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WMMS

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WMMS
Broadcast area
Frequency100.7 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard
Programming
LanguageEnglish
FormatActive rock and hot talk
Subchannels
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
March 30, 1946 (1946-03-30)
Former call signs
  • W8XUB (1946–1947)
  • WHKX (1947–1948)
  • WHK-FM (1948–1968)
Former frequencies
107.1 MHz (1946–1947)
Call sign meaning
"Metromedia Stereo"
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
73273
ClassB
ERP34,000 watts
HAAT183 meters (600 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
41°21′30″N 81°40′03″W / 41.35833°N 81.66750°W / 41.35833; -81.66750
Translators
Links
Public license information
Webcast
Website

WMMS (100.7 FM, "The Buzzard") is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, United States, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. Widely regarded as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout its history,[a][b][27][28] the station has also drawn controversy for unusually aggressive tactics both on and off the air.[29][30][31] Owned by iHeartMedia, and broadcasting a mix of active rock and hot talk, WMMS is currently the flagship station for Rover's Morning Glory, the FM flagship for the Cavaliers AudioVerse and Cleveland Guardians Radio Network, the Cleveland affiliate for The House of Hair with Dee Snider and the home of radio personality Alan Cox.

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. 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.[32] In 1981, Radio & Records identified "the malevolent feathered figure" as "the best-known station symbol in the country."[33] "De-emphasized" in the fall of 2007, the scavenger was revived the following spring to coincide with the station's 40th anniversary and with the arrival of morning personality Rover.[34][35]

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, WMMS had a stable of personalities that remained fundamentally unchanged,[27][28] attained a dominant market share in the local ratings[28][36][37][38] and posted market record-high figures "never duplicated by any other Cleveland radio station since."[28][37] WMMS played a key role in breaking several major acts in the US, including David Bowie, Rush, and Bruce Springsteen.[27] Station employees went on to take director and executive-level positions in the recording industry, namely with labels RCA, Mercury, and Columbia.[39][40] Considered "a true radio legend," WMMS DJ Kid Leo was chosen for Rolling Stone's "Heavy Hundred: The High and Mighty of the Music Industry" (1980) and named "The Best Disc Jockey in the Country" in a special 1987 issue of Playboy.[40][41] Noted filmmakers, including Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous) and Paul Schrader (Light of Day), have called on both The Buzzard and its personnel while preparing for various rock-themed productions.[42][43] WMMS was also a major driving force behind the successful campaign to bring the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to Cleveland.[27][44]

Rolling Stone named WMMS "Best Radio Station" (Large Market) nine straight years (1979–1987) as part of the magazine's annual Readers' Poll,[27] but the station admitted to stuffing the 1987 ballot following a February 1988 front-page story in The Plain Dealer exposing manipulation.[45][46][47] 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. A federal offense, the act nearly cost WMMS its broadcasting license.[48] 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.

WMMS's studios are located at the Six Six Eight Building in downtown Cleveland's Gateway District;[49][50] the station transmitter resides in neighboring Seven Hills. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WMMS broadcasts over two HD Radio channels and is available online via iHeartRadio. WMMS-HD2, which relays its signal over low-power FM translator W256BT (99.1 FM), broadcasts a sports format as "Sports Radio 99.1". WMMS-HD3, which relays its signal over low-power FM translator W266CJ (101.1 FM), is the Cleveland affiliate for iHeart's all-news oriented Black Information Network.

History

[edit]

Early years – WHK-FM

[edit]

On March 30, 1946,[51] 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).[52] On July 31, 1947, W8XUB began broadcasting at 100.7 MHz.[53] On November 13, 1947, the new FM station transitioned from experimental to commercial status; increased its power; and changed its callsign to WHKX.[54] On November 11, 1948,[55] the station adopted the callsign WHK-FM. In 1958, both WHK and WHK-FM were sold to Metropolitan Broadcasting, itself renamed MetroMedia two years later.[52] Like most early FM stations, WHK-FM mostly simulcast the Top 40 programming of its AM sister station. 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.[52] 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. WHK-FM became one of a handful of commercial stations in the country to try that format, many of which were owned by MetroMedia.[52] To firmly establish a separate identity, and to reflect the station's ownership,[56] the WHK-FM callsign was changed to WMMS on September 28, 1968.[57]

Progressive rock (1968–1973)

[edit]
November 1968 print ad for Jefferson Airplane concert

MetroMedia found major success with progressive rock at KMET Los Angeles, KSAN San Francisco, WMMR Philadelphia and WNEW-FM New York City, but a lack of commitment from MetroMedia led the company to drop the format at WMMS by May 1969. The station first turned to adult contemporary, big band, the Drake-Chenault automated Hit Parade '69 and finally Top 40,.[58]

Following a legal dispute with a competing station owner over non-compete clauses in their contracts, former Top 40 WIXY personalities Dick "the Wilde Childe" Kemp and Lou "King" Kirby were signed by MetroMedia for the top 40 format. The top 40 format also failed to make any major ratings impact. 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. The top 40 deejays were retained, but it was soon obvious that they were inadequate hosts for a progressive rock format. 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.[59][60] 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".[61] Sounds described the station programming at this time as "totally off-the-wall in its choice of records, playing anything it liked. It is 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."[62]

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. 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).[63] The WMMS-sponsored concert was a "phenomenal success"[59][64] and prompted the station to sponsor a second show that year. This second show sold out immediately, and was held at the city's largest venue: Cleveland Public Hall.[64]

In November 1972, WMMS was sold to Malrite Communications, a Michigan-based firm that relocated to Cleveland upon purchase. Under Malrite ownership, WMMS would become an album-oriented rock (AOR) powerhouse, much in the same vein as its former MetroMedia progressive rock siblings.

Coffee Break Concerts

[edit]

During this time, WMMS also began broadcasting a remarkable number of live concerts, many of which originated in Cleveland and were produced by the station itself. The WMMS Coffee Break Concert was a weekly music-interview show broadcast live from the station's studio, and later with an audience at the Agora Ballroom. 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 WMMS Coffee Break Concerts were booked and directed by Denny Sanders and hosted by Len "Boom" Goldberg, Debbie Ullman, and later, Matt the Cat. The concert series continued on well into the 1990s and early 2000s, albeit much less frequently.[65][66]

Album-oriented rock (1973–1994)

[edit]

From "Find Me" to FM powerhouse

[edit]
First logo used after station's sale to Malrite.

In July 1973, John Gorman joined WMMS as music director and was promoted to program director and operations manager two months later where he remained for thirteen years. 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. WMMS was the first radio station to employ full-time promotion and marketing directors: Dan Garfinkel and his successor, Jim Marchyshyn.

In time, the station adopted new slogans reflecting the callsign: "We're your Modern Music Station" and "your Music Marathon Station."[67][68] 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.[69][70][71] WMMS also began referring to its frequency in promotions as "101 FM", a rounding-off which continued for the next decade.

Roughly one year after its debut, the Buzzard was arguably the most recognizable logo in Greater Cleveland. Poster by David Helton.[72]

Contrary to what many believe, the choice of the second Malrite logo had nothing to do with Buzzard Day, the annual "folksy event" held in Hinckley Township, Ohio.[73] 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[74] – and the winged-creature's classification as a scavenger. In other words, the carrion-eating bird represented "death and dying" – a darkly comic reflection of the city's decline. EC horror comics, Fritz the Cat, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Looney Tunes – all served as inspirations for the "bird of prey with attitude" concept. The station was known as "The Home of the Buzzard" at first. The Buzzard was the co-creation of Gorman, Sanders and American Greetings artist David Helton.[32]

We joked about the Buzzard becoming Cleveland's Mickey Mouse... a "Buzzard Land" amusement park filled with sex, drugs and rock and roll...

A study conducted by MBA students at Case Western Reserve University in 1975 found that the new WMMS logo was more recognizable to those living in Greater Cleveland than both Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians and even Coca-Cola.[72]

From the onset, Helton's streamlined artwork resulted in an aggressive, yet family-friendly symbol for the station, one that continues to endure more than 40 years later. The Buzzard became synonymous with WMMS, Cleveland radio and the city itself, spawning a series of T-shirts so numerous that they are now impossible to catalog, many with slogans like "Where Music Means Something" and "Ruler of the Airwaves."

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.[75] Of all the personalities that worked at WMMS, Len "Boom" Goldberg remained the longest. He joined the station in early 1972 before its sale to Malrite, and stayed in different capacities until 2004. He was best known as the voice for the station's hourly IDs, music segues, sweepers, and commercials, and was also a member of The Buzzard Morning Zoo in the mid-80s.

"Born to Run" was the essence of everything I loved about rock 'n' roll. Bruce held on to the innocence and the romance. At the same time, the music communicates frustration and a constant longing to escape.

— Kid Leo

WMMS during this period would play a key role in breaking several major acts in the US, 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. 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. 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. Heavily bootlegged, the concert further cemented the relationship between the two in fans' minds, and well into the 2000s Cleveland remains one of Springsteen's strongest bases. 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.[27][39][40][76][77][78]

World Series of Rock

[edit]

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. Staged by Belkin Productions and sponsored by WMMS, the concerts attracted popular hard rock bands and boasted as many as 88,000 fans;[79][80][81] attendance was by general admission.[82][83] Concertgoers occasionally fell – or jumped – off the steep stadium upper deck onto the concrete seating area far below, causing serious injury. The Cleveland Free clinic staffed aid stations in the stadium with physicians, nurses and other volunteers, and through 1977, made its treatment statistics public.[84] From 1978 on, Belkin Productions conditioned its funding of the Free Clinic on the nondisclosure of the number of Clinic staff on duty at the concerts, the nature of conditions treated and the number of patients treated.[85][86]

Rock Forty and the Rock Hall

[edit]

WMMS was directly influenced by then and current sister station WHTZ/New York City (Z100), which rose to the top of the ratings books immediately after installing a contemporary hit radio (CHR) format. Among the more significant moves taken by WMMS was the formatting of the morning zoo concept created by Z100's Scott Shannon onto the show Jeff & Flash (Jeff Kinzbach and Ed Ferenc) were already hosting. Kinzbach and Ferenc had already been a morning team – with sidekicks – since 1976, seven years prior to adopting the "morning zoo" label, so the basic structure was already in place.

The music structure also was modified at this time as artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince soon found airplay on WMMS. 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. By 1984, the WMMS format moved to an CHR/AOR hybrid, playing a great deal of Top 40 rock singles in hot rotation mixed with album cuts; this new blended rock/Top 40 format was soon known by those at the station as Rock Forty. The station also started to devote a Saturday night program to the classic rock artists and groups.[87]

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. John Gorman, Denny Sanders and Kid Leo organized the original campaign with Tunc Erim, assistant to Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegun. 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.[88]

John Gorman and Denny Sanders left the station in fall of 1986, leading fourteen staff members with them to start rival station WNCX. Gorman credits his decision to leave to changes in management, and the station's overall shift to a more "corporate" mentality.

Rolling Stone Readers' Poll

[edit]

Rolling Stone named WMMS "Radio Station of the Year" nine straight years (1979–1987) 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. 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.

The station claimed it was simply "a marketing strategy" and "much in line with what many stations did."[89] Negative reaction was swift and widespread;[45][46] some called the scheme a mere "lack of judgement,"[45] while a reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal compared the station's response to that of discredited former Vice-president Spiro Agnew.[90]

Changing times

[edit]

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.[91] Four different program directors, including Rich Piombino and Michael Luczak, came and went with varying levels of success. DJ additions included station engineer Ric Bennett as "Rocco the Rock Dog," Scooter (WMMS music director Brad Hanson), Tom "Jack" Daniels, Lisa Dillon and veteran Matt the Cat, who returned to the midday slot in 1990 after a two-year absence.[92]

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. 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. Matt the Cat was permanently let go in December 1992 due to "budget problems."[92] From 1991 to 1993, WMMS served as the FM flagship for the Cleveland Browns, sharing coverage with then-sister WHK; the late Nev Chandler served as play-by-play announcer.[93] Unable to service its growing debt, Malrite chose to leave radio and sold off all its remaining properties in 1993:[38] WMMS went to Shamrock Broadcasting, the Roy Disney broadcasting firm.[94] Management ordered a change to the Buzzard by giving it a flat-top and mullet.

The station continued to decline during the ownership transition from Malrite to Shamrock; then Shamrock sold both WMMS and WHK to OmniAmerica, a broadcasting company run by former Malrite executives Carl Hirsch and Dean Thacker, which already owned oldies station WMJI. 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).[89][95] Lisa Dillon, Ric Bennett and Tom Renzy also would depart the station that same day.[52]

The Cleveland Funeral

[edit]

One of the most notorious broadcasts of The Howard Stern Show occurred on June 10, 1994.[96] Stern had arrived on the Cleveland airwaves less than two years earlier, and in that time took his syndicated program on rival WNCX from an Arbitron ranking of thirteen to number one.[97] 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 City, Los Angeles and Philadelphia – and broadcast it nationwide.[96][98]

During the now infamous broadcast, WMMS engineer William Alford snipped a broadcast wire used for the Stern show's satellite feed.[48][99] Stern continued on with the program over a phone line as engineers worked to quickly patch together the severed broadcast wire. Alford was subsequently caught, arrested and later sentenced to ten days in jail and a $1,000 fine.[100] Station management initially claimed that Alford acted alone,[99] however WMMS Promotions Director Heidi Klosterman – working under the name Heidi Kramer – later 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.[101]

Alternative rock (1994–97)

[edit]

The Next Generation

[edit]

Already program director at OmniAmerica station WMJI, station veteran John Gorman returned to WMMS as vice-president and director of operations in early 1994.[102] Gorman changed the WMMS format to alternative rock,[103] playing new acts like Nirvana, The Offspring, and Nine Inch Nails, on October 27.[103][104][105][106] To emphasize this change, WMMS was re-branded and aggressively promoted as "Buzzard Radio: The Next Generation", a reference to the success of Star Trek: The Next Generation and its continuation of the Star Trek franchise.[104][107] Gorman brought back the original Buzzard design, now drawn by David Helton's successor Brian Chalmers.[42] WMMS also lured popular morning personalities Brian Fowler and Joe Cronauer away from rival WENZ – then also an alternative rock station – as the successors to Jeff and Flash (Jeff Kinzbach, Ed Ferenc) on The Buzzard Morning Zoo.[108]

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.[102][104] Billboard and Airplay Monitor magazines together named WMMS Rock Station of the Year (Medium Market) in 1995,[109] and Modern Rock Station of the Year (Medium Market) in 1996.[110] John Gorman was named Program Director of the Year (Rock) in 1995.[109] Despite signs of success, the stations were sold again in 1996: WMMS went to Nationwide Communications,[111] while WHK went to Salem Communications.[104][112] 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.[111] John Gorman, who has since openly criticized the industry's current state, departed for CBS Radio in Detroit, but soon moved to media consulting.[113][114][115][116]

BuzzardFest

[edit]

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. 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,[117] but was cut short after turning into a "rock-and-bottle-throwing melee." Cleveland Police wearing riot gear were called in just as headliner Green Day took the stage.[118] 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.[119] The Ramones headlined BuzzardFest '95 the following spring (May 1995) at Blossom;[120] other acts included Our Lady Peace, The Rugburns and Face to Face.[120] BuzzardFest II was held the very next fall (September 1995) – again at Blossom – and featured performances from the Goo Goo Dolls, Alanis Morissette, Jewel, as well as the Dance Hall Crashers, Eleven, Green Apple Quick Step, Prick and Sons of Elvis.[121][122]

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.[123] BuzzardFest 2000 was held on June 30, 2000, at the Nautica Stage; Stone Temple Pilots, performing in Cleveland for the first time in six years, headlined the event.[124]

Active rock (since 1997)

[edit]

Deregulation and "Death of the Buzzard"

[edit]

Yes, the station had lost its way for a bit, but 'MMS was the standard. 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). That's how big 'MMS was. Other stations carried their birthday show. Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Detroit, St. Louis... they ran another station's birthday party.

— Tony Tilford, WMMS program director (1999–2003)

WMMS shifted format to active rock on February 17, 1997, under the direction of Bob Neumann, who had previously programmed WNCX and WENZ.[125] 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.[126] Meanwhile, ownership would change yet again as Nationwide Communications was bought out by Jacor in November 1997.[127] The Jacor purchase closed on August 10, 1998; 59 days later, on October 8, 1998, Clear Channel Communications won a bidding war for Jacor in a $6.5 billion deal.[128] Closing in May 1999, Clear Channel was renamed iHeartMedia in 2014.[129] 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. People in radio say he was not an easy guy, that dealing with him was like a daily root canal."[116] Studios were moved again to a combined facility in the suburb of Independence, Ohio.[130]

Following Jacor's takeover, WMMS ran a "Death of the Buzzard" month-long stunt in October 1998.[131] As part of the stunt, Denny Sanders returned to host an airshift, programming the music at his discretion.[126] Geared as a format change to contemporary hit radio (CHR) using the "KISS FM" brand,[31][132] the decision was reversed at the last minute by management.[36] 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.[133] 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. Seth "the Barbarian" Williams took the overnight shift when Pennington moved to evenings in 2001.[134]

WMMS again became the flagship for the Cleveland Browns Radio Network in 2001 after Clear Channel transferred the broadcast rights from WMJI, which became the flagship for the team's 1999 relaunch;[135] the move was made largely to boost WMMS' ratings.[130] The Browns remained on WMMS until 2013, when the team moved to WNCX and competing sports stations WKNR and WKRK-FM.[136][137]

Morning troubles

[edit]
Primary WMMS station logo, c. 2008.

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. 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. Brian and Joe were moved to afternoons in February 1997 after a change in ownership, with shock jock Liz Wilde (Anne Whittemore) from WPLL/Miami taking their place; her firing less than a year later sparked a successful lawsuit against both the station and then-owner Nationwide Communications. Danny Czekalinski and Darla Jaye teamed up in October 1997 with Liz Wilde holdover Cory Lingus (Cory Gallant) until August 1998. Matt Harris served in the interim until WMMS hired Dick Dale (Bert Morris) from WPLA/Jacksonville.[138][139]

In 2000, the station turned to Wakin' up with Wolf and Mulrooney – hosted by Bob Wolf and John Mulrooney – from Albany's WPYX, which initially continued to originate and simulcast the program. The team did later relocate to Cleveland, but lasted only a few months until an acrimonious breakup between Wolf and Mulrooney. 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.[138] 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".[126] Finally, The Bob & Tom Show aired in the time slot from 2006 until April 2008.[140]

Hot talk evolution: Maxwell, Rover and Alan Cox

[edit]

Bo Matthews, who became WMMS program director in early 2004, hired Benjamin "Maxwell" Bornstein that April for a more "personality-driven" afternoon show following Slats' departure for WXTM.[141] The Maxwell Show gradually evolved from airing mostly music to all-talk, with Maxwell joined by WMMS music director Dan Stansbury and phone screener Tiffany "Chunk" Peck.[142] In September 2007, WMMS was re-branded "100.7", with The Buzzard "de-emphasized"; Matthews 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. All we're doing is shifting an image."[34] Radio & Records named WMMS "Rock Station of the Year: Markets 1-25" in 2005 and 2006 as part of their annual Industry Achievement Awards.[143][144]

Rover

The station picked up Rover's Morning Glory on April 1, 2008. John Gorman compared signing the show, and host Shane "Rover" French, to a "coup".[145] Rover was CBS Radio's Midwest replacement for Howard Stern in 2006 under their Free FM concept, and the show moved from Cleveland to Chicago.[146] After the Chicago station cancelled Rover, CBS transferred him back to Cleveland at WKRK-FM but kept him under the prior affiliate contract and not a talent contract; thus, Rover was not subject to a non-compete clause.[126] Coinciding with Rover's arrival, WMMS re-branded back to "The Buzzard" with a U.S. Route shield-inspired logo.[35] Described as "testosterone-fueled" by The Plain Dealer[145] and a "juggernaut" by Cleveland Magazine,[147] Rover has been voted best radio host by Cleveland Scene readers in 2009, 2014, and 2015.[148] Cleveland Police briefly detained Ky-Mani Marley after the singer threatened Rover for comments made during an April 20, 2010, in-studio interview.[149] On October 26, 2010, Rover hired a witch doctor to curse LeBron James after the NBA star left the Cleveland Cavaliers.[150] Rover is under contract with WMMS through 2022.[151]

Maxwell was known for having feuds with other radio personalities including Rover and WTAM afternoon host Mike Trivisonno; by 2009, Maxwell had become the number one afternoon program in several key demographics.[152] On April 3, 2009, Maxwell claimed on-air Metallica—in Cleveland for the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony the very next day—would play a free show in the WMMS parking lot later that evening. Following the prank, management placed Maxwell on a 90-day probation. Already strained by ongoing contract renewal negotiations, the incident further alienated the two parties, and by November 2009 the show was cancelled.[152]

Alan Cox

Alan Cox joined WMMS for his eponymous afternoon show on December 16, 2009.[147] The Alan Cox Show is rated No. 1 in several key demographics, and Cleveland Scene readers named Alan Cox the best Cleveland radio personality for four straight years.[153] Talkers described the show in 2012 as "a bold anomaly worthy of industry attention".[154] Comedian Chad Zumock was a co-host until his dismissal on December 3, 2012, after being arrested for driving while intoxicated;[155] Zumock was acquitted of the charge on May 3, 2013.[156] "Parma State of Mind", a 2010 parody of the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys song "Empire State of Mind", was criticized for continuing the ethnic jokes aimed at the suburb.[157] The show also drew national attention after holding a book burning party for Fifty Shades of Grey on July 8, 2012.[158] During a 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.[159]

"Chris Tyler" Merluzzo, former program director for Providence's WHJY, took over for Bo Matthews as WMMS program director on February 17, 2014.[160] 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.[161] Former Lex and Terry producer Jason Carr was named the new WMMS assistant program director on February 1, 2018.[162]

Current programming

[edit]

WMMS features Rover's Mornings Glory in mornings, Corey Rotic middays, and The Alan Cox Show in afternoons,[147] while other talent is voice-tracked via iHeartMedia's internal "Premium Choice" network.[163] Rover's show is nationally syndicated via Premiere Networks and is available through multiple digital platforms.[164] The House of Hair with Dee Snider also airs on Sunday evenings.[165]

The station serves as the FM flagship for both the Cavaliers AudioVerse[166][167] and the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network.[168][169]

HD Radio

[edit]

WMMS has broadcast in HD Radio since April 25, 2006.[170] WMMS-HD2 was launched c. March 2007, and by October carried a classic alternative format;[171][172] by 2008, the format switched to active rock[173][174] and back to classic alternative by 2011.[175] By July 2011, WMMS-HD2 switched to alternative rock, and on May 23, 2012, began to be relayed over low-power translator W256BT (99.1 FM) as "99X".[176][177][178] WMMS-HD2/W256BT rebranded as "ALT 99.1" in December 2017,[179] then became a charter affiliate of Black Information Network on June 30, 2020.[180]

A realignment of HD subchannels on July 12, 2024, had Black Information Network moved to WMMS-HD3, relayed over Beachwood, Ohio, translator W266CJ (101.1 FM); WMMS-HD2/W256BT relaunched as "Throwback 99.1", with a classic hip-hop format.[181] WMMS-HD2/W256BT flipped again to sports radio on September 2, 2025, featuring Fox Sports Radio and a content partnership with Rock Entertainment Sports Network.[182]

Broadcast translators for WMMS
Call signFrequencyCity of licenseFIDERP (W)HAATClassTransmitter coordinatesFCC infoNotes
W256BT 99.1 FMCleveland, Ohio154527250256 m (840 ft)D41°26′32.20″N 81°29′28.40″W / 41.4422778°N 81.4912222°W / 41.4422778; -81.4912222LMSWMMS-HD2 relay
W266CJ 101.1 FMBeachwood, Ohio144180250−297 m (−974 ft)D41°26′32.2″N 81°29′28.4″W / 41.442278°N 81.491222°W / 41.442278; -81.491222LMSWMMS-HD3 relay

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ The following local and national media outlets have attributed WMMS with this distinction:[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]
  2. ↑ The following books have attributed WMMS with this distinction:[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WMMS". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ Christgau, Robert (April 17, 1978). "A Real New Wave Rolls Out of Ohio". The Village Voice. p. 67. ... one of the few outlets in the country for the Velvet Underground, the MC5, and the New York Dolls... It aired David Bowie well before RCA's Ziggy Stardust push, and was an early supporter of Roxy Music.
  3. ↑ Schwartz, Tony (April 2, 1984). "The Wizard of Z100". New York. p. 54. ... Cleveland's WMMS, perhaps the most admired rock station in America.
  4. ↑ Neus, Elizabeth (February 27, 1985). "Six In A Row: Cleveland Radio Station WMMS Stays On Top". The Chapel Hill News. United Press International. p. 5B. Retrieved September 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ McNamara, Denis (February 8, 1986). "How WMMS and WBCN Remained on Top While the Music Changed". Billboard. p. 20. Two of the best radio station images in America belong to WMMS Cleveland and WBCN Boston.
  6. ↑ Bednarski, P.J. (March 23, 1986). "Rock Is No Joke in Cleveland". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 4. WMMS-FM, the city's top rock radio station... fanatical devotion by its listeners...
  7. ↑ Goldstein, Patrick (June 1, 1986). "Pop Eye: Cleveland Is on a (Rock 'N') Roll". The Los Angeles Times. p. 64–65 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Pareles, Jon (June 18, 1986). "Oldies on Rise in Album-Rock Radio". The New York Times. p. C26. Cleveland's top radio station, WMMS-FM, a major force in album-rock radio...
  9. ↑ Ridgeway, Karen (June 10, 1988). "The Playlist/Hot Pop LPs". USA Today. p. 4D. USA Today regularly queries DJs from top stations across the USA. ... Cleveland: 'Kid Leo' Travagliante, WMMS (100.7 FM)...
  10. ↑ R&R: Twenty Years of Excellence. Los Angeles, CA: Radio & Records. 1993. p. 12. WMMS/Cleveland. The AOR format's most acclaimed station, and a Midwestern titan for more than two decades.
  11. ↑ Boehlert, Eric (November 5, 1994). "Modern Rock Radio Roars Ahead". Billboard. p. 5 (continued on p. 115). In Cleveland, legendary album rock station WMMS... began adding alternative tracks in the spring...
  12. ↑ Pride, Dominic; Taylor, Chuck (January 13, 1996). "Amos Bares Soul on Atlantic Set". Billboard. p. 1 (continued on p. 66). Among the first to ignite the fires on radio is WMMS Cleveland.
  13. ↑ Boyle, Mike (May 27, 2006). "Flyleaf: Banshee Voice, Christian Base". Billboard. p. 42. ... help secure airplay on influential rock and modern rock stations such as KISS San Antonio, WAAF Boston, WMMS Cleveland...
  14. ↑ Berti & Bowman 2011, p. 134 "Initially championed by Donna Halper of Cleveland's WMMS, the song helped establish the band's value in the States, a formerly distant market."
  15. ↑ Carr 2007, p. 25 "The Cleveland music scene... was dominated by local rock radio station WMMS, whose programmers broke David Bowie and Roxy Music and supported Bruce Springsteen early in his career. As a result, major acts, especially British ones, began their tours before adoring Cleveland audiences..."
  16. ↑ Chapman 2003, p. 95 "The 'Jaded Virgin' track received heavy airplay on some influential rock stations, namely WMMS in Cleveland, WNEW in New York..."
  17. ↑ Denisoff 1988, p. 151 "Cleveland's WMMS-FM was one of the few stations nationally to scoop their competitors with live broadcasts... WMMS's clout was undisputed..."
  18. ↑ Edwardson 2009, p. 205 "... Rush cracked the American (and, in turn, Canadian) market thanks in part to the support of Donna Halper at WMMS in Cleveland."
  19. ↑ Goldberg 2009, pp. 124–125 "... the renegade station that had the most impact on the careers of edgier rock artists was WMMS in Cleveland... WMMS launched David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen and was an oasis in an otherwise resistant rock radio environment for artists such as Roxy Music and the New York Dolls."
  20. ↑ Hoskyns 2010, p. 145 "... Kid Leo was an early and avid supporter of Bruce Springsteen on WMMS, which helped break many seventies rock acts in the Midwest and beyond."
  21. ↑ Marsh 2004, p. 68 "Only a few loyal disc jockeys, usually at FM stations that allowed the deejays to pick a proportion of their own music, bothered with Springsteen's second album. ... above all, Ed Sciaky at WMMR in Philadelphia, Cerph Caldwell at WHFS in Washington D.C., and, later, Kid Leo at WMMS in Cleveland..."
  22. ↑ Neer 2001, p. 288 "... the venerable WMMS in Cleveland... They were the role model for what Brazell envisioned for KMET, as the Cleveland rocker broadened their appeal even further and reached sixteen shares."
  23. ↑ Nicks & Sloniowski 2003, p. 198 "Rush... enjoyed minor success touring Southern Ontario until a DJ at WMMS in Cleveland began to play their music."
  24. ↑ Pegg 2011, p. 493 "Bolstered by extensive publicity and wall-to-wall playing of the Ziggy Stardust album on local WMMS radio, the opening Cleveland Music Hall gig... was filled to its 3200-seat capacity."
  25. ↑ Reynolds 2006, p. 73 "... the city was blessed with one of the most progressive radio stations in America, WMMS."
  26. ↑ Spitz 2009, p. 201 "... perhaps the most famous free-form station of the era, WMMS in Cleveland had the ability to turn a cult artist into a worldwide star."
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Rock Hall to Celebrate 40 Years of WMMS with New Exhibit". RockHall.com. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. August 25, 2008. Archived from the original on November 28, 2010. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
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  35. 1 2 Vickers, Jim (June 2008). "'Glory' Days". Cleveland Magazine. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  36. 1 2 Brown, Roger (October 31, 1998). "Buzzard to keep circling airwaves". The Plain Dealer. p. 1B. Retrieved September 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. 1 2 Pantsios, Anastasia (January 28, 2004). "The Glory Daze of Cleveland Radio". Cleveland Free Times. Kildysart LLC.
  38. 1 2 Fabrikant, Geraldine (March 6, 1989). "The Media Business; Malrite's Buyout Price Disturbs Wall Street Analysts". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
  39. 1 2 Wagner, Vit (May 11, 2002). "What a Rush". The Toronto Star. p. J1, J8. Retrieved September 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
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  42. 1 2 Lewis, Frank (June 23, 2009). "R.I.P. Brian Chalmers, Rock 'N' Roll Artist". Cleveland Scene. Archived from the original on July 3, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
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  46. 1 2 Gorman & Feran 2007, p. 278.
  47. ↑ Dyer, Bob (February 26, 1988). "WMMS wins poll by voting for self". The Akron Beacon Journal. p. D11. Retrieved September 22, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  48. 1 2 Santiago, Roberto (October 6, 1994). "Stability at WMMS Hangs by a Wire". The Plain Dealer. p. 12E - Arts & Living.
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  54. ↑ Stephan, Robert S. (November 13, 1947). "WHK's FM Station Graduates, Expands Program Schedules". The Plain Dealer. p. 19.
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  66. ↑ Scott, Jane (December 15, 2000). "Pair of Earles Headed to the Odeon in February". The Plain Dealer. p. 13 - Friday.
  67. ↑ Gorman, John (March 16, 2009). "St. Patrick's Day, Buzzard-style, 1983". BuzzardBook.WordPress.com. John Gorman/Gray & Co. via WordPress.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
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  70. ↑ Wolff 2006, p. 20.
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Bibliography

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Documentaries

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