WMMS

For the Bath, Maine, radio station which identified as WMMS from 1957 to 1964, see WJTO.

WMMS
Broadcast area
Frequency100.7 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatActive rock and hot talk
Subchannels
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
  • March 30, 1946
    (78 years ago)     (1946-03-30)
  • September 28, 1968 (1968-09-28)
  • (as WMMS)
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
Facility ID73273
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
Translator(s)HD2: 101.1 W266CJ (Beachwood)
HD3: 99.1 W256BT (Cleveland)
Links
Public license information
Webcast
Website

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 "The Buzzard". 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 W266CJ (101.1 FM), is the Cleveland affiliate for iHeart's all-news oriented Black Information Network. WMMS-HD3, which relays its signal over low-power FM translator W256BT (99.1 FM), broadcasts a classic hip hop format as "Throwback 99.1".

  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). "A Station's Name Built Enduringly on Rock". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C3. Even industry officials say WMMS... is a model for other rock stations...
  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). "Cleveland Is on a (Rock 'N') Roll". Los Angeles Times. p. 64. Welcome to Cleveland, new home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and home of WMMS-FM, a bona fide hall of fame radio station.
  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. ^ a b c d e "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.
  28. ^ a b c d "WMMS". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. May 13, 1998. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  29. ^ Stricharchuk, Gregory (March 2, 1988). "Repeat After Me: I Like WMMS, I Like WMMS, I Like WMMS...". The Wall Street Journal. p. 31.
  30. ^ Hinckley, David (March 21, 1995). "Stern Punishment In Store?". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on January 13, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2013. WMMS, long known for its aggressive approach to promotion and competition...
  31. ^ Brown, Roger (November 2, 1998). "Stunt Puts Even More Pressure on WMMS". The Plain Dealer. p. 1E - Entertainment.
  32. ^ Norman, Michael (November 24, 2007). "Chapter 7 - Hatching the Buzzard". Cleveland.com: Plain Dealer Extra. Cleveland Live, Inc. Archived from the original on July 5, 2009. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  33. ^ Gorman, John (November 2, 2009). "Radio & Records 1981 on the WMMS Buzzard and Other Station Mascots". BuzzardBook.WordPress.com. John Gorman/Gray & Co. via WordPress.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  34. ^ Heaton, Michael (September 15, 2007). "The Buzzard Takes a Break as WMMS Branches Out". The Plain Dealer. p. E1 - Arts & Life.
  35. ^ Vickers, Jim (June 2008). "'Glory' Days". ClevelandMagazine.com. Great Lakes Publishing. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  36. ^ Brown, Roger (October 31, 1998). "Buzzard to Keep Circling Airwaves". The Plain Dealer. p. 1B - Metro.
  37. ^ a b Pantsios, Anastasia (January 28, 2004). "The Glory Daze of Cleveland Radio". Cleveland Free Times. Kildysart LLC.
  38. ^ 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. ^ Wagner, Vit (May 11, 2002). "What a Rush". Toronto Star. p. J1 - Arts.
  40. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Kid Leo - Sirius was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  41. ^ Adams 2002, p. 332.
  42. ^ Lewis, Frank (June 23, 2009). "R.I.P. Brian Chalmers, Rock 'N' Roll Artist". Cleveland Scene official website: Scene & Heard Archives. Cleveland Scene. Archived from the original on July 3, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
  43. ^ Freedman, Samuel G. (February 15, 1987). "Film; Paul Schrader Plumbs Grassroots Rock". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
  44. ^ Gorman, John (April 15, 2009). "How the Rock Hall Was Won". BuzzardBook.WordPress.com. John Gorman/Gray & Co. via WordPress.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
  45. ^ Olszewski 2003, p. 315.
  46. ^ Gorman & Feran 2007, p. 278.
  47. ^ Dyer, Bob (February 26, 1988). "WMMS wins poll by voting for self". Akron Beacon Journal. Beacon Journal Publishing Co. p. D11.
  48. ^ Santiago, Roberto (October 6, 1994). "Stability at WMMS Hangs by a Wire". The Plain Dealer. p. 12E - Arts & Living.
  49. ^ Venta, Lance (March 22, 2021). "iHeartMedia Cleveland To Move To New Facility As Company Begins Cloud Based Tech Rollout". RadioInsight. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  50. ^ Bullard, Stan (July 21, 2022). "Downtown TV station group may move to the suburbs". Crain's Cleveland Business. Cleveland, Ohio. Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.


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