(February Rocks at ALPL) The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio

John Gorman began his broadcasting career operating a pirate radio station from the attic of his family’s South Boston home in 1962. In 1973 he moved to Cleveland to join WMMS, a small, free-form FM station which he would help turn into one of the most popular and influential rock stations in the country. During that time he also formed a national consultancy for radio stations and program syndicators.

Following his 13 years at WMMS and WHK, Gorman debuted a new radio station, WNCX/Cleveland before concentrating on his successful media consulting business, working with stations in New York, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Salt Lake City, Miami, Boston, and New Orleans. In 1989, Gorman joined WMJI/Cleveland, whose format he changed to rock and roll oldies, and brought them to the top in ratings and revenue in Cleveland. In 1994, he became Vice President of Programming for their parent company, OmniAmerica, which also
purchased WMMS and WHK/Cleveland and reunited him with the two stations he began his
Cleveland radio career with. Gorman updated the WMMS’ rock format, whose ratings had sharply declined and changed WHK’s format to sports-talk. Additionally, Gorman worked with other OmniAmerica stations throughout the U.S.

In 2007, Gorman’s book, The Buzzard, a memoir of his years with WMMS was released, which became a regional number one bestselling book. In 2014, Gorman formed WOW Media, with the intent of broadcasting radio on the internet. The following year, Gorman debuted his first station, oWOW, an adult contemporary rock station (billed as “Timeless Rock” for the 45-plus demographic), which had a six-year run but ceased broadcasting due to advertising losses during the pandemic. Gorman is currently working on a new non-profit venture, Gray Panther Media, which will integrate live and on-demand streaming services for 50+ demographic adults.