WMJI — branded
Majic 105.7 — is a commercial
radio stationRadio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to
ClevelandCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
broadcasting a
classic hitsClassic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
format. The station serves Cleveland, Akron and much of surrounding
Northeast OhioGreater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below...
.
The station was best known during the 1990s as an
oldiesOldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
station, playing songs from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. In recent years, they have switched to more of a
Classic ContemporaryClassic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
format, playing songs mainly from the '60s and '70s with a few early/mid '80s songs mixed in (shifting the '50s and some early '60s songs to their secondary
HD RadioHD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
feed, 105.7 HD-2).
Clear Channel CommunicationsClear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
has owned WMJI since 1999. Studios are located at the Clear Channel complex in the Cleveland suburb of
IndependenceIndependence is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,133.-Geography:Independence is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, while the station's transmitter resides in nearby
ParmaParma is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is the largest suburb of Cleveland and the seventh largest city in the state of Ohio...
.
History
The station was founded by
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
on December 6, 1948 as
WTAM-FM, and it simulcast the programming of sister station
WTAMWTAM — branded Newsradio WTAM 1100 — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts primarily a news/talk format...
. Both radio stations were also paired with WNBK-TV (later WKYC-TV), which signed on that same year. When NBC traded its radio and television holdings in Cleveland with Westinghouse's in
PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
on February 13, 1956, it became
KYW-FM, taking the callsign of Westinghouse's radio station.
When the NBC-Westinghouse trade was reversed on June 19, 1965, the station reverted to NBC ownership. The call letters were changed to
WKYC-FM to match those of the AM station, which kept the popular "KY" slogan and identity Westinghouse brought into Cleveland. NBC eventually sold off WKYC and WKYC-FM in 1972 to Ohio Communications, owned by
Nick MiletiNick James Mileti was, during the 1970s, the owner of the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Crusaders hockey team, the Coliseum at Richfield and radio station "3WE" WWWE AM/1100 ....
and Jim and Tom Embrescia. The station became
WWWM, and it identified itself as "M105."
"M105" originally was an easy-listening station not unlike its AM sister WWWE, minus the sports coverage and talk shows found on the AM side. But by 1975, "M105" was passed into different ownership, and the format was changed to
album-oriented rockAlbum-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
. The station used the slogan, "The Home of Continuous Music" and was programmed by long-time programmer Eric Stevens, and competed aggressively with later-sister station
WMMSWMMS — branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout much of the history of FM broadcasting...
for ratings.
WWWM and WBBG were sold to Robinson Communications, headed by famed jeweler Larry "J.B." Robinson, in 1981. The station changed to an adult contemporary format as
WMJI on July 7, 1982, nicknamed "Majic 105.7." The station was sold to Jacor Communications of Cincinnati along with AM station
WBBGWWMK — branded Radio Disney AM 1260 — is the Cleveland, Ohio affiliate of Radio Disney. Owned by ABC Radio, the station's studios are located at 175 Ken Mar Industrial Parkway in Broadview Heights, and its five-tower transmitter is located about 2.2 miles away on Snowville Road in front of I-77...
on September 19, 1984. John Lanigan began his morning show with former WHK newscaster John Webster on September 17, 1985, coming over from WGAR. He replaced husband-and-wife team Dan Deely and Kim Scott after they resigned, citing that the job had put strains on their marriage.
When WBBG dumped its big band format on October 29, 1987, it simulcast WMJI's programming for a time - and took the WMJI calls - until it was sold off. Therefore, 105.7-FM technically was
WMJI-FM for several months in 1988. When 1260 became WRDZ with a religious format, the FM station simply became
WMJI. Jacor Communications soon
LMAIn U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
'ed WMJI to Legacy Broadcasting, headed by former Malrite executive Carl Hirsch in 1988, with Legacy buying WMJI outright in 1990.
That same year, the station soon adjusted their format to rock 'n roll oldies featuring much of the music made famous by Top 40 legends
WHKWHK is the oldest radio station in Ohio, and 15th oldest in the country still broadcasting. WHK is currently owned by Salem Communications and broadcasts on 1420 kHz with a news/talk format with programming provided by the Salem Radio Network, as well as being the Cleveland affiliate for The...
and
WIXYWWMK — branded Radio Disney AM 1260 — is the Cleveland, Ohio affiliate of Radio Disney. Owned by ABC Radio, the station's studios are located at 175 Ken Mar Industrial Parkway in Broadview Heights, and its five-tower transmitter is located about 2.2 miles away on Snowville Road in front of I-77...
. WHK, which dropped the rock and roll format in the mid 1960s, had re-established itself as an oldies station in the 1980s, but had dropped that format by November 1988. WIXY was (ironically) the previous identity of former sister station WBBG, and held the same studio space that WIXY once did. In addition, much of WMJI's music library already consisted of former WIXY tapes and jingles.
An oldies station on FM seemed a natural.
John GormanJohn Gorman is a radio personality and author from Cleveland, Ohio. He has a long history in media, but most notable is his 13 years at WMMS in Cleveland. In the 1970s, his innovative marketing of WMMS turned a nearly defunct station into one of the most popular in the United States. The station...
, formerly program director of legendary Cleveland rock station
WMMSWMMS — branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout much of the history of FM broadcasting...
, was brought in to redesign WMJI as a 100% rock oldies format. Under his guidance, the station immediately posted major ratings increases and became one of the top performing stations in Cleveland.
Gorman also reunited with former WMMS artist and co-creator of the station's "Buzzard" mascot, David Helton to create a new logo and early print ads and billboards for WMJI. The "Majic 105.7" font was chosen by Gorman as a tribute to Boston's WRKO/680 AM logo in 1967, which, under the direction of Program Director Mel Phillips, was an influence on Gorman's programming.
WMJI owner Legacy Broadcasting was later renamed OmniAmerica in 1994, and sold the station to
Nationwide CommunicationsNationwide Communications Inc. was a media subsidiary of the Nationwide Insurance Company, which operated from 1946 until 1997. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Nationwide Communications owned and operated a variety of radio and television stations across the United States until it sold off all its radio...
in 1997. By then, WMJI had established consistent ratings dominance in the Cleveland market under Program Director Denny Sanders, a market legend who replaced John Gorman (who relocated to CBS in Detroit). The station was led by its highly-rated morning show featuring Lanigan, Webster, and local comedian Jimmy Malone. Webster left the station amid a health scare in 1997, while the "Lanigan & Malone Show" has remained intact ever since. During this period, WMJI achieved the highest total weekly listenership of any Cleveland radio station in the decade of the 1990s. It later became the FM flagship for
Cleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
broadcasts in 1999 through 2001.
In August 1998, Nationwide Communications merged operations with Jacor, reuniting WMJI with its former owner (and also was paired up with WTAM again, bringing the two stations' original relationship full circle). This was followed in May 1999 by Clear Channel Communications' $6.5 billion purchase of Jacor and its 454 stations, including WMJI. Denny Sanders departed WMJI in 2001, and is currently General Manager of
Telos SystemsTelos Systems is an American corporation manufacturing audio products primarily for broadcast stations. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, Telos develops, sells, and supports equipment such as telephone hybrids and on-air talkshow systems, ISDN codecs, POTS codecs, IP codecs, and audio logging...
, a Cleveland-based international broadcast equipment design company.
In May 2009, WMJI temporarily called themselves "Cavs 105.7" as the
Cleveland CavaliersThe Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
played the
Orlando MagicThe Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Not only was "Majic" removed from the station's name, but the word "magic" was censored from songs played on the station for the duration of the Cavs-Magic series. Following the series, WMJI went back to their usual branding and ceased censoring the word "magic".
http://www.wmji.com/pages/cavs1057.html
On November 16, 2011, WMJI began playing all
ChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
music; the temporary format change will last through the holiday season.
Other "Majic" Stations
The popularity of WMJI in the late 1990s allowed Clear Channel to "franchise" WMJI's format and "Majic" nickname on several FM oldies stations and one AM station, mostly in the Midwest. These stations included, at its height:
WYNTWYNT is a Hot AC station formerly located in Upper Sandusky, Ohio now located with its studios in Marion, Ohio and its transmitter and city of license moved to Caledonia, Ohio. It broadcasts music from the 80s through today as "Majic 95.9" and is part of the Clear Channel Marion cluster which...
in
MarionMarion is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Marion County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus....
, WIMJ in
FindlayAs of the census of 2000, there were 38,967 people, 15,905 households, and 10,004 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,266.3 people per square mile . There were 17,152 housing units at an average density of 997.6 per square mile...
,
WMJKWMJK is a commercial FM radio station, licensed to Clyde, Ohio, serving the Sandusky, Port Clinton, and Lake Erie Islands areas. The station broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 3,000 watts at 100.9 FM and is licensed to Clyde, Ohio; about 15 miles west-southwest of Sandusky. The...
in
SanduskySandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
,
WZOMWZOM is a radio station broadcasting a Country music format. Licensed to Defiance, Ohio, USA, the station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications....
in
DefianceAs of the census of 2000, there were 16,465 people, 6,572 households, and 4,422 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,562.4 people per square mile . There were 7,061 housing units at an average density of 670.0 per square mile...
(then also branded as "Majic 105.7"), WMKJ in
LouisvilleLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
and
WKEQWSFE is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Burnside, Kentucky, USA, the station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications and features programing from Fox News Radio and Premiere Radio Networks....
in
SomersetThe major demographic differences between the city and the micropolitan area relate to income, housing composition and age. The micropolitan area, as compared to the incorporated city, is more suburban in flavor and has a significantly younger housing stock, a higher income, and contains most of...
.
Of those stations, only
WYNTWYNT is a Hot AC station formerly located in Upper Sandusky, Ohio now located with its studios in Marion, Ohio and its transmitter and city of license moved to Caledonia, Ohio. It broadcasts music from the 80s through today as "Majic 95.9" and is part of the Clear Channel Marion cluster which...
still uses the "Majic" name and shares a similar logo to WMJI, although they changed formats to adult contemporary.
Early in November 2006, WTHZ-FM in
Lexington, North CarolinaLexington is the county seat of Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 19,953. It is located in central North Carolina, twenty miles south of Winston-Salem. Major highways include I-85, U.S. Route 29, U.S. Route 70, U.S. Route 52 ...
, a station owned by "Davidson County Broadcasting", changed formats to "Majic 94.1" - replete with a similar logo to WMJI's. This continued until March 2010, when the station changed formats.
External links