"[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]. 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. Morning Show, Promotions Director KGGI. 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. The phallic like logo depicted a large mushroom with a little elf hanging out smoking a joint. 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. [96][98] Billboard and Airplay Monitor magazines together named WMMS Rock Station of the Year (Medium Market) in 1995,[103] and Modern Rock Station of the Year (Medium Market) in 1996. July 11, 1995. 54,419 people like this 52,406 people follow this http://www.wmms.com/ (216) 578-1007 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. Each daily call-in would include an excuse that was crazier than the last. It's most famous for heavily plugging the MC5, The Velvets and The Dolls on one hand and science-art groups like Soft Machine and King Crimson on the other. 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. Now Debbie joins Dave Noriega to host a daytime radio broadcast "Dave and Dujanovic" where they discuss Utah news, culture, and . His father, Herman, created Cleveland's legendary "Upbeat," an "American Bandstand"-style TV musical variety show which aired from 1964-71 and featured live performances of many of the great rock and pop acts of the era, from Simon and Garfunkel to Otis Redding. Following the prank announcement, station management placed Maxwell on probation for 90 days. 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. WMMS does not air additional network programming. [68][69][70] WMMS also began referring to its frequency in promotions as "101 FM", a rounding-off which continued for the next decade. Mr. Leonard supposedly worked at the Buzzard, as the assistant public service director, but he was never able to make it into the office. "Born to Run" was the essence of everything I loved about rock 'n' roll. Steve and Tom would always come up to the station and hang out with me. "Those guys who pilot those ships through here? "[27][36] WMMS played a key role in breaking several major acts in the U.S., including David Bowie, Rush, and Bruce Springsteen. "[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. Gorman returned to the Buzzard for a second brief run from 1994-96, but has spent most of the past 20 years as a radio consultant. He helped launch progressive-rock radio as a DJ and programmer at both WMMS-FM/100.7 and WNCR-FM/99.5. The Alan Cox Show: 1/20/23 | 100.7 WMMS | The Alan Cox Show Those 50 years have seen a lot of change for the station. Cleveland Magazine has also described both Rover and Cox as "talk shows with a rock-oriented sensibility". 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. 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. "I gotta blast this baby all the way to New Jersey," Springsteen quipped. He briefly transformed WNWV-FM/107.3 into the adult album alternative station V 107.3. For the Bath, Maine, radio station which identified as WMMS from 1957 to 1964, see, "This radio station is known for breaking the rules, changing the game, and being successful. Rio created the. grand wailea pool menu; under armour ignite slides waterproof. There's proof! 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. Featuring Kevin DuBrow on vocals, Frankie Banali on drums, Rudy Sarzo on bass and Carlos Cavazo on guitar. 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. WHK-FM became one of a handful of commercial stations in the country to try that format, many of which were owned by MetroMedia. (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. The show also drew national attention after holding a book burning party for Fifty Shades of Grey on July 8, 2012. The music structure also was modified at this time as artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince soon found airplay on WMMS. "The station, like any radio station, it really reflects the people who are running it and the ownership of the station. Right up until his departure in 1988, Kid Leo played "Born to Run" as his signature sign-off song every Friday night at 5:55 to kick off the weekend for area listeners. WMMS was the first radio station to employ full-time promotion and marketing directors: Dan Garfinkel and his successor, Jim Marchyshyn. The two went their separate ways in 2011. (Plain Dealer file photo). 26 Celebrities & Their Moms May 06, 2022. [90][92], During the now infamous broadcast, WMMS engineer William Alford snipped a broadcast wire used for the Stern show's satellite feed. (Plain Dealer file photo), Proud Parma natives, this longtime duo is better known as the affable hosts of "The Brian and Joe Show." Pittsburgh Radio Personalities Recently retired from WDVE, longtime DJ Sean McDowell isn't sitting still. Today, she is an assistant professor of communication at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass. Jeff and Flash were accompanied by a list of other talent over the years which made up the Buzzard Morning Zoo. [120] Meanwhile, ownership would change yet again as Nationwide Communications was bought out by Jacor in November 1997. [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. 100.7 WMMS Podcasts See All Playlists from 100.7 WMMS Latest News She has written several books, including "Boston Radio: 1920-2010." Danny Czekalinski and Darla Jaye teamed up in October 1997 with Liz Wilde holdover Cory Lingus (Cory Gallant) until August 1998. Today, he is the principal and chief content officer of WOW Media, LLC -- the parent company of oWOW. He was 64 years old. Owned by iHeartMedia . He became one of the station's most popular jocks during its Buzzard heyday, and was perhaps best known as the host of the live Wednesday "Coffeebreak Concerts." Seth's Big Fat Barbarian Wedding - August 19th, 2005 at Shooters on the Water. [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. "[110] Studios were moved again to a combined facility in the suburb of Independence, Ohio. As a kid he was part of a sophisticated bootleg radio station in his neighborhooduntil the FCC shut it down. The WMMS morning show Dick Dale & Rick hosted the event. Craig Ehlo. Moms to be participated in the bikini contest for a chance to win $1,000. : 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? Denny was also instrumental in convincing former WMMS owner Milton Maltz to continue the stations rock format in the mid-1970s. BLF also praised musicians and was a great fan of the Texas Tornadoes and Blue Cheer. He left in the late '80s to become program director for WRQK-FM/106.9 in Canton. I met great radio personalities like Chuck Knapp, Lou King Kirby, Chuck Dunaway, Big John Roberts and Billy Bass. Since retiring from WDVE last year, he's been roaming the country by car. what are the non legislative powers of congress. Eventually moved to WNCX-FM/98.5, where she was a popular afternoon-drive deejay for a number of years. [91] As promised, Stern held a party for his fans on the streets of Cleveland a "Funeral" for his local rivals, much like similar events held in New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia and broadcast it nationwide. Sanders was instrumental in WMMS' rise. 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 Thousands of entries were received, but only 375 lucky listeners received two tickets to the concert. [125] As part of the stunt, Denny Sanders returned to host an airshift, programming the music at his discretion. [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. The short-lived music magazine featured a diverse mix of interviews, opinion pieces, album reviews, Buzzard playlists, concert listings and photos from station events. "[66][67] Although never used on the air, listeners alternately knew the callsign as an acronym for "Weed Makes Me Smile" and "Magic MushroomS," the latter referencing the somewhat controversial logo used before the Buzzard. Rio created the Mr. Leonard character over several years at stations in Houston, New York and Philadelphia before his Cleveland debut. [171][173][174]. In the early '90s, she started her own DJ and karaoke company, Amalon Entertainment, with husband Frank Amato, the lead singer for Beau Coup. One lucky WMMS listener won a Harley Davidson signed by Sammy Hagar! She remained with the station until 1995. Kid Leo was actively involved in the campaign in bringing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to Cleveland - which lead to the mayor Geroge Voinovich granting him a key to the city in 1990. In 1958, both WHK and WHK-FM were sold to Metropolitan Broadcasting, itself renamed MetroMedia two years later. [47] Owned by Malrite Communications from 1972 to 1993, subsequent consolidation in the radio industry saw WMMS change ownership five times in seven years, and has been in iHeartMedia's portfolio (originally under the Clear Channel name) since 1999. The very first logo to ever be created for WMMS was a red and white rainbow. [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". In September 1995, he was hired to do nights at WRKR-FM in Kalamazoo, MI. In time, the station adopted new slogans reflecting the callsign: "We're your Modern Music Station" and "your Music Marathon Station. We never learned what Mr. Leonard looked like, he never discussed it on the air. He now works for Progressive Insurance. In studio, WTAM sports director Mike Snyder hosts The Tip-Off Show, The Halftime Report, and The Nightcap Recap the network pregame, halftime, and postgame shows, respectively. During his long tenure doing evenings at the station Denny interviewed hundreds of rock stars including the late John Lennon. 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. 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. 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. Ferenc also has a small advertising agency called Flashpoint. 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. 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. [103] Despite signs of success, the stations were sold again in 1996: WMMS went to Nationwide Communications,[105] while WHK went to Salem Communications. (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. Other shows, like The Buzzard Morning Show with Rick and Megalis (Rick Eberhart, Tom Megalis) and WMMS Mornings with Sean, Cristi, and Hunter (Sean Kelly, Cristi Cantle, Hunter Scott), came and went in quick succession. The ritual lasted through his entire career at the Buzzard. Some other possible meanings "Where Music Means Something" or "Weed Makes Me Smile". (Plain Dealer file photo), Korvan was one of the notable rock jocks from the 1970s heyday of WMMS-FM/100.7. He made his debut on WMMS in 1984. Soon after, the station revered back to the Progressive Rock format to battle WNCR of Nationwide Communications, itself filling the void created by the brief absence of WMMS on the album rock scene. Rolling Stone Magazine conducted a yearly Readers Poll to which WMMS won Best Radio Station of the Year nine years in a row from 1979 to 1987. He was also a member of "The Buzzard Morning Zoo" in the mid-1980s. Good old Red! [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. Syndicated radio show Rover's Morning Glory blends biting commentary, ridiculous antics and discussions that would get most people fired. He was on WMMS for more than twenty years, and would end his show with, "Blue skies and green lights to ya. During this time, with Denny Sanders as his creative services director and Rhonda Kiefer as programming assistant, WMMS broke all Cleveland ratings and revenue records. Those guys are f--kin' heroes!" On-site, play-by-play announcer Tim Alcorn calls games alongside color analyst Jim Chones, a former Cavaliers center. WMMS does not air additional network programming, and the station only airs select games during spring training. (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. [51] Seeing a small but significant groundswell of support for the medium in the market, WHK-FM adopted a new progressive rock format on August 15, 1968. On August 9, 1978, there was no hotter ticket in Cleveland. Bryan Adams Agora photo credit: Janet Macoska, Sammy Hagar Odeon photo credit: Daune Raz. EC horror comics, Fritz the Cat, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Looney Tunes all served as inspirations for the "bird of prey with attitude" concept. [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. [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. [120] Finally, The Bob & Tom Show aired in the time slot from 2006 until April 2008. BuzzardFest 2000 took Place on June 30, 2000 at Nautica on the Flats West Bank. Host of "Rover's Morning Glory", a syndicated morning talk show that started at WXTM-FM/92.3 in 2003. He briefly worked mid-days at the end of his career, but soon retired. The stations involved are WMMS (FM), WTAM (AM/FM), WMJI (FM), WGAR (FM), WHLK (FM), WAKS (FM), WKAS (HD2) and WARF (AM). Weiland and STP were touring in support of No. safeway new westminster station parking; pluto conjunct prenatal solar eclipse; shandon hotel balance back (Photo by Gus Chain, The Plain Dealer), The affable Spero was born into rock 'n' roll. Named herself "The Screaming Queen Bitch." He offered "Solid Goldbergers" and ordered us to "EN-joy". For STP vocalist Scott Weiland, who spent time as a kid living in Bainbridge Township and attending grade school in Chagrin Falls, the concert was a homecoming experience and he referenced his time growing up in Northeast Ohio during his conversations with the crowd that evening. She now lives in Santa Monica, Calif. (Stile is pictured here, sitting next to Bruce Springsteen during his 1976 visit to the WMMS studios. Denny Sanders Denny Sanders 1972 - 1986 Denny Sanders came to WMMS in 1971 from Boston where he'd been working as a DJ from the time he was just 16 years old. According to her LinkedIn page, she now works as a freelance voice actor and author. ", "We had the right staff, the right soundtrack at the time. Based on considerably high record sales in the Cleveland market, Bowie (in his Ziggy Stardust persona alongside The Spiders from Mars) kicked off his first U.S. tour in "The Rock Capital" (a term coined by Bass). Radio Home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mark Madden, and The Woody Show. The station serves as the FM flagship for both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Guardians radio networks. 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.. We all have such respect for what this station did back in the day. Springsteen's music had become an important cornerstone of the Buzzard playlist and his profile had risen nationally, thanks to the release of the Born to Run album, with the title track quickly becoming an 'MMS staple that would endure for decades. Matt the Cat was permanently let go in December 1992 due to "budget problems. [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. The concert series continued on well into the 1990s and early 2000s, albeit much less frequently.[64][65]. 20 Country Women We Are Celebrating During International Women's Day Mar 01, 2021. WMMS will celebrate its birthday Sunday at Blossom Music Center with a special anniversary concert featuring Ozzy Osbourne. Over the next twenty years Matt did mostly middays and hosted the weekly Coffee Break Concerts, likely introducing more concerts than anyone in Cleveland history. Stern's ratings exploded and this along with a growing urgency from management not to compete with or mention Stern on the air led to a sudden and steep ratings decline for The Buzzard Morning Zoo. 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). [51] On July 31, 1947, W8XUB began broadcasting at 100.7MHz. Jeff and Flash ruled the airwaves for 18 years on 100.7 WMMS. [88] Management ordered a change to the Buzzard by giving it a flat-top and mullet. Lonnie Gronek, then general manager of the station, claimed in The Plain Dealer article that the process had gone on "for years", however other accounts dispute Gronek's claim. He died in late 2006. [26][38][39][75][76][77], The World Series of Rock was a recurring, day-long and usually multi-act summer rock concert held outdoors at Cleveland Municipal Stadium from 1974 through 1980. She started at the Buzzard in 1976, and stayed until 1983, working mostly the evening shift. (Photo courtesy of Shauna Zurbrugg). Win a Monster Zero Sugar prize pack from Circle K! 16 Times Riley Green Was The Hottest Bachelor On Instagram Nov 05, 2020. 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. 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. Spero would go on to become one of Cleveland's early progressive-rock DJs, working first at WNCR and then at WMMS. Bruce held on to the innocence and the romance. She stayed on when the station switched formats to modern rock in 1992, becoming 107.9 The End. In 1973 WMMS unveiled a new logo The Mushroom. The show is now syndicated to WKGB-FM/Binghamton, WRKK/Williamsport, and WZNE/Rochester; replays continuously on a dedicated iHeartRadio channel; is available on demand through iHeartRadio; and broadcasts over the Livestream video platform. 26 memorable DJs and radio personalities from WMMS-FM's past: The Buzzard turns 50 This year, WMMS turns 50. 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. They brought pleasure to the average Clevelanders workday with segments like Token Jokes of the Morning, Spousal Arousal and Blow Something Up. 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." They were rewarded with a night that they would remember for the rest of their lives. His iconic rants have been preserved for posterity on the CD "Murray Saul: The Get Downs, Vol. MLB At Bat", "Play-By-Play Streaming Rights: 'The Goal Posts Are Moving. He worked the afternoon-drive shift until 1997 when he headed to Los Angeles. [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. Under Malrite ownership, WMMS would become an album-oriented rock (AOR) powerhouse, much in the same vein as its former MetroMedia progressive rock siblings. 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.