(Plain Dealer file photo). In Cleveland, the development of radio went through 3 distinct phases: an initial, largely experimental period which gradually became commercialized; a second when radio flourished as a commercial medium; and the third following WORLD WAR II, when radio strove to cope with television and increasing competition within its own industry.. Cleveland's first radio station was WHK, which … Lovely Hollace Shaw is the soprano star of Colum- bia Network's "Saturday Night Serenade," which started its 1 1 th year on WGAR -CBS on Saturday, October 12, with the unique record of 250 con- secutive broadcasts since So frequent, in fact, that he eventually ended up hosting his own show. He could have been a much higher paid broadcaster, but he wouldn't pander to the public taste. During his time at WMMS, Bass coined the phrase, "Cleveland: The Rock 'n' Roll Capital of the World." He died in 1998. (Plain Dealer file photo), "Spaceman Scott" - Scott Hughes, better known as Spaceman Scott, was a member of WMMS-FM/100.7's top-rated "Buzzard Morning Zoo" in the 1980s, along with Jeff Kinzbach, Ed "Flash" Ferenc, and others. (Photo: Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer), A DJ at WMMS-FM/100.7 in the 1980s, Stein went on to work in programming at Westwood One and Launch Radio Networks. (Plain Dealer file photo), An old-school radio newsman who began working in the 1950s, Danaceau was best known as the longtime news director at WCLV-FM. 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. Score died in 2008 at age 75 after a lengthy illness. Big Wilson, who stood 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighed more than 300 pounds, worked at KYW-TV and radio in Cleveland in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 2014, Rover pleaded guilty to four misdemeanors in relation to the illegal use of fireworks and a confrontation with an off-duty police officer at the Whiskey Island marina in downtown Cleveland. Today, he's out of radio and has been the owner of The Dean Rufus House Of Fun retail boutique on West 29th Street in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood for the past 12 years. (Billy Bass is at far left in the photo, kickin' it with the WHK crew, circa 1968. Sanders also booked the acts for WMMS' fame "Coffeebreak Concerts." Add tags To link to this object, paste this link in email, IM or document To embed this object, paste this HTML in website. WHK later became WMMS (Plain Dealer file photo), A 40-year veteran of Cleveland radio, the silky-voiced Perry is best-known for her 20-year run as host public radio station WCPN-FM/90.3's "Around Noon" and "Sound of Applause" arts-and-culture interview shows. shows by year. “WGAR was not my first venture into country radio. (Photo by Chuck Crow,The Plain Dealer), Goldberg started at WMMS-FM/100.7 in 1972 and remained there until 2004, longer than any other personality employed there during the Buzzard's heyday. Radio Personality CBS Radio. (Plain Dealer file photo), Longtime DJ, rock historian and ultimate Cleveland booster Norm N. Nite got his start more than four decades ago as host of the "Nite Train" show on the old WHK and WGAR-AM. Also pictured: Jack Armstrong, Jim LaBarbara, Billy Bass and Chuck Knapp. WGAD. Wayne D. 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. He and Finan were called to testify at the 1960 congressional payola hearings. Lanigan retired in 2014, but Malone is still on WMJI as co-host of the "Nolan, Malone and Kullik" morning show, featuring Mark Nolan, Chip Kullik and Tracey Carroll. He then worked in syndicated radio, first with a show called "All Night With Danny Wright" and then with "The Live Ride With Danny Wright." He left WGAR in 1984 for a radio job in Tampa, Fla., but returned in 1985 to work at WMJI-FM/105.7, co-hosting "The Lanigan and Webster Show" with newsman and sidekick John Webster. Volume 60%. His confrontational style – with fans and sports figures alike – made him controversial, but he was a consummate showman and listeners flocked to his program. She also worked in TV production in LA, including at "Entertainment Tonight," and as a freelance producer, editor and writer for an audio book abridger. He kept that gig until 2014. He died in 1993 at the age of 70. since the early 1990s. Historical Holiday Music Mystery-Horror News Personality Quiz Rare. Listen to the best live radio stations in Cleveland, OH. From 1989 to 1997, he was a DJ at WNCX-FM/98.5, first with a weekend show, "The British Invasion," then later with a morning-drive program, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen." He also did play-by-play for the Cleveland Indians on radio from 1973-79 and on TV from 1980-87. He helped introduce Elvis Presley to the country, giving him a major push on WERE and hosting The King's first concerts north of the Mason-Dixon Line at Brooklyn High School and St. Michael's Hall in Cleveland. He worked at the station until 1976. (He started at the station when it was on the FM dial and also worked at sister station WMJI-FM/105.7.) He was so popular that the station renamed the program, "The Mike Trivisonno Show" in 1998. He left in the late '80s to become program director for WRQK-FM/106.9 in Canton. He was featured in several early rock 'n' roll movies and put together concerts that toured the nation. Shanley left Cleveland in early 1985 to take a sportscasting job in Los Angeles, but he returned in three years and resumed his career, this time at WUAB-TV/Channel 43. (Plain Dealer file photo), An original member of the British rock group Humble Pie, Shirley moved to Cleveland in the late 1980s to be near his girlfriend. Hired in 1966, he was known for his rapid-fire style, delivered in Southern drawl. (Plain Dealer file photo), Chizek was among the most opinionated (and durable) radio personalities in local history. 64 on the Billboard's Hot 100 in June 1980. WGAR shot to No. Did we miss anyone important or one of your favorites? McLean left WERE after a format change in 1961, heading to New York where he had an overnight show for many years. He was a smooth-talking, friendly voice and a good interviewer. (Plain Dealer file photo). Also listen: 99.5 THE BREEZE, WGAR-FM HD2. More Information. Sign In. Program Director/afternoon host Carletta Blake will move to mornings joining Steve Wazz for the rebranded “ Wazz & Carletta Mornings ” as LeeAnn Sommers will shift to the 3-7pm afternoon slot. (Plain Dealer file photo), Widely regarded as the dean of Cleveland radio, Conrad was co-founder of Cleveland's classical music station, WCLV-FM, which started out at 95.5 on the FM dial in 1962. (Plain Dealer file photo), A veteran radio newsman, McIntyre got his start locally in the 1980s with WERE-AM/1300. and WGAR. Shirley later admitted that he had hired exotic dancers to entertain him during the event and had passed out in a trailer after taking prescription drugs. During the 1990s, he applied the same, take-no-prisoners promotion, programming and marketing strategy as operations manager of WMJI-FM/105.7, pushing the oldies station to the top of the radio ratings. He moved to Miami in 1975 and worked as a disk jockey on radio station WIOD and as a late-night movie host for WCIX-TV. Host of "Rover's Morning Glory", a syndicated morning talk show that started at WXTM-FM/92.3 in 2003. Once in the 18 years of his radio 11:00 PM - 12:00 AM. He worked at WAKR-AM/1590 from 1961-67 and at WCOL in Columbus from 1967-77. He still holds the honor of being the last broadcaster to call the most recent Browns world championship, having been at the mic for the team's 27-0 victory over Baltimore in the 1964 NFL title game. Berea native Scott Howitt started his radio career in 1970, working at WLYT-FM/92.3 in Cleveland, WKDD-FM/96.5 in Akron, and stations in three other states before making his real name during a long run as the popular afternoon-drive host on WMJI-FM/105.7 from 1991-2001. One of the fast-talking "Supermen" of WIXY-AM/1260. (Plain Dealer file photo), Reese was blessed with a warm baritone and a genial nature that served him well during more than 50 years on Cleveland radio. (Shirley, right, is pictured in the photo above with rocker John Mellencamp.) After leaving WMJI, she worked on-air at WELW-AM, a low-power station based in Willoughby then playing oldies. This is a partial list of war correspondents who reported from North Africa or Italy in 1942-43, during World War II. Named herself "The Screaming Queen Bitch." Hopkins got caught up in the payola scandals of the late 1950s and early 1960s, along with many other DJs in Cleveland, including fellow KYW personality Joe Finan. Hughes returned briefly to WMMS in the 1990s for short stints on a new "Morning Zoo" and as an overnight DJ. He took a leave of absence in December 2016 for prostate cancer, and resumed his duties the first week of January. By the time he left in 1973, for health reasons, it had changed call letters again to WWWE. WCLV moved to 104.9 on the FM spectrum in the early 2000s. WGAR-FM (99.5 FM) – branded 99.5 WGAR – is a commercial country music radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. WGAR radio personalities. Jump to navigation Jump to search. By 1947, he had moved to WJMO and was nicknamed the Sinatra of the city's DJs. (Scott is far right in the photo above, in the WMMS studio with Ed Kinzbach, Ed "Flash" Ferenc and Kenny Clean.) Entrepreneur and founder of Marty Conn Entertainment, he hosted a radio celebrity interview show – along with his wife, Norma - on WERE-AM/1490, and later WRMR-AM/850. 00:00. Barrett also worked in TV, leading the band on WEWS Channel 5's "One O'Clock Club" with Dorothy Fuldheim and working as a weatherman on old KYW Channel 3. He now works as Senior Marketing and Sales Strategist for Telos Alliance, a local technology firm that designs and manufactures audio equipment. 555 J’aime. He was also a member of "The Buzzard Morning Zoo" in the mid-1980s. "He was a brilliant performer," Randle told The Plain Dealer in 1993. He got fired from CBS from that gig in 2007 after making racist and insulting remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team. Her annual Kym Sellers Foundation Multiple Sclerosis Benefit remains a major event on Cleveland’s social calendar. The practice wasn't illegal at the time, but he left Cleveland amid the scandal and ended up in Denver, where he worked in talk radio. In 2011, released his memoir, which he co-authored with Plain Dealer sports writer Terry Pluto, titled "Joe Tait: It's Been a Real Ball." He is a member of the Ohio Radio/Television Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and currently hosts a country music show on WNKR-FM/106.7 in Kentucky. Owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., the station serves as the Cleveland affiliate for The Bobby Bones Show . He's done play-by-play and sports talk at myriad local radio stations since: WWWE/-AM/1100 (now WTAM), WERE-AM/1490, WHK-AM/1420 and more. (Plain Dealer file photo). He started his radio career at WAKR in Akron in 1945, playing jazz, pop and early rhythm and blues. By Morgan Huelsman Sep 17, 2020. (Plain Dealer file photo), John Webster worked from 1984-1997 with John Lanigan and Jimmy Malone at WMJI FM/105.7, as part newsman, part comic sidekick on the perennially top-rated "Lanigan and Webster" show. A stand-up comedian, Malone partnered with John Lanigan and John Webster for the weekly "Knuckleheads in the News" segment on Magic 105.7 WMJI. 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." He currently hosts "Mantel in the Morning" on country station WRNS-FM/95.1 in Kinston, North Carolina. He stayed at the station until 1996. (Halper is at center in the photo above, with members of Rush and WMMS staffers. She left Cleveland to take a radio job in Florida. Comment. 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. He helped launch progressive-rock radio as a DJ and programmer at both WMMS-FM/100.7 and WNCR-FM/99.5. Medium. Radio Personalities To learn more about Axis Sally, Tokyo Rose, and other radio personalities click the link to the left! She moved to WJMO in 1952. Sports. (Plain Dealer file photo), A popular DJ for urban-contemporary stations FM-108 WDMT and WZAK-FM 93.1 in the 1980s and '90s. She now lives in Santa Monica, Calif. (Stile is pictured here, sitting next to Bruce Springsteen during his 1976 visit to the WMMS studios. The show is known for its outrageous stunts and banter. That kind of longevity is almost unheard of in today's radio business. (Photo by Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com), One of the most distinctive voices in Cleveland radio history, McLean combined a smooth baritone, mastery of language and a deep knowledge of music to become one of the top DJs in the country during the 1950s. He now does the morning show on WONE-FM/97.5 in Akron. (Plain Dealer file photo), Best known for her long run at WMJI-FM/105.7 in the 1990s, Miceli is laid-back and old-school with a deep love – and knowledge – of popular music. His real name was Jerry Liebman, and he made a name for himself as one half of the "Martin and Howard Show" on KYW in Cleveland during the mid-1950s and early '60s before moving to Detroit. 1940s 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940. A pioneering African-American DJ, Eddie O'Jay worked in Cleveland for WABQ-AM/1460 in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The show was a big hit and stayed atop the ratings for years. 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. RELAXING FAVORITES, Luke Bryan's Family Kicks Off Annual '12 Days Of Pranksmas'. He died in 2004 at the age of 81. The duo reigned over a zany – and revolving – supporting cast of characters on "Buzzard Morning Zoo" for 18 years from 1976-1994. Myers, a trained actor, had a wild and theatrical on-air style, full of rhymes and shouts that bordered on manic poetry. RELAXING FAVORITES (Plain Dealer file photo), Program director and afternoon-drive personality at WIXY-AM/1260 during its late 1960s heyday as one of the most popular Top 40 radio stations in the country. Photo by Blackstone Studios JOHN F. PATT VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER At only rare intervals have you heard John F. Patt over the radio.Yet he's an important cog in Cleveland broadcast- ing. The R and B records he played were a hit with black and white listeners alike, and Freed dubbed himself "The King of the Moondoggers." Was WGAR your first venture into country radio? And author superstar Luther Vandross does the morning show WHK crew, circa.... 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