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Wikipedia

WNCX

August 18, 2023

WNCX (98.5 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, featuring a classic rock format known as "98.5 WNCX". Owned by Audacy, Inc., WNCX serves Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio as a co-flagship station for the Cleveland Browns Radio Network and the Cleveland affiliate for Little Steven's Underground Garage.

WNCX
Broadcast area
Frequency98.5 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding98.5 WNCX
Programming
FormatClassic rock
SubchannelsHD2: Sports gambling "The Bet"
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
October 23, 1948
(74 years ago) (1948-10-23)
Former call signs
  • WERE-FM (1948–1970)
  • WGCL (1970–1986)[1]
Call sign meaning
"North Coast Express", unused slogan
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID41390
ClassB
ERP16,000 watts
HAAT293 meters (961 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
41°20′28.00″N 81°44′24.00″W / 41.3411111°N 81.7400000°W / 41.3411111; -81.7400000
Links
Public license information
  • Public file
  • LMS
WebcastListen live (via Audacy)
Listen live (via Audacy) (HD2)
Websitewww.audacy.com/wncx

The WNCX studios are located at the Halle Building in Downtown Cleveland, while the station transmitter resides in the Cleveland suburb of North Royalton. Besides a standard analog transmission, WNCX broadcasts over two HD Radio channels,[2] and is available online via Audacy.

History

Early years

 
1948 print ad for WERE-FM

The station first went on the air in 1948 as WERE-FM and was the FM outlet for WERE (1300 AM), where it primarily simulcast the programming of its more popular AM sister station over the next 24 years. Founded by former Cleveland mayor Ray T. Miller's Cleveland Broadcasting Incorporated, WERE-FM actually signed on one year prior to its AM counterpart.

During the 1950s, WERE, and by extension, WERE-FM, was the first popular Top 40 station in the market, spearheaded by now-legendary personalities like Bill Randle, "Captain" Carl Reese, Phil McLean, Ronnie Barrett, Howie Lund and Bob Forster. Randle was the most influential of the group, as he was the first major-market disk jockey in the Northeast United States to play Elvis Presley and bolstered the careers of a number of up-and-coming musicians, including The Four Lads, Bobby Darin and Fats Domino.[citation needed] Future NBC announcer and voice-over artist Danny Dark also was a host on WERE in the early 1960s.

After Ray T. Miller's death in 1966,[3] Cleveland Broadcasting Incorporated was acquired by Atlantic States Industries (ASI) for a combined $9 million in May 1968.[4] Due to ASI already owning five AM stations and one FM station and because of an interim policy/proposed rule by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that prohibited the purchase of an AM and FM station in the same market—the "one-to-a-customer" policy—the FCC ordered the divestiture of WERE-FM, along with WLEC and WLEC-FM in Sandusky, to a third party. WLEC and WLEC-FM were divested to RadiOhio that December,[5] and WERE-FM was sold to L. E. Chenault (of Drake-Chenault Enterprises) concurrently; both deals fell through.[6][7] WLEC AM/FM were ultimately retained by the sellers and spun off to a limited partnership, Lake Erie Broadcasting.[8][9]

KFAC and KFAC-FM in Los Angeles were given waivers to the "one-to-a-customer" policy,[10] and the deal was approved by the commission on October 29, 1969,[1] on the condition that WERE-FM would be sold "as soon as practicable."[11] General Cinema Corporation acquired WERE-FM in May 1970 for $525,000, the deal was approved that July;[12][13] ASI was later granted a tax break by the FCC with the sale.[9]

WGCL G98

Not to be confused with Bloomington, Indiana, radio station WGCL (AM).
 
Variations of G98 logo

WERE-FM's call letters were then changed to WGCL on December 16, 1970,[1] and programming changed from a fully automated format to Top 40 as "G98".[1] WGCL began as an affiliate of the Drake-Chenault Solid Gold and Hit Parade formats, which featured a Top 40/Oldies mix, but eventually went live and local with personalities such as Tim Davisson, David Mark and Mike Dix (formerly of the legendary WIXY 1260). Famed programmer Lee Abrams helmed the station and George Jay was its news director.

General Cinema sold WGCL to Olivia-Neuhoff Broadcasting on August 9, 1976, for $2.5 million; the sale came in the wake of years of litigation over a proposed purchase and format change of WEFM in Chicago, as well as lost revenue and advertisers over a failed format change at WGKA, GCC's former AM station in Atlanta.[14] Olivia-Neuhoff was headed up by George Olivia, Jr. and WERE general manager Paul Neuhoff; they had also acquired WERE from ASI for $3.1 million that April, reuniting both stations.[15][16] Despite the sale, both stations kept "GCC Communications of Cleveland" as the licensee name until they were sold again in 1986.[17]

During the next 14 years, the station would go on to enjoy moderate success in the face of significant competition from crosstown rock juggernaut, WMMS. WGCL enjoyed some of the areas best-known air personalities over time, such as: J. Michael Wilson, Bumper Morgan, Dave Sharp, Eric Cramer & Uncle Vic. Of course, one of G98's most recognized air personalities throughout the 1980s was "Dancin" Danny Wright, who later had a long stretch in afternoon drive at country WGAR-FM. He later hosted a nationally syndicated show, Jones Radio Network's Danny Wright All Night.[18]

WGCL's best showing in the Cleveland Arbitron ratings was in 1982 when they briefly overtook WMMS in the top overall position, but after WMMS re-tooled and recaptured first place a short time later, WGCL slowly lost ground.

The North Coast eXpress

 
Screen capture from a television ad promoting WNCX's 1986 launch

WGCL and WERE were sold by George Olivia's GCC Communications to Detroit-based Metropolis Broadcasting on June 18, 1986, for a combined $10 million.[17][19] After the deal was completed, Metropolis changed WGCL's call letters to WNCX on October 22, 1986 (WNCX was to have stood for "North Coast eXpress", but was downplayed entirely after Metropolis executives failed to service mark the slogan and WMMS did).[20]

The planned new format for the station notably boasted a large on and off-air staff composed mostly of Cleveland radio veterans–eight of whom had directly departed WMMS. This included: John Gorman, former WMMS program director, as WNCX operations manager; Denny Sanders, 15-year WMMS veteran, as WNCX program director and afternoon host; Rhonda Kneifer, former WMMS program coordinator, as WNCX music director; Paul Tapie, former WGAR (1220 AM) morning host, in the same capacity; former WHK (1420 AM) program director and air personality Bernie Kimble, as midday host; "Spaceman Scott" Hughes, formerly of WMMS, as evening host; and Nancy Alden, formerly of WKDD (96.5 FM) in Akron, as late night host.[20][21] Recorded station IDs and imaging were created by acclaimed "Word Jazz" artist Ken Nordine.[20]

To signal a sign of the changes to come, after WGCL's CHR format was dropped on October 20, the station stunted by playing Beatles records non-stop for 72-hours.[22] WNCX's permanent eclectic rock/top 40 mixed format was unveiled afterward; Sanders and Gorman promised "a much different sound than other stations," and that they would "play a wide variety of music, 360 degrees of rock 'n' roll, from old to new to R&B," emphasizing new music, local records and included a Saturday night dance club music show.[23] The station also billed itself as one of the first radio stations in Cleveland to have a complete on-air library made up of compact discs.[20]

Due to the last minute inability by Metropolis Broadcasting to buy out his contract (which Gorman and Sanders were promised) and his incompatibility with the new format, Danny Wright was moved to the overnight slot for several weeks as a board-op with no speaking role whatsoever to finish out his contract.[23]

Switch to classic hits

Just four months into the station's high-visibility launch, in February 1987, WNCX abruptly -- and with no explanation -- switched formats to classic hits; employing Mike McVay's consulting firm.[24][25] While the existing staff remained in place at first, Gorman promptly departed,[26] and later filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Metropolis.[27] By April, Rhonda Kiefer, Spaceman Scott and Nancy Alden left;[28] followed shortly thereafter by Bernie Kimble,[29] then Denny Sanders at the end of August;[22] Paul Tapie was the only on-air staffer from the previous format that remained. WNCX's relaunch as a classic hits station at first featured a mix of pop-rock classic artists like Elton John, Paul McCartney and Cat Stevens, with little promotion and dramatically reduced expenses under consultant Mike McVay;[24][25] McVay had prior experience as former program director and general manager at WMJI.[30]

Most of the dismissed personalities enjoyed longevity and success in the market elsewhere: John Gorman became WMJI program director in 1991[31] and again at WMMS in 1994,[32] later establishing internet radio station oWOW Radio.[33] Sanders joined WMJI in 1988 and succeeded Gorman as program director in 1996, with the station winning the National Association Of Broadcasters "Large Market Station Of The Year" award in 1998; Spaceman Scott went to WRQK in Canton as program director, then rejoined WMMS in the early 90s;[34] Nancy Alden went to WDOK later in 1987[35] and was a fixture at that station for many years; Bernie Kimble joined WNWV as program director;[36] and newscaster Jack Speer is currently a news anchor for NPR in Washington, D.C.[37][38]

Throughout January 1987, Metropolis entered in negotiations to purchase WWDC and WWDC-FM in Washington, D.C. for $53 million,[39][40][41] but a tentative deal was never fully reached.[42] As it turned out, Metropolis wound up exiting broadcasting completely within the next 18 months; WDTX in Detroit—their sole other station—was sold for $12 million in March 1988,[43] and Metropolis co-owner Harvey Deutch died from cancer the following month.[44][45] WNCX and WERE were then put on the block, leading most observers to conclude that Metropolis Broadcasting was poorly organized and under-financed right from the start. Cleveland-based Metroplex Communications, in a joint venture with area jeweler Larry Robinson, purchased both stations in July 1988 for $11.6 million.[46][47] Metroplex was headed by Norman Wain and Bob Weiss, who once owned WIXY and WDOK in the late 1960s; Robinson also had previous station ownership experience—having owned WIXY's successor WBBG, along with WMJI—in the early 1980s.[48]

Evolution to classic rock

 
Michael Stanley - who served as afternoon host on WNCX from 1990 until his death in 2021.[49]

Despite having little promotion and advertising, in sharp contrast to the prior eclectic top 40/rock format (which was suddenly and prematurely aborted after little more than 90 days), the classic hits format was given more time to establish and eventually proved to be a ratings success with Cleveland audiences, ultimately re-positioning itself with a harder-edged classic rock format centered on local personalities, several of which have had or continue to have lengthy tenures with the station. Cleveland native Walt Garrett joined the station in June 1987; under the name "Mr. Classic",[23] Garrett hosted the Saturday Night Live House Party for 31 years (two of those years with Ron Sweed as co-host under his "The Ghoul" persona[50]) until leaving in August 2018.[51] Bill Louis, also a Cleveland native, took over as midday host on September 25, 1987, a time slot he hosted until he retired on December 31, 2021;[34] Louis was promoted to program director in December 1996.[52] Perhaps the station's best-known local personality, area rock musician Michael Stanley joined WNCX on September 17, 1990, to host an early-evening program entitled In the Heartland.[53][54] The success of that one-hour show eventually led to Stanley taking over the afternoon shift outright in May 1992,[55] which he continued to host for nearly 29 years until his death on March 5, 2021.[49]

Paul Tapie continued on in morning drive, later paired with market veteran Bill Stallings as co-host,[56][22] then with Mike Trivisonno as sportscaster.[57] While a novice to broadcasting, Trivisonno had garnered notoriety in the market as "Mr. Know-It-All," a regular caller to Pete Franklin's Sportsline on WWWE (1100 AM) throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.[58] Tapie left the station in April 1989;[22] after WNCX posted several full-page ads advertising their morning-drive job opening, the position was filled with Those Guys in the Morning: Rick Rydell and Todd Brandt, with Trivisonno continuing as sportscaster. Hired by then-PD Paul Ingles (at the suggestion of consultant Andy Bloom) from KMJK in Portland, Oregon,[59] Those Guys had only marginal success in Cleveland and were regularly criticized by the local paper, often speculating on their departure date from WNCX;[23] Ingles himself was relieved of his program director duties and replaced by Doug Podell.

The station's next attempt at a morning show—Mad Dogs and Englishmen—launched on September 17, 1991, co-hosted by former Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley,[53][54] who had signed on as WNCX's evening host in December 1989.[60] Shirley was joined by Paul Ingles and holdover Mike Trivisonno; Ingles soon left,[22] and was replaced on the show by Skip Herman, while Paul Tapie returned as a sidekick within a few months of its debut.[61] In addition to his new role headlining the morning show, Shirley also hosted a one-hour evening program titled The British Invasion.[23]

The Howard Stern Show

Further information: The Howard Stern Show

Following several months of rumors and competition from WENZ for the rights to the program,[62][63] WNCX signed a deal in August 1992 to carry The Howard Stern Show, based at WXRK in New York City, beginning that August 31;[64] Skip Herman and Mike Trivisonno were dismissed[57][65] and Jerry Shirley was reassigned to the overnight shift. Then-program director Doug Podell had worked with Howard Stern in the early 1980s at rock station WWWW in Detroit prior to its switch to a country format (an event depicted in Stern's autobiographical film Private Parts).[66] Andy Bloom, the same programming consultant who convinced Paul Ingles to hire Those Guys in the Morning, was brought back to consult on the Stern start-up, as he had been the program director at WYSP in Philadelphia and KLSX in Los Angeles when both picked up Stern's show; Bloom would do the same for future affiliates as well.[67] WNCX in Cleveland was just the sixth station (and the fifth affiliate after Stern's flagship WXRK) out of more than 60 nationally to carry The Howard Stern Show.[68][69]

 
Stern wore a military-style uniform to mock rival WMMS and its philosophy of "going to war" with competition

Among the most notorious Howard Stern programs/broadcasts occurred in Cleveland on June 10, 1994. Having taken his radio show from Arbitron ranked #13 to #1 among all radio listeners in less than two years, Stern promised to have a street party and to broadcast a "funeral" for his competition live from the streets of Cleveland. During this now infamous broadcast, an engineer from WMMS snipped a broadcast wire that was used to feed the satellite uplink for the program, the engineer was subsequently caught, arrested and prosecuted.[70][71]

Stern continued on with the program over a phone line as engineers quickly patched the broadcast wire back together:

Any time you have to sabotage a show and you can't concentrate on what you're doing on the air, then it means you're in trouble. The other stations see that they're in trouble. Lanigan sees that he's in trouble. The Zoo over at 'MMS has been destroyed. They were the number one show when we came to town, and now we're number one. The only thing they can resort to is sabotage...
I am dressed as a general, and that is because it is D-Day here! It is war! I am in the middle of war. I am at my bunker right now as I speak to you. I'm about to take the stage if we can get our satellite back up. It is a war! It is World War III out here! We can't take it! It's unbelievable! ...

WNCX enjoyed a great deal of success with the Stern show for the next 13 years. In October 2004, Stern announced that he would be leave terrestrial radio and move his radio program to Sirius Satellite Radio, a subscription radio service where he could avoid the content restrictions being forced on to him by the FCC. His final live broadcast aired on WNCX on December 16, 2005; program director Bill Louis reflected on the show's run, days after Stern's final broadcast: "It's difficult to imagine the mornings without him... what [Stern] brought was a very specialized and special form of entertainment that no one is ever going to duplicate."[72]

Corporate radio

Metroplex Communications merged into San Antonio-based Clear Channel Communications in a combined $54 million deal announced in October 1993, this included WNCX and WERE;[73] Clear Channel would then take control of WENZ's sales operations in March 1994 via a joint sales agreement,[74] eventually buying the station outright in 1996.[75] Following passage of the Telecom Act of 1996, Clear Channel announced a $4.4 billion merger with Jacor in 1998; to comply with federal ownership guidelines, Clear Channel sold off WNCX to Infinity Broadcasting, while WERE and WENZ were sold to Radio One.[76]

In the wake of Stern's departure, CBS Radio (the renamed Infinity Broadcasting) launched a hot talk format titled Free FM; while WNCX did not adopt this brand or format, it did sign up for one of the regionally syndicated morning shows CBS offered under the banner: The David Lee Roth Show, hosted by musician David Lee Roth, which premiered on January 3, 2006.[77] Due to very low ratings nationally and critical drubbings in the press,[78] Roth's show was canceled on April 21;[79][80] WNCX opted for a rotation of local hosts in the timeslot before hiring Mud (Wynn Richards), Kim Mihalik and newscaster Mike Olszewski in July 2006.[81] Mud left the station in July 2008 and was replaced by Scott Miller;[82] Kim Mihalik was dropped from the show that October; and Olszewski was replaced by local stand-up comedian Jeff Blanchard in April 2009.[83]

On October 27, 2010, WNCX announced the hiring of Maxwell (Ben Bornstein)—formerly of WMMS—as host of The Maxwell Show, replacing both Scott Miller and Jeff Blanchard, along with producer Dave Jockers; Jockers had been the local producer for The Howard Stern Show and all subsequent morning shows, in addition to having been the station's assistant program director and music director from 1996 onward. Regarding their dismissal, program director Bill Louis commented, "sadly, this a bottom-line business."[84] The Maxwell Show was cancelled on August 25, 2011; local media speculated that, in addition to "flagging ratings," the show was cancelled to make room for "a new, high-profile, multi-person morning show" at sister station WKRK-FM (92.3 FM) as that station transitioned to a sports format.[85] Local personality Slats (Tim Guinane), previously heard on WMMS and WXTM (WKRK-FM's predecessor), took over as morning host that November 7, where he remains to this day.[86]

On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with Entercom.[87] The merger was approved on November 9, 2017, and was consummated on November 17.[88][89]

Current programming

WNCX personalities Slats (Tim Guinane) [86] Don "Nard" Nardella, Paula Balish and Joe Czekaj host the morning, midday, afternoon and evening shifts, respectively. Weekend programming includes: The Beatle Years, hosted by Bob Malik (via Westwood One); The All Request Saturday Night; Time Warp, hosted by Bill St. James (via United Stations Radio Networks); and Little Steven's Underground Garage, hosted by Steven Van Zandt (also via United Stations Radio Networks).[90] The HD2 digital subchannel also broadcasts a classic rock format under the brand "The Album Pod".[91]

George Lowe, perhaps best known as the voice of Space Ghost from Space Ghost Coast to Coast, provides station imaging for WNCX.[92]

As of May 1, 2013, WNCX is a co-flagship station for the Cleveland Browns Radio Network, sharing coverage with sister station WKRK-FM, as well as AM sports station WKNR.[93]

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Further reading

  • Adams, Deanna R. (2002). Rock and Roll and the Cleveland Connection. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press. ISBN 9780873386913.
  • Olszewski, Mike (2003). Radio Daze: Stories from the Front in Cleveland's FM Air Wars. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press. ISBN 9780873387736.
  • Wolff, Carlo (2006). Cleveland Rock and Roll Memories. Cleveland: Gray & Co. ISBN 9781886228993.

External links

  • Official website
  • WNCX in the FCC FM station database
  • WNCX on Radio-Locator
  • WNCX in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
  • Cleveland Broadcast Radio Archives: WNCX timeline

August 18, 2023
wncx, commercial, radio, station, licensed, cleveland, ohio, featuring, classic, rock, format, known, owned, audacy, serves, greater, cleveland, much, surrounding, northeast, ohio, flagship, station, cleveland, browns, radio, network, cleveland, affiliate, lit. WNCX 98 5 FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland Ohio featuring a classic rock format known as 98 5 WNCX Owned by Audacy Inc WNCX serves Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio as a co flagship station for the Cleveland Browns Radio Network and the Cleveland affiliate for Little Steven s Underground Garage WNCXCleveland OhioUnited StatesBroadcast areaGreater ClevelandNortheast OhioFrequency98 5 MHz HD Radio Branding98 5 WNCXProgrammingFormatClassic rockSubchannelsHD2 Sports gambling The Bet AffiliationsCleveland Browns Radio NetworkUnited Stations Radio NetworksWestwood OneOwnershipOwnerAudacy Inc Audacy License LLC Sister stationsWDOKWKRK FMWQALHistoryFirst air dateOctober 23 1948 74 years ago 1948 10 23 Former call signsWERE FM 1948 1970 WGCL 1970 1986 1 Call sign meaning North Coast Express unused sloganTechnical informationLicensing authorityFCCFacility ID41390ClassBERP16 000 wattsHAAT293 meters 961 ft Transmitter coordinates41 20 28 00 N 81 44 24 00 W 41 3411111 N 81 7400000 W 41 3411111 81 7400000LinksPublic license informationPublic fileLMSWebcastListen live via Audacy Listen live via Audacy HD2 Websitewww wbr audacy wbr com wbr wncxThe WNCX studios are located at the Halle Building in Downtown Cleveland while the station transmitter resides in the Cleveland suburb of North Royalton Besides a standard analog transmission WNCX broadcasts over two HD Radio channels 2 and is available online via Audacy Contents 1 History 1 1 Early years 1 2 WGCL G98 1 3 The North Coast eXpress 1 4 Switch to classic hits 1 5 Evolution to classic rock 1 6 The Howard Stern Show 1 7 Corporate radio 2 Current programming 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksHistory EditEarly years Edit 1948 print ad for WERE FMThe station first went on the air in 1948 as WERE FM and was the FM outlet for WERE 1300 AM where it primarily simulcast the programming of its more popular AM sister station over the next 24 years Founded by former Cleveland mayor Ray T Miller s Cleveland Broadcasting Incorporated WERE FM actually signed on one year prior to its AM counterpart During the 1950s WERE and by extension WERE FM was the first popular Top 40 station in the market spearheaded by now legendary personalities like Bill Randle Captain Carl Reese Phil McLean Ronnie Barrett Howie Lund and Bob Forster Randle was the most influential of the group as he was the first major market disk jockey in the Northeast United States to play Elvis Presley and bolstered the careers of a number of up and coming musicians including The Four Lads Bobby Darin and Fats Domino citation needed Future NBC announcer and voice over artist Danny Dark also was a host on WERE in the early 1960s After Ray T Miller s death in 1966 3 Cleveland Broadcasting Incorporated was acquired by Atlantic States Industries ASI for a combined 9 million in May 1968 4 Due to ASI already owning five AM stations and one FM station and because of an interim policy proposed rule by the Federal Communications Commission FCC that prohibited the purchase of an AM and FM station in the same market the one to a customer policy the FCC ordered the divestiture of WERE FM along with WLEC and WLEC FM in Sandusky to a third party WLEC and WLEC FM were divested to RadiOhio that December 5 and WERE FM was sold to L E Chenault of Drake Chenault Enterprises concurrently both deals fell through 6 7 WLEC AM FM were ultimately retained by the sellers and spun off to a limited partnership Lake Erie Broadcasting 8 9 KFAC and KFAC FM in Los Angeles were given waivers to the one to a customer policy 10 and the deal was approved by the commission on October 29 1969 1 on the condition that WERE FM would be sold as soon as practicable 11 General Cinema Corporation acquired WERE FM in May 1970 for 525 000 the deal was approved that July 12 13 ASI was later granted a tax break by the FCC with the sale 9 WGCL G98 Edit Not to be confused with Bloomington Indiana radio station WGCL AM Variations of G98 logoWERE FM s call letters were then changed to WGCL on December 16 1970 1 and programming changed from a fully automated format to Top 40 as G98 1 WGCL began as an affiliate of the Drake Chenault Solid Gold and Hit Parade formats which featured a Top 40 Oldies mix but eventually went live and local with personalities such as Tim Davisson David Mark and Mike Dix formerly of the legendary WIXY 1260 Famed programmer Lee Abrams helmed the station and George Jay was its news director General Cinema sold WGCL to Olivia Neuhoff Broadcasting on August 9 1976 for 2 5 million the sale came in the wake of years of litigation over a proposed purchase and format change of WEFM in Chicago as well as lost revenue and advertisers over a failed format change at WGKA GCC s former AM station in Atlanta 14 Olivia Neuhoff was headed up by George Olivia Jr and WERE general manager Paul Neuhoff they had also acquired WERE from ASI for 3 1 million that April reuniting both stations 15 16 Despite the sale both stations kept GCC Communications of Cleveland as the licensee name until they were sold again in 1986 17 During the next 14 years the station would go on to enjoy moderate success in the face of significant competition from crosstown rock juggernaut WMMS WGCL enjoyed some of the areas best known air personalities over time such as J Michael Wilson Bumper Morgan Dave Sharp Eric Cramer amp Uncle Vic Of course one of G98 s most recognized air personalities throughout the 1980s was Dancin Danny Wright who later had a long stretch in afternoon drive at country WGAR FM He later hosted a nationally syndicated show Jones Radio Network s Danny Wright All Night 18 WGCL s best showing in the Cleveland Arbitron ratings was in 1982 when they briefly overtook WMMS in the top overall position but after WMMS re tooled and recaptured first place a short time later WGCL slowly lost ground The North Coast eXpress Edit Screen capture from a television ad promoting WNCX s 1986 launchWGCL and WERE were sold by George Olivia s GCC Communications to Detroit based Metropolis Broadcasting on June 18 1986 for a combined 10 million 17 19 After the deal was completed Metropolis changed WGCL s call letters to WNCX on October 22 1986 WNCX was to have stood for North Coast eXpress but was downplayed entirely after Metropolis executives failed to service mark the slogan and WMMS did 20 The planned new format for the station notably boasted a large on and off air staff composed mostly of Cleveland radio veterans eight of whom had directly departed WMMS This included John Gorman former WMMS program director as WNCX operations manager Denny Sanders 15 year WMMS veteran as WNCX program director and afternoon host Rhonda Kneifer former WMMS program coordinator as WNCX music director Paul Tapie former WGAR 1220 AM morning host in the same capacity former WHK 1420 AM program director and air personality Bernie Kimble as midday host Spaceman Scott Hughes formerly of WMMS as evening host and Nancy Alden formerly of WKDD 96 5 FM in Akron as late night host 20 21 Recorded station IDs and imaging were created by acclaimed Word Jazz artist Ken Nordine 20 To signal a sign of the changes to come after WGCL s CHR format was dropped on October 20 the station stunted by playing Beatles records non stop for 72 hours 22 WNCX s permanent eclectic rock top 40 mixed format was unveiled afterward Sanders and Gorman promised a much different sound than other stations and that they would play a wide variety of music 360 degrees of rock n roll from old to new to R amp B emphasizing new music local records and included a Saturday night dance club music show 23 The station also billed itself as one of the first radio stations in Cleveland to have a complete on air library made up of compact discs 20 Due to the last minute inability by Metropolis Broadcasting to buy out his contract which Gorman and Sanders were promised and his incompatibility with the new format Danny Wright was moved to the overnight slot for several weeks as a board op with no speaking role whatsoever to finish out his contract 23 Switch to classic hits Edit Just four months into the station s high visibility launch in February 1987 WNCX abruptly and with no explanation switched formats to classic hits employing Mike McVay s consulting firm 24 25 While the existing staff remained in place at first Gorman promptly departed 26 and later filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Metropolis 27 By April Rhonda Kiefer Spaceman Scott and Nancy Alden left 28 followed shortly thereafter by Bernie Kimble 29 then Denny Sanders at the end of August 22 Paul Tapie was the only on air staffer from the previous format that remained WNCX s relaunch as a classic hits station at first featured a mix of pop rock classic artists like Elton John Paul McCartney and Cat Stevens with little promotion and dramatically reduced expenses under consultant Mike McVay 24 25 McVay had prior experience as former program director and general manager at WMJI 30 Most of the dismissed personalities enjoyed longevity and success in the market elsewhere John Gorman became WMJI program director in 1991 31 and again at WMMS in 1994 32 later establishing internet radio station oWOW Radio 33 Sanders joined WMJI in 1988 and succeeded Gorman as program director in 1996 with the station winning the National Association Of Broadcasters Large Market Station Of The Year award in 1998 Spaceman Scott went to WRQK in Canton as program director then rejoined WMMS in the early 90s 34 Nancy Alden went to WDOK later in 1987 35 and was a fixture at that station for many years Bernie Kimble joined WNWV as program director 36 and newscaster Jack Speer is currently a news anchor for NPR in Washington D C 37 38 Throughout January 1987 Metropolis entered in negotiations to purchase WWDC and WWDC FM in Washington D C for 53 million 39 40 41 but a tentative deal was never fully reached 42 As it turned out Metropolis wound up exiting broadcasting completely within the next 18 months WDTX in Detroit their sole other station was sold for 12 million in March 1988 43 and Metropolis co owner Harvey Deutch died from cancer the following month 44 45 WNCX and WERE were then put on the block leading most observers to conclude that Metropolis Broadcasting was poorly organized and under financed right from the start Cleveland based Metroplex Communications in a joint venture with area jeweler Larry Robinson purchased both stations in July 1988 for 11 6 million 46 47 Metroplex was headed by Norman Wain and Bob Weiss who once owned WIXY and WDOK in the late 1960s Robinson also had previous station ownership experience having owned WIXY s successor WBBG along with WMJI in the early 1980s 48 Evolution to classic rock Edit Michael Stanley who served as afternoon host on WNCX from 1990 until his death in 2021 49 Despite having little promotion and advertising in sharp contrast to the prior eclectic top 40 rock format which was suddenly and prematurely aborted after little more than 90 days the classic hits format was given more time to establish and eventually proved to be a ratings success with Cleveland audiences ultimately re positioning itself with a harder edged classic rock format centered on local personalities several of which have had or continue to have lengthy tenures with the station Cleveland native Walt Garrett joined the station in June 1987 under the name Mr Classic 23 Garrett hosted the Saturday Night Live House Party for 31 years two of those years with Ron Sweed as co host under his The Ghoul persona 50 until leaving in August 2018 51 Bill Louis also a Cleveland native took over as midday host on September 25 1987 a time slot he hosted until he retired on December 31 2021 34 Louis was promoted to program director in December 1996 52 Perhaps the station s best known local personality area rock musician Michael Stanley joined WNCX on September 17 1990 to host an early evening program entitled In the Heartland 53 54 The success of that one hour show eventually led to Stanley taking over the afternoon shift outright in May 1992 55 which he continued to host for nearly 29 years until his death on March 5 2021 49 Paul Tapie continued on in morning drive later paired with market veteran Bill Stallings as co host 56 22 then with Mike Trivisonno as sportscaster 57 While a novice to broadcasting Trivisonno had garnered notoriety in the market as Mr Know It All a regular caller to Pete Franklin s Sportsline on WWWE 1100 AM throughout the 1970s and early 1980s 58 Tapie left the station in April 1989 22 after WNCX posted several full page ads advertising their morning drive job opening the position was filled with Those Guys in the Morning Rick Rydell and Todd Brandt with Trivisonno continuing as sportscaster Hired by then PD Paul Ingles at the suggestion of consultant Andy Bloom from KMJK in Portland Oregon 59 Those Guys had only marginal success in Cleveland and were regularly criticized by the local paper often speculating on their departure date from WNCX 23 Ingles himself was relieved of his program director duties and replaced by Doug Podell The station s next attempt at a morning show Mad Dogs and Englishmen launched on September 17 1991 co hosted by former Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley 53 54 who had signed on as WNCX s evening host in December 1989 60 Shirley was joined by Paul Ingles and holdover Mike Trivisonno Ingles soon left 22 and was replaced on the show by Skip Herman while Paul Tapie returned as a sidekick within a few months of its debut 61 In addition to his new role headlining the morning show Shirley also hosted a one hour evening program titled The British Invasion 23 The Howard Stern Show Edit Further information The Howard Stern Show Following several months of rumors and competition from WENZ for the rights to the program 62 63 WNCX signed a deal in August 1992 to carry The Howard Stern Show based at WXRK in New York City beginning that August 31 64 Skip Herman and Mike Trivisonno were dismissed 57 65 and Jerry Shirley was reassigned to the overnight shift Then program director Doug Podell had worked with Howard Stern in the early 1980s at rock station WWWW in Detroit prior to its switch to a country format an event depicted in Stern s autobiographical film Private Parts 66 Andy Bloom the same programming consultant who convinced Paul Ingles to hire Those Guys in the Morning was brought back to consult on the Stern start up as he had been the program director at WYSP in Philadelphia and KLSX in Los Angeles when both picked up Stern s show Bloom would do the same for future affiliates as well 67 WNCX in Cleveland was just the sixth station and the fifth affiliate after Stern s flagship WXRK out of more than 60 nationally to carry The Howard Stern Show 68 69 Stern wore a military style uniform to mock rival WMMS and its philosophy of going to war with competitionAmong the most notorious Howard Stern programs broadcasts occurred in Cleveland on June 10 1994 Having taken his radio show from Arbitron ranked 13 to 1 among all radio listeners in less than two years Stern promised to have a street party and to broadcast a funeral for his competition live from the streets of Cleveland During this now infamous broadcast an engineer from WMMS snipped a broadcast wire that was used to feed the satellite uplink for the program the engineer was subsequently caught arrested and prosecuted 70 71 Stern continued on with the program over a phone line as engineers quickly patched the broadcast wire back together Any time you have to sabotage a show and you can t concentrate on what you re doing on the air then it means you re in trouble The other stations see that they re in trouble Lanigan sees that he s in trouble The Zoo over at MMS has been destroyed They were the number one show when we came to town and now we re number one The only thing they can resort to is sabotage I am dressed as a general and that is because it is D Day here It is war I am in the middle of war I am at my bunker right now as I speak to you I m about to take the stage if we can get our satellite back up It is a war It is World War III out here We can t take it It s unbelievable WNCX enjoyed a great deal of success with the Stern show for the next 13 years In October 2004 Stern announced that he would be leave terrestrial radio and move his radio program to Sirius Satellite Radio a subscription radio service where he could avoid the content restrictions being forced on to him by the FCC His final live broadcast aired on WNCX on December 16 2005 program director Bill Louis reflected on the show s run days after Stern s final broadcast It s difficult to imagine the mornings without him what Stern brought was a very specialized and special form of entertainment that no one is ever going to duplicate 72 Corporate radio Edit Metroplex Communications merged into San Antonio based Clear Channel Communications in a combined 54 million deal announced in October 1993 this included WNCX and WERE 73 Clear Channel would then take control of WENZ s sales operations in March 1994 via a joint sales agreement 74 eventually buying the station outright in 1996 75 Following passage of the Telecom Act of 1996 Clear Channel announced a 4 4 billion merger with Jacor in 1998 to comply with federal ownership guidelines Clear Channel sold off WNCX to Infinity Broadcasting while WERE and WENZ were sold to Radio One 76 In the wake of Stern s departure CBS Radio the renamed Infinity Broadcasting launched a hot talk format titled Free FM while WNCX did not adopt this brand or format it did sign up for one of the regionally syndicated morning shows CBS offered under the banner The David Lee Roth Show hosted by musician David Lee Roth which premiered on January 3 2006 77 Due to very low ratings nationally and critical drubbings in the press 78 Roth s show was canceled on April 21 79 80 WNCX opted for a rotation of local hosts in the timeslot before hiring Mud Wynn Richards Kim Mihalik and newscaster Mike Olszewski in July 2006 81 Mud left the station in July 2008 and was replaced by Scott Miller 82 Kim Mihalik was dropped from the show that October and Olszewski was replaced by local stand up comedian Jeff Blanchard in April 2009 83 On October 27 2010 WNCX announced the hiring of Maxwell Ben Bornstein formerly of WMMS as host of The Maxwell Show replacing both Scott Miller and Jeff Blanchard along with producer Dave Jockers Jockers had been the local producer for The Howard Stern Show and all subsequent morning shows in addition to having been the station s assistant program director and music director from 1996 onward Regarding their dismissal program director Bill Louis commented sadly this a bottom line business 84 The Maxwell Show was cancelled on August 25 2011 local media speculated that in addition to flagging ratings the show was cancelled to make room for a new high profile multi person morning show at sister station WKRK FM 92 3 FM as that station transitioned to a sports format 85 Local personality Slats Tim Guinane previously heard on WMMS and WXTM WKRK FM s predecessor took over as morning host that November 7 where he remains to this day 86 On February 2 2017 CBS Radio announced it would merge with Entercom 87 The merger was approved on November 9 2017 and was consummated on November 17 88 89 Current programming EditWNCX personalities Slats Tim Guinane 86 Don Nard Nardella Paula Balish and Joe Czekaj host the morning midday afternoon and evening shifts respectively Weekend programming includes The Beatle Years hosted by Bob Malik via Westwood One The All Request Saturday Night Time Warp hosted by Bill St James via United Stations Radio Networks and Little Steven s Underground Garage hosted by Steven Van Zandt also via United Stations Radio Networks 90 The HD2 digital subchannel also broadcasts a classic rock format under the brand The Album Pod 91 George Lowe perhaps best known as the voice of Space Ghost from Space Ghost Coast to Coast provides station imaging for WNCX 92 As of May 1 2013 WNCX is a co flagship station for the Cleveland Browns Radio Network sharing coverage with sister station WKRK FM as well as AM sports station WKNR 93 References Edit a b c d FCC History Cards for WNCX Archived from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved September 10 2019 http hdradio com station guides widget php id 70 Archived September 27 2015 at the Wayback Machine HD Radio Guide for Cleveland Ray T Miller Sr Is Dead at 73 The Plain Dealer July 14 1966 pp 1 8 Closed Circuit Group transfer PDF Broadcasting May 27 2019 p 5 Archived PDF from the original on January 20 2022 Retrieved December 18 2019 ASI adds a Calif UHF awaits OK of radio buy PDF Broadcasting September 15 1969 p 82 Archived PDF from the original on January 20 2022 Retrieved December 18 2019 Action in the trading market 13 million worth of properties sold biggest is Tucson AM TV to Detroit News PDF Broadcasting December 2 1968 p 40 Archived PDF from the original on January 20 2022 Retrieved December 18 2019 FCC History Cards for WLEC For the Record Ownership Transfers Final Actions PDF Broadcasting November 10 1969 p 96 Archived PDF from the original on January 20 2022 Retrieved December 18 2019 a b A tax break on WERE FM sale PDF Broadcasting December 14 1970 p 71 Archived PDF from the original on January 20 2022 Retrieved December 18 2019 Public at odds with one to customer KFAC ad campaign prompts 3 000 letters for common ownership in stations sale PDF Broadcasting January 27 1969 p 30 Archived PDF from the original on January 20 2022 Retrieved December 18 2019 Station sale block hot at FCC WDBJ spin offs WERE AM FM WALA TV are among 14 transactions approved by commission PDF Broadcasting November 3 1969 pp 42 44 Archived PDF from the original on January 20 2022 Retrieved December 18 2019 WERE FM being spun off to General Cinema arm PDF Broadcasting May 11 1970 Archived PDF from the original on January 20 2022 Retrieved December 18 2019 For the Record Ownership Changes PDF Broadcasting July 20 1970 p 72 Archived PDF from the original on January 20 2022 Retrieved December 17 2019 Format change rebellions hit GCC pocketbook PDF Broadcasting March 16 1976 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 17 2019 For the Record Changing Hands PDF Broadcasting April 26 1976 p 37 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 18 2019 Special Report Station sales rise with curve of air billings PDF Broadcasting January 31 1977 p 30 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 18 2019 a b For the Record Ownership Changes PDF Broadcasting July 7 1986 p 96 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 9 2019 Olszewski Mike March 3 2002 Cleveland Ohio Broadcast Radio Archives Project WGCL FM Cleve radio com Archived from the original on May 9 2008 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11 2019 Jack Speer NPR org Archived from the original on December 19 2019 Retrieved December 19 2019 Fates amp Fortunes News and Public Affairs PDF Broadcasting August 17 1987 p 110 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 Street Talk PDF Radio amp Records January 23 1987 pp 18 20 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 Street Talk PDF Radio amp Records January 30 1987 pp 18 20 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 Changing Hands Proposed PDF Broadcasting January 19 1987 p 261 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 In Brief PDF Broadcasting March 23 1987 p 176 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 Changing Hands PDF Broadcasting March 21 1988 p 62 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 Street Talk PDF Radio amp Records April 15 1988 pp 24 27 28 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 Lifelines Deaths PDF Billboard April 23 1988 p 75 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 Transactions Metroplex Buys Hometown Cleveland Combo For 11 6 Million PDF Radio amp Records July 29 1988 p 10 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 For the Record Ownership Changes PDF Broadcasting September 12 1988 p 95 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 newsline PDF Billboard August 6 1988 p 10 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 a b Graff Gary March 6 2021 Michael Stanley Cleveland rock legend and noted local radio and TV personality dead at 72 cleveland com The Plain Dealer Advance Ohio Archived from the original on March 6 2021 Retrieved March 6 2021 Petkovic John April 4 2019 Legendary Cleveland horror host Ron The Ghoul Sweed has died photos The Plain Dealer Archived from the original on December 19 2019 Retrieved December 19 2019 Mr Classic Says Goodbye To WNCX 98 5 WNCX August 3 2018 Archived from the original on December 19 2019 Retrieved December 19 2019 Louis Rises To PD At WNCX Cleveland PDF Radio amp Records December 6 1996 p 3 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 a b Street Talk PDF Radio amp Records September 21 1991 pp 32 34 36 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 a b Ross Sean September 29 1990 Vox Jox PDF Billboard p 16 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 20 2019 Street Talk Rumbles PDF Radio amp Records June 5 1992 p 29 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 Ross Sean December 12 1987 Gold Exchange PDF Radio amp Records p 50 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 20 2019 a b Ferris D X September 22 2010 The Face of Cleveland Radio Cleveland Scene Archived from the original on September 3 2019 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the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 20 2019 Boggs Andrew May 5 2009 Cleveland Sportscaster Memories Bleacher Report Archived from the original on December 20 2019 Retrieved December 20 2019 Gaskey David February 7 1997 Howard Stern The Rice Thresher Archived from the original on May 18 2007 Retrieved December 20 2019 Bloom Andy August 9 2016 Did Andy Bloom s Column Get Stern s Attention Radio Ink Archived from the original on December 20 2019 Retrieved December 20 2019 The Howard Stern Radio Network WNCX com June 1998 Internet Archive Wayback Machine 2010 Archived from the original on June 27 1998 Retrieved November 13 2010 Tucker Ken March 3 2006 Communication Sharpens Syndie Sword Billboard Radio Monitor Archived from the original on August 24 2011 Retrieved November 4 2011 Vandal Pulls Plug On Stern Cleveland execs trade barbs on blame PDF Radio amp Records June 17 1994 pp 1 24 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 Street Talk PDF Radio amp Records October 7 1994 p 38 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 19 2019 Kadar Dan December 17 2005 Howard Stern signs off free radio King of Crass ends free speech crusade and jumps to satellite Akron Beacon Journal Beacon Journal Publishing Co p A2 Clear Channel At Ownership Limit After Metroplex Deal Purchase of Tampa Miami Cleveland Buffalo stations puts company two over FCC maximum PDF Radio amp Records November 5 1993 pp 1 19 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 20 2019 Stark Phyllis March 26 1994 Vox Jox PDF Billboard p 163 Retrieved December 20 2019 Radio Business Transactions PDF Radio amp Records March 8 1996 pp 6 7 Archived PDF from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 21 2019 Newsline Spin Control Billboard February 27 1999 p 69 Archived from the original on March 22 2022 Retrieved December 20 2019 Infinity Broadcasting launches Free FM as part of Howard Stern replacement strategy CBS RADIO Press Center October 25 2005 Archived from the original on September 27 2007 Retrieved December 20 2019 Hinckley David April 21 2010 David Lee Roth s ego landed him in Howard Stern s seat on CBS Radio morning show in 2006 exec New York Daily News Archived from the original on December 28 2013 Retrieved December 20 2019 Blabbermouth April 21 2006 DAVID LEE ROTH I Was Booted Tossed And It s Going To Cost Somebody BLABBERMOUTH NET Archived from the original on December 21 2019 Retrieved December 20 2019 Fee Gayle Raposa Laura April 28 2006 Conspiracy in the air Roth was a fall guy The Boston Herald Archived from the original on September 29 2006 Retrieved December 20 2019 Best of Cleveland 2006 Best Homegrown Radio 2006 Morning Show WNCX FM 98 5 Cleveland Scene Archived from the original on January 17 2021 Retrieved December 20 2019 Washington Julie July 7 2008 WNCX FM 98 5 morning show changes voices The Plain Dealer Archived from the original on December 21 2019 Retrieved December 20 2019 Washington Julie April 4 2009 Comedian Jeff Blanchard replaces Mike Olszewski on WNCX s morning show The Plain Dealer Archived from the original on December 21 2019 Retrieved December 21 2019 Washington Julie October 28 2010 Ex WMMS jock Maxwell to rock mornings at WNCX Cleveland com Cleveland Live Inc Archived from the original on November 1 2010 Retrieved November 4 2010 Grzegorek Vince August 26 2011 Maxwell Out at 98 5 WNCX CleveScene com Cleveland Scene Archived from the original on February 13 2012 Retrieved August 26 2011 a b Slats To Host WNCX Morning Slot AllAccess com All Access Media Group November 4 2011 Archived from the original on November 7 2011 Retrieved November 5 2011 Hinman Catherine December 27 1996 WDBO Freshens Image Thinks Younger Orlando Sentinel Tribune Company p 12 Calendar I missed it bigtime said Slats whose real name is Tim Guinane Venta Lance February 2 2017 CBS Radio To Merge With Entercom RadioInsight Archived from the original on August 26 2017 Retrieved December 20 2019 Entercom Receives FCC Approval for Merger with CBS Radio Entercom November 9 2017 Archived from the original on December 1 2017 Retrieved November 17 2017 Venta Lance November 17 2017 Entercom Completes CBS Radio Merger Radio Insight Archived from the original on November 18 2017 Retrieved November 17 2017 Station Listings for Beatle Years in the state of Ohio WestwoodOne com Westwood One Inc 2010 Archived from the original on June 14 2011 Retrieved November 6 2010 Station Affiliates UndergroundGarage com Little Steven s Underground Garage 2010 Archived from the original on November 11 2010 Retrieved November 4 2010 http www allaccess com net news archive story 104791 usrn pulls into little steve s underground garage ref search Archived August 19 2014 at the Wayback Machine Local HD Radio Stations HD Radio Archived from the original on December 14 2014 Retrieved August 18 2014 White Gary September 14 2010 Lakeland s Lowe in High Demand These Days TheLedger com Ledger Media Group Archived from the original on September 3 2014 Retrieved September 3 2014 and he was recently hired to do voice work for WNCX the classic rock station in Cleveland Press Release March 28 2013 Browns Enter Into Groundbreaking Radio Partnership With ESPN 850 WKNR And CBS Radio s 92 3 The Fan And 98 5 WNCX WNCX CBSLocal com CBS Local Media a division of CBS Radio Inc Archived from the original on October 15 2013 Retrieved March 28 2013 Further reading EditAdams Deanna R 2002 Rock and Roll and the Cleveland Connection Kent Ohio Kent State University Press ISBN 9780873386913 Olszewski Mike 2003 Radio Daze Stories from the Front in Cleveland s FM Air Wars Kent Ohio Kent State University Press ISBN 9780873387736 Wolff Carlo 2006 Cleveland Rock and Roll Memories Cleveland Gray amp Co ISBN 9781886228993 External links EditOfficial website WNCX in the FCC FM station database WNCX on Radio Locator WNCX in Nielsen Audio s FM station database Cleveland Broadcast Radio Archives WNCX timeline Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title WNCX amp oldid 1161251854, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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