the history of Cleveland radio. 54,419 people like this 52,406 people follow this http://www.wmms.com/ (216) 578-1007 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. 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. In other words, the carrion-eating bird represented "death and dying" a darkly comic reflection of the city's decline. Subscribe Now To Listen Your Favorite Songs On Demand! Win tickets to The Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival, Radio Daze: Stories from the Front in Clevelands FM Air Wars, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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). "[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]. 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. The following local and national media outlets have attributed WMMS with this distinction: The following books have attributed WMMS with this distinction: harvnb error: no target: CITEREFNicks2003 (, "Rock Hall to Celebrate 40 Years of WMMS with New Exhibit", "Radio & Records 1981 on the WMMS Buzzard and Other Station Mascots", "The Media Business; Malrite's Buyout Price Disturbs Wall Street Analysts", "R.I.P. [34], Loveline, Westwood One's nationally syndicated call-in show hosted by Dr. Drew, aired weeknights from August 2008 through June 2010. Eventually moved to WNCX-FM/98.5, where she was a popular afternoon-drive deejay for a number of years. He returned to Cleveland radio in 1997, working at both WMJO-FM/105.7 and WZJM-FM/92.3. 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. No Doubt performed Buzzard Fest on May 18, 1996. The WMMS Mushroom Logo can be seen a few times throughout the movie - During a backstage scene at the Music Hall right before Stillwater takes the stage and when groupie Penny Lane played by Kate Hudson is dancing alone in the empty venue - you can see a banner with the Mushroom Logo and the slogan Where The Music Means Something. 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. Thousands of entries were received, but only 375 lucky listeners received two tickets to the concert. 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. [120], Co-hosts Duji (Susan Catanese) and Dominic Dieter each worked on Rover's Morning Glory before the move to WMMS; since then, the show has expanded to include sound engineer Chocolate Charlie (Mike Toomey), phone screener Mattitude/Flatitude (Matt Novick), Video Anthony Snitzer, Producer Dumb (Shaun Street) and former intern Jeffrey LaRocque. Live at the Agora Ballroom on August 10, 1983. Rolling Stone named WMMS "Best Radio Station" (Large Market) nine straight years (197987) as part of the magazine's annual Readers' Poll,[26] but the station admitted to stuffing the 1987 ballot following a February 1988 front-page story in The Plain Dealer exposing manipulation. Needless to say, for health reasons, this contest changed the way promotions were done going forward at WMMS. [122] Closing in May 1999, Clear Channel was renamed iHeartMedia in 2014. Signing on in 1946 as the FM adjunct to WHK, the WMMS call letters were affixed in 1968 under Metromedia ownership, having stood for "MetroMedia Stereo" and meant as a compliment to the newly established progressive rock format, but have since taken on a variety of other meanings. 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. Hughes returned briefly to WMMS in the 1990s for short stints on a new "Morning Zoo" and as an overnight DJ. As WMMS celebrates the anniversary, both on-air and online, using archival audio, memorabilia and station-related artifacts to offer a cross-section of the station's diverse history and the. 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. [83][89] Lisa Dillon, Ric Bennett and Tom Renzy also would depart the station that same day. He died in late 2006. Kinzbach left the station in 1994. The Buzzard was the co-creation of Gorman, Sanders and American Greetings artist David Helton.[31]. (Plain Dealer file photo), Maria Farina landed at WMMS in 1986 fresh out of Ohio University and quickly gained popularity. In 2009, she left KSL to become the spokesperson for the FBI Salt Lake City Division. Mr. Leonard supposedly worked at the Buzzard, as the assistant public service director, but he was never able to make it into the office. Matt Harris served in the interim until WMMS hired Dick Dale (Bert Morris) from WPLA/Jacksonville. (Plain Dealer file photo). Some of those artists were Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Pat Benatar, Roxy Music, Cyndi Lauper, The Pretenders, New York Dolls, and Southside Johnny. "[33] By April 2008, the station had reverted to branding as The Buzzard but using a road sign-style logo similar to a U.S. Route shield in an allusion to the mascot. WMMS does not air additional network programming, and the station only airs select games during spring training. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's a big birthday for The Buzzard. He was 64 years old. Fowler works for country station WGAR-FM/99.5, and Cronauer is an on-air personality for WKYC-TV/Channel 3 and The Fish, WFHM-FM/95.5. It's about an ex-Marine who is a hitman in the Midwest on March 25th. 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. Cleveland's Rock Station- call: (216) 578-1007 toll free: (800) 348-1007 twitter: @wmms www.wmms.com | text: 35192 |Home of Rover's Morning Glory, See more 100.7 WMMS- We love to post about Cleveland, music, sports- and funny stuff we find out on the internets. [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. 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?" (Halper is at center in the photo above, with members of Rush and WMMS staffers. 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. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WMMS broadcasts over two HD Radio channels and is available online via iHeartRadio. People in radio say he was not an easy guy, that dealing with him was like a daily root canal. Attendance was by general admission. Already strained by ongoing contract renewal negotiations, the incident further alienated the two parties, and by November of that year the show was cancelled. [120] Finally, The Bob & Tom Show aired in the time slot from 2006 until April 2008. He first began in radio in 1973 at noted Cleveland rock station WMMS (100.7 FM, "The Buzzard"). Cox's intelligence, humor, and willingness to do a variety of on-air stunts for the show led to his hiring as a producer. He offered "Solid Goldbergers" and ordered us to "EN-joy". [78] Concertgoers occasionally fell or jumped off the steep stadium upper deck onto the concrete seating area far below, causing serious injury. She was among the first DJs to put the group's seven-minute opus, "Working Man," into regular rotation.