Cleveland Magazine has called the show a "juggernaut", and readers of Cleveland Scene named Rover the best Cleveland radio personality in 2009, 2014, and 2015 (Scene had previously recognized either Rover or his show four straight years, from 2004 to 2007, all prior to the move to WMMS). Since retiring from WDVE last year, he's been roaming the country by car. [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. 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. The Alan Cox Show Corey Rotic 100.7 WMMS Podcasts See All The Alan Cox Show Rover's Morning Glory The Week in Cox The Bill Squire Show Latest Stories Local News VIDEO: Cleveland Police Give Details of What Lead to Fatal Crash Mar 03, 2023 Music News Why March 5th Matters In Rock History Mar 03, 2023 Music News His iconic rants have been preserved for posterity on the CD "Murray Saul: The Get Downs, Vol. He first began in radio in 1973 at noted Cleveland rock station WMMS (100.7 FM, "The Buzzard"). [78] Concertgoers occasionally fell or jumped off the steep stadium upper deck onto the concrete seating area far below, causing serious injury. (Plain Dealer file photo), Maria Farina landed at WMMS in 1986 fresh out of Ohio University and quickly gained popularity. [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. Kid Leo's boxing announcer themed introduction welcomed both the fans in the audience at the Cleveland Agora and the many more listening on the network radio broadcast, to the evening's "Main Event," the 10th anniversary concert celebration for WMMS, which would be hosted by The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. Kid Leo interviews David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony before their show at the Richfield Colesium. From celebrities and high profile sports stars, to iconic DJs who know music, SiriusXM has the best hosts in radio. Dean DePiero, then mayor of Parma, criticized the song and its accompanying YouTube video: "It's pretty sick. Needless to say, for health reasons, this contest changed the way promotions were done going forward at WMMS. WMMS (100.7 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio, commonly identified as "TheBuzzard". 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. The show's big following has spawned an annual summer festival, Roverfest, which has been held in Lorain for the past three years. In 1988 he left to work as an executive at Columbia Records, where he served until 2002. what are the non legislative powers of congress. DJ additions included station engineer Ric Bennett as "Rocco the Rock Dog,"[86] Scooter (WMMS music director Brad Hanson), former WRQC nighttime Personality and later WNCX Afternoon Drive and Production Director, Tom "Jack" Daniels (who returned to the Cleveland airwaves after a successful stint as Program Director of WLEV, Allentown, PA), Lisa Dillon[86] and station veteran Matt the Cat,[86] (who returned to the midday slot in 1990 after a two-year absence.) [85] Four different program directors, including Rich Piombino and Michael Luczak, came and went with varying levels of success. He offered "Solid Goldbergers" and ordered us to "EN-joy". The music structure also was modified at this time as artists such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince soon found airplay on WMMS. The new logo depicted the sex, drugs and rock and roll image that the owner was looking for. He worked the afternoon-drive shift until 1997 when he headed to Los Angeles. 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. Jeff and Flash ruled the airwaves for 18 years on 100.7 WMMS. On-site, play-by-play announcer Tim Alcorn calls games alongside color analyst Jim Chones, a former Cavaliers center. "I think it's like a young nation, the changes of the times," said John Gorman, the station's program director during its 1970s and '80s Buzzard heyday. chautauqua institution hotels; figs scrubs men; unexplained bruising on legs and hair loss. John Gorman, Denny Sanders and Kid Leo organized the original campaign with Tunc Erim, assistant to Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegun. Joining the Chicago native are Cleveland area comedians Bill Squire and Mary Santora, and former intern-turned-phone-screener Cody (Poundcake) Brown. He also did a nightly oldies show there from 1988-2001. (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. The station serves as the FM flagship for both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Guardians radio networks. 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. 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. 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. I met great radio personalities like Chuck Knapp, Lou King Kirby, Chuck Dunaway, Big John Roberts and Billy Bass. After being diagnosed with obscure condition known as POTS, the WMMS radio personality is searching for answers and working to put her life back in order. 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. John Gorman and Denny Sanders left the station in fall of 1986, leading fourteen staff members with them to start rival station WNCX. "The station, like any radio station, it really reflects the people who are running it and the ownership of the station. 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. WMMS News anchor, Mike Olszewski paints a picture of the scene on that dreadful day. It was the first time Stone Temple Pilots performed in Cleveland in six years. Being one of the highest-rated radio stations in the country, he became the afternoon drive DJ in 1974, all the way until December of 1988 - which he then decided to part pays with Cleveland. Contestants got a little crazy and ate everything from maggot sandwiches, piles of peoples left overs, urinal cakes and fish guts. He would read some commercial copy and then "throw them in the bash bucket where they belong" and openly criticize music he didn't care for. 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. The second logo, first one in print, used by WMMS was the Tongue Logo. Named herself "The Screaming Queen Bitch." He is part of the permanent radio exhibit in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Cleveland) - One of our co-workers in the IHeartMedia Cleveland newsroom has passed away. 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. 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. In 2015, he founded oWOW, a thriving Cleveland-based internet radio. : 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? Other stations carried their birthday show. 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). [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. "Betty was one of the original . According to her LinkedIn page, she now works as a freelance voice actor and author. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Cleveland Police wearing riot gear were called in just as headliner Green Day took the stage. Candlebox headlined the 2 stage show at Blossom Music Center on May 18, 1996. [120] Geared as a format change to contemporary hit radio (CHR) using the "KISS FM" brand,[30][126] the decision was reversed at the last minute by management. 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. (Billy Bass is at far left in the photo, kickin' it with the WHK crew, circa 1968. (Plain Dealer file photo). Gorman has also written a book about his days at WMMS, "The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio." 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. 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. [41] WMMS also lured popular morning personalities Brian Fowler and Joe Cronauer away from rival WENZthen also an alternative rock stationas the successors to Jeff and Flash (Jeff Kinzbach, Ed Ferenc) on The Buzzard Morning Zoo. 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). Reporting news, weather, sports and bringing you daily local programming, each member of the ABC4 Utah team is dedicated to bringing balanced reporting, journalistic integrity, and honesty to Utah's news. 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. [33][34], Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, WMMS had a stable of personalities that remained fundamentally unchanged,[26][27] attained a dominant market share in the local ratings[27][35][36][37] and posted market record-high figures "never duplicated by any other Cleveland radio station since. On August 9, 1978, there was no hotter ticket in Cleveland. 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." [133] "Chris Tyler" Merluzzo, former program director for Providence's WHJY, took over for Bo Matthews as WMMS program director on February 17, 2014. In time, the station adopted new slogans reflecting the callsign: "We're your Modern Music Station" and "your Music Marathon Station. 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. The Week in Cox is a weekly podcast featuring the best segments from The Alan Cox Show. Rover regularly takes calls throughout the show, and often interviews guests in studio and over the phone. Rio created the Mr. Leonard character over several years at stations in Houston, New York and Philadelphia before his Cleveland debut. All we're doing is shifting an image. (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. In November 1972, WMMS was sold to Malrite Communications, a Michigan-based firm that relocated to Cleveland upon purchase. WMMS sponsored the concerts. [51] On July 31, 1947, W8XUB began broadcasting at 100.7MHz. [117] 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.[118]. WMMS was the first radio station to employ full-time promotion and marketing directors: Dan Garfinkel and his successor, Jim Marchyshyn. The debut issue of Buzzard Bone, arrived in September of 1995 and featured the brand new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the cover story, with an article tracing the history of the museum, which had its grand opening that same month. As a kid he was part of a sophisticated bootleg radio station in his neighborhooduntil the FCC shut it down. For the next three hours, spread across two sets, Springsteen did just that, telling stories and playing the best of his catalog, including a lengthy version of "Growin' Up," in which he told the tale of being sent to have a conversation with God about what he should do with his life, encountering Kid Leo along the way, who was "prayin' for more watts" for WMMS. [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. Syndicated radio show Rover's Morning Glory blends biting commentary, ridiculous antics and discussions that would get most people fired. Murray Saul joined the WMMS staff as a salesman. He made his debut on WMMS in 1984. 50 Of The Longest-Lasting Celebrity Relationships Jun 09, 2022. With content being supplied by journalists and WMMS personnel, it was the perfect companion to what WMMS was doing on air at the time with a focus on the new bands and artists of the alternative music era. The top 40 format also failed to make any major ratings impact. [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. Steve and Tom would always come up to the station and hang out with me. "Born to Run" was the essence of everything I loved about rock 'n' roll. The duo reigned over a zany -- and revolving -- supporting cast of characters on "Buzzard Morning Zoo" for 18 years from 1976-1994. The eight-year radio host . [51] Like most early FM stations, WHK-FM mostly simulcast the Top 40 programming of its AM sister station. 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." Those 50 years have seen a lot of change for the station. 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. 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. 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. 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. Cleveland's Rock Station, home of Rover's Morning Glory, The Alan Cox Show, and FM Home of Cleveland Guardians Baseball. She later worked in radio promotion and sales in Chicago and New York. [104] John Gorman was named Program Director of the Year (Rock) in 1995. Photo: Courtesy of John Gorman), One of the young DJs legendary WMMS program director John Gorman brought to the Buzzard when he took over again as WMMS chief in the early 1990s. Additionally, Rover was the Midwest replacement for Howard Stern under CBS's Free FM branding concept following Stern's move to Sirius Satellite Radio in 2006, originating from Chicago's WCKG. [51] In order to firmly establish a separate identity, and to reflect the station's ownership,[55] the WHK-FM callsign was changed to WMMS on September 28, 1968. (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. We all got to know Billy Bass pretty good. WMMS does not air additional network programming.