Radio daze : stories from the front in Cleveland's FM air wars / Mike Olszewski.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Olszewski, Mike, 1953-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Radio broadcasting--Ohio--Cleveland Region--History.

Radio broadcasting.

Rock music--Ohio--Cleveland Region--History and criticism.

Rock music.

History.

Ohio--Cleveland Region.

Physical Description:

xix, 468 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Kent, Ohio : Kent State University Press, [2003]

Summary:

Cleveland has long enjoyed its reputation as one of the hottest music centers in the country and as the Rock 'n' Roll Capital of the World. Trends started or gained major recognition in Cleveland and were fueled by local radio stations and their disc jockeys, who connected with their audience and its lifestyle. In fact, WMMS deejays helped the careers of many in the music industry take off, including David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, and Southside Johnny. Essentially the story of WMMS, Radio Daze captures the radio scene during the '70s and '80s, chronicling how this small FM rocker became the top-rated station in Northeast Ohio and made Cleveland one of the most important radio markets in the world. Author Mike Olszewski obtained exclusive interviews with many radio legends, revealing how insidious and destructive the battle for radio dominance became. Among other things, he divulges the infamous story behind the ballot-box stuffing by WMMS to win the prestigious Rolling Stone magazine Readers' Poll for best radio station in the country and exposes some of the dirty tricks played by radio stations to get the edge on their competitors. Radio Daze is an honest and comprehensive look at the birth of Cleveland's FM radio scene and the sometimes-vicious ratings wars. It will be welcomed by pop-culture enthusiasts and those interested in local music as well as music history.

Contents:

Part 1 A Generation Finds a New Voice: 1968-1975

The Birth of Progressive Rock Radio 1 The Electric Renaissance 25

The Times, They Are a-Changin' 37

Bass Makes His Move 53

The New Beginning 58

Rock-and-Roll Television 67

Coffee's On 70

Expanding the Horizon 71

Ziggy Invades Cleveland 79

Sold! 83

Shake, Rattle

And Roll On 89

Where Do We Turn? 90

The Long Battle Ahead 101

Winds of Change, Winds of War 108

Feeling Lucky, Punk? 117

Part 2 FM Rock Comes of Age: 1975-1983

The Pot Begins to Boil 123

Transitions 128

Bowie Goes Pop 134

Buzzards, Penguins, and All Kinds of Animals 135

The Start of a Dynasty 139

Happy Birthday

From the Boss! 150

Television, Togas, Playboy, and the Buzzard's Enemies List 153

Gateway to the Eighties 159

Dominance and Decay 176

Baseball Buzzards 180

The Long March Continues 182

Another One Bites the Dust 187

Part 3 Benchmarks: 1983-1988

Drugs 211

Payola 216

News 217

Exclusives 219

Get Down! 225

Mr. Leonard 229

The Buzzard 233

How Did That Happen? 239

The Battle Rages 242

Beat It 244

The Line in the Sand 245

Stages 251

Live Wire 253

The Legend Grows 256

The New Face of the Enemy 266

The Fight for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 269

All Aboard the North Coast Express 278

Bar Blasters, Browns, and the Revenge of the Buzzard 293

The Buzzard Droppings Hit the Fan 313

Part 4 The Changing of the Guard: 1988-1999

Baby, I Was Born to Run 335

The Numbers Game 339

Taylor Hall, Beatle Paul, and Paint Falls 350

The Buzzard Flies West 369

The Heart of Rock and Roll 377

The New Kid in Town 384

Transition 393

Enter the Inner Sanctum 401

Days of Uncertainty 405

The Long Goodbye 406

Howard Stern in Cleveland 421

Aftermath 429

The New Zoo 432

Buzzard Paloozas 434

Thirty Days in the Hole 435

Change Again 438.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 450-456) and index.

ISBN:

0873387732

OCLC:

51942379