WERE

Broadcast area	Cleveland, Ohio
Branding	News/Talk 1300 WERE-AM
Slogan	The People's Station
First air date	1949
Frequency	1300 (kHz)
Format	Urban News/Talk
Power	5,000 watts
Class	B
Callsign meaning	Lake E R i E or: "W e ' r e Cleveland!"
Affiliations	Syndication One USA Radio Network
Owner	Radio One
Website	www.1300were.com

WERE is an AM radio station in Cleveland, Ohio operating on 1300 kHz with studios in downtown Cleveland. It uses the on-air slogan "The People's Station," and features an urban news/talk format. The majority of WERE's shows are syndicated by station owner Radio One. Image File history File links WERE_logo. ... Nickname: The Forest City Motto: Progress and Prosperity Location in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Cuyahoga Founded 1796 Incorporated 1836 Mayor Frank G. Jackson (D) Area    - City 82. ... Look up Slogan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Sine waves of various frequencies; the bottom waves have higher frequencies than those above. ... A kilohertz (kHz) is a unit of frequency equal to 1,000 hertz (1,000 cycles per second). ... A radio format or programming format describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. ... Nominal power is a measurement of a mediumwave radio stations output used in the United States. ... The watt (symbol: W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one joule per second. ... This is the list of broadcast station classes. ... Call sign can refer to different types of call signs: Airline call sign Aviator call sign Cosmonaut call sign Radio and television call signs Tactical call sign, also known as a tactical designator See also: International Callsign Allocations, Maritime Mobile Service Identity This is a disambiguation page — a navigational... The USA Radio Network is a syndicator of talk radio programming established in 1985. ... Radio One, Inc NASDAQ: ROIA is an African-American owned U.S. company which owns and operates 69 radio stations in 22 American cities, and programs a channel on XM Satellite Radio. ... A website (or Web site) is a collection of web pages, typically common to a particular domain name or subdomain on the World Wide Web on the Internet. ... AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using Amplitude Modulation. ... Nickname: The Forest City Motto: Progress and Prosperity Location in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Cuyahoga Founded 1796 Incorporated 1836 Mayor Frank G. Jackson (D) Area    - City 82. ... A kilohertz (kHz) is a unit of frequency equal to 1,000 hertz (1,000 cycles per second). ... Radio One, Inc NASDAQ: ROIA is an African-American owned U.S. company which owns and operates 69 radio stations in 22 American cities, and programs a channel on XM Satellite Radio. ...

History

Early years

Unlike most stations of its time, WERE actually first broadcast on the FM band in 1948 at 98.5 MHz. WERE (AM) came online at 1300 kHz a year later. Both stations lasted under common ownership for the next fifty years, as WERE-FM primarily simulcast the programming of its more popular AM sister station over the next 24 years, where it went into separate programming as WGCL. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A megahertz (MHz) is one million (106) hertz, a measure of frequency. ... Events February 22 - Jubilee of Pope Boniface VIII. March 10 - Wardrobe accounts of King Edward I of Englanddo (aka Edward Longshanks) include a reference to a game called creag being played at the town of Newenden in Kent. ... A kilohertz (kHz) is a unit of frequency equal to 1,000 hertz (1,000 cycles per second). ... WNCX is Clevelands only classic rock radio station. ...

During the 1950s, WERE was the first popular Top 40 station in the market, spearheaded by now-legendary personalities like Bill Randle, "Captain" Carl Reese and Ronnie Barrett. It obtained a construction permit in the mid-1950s for WERE-TV on channel 65, but the television station never made it on the air. The 1950s was the decade spanning from the 1st of January, 1950 to the 31st December, 1959. ... Top 40 is both a record chart and a radio format based on frequent repetition of songs from a constantly-updated list of the forty best-selling singles. ... (L-R) Bill Randle, Tommy Edwards, Elvis Presley and Bill Black October 20, 1955 Bill Randle (March 14, 1923 - July 9, 2004) was an American disc jockey, lawyer and university professor. ...

In the 1960s, the station was a middle-of-the-road radio station with personalities that included sportcaster Bob Neal in morning drive, the team of Jeff Baxter and Jack Riley in afternoon drive, and Bill Gordon with a nightly talk show from his apartment on East 30th Street. From 1951 until 1972, WERE was the flagship station for Cleveland Indians radio broadcasts. The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Jack Riley (December 30, 1935—) is a comedic actor probably most recognizable as the irrascible character Elliot Carlin from Bob Newharts first TV sitcom, The Bob Newhart Show. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... This article is becoming very long. ...

People Power era

Starting in 1972, WERE adopted an edgy talk radio format, with controversial hosts, including Gary Dee (Gary D. Gilbert), Merle Pollis and Joel Rose. Gary Dee's populist-redneck style combined with his morning drive-time slot to make him Cleveland's top-rated talk host, leading him to answer each on-air call "This is Gary Dee, Number One in Cleveland." Pollis, who was ultraliberal, had the show right after Dee's. The station used the brand "People Power." 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Gary David Gilbert, (born 1935, died November 10th, 1995) on-air name Gary Dee, was a pioneer in controversial talk radio. ...

Around spring 1975, the station's finances got rocky as it was bought out by city-council president George Forbes and other unspecified investors. They turned it into an all-news station that completely lacked the drawing power its immensely-popular talk shows had brought it. Eventually, WERE moved back into an all-talk format, which it more or less maintained for the rest of the century. Forbes (left) with Dennis Kucinich (right) in the late-1970s. ...

During the 1980s, the station underwent a number of changes in ownership, to Metropolis Broadcasting on August 25, 1986, and then on September 22, 1988 to Metroplex Communcations, headed by veteran local broadcasters Norman Wain and Bob Weiss. WERE was a charter affiliate for Rush Limbaugh's national talk show in 1989 (WWWE AM 1100, now WTAM, picked up the program in June 1990), and still had a variety of local hosts throughout the balance of the day. While easily accessible in downtown Cleveland and in the eastern suburbs, WERE's position in the Cleveland market has been hampered by a directional broadcast signal that misses the fast-growing suburbs just to the west of Cuyahoga County. August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 22 is the 265th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (266th in leap years). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rush Hudson Limbaugh III (born January 12, 1951) is an American radio talk show host. ... WTAM is an AM radio station in Cleveland, Ohio broadcasting on 1100 kHz with 50,000 watts. ...

Brokered programming era

On September 1, 1994, Metroplex Communications sold WERE and sister station WNCX FM 98.5 (along with the rest of Metroplex's stations in Florida and New York) to Clear Channel Communications. Soon after, WERE disbanded its local news department, cancelled all local talk programming, and took on a format featuring mostly brokered programs. Here, a radio producer would purchase blocked time from the station, and then produced the program, sold commercial air time, and keep the profit. As a result, the programming was very diverse. September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... WNCX is Clevelands only classic rock radio station. ... This article is about the company. ...

Select programs on WERE during this period ranged from "America's Workforce" (labor issues in the Cleveland area), to "The Gay 90's" (homosexual and diversity issues) to "Talking Books" (interviews with literary figures), to "Those Antique Guys" (appraisials and commentary on antiques).

One of the most popular shows on WERE during this period was the 'Your Music' Show, a daily weekday block of a variety music from the 1940's through the 1970's programmed by Jim Davis, who also served as an on-air host from 1-3pm (after illness took Carl Reese off the air), followed by Ted Hallaman from 3-5pm after WRMR 1420-AM signed off permanently in July 2004. The 'Your Music' Show was sponsored by the Original Mattress Factory and aired from August of 2004 through January 2006 when the WERE daytime format was changed. WRMR was, in different incarnations from 1985 to 2004, a big band / pop standards station in Cleveland, Ohio. ...

Later years

On April 29, 1999, WERE and WENZ 107.9-FM were spun off by the Clear Channel-Jacor merger to Lantham, Maryland-based Radio One. WNCX was sold to Infinity Broadcasting, which is today CBS Radio. This marked the first time in the 50-year history of the two, that WNCX and WERE were no longer affiliated. WENZ changed formats from modern rock to mainstream urban as "Z-107.9" shortly afterward, while WERE stuck with the profitable brokered format until 2006. WENZ, also known as Z107. ... Clear channel stations are AM radio stations that are designated as such so that only one or two 50,000 watt powerhouses operate at night on each designated frequency, covering a wide area via sky wave propagation. ... Jacor Communications, Inc. ... Radio One, Inc NASDAQ: ROIA is an African-American owned U.S. company which owns and operates 69 radio stations in 22 American cities, and programs a channel on XM Satellite Radio. ... WNCX is Clevelands only classic rock radio station. ... CBSs first color logo, which debuted in the fall of 1965. ... CBS Radio Inc. ... WNCX is Clevelands only classic rock radio station. ... WENZ, also known as Z107. ... Modern rock is term commonly used to describe a rock music format found on commercial radio stations. ... 2006 (MMVI), a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Today, WERE, programmed by Jim Davis, carries an urban talk format geared toward black audiences from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays, with a locally based morning show offering news, traffic, sports and weather hosted by broadcasting veteran Ronnie Duncan, supported by news veteran Greg Anthony and sports with Mark Smith. Ronnie Duncan is an American former public address announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association. ...

The rest of WERE's daytime schedule consists of a line-up of urban talk programming that was rolled out by Radio One's "Syndication One" service on January 30, 2006. These programs are hosted by author, professor and minister Michael Eric Dyson (10 a.m.–1 p.m.), the Rev. Al Sharpton (1 p.m.–4 p.m.), and the "2 Live Stews"—a.k.a. brothers Doug and Ryan Stewart—who offer sports talk and celebrity buzz (4 p.m.–7 p.m.). Radio One, Inc NASDAQ: ROIA is an African-American owned U.S. company which owns and operates 69 radio stations in 22 American cities, and programs a channel on XM Satellite Radio. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI), a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dr. Michael Eric Dyson serves as Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania. ... Al Sharpton Alfred Charles Al Sharpton Jr. ... 2 Live Stews is a nationally-syndicated sports talk radio show hosted by Doug and Ryan Stewart; the show originates from WQXI in Atlanta, Georgia. ...

The brokered programs continue in the evening after 7:00 p.m. and on weekends. Long-running ethnic programs also continue throughout the day on Sunday.

There had been several reports that Radio One and WERE may air ESPN Radio programming in evening and overnight hours, to supplement Good Karma Broadcasting daytime outlet WWGK's sports/talk format as "ESPN Cleveland". The arrangement had been hinted on WWGK's website, though a companion logo was since removed. There has been no official word from WERE's station management that such an arrangement was even attempted, and WWGK's owners ended up purchasing WKNR in December 2006. ESPN Radio is a national sports radio network in the United States launched on January 1, 1992. ... WWGK is an AM radio station in Cleveland, Ohio operating only during the daytime hours on 1540 kHz. ... This article is about radio station WKNR in Cleveland, Ohio. ...

Programming

Weekdays

• 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.: The Ronnie Duncan Morning Show
• 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.: Paid Programming
• 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.: Michael Eric Dyson
• 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Rev. Al Sharpton
• 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: The 2 Live Stews
• 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.: Various Programming or Best of Ronnie Duncan
• 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.: The Last Round (Mon-Thurs only)
• 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.: USA Radio Network

Dr. Michael Eric Dyson serves as Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania. ... Reverend Al Sharpton The Reverend Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. ... 2 Live Stews is a nationally-syndicated sports talk radio show hosted by Doug and Ryan Stewart; the show originates from WQXI in Atlanta, Georgia. ... The USA Radio Network is a syndicator of talk radio programming established in 1985. ...

Sundays

• 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.: The International Hour with Pete Catavolos
• 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.: The Slovak Program with Milan Kobulsky & David Iley
• 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.: The Polish Program with Eugenia Stolarczyk
• 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.: Roman Catholic Mass from St. John's Cathedral, Cleveland
• 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: The Irish Program with Pat Coyne
• 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.: The Sounds of Croatia with Zdravco Belancic
• 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Czech Voice of Cleveland with Frank Moravcik
• 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.: God's Saving Word with Sister Juanita Sheeley and Dr. Juan Hernandez
• 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: The Asian Hour with Anthony Yen
• 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.: The Grecian Touch with Tula Spirtos
• 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.: Paid Programming
• 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: Prime Time Polkas with Richie Krzynowek
• 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.: The Ukrainian Program with Katerina Nemyra

Sports

• Cleveland affiliate for University of Akron football and basketball.

The University of Akron is an institution of higher learning located in Akron, Ohio. ... Look up Football in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005. ...

External links

• Query the FCC's AM station database for WERE
• Aerial photo of WERE transmitter from Google Local