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Bernie Kimble Leaving WNWV

G

Gregg

According to "Radio and Records" Bernie Kimble has left WNWV, Cleveland's Smooth Jazz station, as P.D. after 16 1/2 years.

It doesn't sound like this was due to another job he's taking, since R&R lists his home and cell numbers.

With the number of Smooth Jazz stations around the U.S. that have recently left the format, is this a case of getting rid of the P.D. before management gets rid of the format? NYC, D.C., Baltimore and Portland have recently lost Smooth Jazz stations (and in Denver, they lost it for a month, although another station has now picked up Smooth Jazz). But the format is still doing very well in L.A., San Diego, Phoenix, S.F., Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Tampa, etc.




Gregg
[email protected]
 
Maybe all those Z-Rock petitions finally paid off ;D
 
I hope this doesn't indicate a pending format flip at WNWV. But, let's face facts. Smooth jazz is on the decline. Personally, I've always enjoyed The Wave. Especially since they added a webcast so I could hear them here in upstate NY. I had hoped that being a locally owned standalone station, maybe they would be immune from the various formatic trends of commercial radio. But, I guess even indie broadcasters have to make money. So maybe this is the beginning of the end for The Wave. Time will tell I suppose.

Jake
Geneva, NY
 
Wonder if he'll return to his classic rock radio roots? He cut his large market teeth at AOR format WCMF in Rochester--a format which is the ancestor of today's classic rock stations (a format which, if anything, is in a growth mode these days). Sorry to hear he's on the beach. But he carries a rep as a class act, so he's sure to land on his feet somewhere soon.
 
Bernie also has an oldies background - he was the PD for the old WHK/1420 during it's "14K" era... essentially the precursor to the 90's-era WMJI. He jumped the Good Ship Malrite in 1986 along with John Gorman, Denny Sanders, Spaceman Scott, etc. to start up WNCX. Six months later, he was on the beach... and turned to teaching.

PERSONAL DISCLAIMER: I guess it can be said now (hell, I'm not a certain advertiser/newscaster from the Columbus board :)) ) but Bernie started to teach telecommunications class again at LCCC. He also was just tabbed to be the faculty advisor for their internet college radio station "LCCCRadio.com - The Duck" of which I also serve as the webmaster for... in addition to being one of their personalities.

I doubt his departure means the end of The Wave. Their niche in the market, coupled with Elyria-Lorain's conservative operations, probably will mean that the smooth jazz format will remain. The stations in DC (ABC-Citadel), Baltimore (CC) and NY (Emmis) were done in pretty much by corporate moves. (DC's was a pathetic death, as it was part of Farid Sulehiem's nationwide cost-cutting bloodbath that saw it flipped to Imus/True Oldies.)

But if they were going to change... AAA would be the reasonable fit. When done like WBWC or CIDR/Windsor, it's a no-frills format that is similar to smooth jazz. ( Except for the lack of elevator music. ;) ) Plus, they already have WLKR-F in Norwalk holding the format... programmed by Elyria-Lorain's second-in-command, Tim "Kelly" Parkinson.

Otherwise... no other format (aside from N/T, and they WILL not cannibalize WEOL for that) will fulfill as nice of a niche in the Cleveland market. Especially with 107.3's powerful signal...

-nate81 aka Myron-
 
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