Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

(famous WMMS bumper sticker--surely a collector's item!)



Today's Hidden Gem: WMMS 100.7 FM


Cleveland IS the Rock and Roll Capital of the world!


We are lucky to have a plethora of radio stations ranging from rock to country to hip hop and back again which showcase a group of the most entertaining DJ's around! Each station has contributed to Cleveland's unyielding Rock and Roll Legacy!


One of the stations that surely brought Cleveland to its music prowess, in my opinion, was 100.7 WMMS!


Apparently I'm not the only one who feels this way! The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will be opening a new exhibit Friday, August 29th, commemorating the 40th anniversary of WMMS which is called 'WMMS: A Cleveland Legend Turns 40."


This exhibit opens Friday on the third floor of the Rock Hall.


WMMS hit the airwaves on September 28, 1968 and took the music industry by storm. Radio, Rock and Roll, and Cleveland have never been the same.


WMMS has a rich history of influential deejays including Denny Sanders, "Kid Leo," "Matt the Cat," "Len 'Boom Boom' Goldberg," Jeff and Flash, Billy Bass, John Gorman, Ruby Cheeks, Betty Korvan, Murray Saul, Steve Lushbaugh, Rover, Bill Freeman, T.R. and Dia Stein....just to name a few. The list is endless, really!


If you don't know what dial it's on or even recognize many of the booming voices, everyone is familiar with the notable mascot, The Buzzard!


Through the years, WMMS has racked up award after award including the prestigious honor of "Radio Station of the Year" 9 years in a row --an honor the readers of Rolling Stone Magazine bestowed on them!


WMMS was the leader in FIRSTS!! They opened the door for so many rock and roll artists including Springsteen, Rush and Roxy Music...


Jeff and Flash's "Buzzard Morning Zoo" lead the pack in morning radio....


And The Coffee Break Concert Series gave the audience a live performance mixed in with live interviews of their favorite bands....


Though there have been a number of changes over the years from deejays to owners, even to the formatting, WMMS has stayed one of the top Rock Stations in town!


Just tune into 100.7 FM....visit the new Rock Hall Exhibit.....or read up on the history of WMMS (including 'The Buzzard' by John Gorman with Tom Feran) and you, too, will see why WMMS is this week's Hidden Gem!



Information supplied by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, WMMS website and growing up a Clevelander!!!

Olympics score big numbers!

Not only did the United States win the most medals during the XXIX Olympiad with 110, but NBC scored high marks as well!

WKYC Program Coordinator, Donna Kropf, released figures for the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

She said NBC Universal tallied 214 million viewers over the 17 days!

According to Nielsen, this was the most watched event in U.S. TV history topping the Atlanta and Athens games.

Thank you, Cleveland, for tuning into our local athletes performances as well as the big name story lines! It was an exciting 17 days!!!

ALERT: Thursday night programming change

Please be aware that there will be a few programming changes on WKYC for Thursday, August 28th.

Thursday night, Channel 3 will be airing the final Cleveland Browns pre-season game.

Coverage begins at 7pm with Browns pre-game.

The Cleveland Browns-Chicago Bears football game will then air from 730pm until the conclusion of the game, which should be approximately 1030pm.

At the conclusion of the Cleveland Browns game, WKYC will go immediately to network coverage of the Democratic National Convention.

More details as they become available if there are any updates or changes! Stay tuned!!!!

Like pulling teeth!

I am currently in the midst of a very frustrating afternoon.

As an assignment editor, your disposition determines whether you have these days every day or once in a blue moon due to the nature of BEING an assignment editor!!

Assignment Editor = Problem Solver!

Fortunately, I let days like these roll off my back day in and day out or my co-workers would be carrying me out of here on a stretcher and loading me into the nearest ambulance!

Today's dilemmas (and there are many) revolve around Printer #1 and Printer #2 being busted again. You can track my whereabouts in the newsroom by following the movement of my black ink-covered hands! I feel like I am in an episode of Law and Order CI as they dust for prints!

Being alone on the news assignment desk, and trying to run a very efficient desk makes it counter-productive to continually traipse over to a working printer!


The next dilemma: I'm gathering we are trying to get a talkback or at least sound on tape for one of our night reporters from the convention. However, I am odd girl out on this one. I keep getting calls on something that I know nothing about! And when I try finding out, I get a bunch of "your call has been forwarded to audix...." responses! Very frustrating when you can not reach the people who supposedly know!?!?!


But, wait --I'm not the only one snake bit. I can not tell you how many calls I have fielded from folks INSIDE the building who were looking for someone who supposedly was INSIDE the building --to no avail!!


I just love when you answer outside calls and the person on the other end demands you find a reporter or staffer, saying it is very very important! I see the staffer standing before my very eyes, and say "I have a very important call for you" and the staffer continues talking on their cell phone or doing what they are doing......

So IS the incoming call really important or not?????? I guess I will never know!


Honestly, it has been a good day! I personally have been kicking BOOTY! I have been successfully conquering everything on MY PLATE. I have been as organized as can be, communicating to a tee and cranking out fresh story ideas, fresh updates and hopefully making our next newscast as interesting and new as it can possibly be!!


As long as I take care of my business, all is right with the world!!!!!!!


Thankfully, I don't let the frustrating dilemmas get me down! And I never will!

Big story after big story!

It has been one big story after the next.

The 16 days of the XXIX Olympiad kept everyone glued to their television screen! I could not get enough.

I had to stay up and watch the Men's basketball game for the gold LIVE.....which did not end until about 5am Sunday morning!

There is just something about the big story and being a part of it, even if it is thousands of miles away!

And barely a chance to take a breath, we are in the midst of the Democratic National Convention.

I've told you all before, I am not the biggest fan of politics but have to say, I am really looking forward to how this week unfolds.

Stay with Channel 3 News and wkyc.com as well as NBC and MSNBC for the latest developments of this huge week of news!

Glad to have Jim Donovan back, who had been off on a break for a while. What a talent. What a treat! Welcome back Jim!!!!

Weekly Feature: Hidden Gems

(Picture COURTESY: Flashes of Hope /'Kick it' websites)



Today's Hidden Gem: Flashes of Hope

I first learned of this non-profit organization, Flashes of Hope, shortly after its inception.

I had the pleasure and distinct honor of working very closely at one time and becoming good friends with one of the group's co-founders, Allison Clarke (I remember her as Allison Glovna!).

Allison, a beautiful, highly motivated, and talented young woman, championed a number of different tasks from producer to reporter to model and beyond.

When she found out her son had cancer, she and her husband, Kip, founded Flashes of Hope while their son was being treated for his cancer.

Allison has always thought outside of the box. She took her skills, experience, and many contacts and turned it all into a wonderful venture which helps so many people.

Flashes of Hope strives to help children dealing with illness, including cancer, foster positive attitudes toward their changing looks (at times) as well as their entire situation.

Allison enlisted the efforts of some of the best photographers, make-up artists, and others who she worked with during her modeling days, to volunteer their time and talents and take lasting photographs of these children.

Not only did the children have beautiful photographs of themselves they could be proud of...but if the worst occurred, and the child passed, the family had a wonderful portrait to hang onto forever!

During the photo shoots, the children's hospital rooms are transformed into a professional photography studio. This helps take the children's minds off of where they are while they are getting all dolled up and treated like little kings and queens!

The children are photographed alone as well as with their families, supporters, and favorite nurses or doctors!

Families are then given a number of photographs, proofs, and a CD of their child's photo shoot to keep forever! Due to the generosity of everyone involved, there is no cost to any of the families.



UPCOMING EVENT!!!!
This Saturday, August 23rd, the community is invited to take part in the first 'KICK IT' game at Gurney Elementary School Field in Chagrin Falls.

This event not only raises money to support pediatric cancer research but also gives hope and support to Quinn Clarke and Ava Harb, who are both fighting cancerous tumors.

The community is being asked to come out to cheer on 'Team Clarke' and 'The A Team' and play kickball or multiple other games between 1 and 4pm.

The location is 1155 Bell in Chagrin Falls.

For more details, call 216.514.7005 or email lisa@flashesofhope.org.

Everything Flashes of Hope has a hand in contributes to giving ill children and their families the dignity and courage to deal with whatever may come their way and the hope that they may be able to conquer just about anything!

Just take a look at all this group has done for children over the years and, you too, will see why Flashes of Hope is this week's Hidden Gem!


Some background information Courtesy: Flashes of Hope Website

Huge day for news, on such a sad story

This day is what you would characterize as a huge news day.


They do not come along very often through the course of the year, but are what, we as news people, live for.


This day, quite bittersweet.


All cylinders full speed ahead, adrenalin going...but the topic matter is quite sad. A Cleveland icon has passed away by tragic means.


We must report it, but that does not make it any easier.


We had all of our crews and reporters (but 2) on this breaking news story. Everyone works to gather details and various parts of the story to give our customers the very latest accurate details as quickly as possible.


I'm told (because it happened before I arrived into work) that every other station, including a few of the main networks and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, erroneously reported that Congresswoman Tubbs Jones had passed away.


I am proud to work for the station that 'reported the facts, respected the truth' and did not jump the gun with erroneous details.


We pre-empted the Dr. Phil Show to air a special 5pm broadcast with the latest information on this tragic story.


We had all bases covered. We had reporters on site at Huron Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic getting the latest on Tubbs Jones medical incident. We gathered statements from top political and religious leaders around the country. We spoke to the family spokesperson. We covered an impromptu vigil attended by friends and strangers alike....


We had numerous live guests on set at 5, 6, and 7pm...and will have others on our Thursday morning show.


The information we hoped would never come did finally arrive shortly before 7pm. We were live on the air at 7pm and were able to update our viewers with the sad news that Stephanie Tubbs Jones had passed away from her medical condition.



Again, these are the days as a news assignment editor you live for....but definitely not with this topic matter and sad outcome.....