Since WCRB and WKLB in Boston just changed frequencies last Friday, I found out that the same thing happened in Cleveland a few years ago. Only this time, it was a CHR/Pop station switching to classical. That must have been WIERD! But does anyone here remember exactly what happened when the 104.9 frequency became WCLV from WAKS? Did they do a countdown, or did it all happen at once? I'm curious about what the last Top 40 song was, and what the first classical piece was on 104.9. I would also like to know the last classical piece on, I think it was 95.5, and the first CHR/Pop song on 96.5, where Kiss is now. Does anyone remember?
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WAKS/WCLV switch
- Thread starter ssetta
- Start date
J
Johnny Morgan
Guest
WCLV did a historical tribute to its history, airing a number of concert shorts, old promos (including one talking about the antenna and studio move from Terminal Tower to the Warrensville site in 1986), liners, community service, elements.
Then, the announcement of the new frequency, the sign-off, then the carrier dropped for about 5 seconds, then it was a Salem sign-on promo on 95.5.
At 104.9, WCLV signed-on, then I *think* Bob Conrad came back on and did a short thing.
If I also remember correctly, there was one of the 6 stations that was behind the others and the carrier drop was for nearly a minute (maybe 96.5?) It happens, especially when have so many STL links and ngineers and whatnot trying to make sure everything goes off smoothly...and computers say "hey, F U buddy!"
Then, the announcement of the new frequency, the sign-off, then the carrier dropped for about 5 seconds, then it was a Salem sign-on promo on 95.5.
At 104.9, WCLV signed-on, then I *think* Bob Conrad came back on and did a short thing.
If I also remember correctly, there was one of the 6 stations that was behind the others and the carrier drop was for nearly a minute (maybe 96.5?) It happens, especially when have so many STL links and ngineers and whatnot trying to make sure everything goes off smoothly...and computers say "hey, F U buddy!"
WAKS was voice-tracked at that time with "Smash" (who orginated from WKFS in Cincy then). Their final song was Nelly's "Ride wit Me," dead air, then a cropped version of N'Sync's "Bye, Bye, Bye..." which was supposed to fade out before CC turned off the old 104.9 tx at 12:01 a.m. which was on the WDLW-AM tower in Sheffield Township. (Note that WCLV signed on by basically launching from the current transmitter on Nagle Road in Avon.) But WAKS was 30 seconds too late, and the song was cut off.
Meanwhile, WKDD signed off by playing "A Change" by Sheryl Crow before they moved to 98.1, taking over the WHK-FM tx. WAKS' carrier was picked up on the 96.5 tx with the audio trail of "Bye, Bye, Bye" still playing for another 10 seconds before fading into the obligatory dead air.
- Nathan Obral
Meanwhile, WKDD signed off by playing "A Change" by Sheryl Crow before they moved to 98.1, taking over the WHK-FM tx. WAKS' carrier was picked up on the 96.5 tx with the audio trail of "Bye, Bye, Bye" still playing for another 10 seconds before fading into the obligatory dead air.
- Nathan Obral
Nathan my friend - you know your sh#t. ;D Well done!
Bye Bye Bye sounds like the perfect song to end a CHR/Top 40 format with (at least back in 2001, right when the switch happened, and that song first came out). And incidently, the last real song played on 99.5 WKLB was "Leave the Pieces" by The Wreckers. I think a very appropriate song to start a CHR/Pop format (for the time) would be "Get the Party Started" by Pink. And it would be very interesting if the first piece played on WCLV 104.9 was also the "Hallelujah Chorus." Does anyone remember this part? I also wonder if there are, or ever were, audio files of each station flip back in the day. Then we would actually get to hear it.
96.5 WKDD ended with "We're Movin' On Up", The Jeffersons theme song, with Keith Kennedy (who was not yet PD) reading names of former staff and memories of 96.5 for a few minutes with Angela (who was the night jock at the time). Then "A Change Would Do You Good" by Sheryl Crow. Song faded and transmitter shut off, right on schedule, timed perfectly.
As Nathan pointed out, Bye Bye Bye was still playing when the new 96.5 stick in Brecksville was fired up. Gave way to a good :15 second of dead-air, followed by a nice 2 minute launch package.
And how can we forget...the station went silent for about :02 seconds during that time...RIGHT as they said the name of the station for the first time (which went from "Kiss 1049" to "965 Kiss-FM").
First song on 96.5 was "All For You" by Janet Jackson, followed by some Ja Rule song (Where Would I Be Without You or something)
Over on 98.1, the news on WHK-FM simply cut to dead-air at the top of the hour. This went for at least a minute, maybe two minutes. I was told that they could not pick-up the 98.1 air signal inside W. Market Street very well and didn't know they were on the air (of course WKDD didn't move to their current transmitter location until September 2001)!
Following PD Chuck Collins' 1/2 second "WAKS Canton/Akron" legal ID, a sweeper went into "My Town" by Michael Stanley Band, followed by MORE dead-air, then "Larger Than Life" by Backstreet Boys and "Where Do You Go?" by No Mercy.
As Nathan pointed out, Bye Bye Bye was still playing when the new 96.5 stick in Brecksville was fired up. Gave way to a good :15 second of dead-air, followed by a nice 2 minute launch package.
And how can we forget...the station went silent for about :02 seconds during that time...RIGHT as they said the name of the station for the first time (which went from "Kiss 1049" to "965 Kiss-FM").
First song on 96.5 was "All For You" by Janet Jackson, followed by some Ja Rule song (Where Would I Be Without You or something)
Over on 98.1, the news on WHK-FM simply cut to dead-air at the top of the hour. This went for at least a minute, maybe two minutes. I was told that they could not pick-up the 98.1 air signal inside W. Market Street very well and didn't know they were on the air (of course WKDD didn't move to their current transmitter location until September 2001)!
Following PD Chuck Collins' 1/2 second "WAKS Canton/Akron" legal ID, a sweeper went into "My Town" by Michael Stanley Band, followed by MORE dead-air, then "Larger Than Life" by Backstreet Boys and "Where Do You Go?" by No Mercy.
Actually, WCLV's "new" transmitter location (Avon) is not that bad for a 6,000 watt / 350 foot class "A" station.
They seem to get east to 1-271 pretty well before any major deterioration. Up where I live in Lake County, I can get them pretty well along the shore, since it is a (mostly) water shot from Avon. But once you get into Mentor or so, WKKY on 104.7 bleeds over them.
WCLV also went pretty well toward Akron on 1-77 (I heard it in places in the city of Akron) and WCLV goes amazingly well (for a 6KW) down 1-71. I got it almost to Mansfield. West is good until Toldeo (another 104.7) bleeds over them.
I think they got a good spot over in Avon because it picks up some water shots to the downtown area and portions of the east side, and seems to do pretty well in general for a lower power, Class "A".
They seem to get east to 1-271 pretty well before any major deterioration. Up where I live in Lake County, I can get them pretty well along the shore, since it is a (mostly) water shot from Avon. But once you get into Mentor or so, WKKY on 104.7 bleeds over them.
WCLV also went pretty well toward Akron on 1-77 (I heard it in places in the city of Akron) and WCLV goes amazingly well (for a 6KW) down 1-71. I got it almost to Mansfield. West is good until Toldeo (another 104.7) bleeds over them.
I think they got a good spot over in Avon because it picks up some water shots to the downtown area and portions of the east side, and seems to do pretty well in general for a lower power, Class "A".
S
shuckzyo
Guest
I believe Rob Mackenzie of WKDD has tape of this somewhere. I did, at one time, (after he emailed it to me), but I lost it.
The first song on 96-5 KISSFM, btw, was "Between Me and You" by Ja Rule. The Janet Jackson clip was a part of the sign-on piece.
The first song on 96-5 KISSFM, btw, was "Between Me and You" by Ja Rule. The Janet Jackson clip was a part of the sign-on piece.
HHH said:
I was coming up I71 this past Weekend towards Cleveland, and heard 104.9 bleed into WCVO(104.9 The River) as it faded out near Mansfield.
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