WMMS' '70s and '80s dominance

[johnbasalla]

In recounting WMMS long-lasting ratings dominance in the 1970s and 1980s, I recall that sometime during the first half of 1979 I was in a broadcast class that had, as a guest speaker, a local radio salesman who commented that it wasn't good that Cleveland had one station that so dominated the market because that station could control certain things. Even though his comment was, at its base, negative, in actuality he was, indirectly, paying WMMS - the management, programming and talent - a big complement because he was acknowledging their unique dominance in the Greater Cleveland market.

Moving through the 1980s, I had a chance to see Average Share Trend ratings from the mid 1980s and the thing that stood out was that WMMS was the only station with consistent double-digit shares in all dayparts, and in fact they usually were the only station with double-digit shares.

 

[Dave Sarnoff]

What a shame the station is such a joke now - virtually unlistenable.

 

[Whiplash]

WMMS during its peak, was truly awesome. I for one am getting John Gorman's WMMS book to read. I didn't know about the book until yesterday. Has anyone on here read it?

 

[johnbasalla]

It also occurs to me that if WMMS didn't have such dominance, or close to it, during the 1970s and 1980s, those now legendary call letters may not have survived the lean years and still be with us today.

 

[74WIXYGrad]

WMMS during its peak, was truly awesome. I for one am getting John Gorman's WMMS book to read. I didn't know about the book until yesterday. Has anyone on here read it?

I have read the book and it is very interesting. There are some who have posted on the message boards who dispute some of what Gorman has written, but the book catches the essence of the personality of Cleveland radio in the seventies and eighties.

 

[JNight]

Kid Leo, Jeff and Flash, BLF Bash, Len "Boom" Goldberg, Dia, Betty Korvan, Denny Sanders, Matt The Cat, Maria Farina, "The Weekend Never Ends", Coffee Break Concerts, "Gotta Get Down" with Murray Saul, "World Premier Records", "World Series of Rock", Awesome Concert Commercials-"A WMMS Buzzard Concert Event at Richfield Coliseum"...and turning the car radio on after work every Friday to see who Kid Leo had live in the studio-Heart, Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, etc. and of course the awesome "Buzzard Jingles" at the top of every hour---They had it all!!!

 

[almaniac27]

WMMS during its peak, was truly awesome. I for one am getting John Gorman's WMMS book to read. I didn't know about the book until yesterday. Has anyone on here read it?

I read it too, I found it very interesting. Obviously you have to know the point of view Gorman has, but it has lots of fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and insight.

 

[VODood]

"Serving the Universe", 100.7 WMMS. Used the same JAMS Turbo Z jingle and/or verbage (by Boom) that sister Malrite station Z100/NYC
used. http://www.mediafire.com/file/yy5g88pnyfje8q6/SERVING THE UNIVERSE_z100 jingle.mp3

Funny thing, to me anyway.... the jingle featured on an early 90s demo with John Wells as the "narrator" and Ernie Anderson, the voice of Z100. Wells, the longtime voice of WEBN (1984 to present) would become WMMS' voice 1998 until a few years ago.

Len Goldberg of course the first voice of Z100 before being replaced by Ernie Anderson. Ernie having Cleveland ties as "Ghoulardi".

Let's not forget the "Trilogy" kickoff at 6pm (not sure of the order) - Born to Run, Friday on My Mind (by EarthQuake) and Ian Hunter's Cleveland Rocks. When WMMS NexGen was on the air mid-90s Ian Hunter's version replaced by The President's of the U.S.A. (I believe the version also used in Drew Carey's show starting Season 3).

John's book is great. I have no doubt what he writes, with the aid of notes, memos, etc he saved, is true. The call letters were golden up until the late 90s. Even after "the stunt" the numbers, as a mainstream rock, were very good. The numbers started to slide when Tony Tilford left for WTUE and new PD Jim Trapp took over.

 

[ScottyBman]

WMMS during its peak, was truly awesome. I for one am getting John Gorman's WMMS book to read. I didn't know about the book until yesterday. Has anyone on here read it?

Just reserved the book from the library. BTW Chris, I admire your stations and attempt to build something here in the Mahoning Valley!

 

[spurg]

Gorman's book has many great stories and should not be missed by anyone with fond memories of the Buzzard.

Also worth seeking out is "Radio Daze" by Mike Olszewski (Kent State University Press, 2003), which relates the broader history of Cleveland FM from the late '60s to the WMMS format change scam, all of it largely from a Buzzard-centric perspective. By contrast, Gorman's book is a memoir that starts (as far as Cleveland is concerned) with his arrival at WMMS and ends with his departure the first time, in 1986. No WNCX, "Untamed" WRQK, WMJI or "Next Generation" WMMS.

100.7 today is, of course, wretched and pathetic. A succession of owners and managers didn't know what to do with it, and consequently it has become a niche product rather than a market leader.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Thank you, Chuck!

I had the Z100 "Serving The Universe" jingle as my old computer's startup sound once, and lost it.

 

[VODood]

Would love to see WMMS NexGen added to a 2nd addition book or something. Also I think WMJI needs a book. The calls go back 30 or so years .. but I think as an oldies (classic hits) station is where the book needs to start. Maybe include it's M105 heritage and it's AC stint in the 80s. But oldies....that's the true success of the station. WMJI now over 20 years in the format. Dominant in Cleveland, and Akron, since 1998. Five Marconi's, R&R Large Market winner (98), etc etc. #1 12 plus in the 90s more times than any other station. It goes on. The talent on the roster as impressive as any at WMMS. Oh... "Knuckleheads In The News"... celebrates 25 yrs in 2012 (how appropo!)

 

[HHH]

Would love to see WMMS NexGen added to a 2nd addition book or something. Also I think WMJI needs a book. The calls go back 30 or so years .. but I think as an oldies (classic hits) station is where the book needs to start. Maybe include it's M105 heritage and it's AC stint in the 80s. But oldies....that's the true success of the station. WMJI now over 20 years in the format. Dominant in Cleveland, and Akron, since 1998. Five Marconi's, R&R Large Market winner (98), etc etc. #1 12 plus in the 90s more times than any other station. It goes on. The talent on the roster as impressive as any at WMMS. Oh... "Knuckleheads In The News"... celebrates 25 yrs in 2012 (how appropo!)

Yes, and remember that some of the people responsible for WMJI in the 90s were some of the same people responsible for WMMS in their heyday.

Oh yeah, it was Z-100 that copied the "Serving The Universe" line from WMMS, who used it back in the 70s before Z-100 even existed.

By the way, where is that Capulet person who suggested in a series of recent posts that WMMS never had consistent, double digit ratings across all time periods in those days?

 

[HHH]

Would love to see WMMS NexGen added to a 2nd addition book or something. Also I think WMJI needs a book. The calls go back 30 or so years .. but I think as an oldies (classic hits) station is where the book needs to start. Maybe include it's M105 heritage and it's AC stint in the 80s. But oldies....that's the true success of the station. WMJI now over 20 years in the format. Dominant in Cleveland, and Akron, since 1998. Five Marconi's, R&R Large Market winner (98), etc etc. #1 12 plus in the 90s more times than any other station. It goes on. The talent on the roster as impressive as any at WMMS. Oh... "Knuckleheads In The News"... celebrates 25 yrs in 2012 (how appropo!)

Yes, and remember that some of the people responsible for WMJI in the 90s were some of the same people responsible for WMMS in their heyday.

Oh yeah, it was Z-100 that copied the "Serving The Universe" line from WMMS, who used it back in the 70s before Z-100 even existed.

By the way, where is that Capulet person who suggested in a series of recent posts that WMMS never had consistent, double digit ratings across all time periods in those days?

Looks like Capulet has capitulated about his disbelief of WMMS's dominant ratings back in the early/mid 1980s.

They wrote: "Make all the ratings claim you want about double digits in all the dayparts for 5 years. You can't publish them here. Absolutely no way to substantiate any of that. More bamboozle. (Gee Gomer...G98 had double digit ratings in all their dayparts for 10 years! Stupid argument. Show me the ratimgs! Guess what ? You can't.)"

Gotta love these people who fold like a card table when evidence is viewed and presented.

 

[Capulet]

Forum readers. FYI, I replied to the HHH post of 4-15. That post was removed from the forum. I was not informed as to the why. The post disappeared.

I will honor the wishes of the moderators here to skip that train of thought. I wish to
co-operate. If my comment violated the rules, I assume that what I wrote was deleted for that reason. Out of my hands.

As far as I know, Arbitron only allows clients to quote estimates on dayparts and demos. To the best of my knowledge that information cannot be posted here. Even if it is from the Kennedy adminstration. ( <<< joke ;D ) Only 6+ raw shares are allowed to published. ( I might be wrong. ) Continuation of an online discussion about facts that cannot be quoted and referenced on this forum makes no sense to me.

I like the forum. I have no desire to debate ratings from 40 years ago. I have better things to do than waste anymore time on this thread.

Thanks!

 

[HHH]

Forum readers. Continuation of an online discussion about facts that cannot be quoted and referenced on this forum makes no sense to me.

John Basalla began this thread by saying that he saw the ratings from back then. Read the first post in this thread. Are you calling him a liar? Answer the question.

Maybe I am like a dog with a bone over this, because I am sick and tired of people who think they can change history with a few keystrokes and wiseguy remarks.

 

[X-Nooz]

Forum readers. Continuation of an online discussion about facts that cannot be quoted and referenced on this forum makes no sense to me.

John Basalla began this thread by saying that he saw the ratings from back then. Read the first post in this thread. Are you calling him a liar? Answer the question.

Maybe I am like a dog with a bone over this, because I am sick and tired of people who think they can change history with a few keystrokes and wiseguy remarks.

Or it's 'roid rage from the WWE days.

 

[ScottyBman]

Just got my copy of the book last night and stayed up way too late reading.

I am from Pittsburgh, did know of WMMS, but didn't have the capability of listening.

So far, totally loving the book!

Kudos!

 

[ScottyBman]

WMMS during its peak, was truly awesome. I for one am getting John Gorman's WMMS book to read. I didn't know about the book until yesterday. Has anyone on here read it?

Finished his book last night! Very interesting, even though I did not grow up in Cleveland or could hear the station. I have been watching videos of the station on You Tube as I have a new "obsession".

 

[nightfly61]

"Serving 40 counties...three states...two countries...and YOU...W-M-M-S...CLEVELAND". That came first before "Serving the Universe".

WMMS during its peak, was truly awesome. I for one am getting John Gorman's WMMS book to read. I didn't know about the book until yesterday. Has anyone on here read it?

Book is great. I wish there would have been more pics though.
I can't remember if Mr. Leonard came first on 'MMS & who did the voive of him. Was it the same Mr. Leonard Scott Shannon used on the "Rockin' America Top 30 Countdown" ("From the nuthut studios at the top of the Empire State Building. That countdown ran on WMMS early Sunday mornings. It started at like 4am.