Rover's Morning Glory
Encyclopedia
Rover’s Morning Glory is a syndicated hot-talk radio show airing weekday mornings Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM ET
on 100.7 FM WMMS
in Cleveland, Ohio
. Hosted by Rover (Shane French), the show is distributed by Clear Channel
and features a blended discussion of current events and pop culture, targeted primarily at young (ages 18-34) male listeners. The show is syndicated on The Zone
(WZNE/94.1 FM) of Rochester, New York
.
— now WKRK
/Radio 92.3 — in March 2003. It was here that Rover created Rover’s Morning Glory, a name he thought of just days before the show's premiere, widely believed to be a double-entendre for morning wood
. The show began syndication in March 2005.
announced in October 2005 that it would use Rover's Morning Glory to fill some of the morning vacancies created by Howard Stern's
move to satellite radio
. In January 2006, Rover's Morning Glory moved its flagship station to WCKG of Chicago
, Illinois
; new affiliates included stations in Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis and Rochester. WXTM/Cleveland, Rover's former flagship, adopted the K-Rock brand
and took on a new callsign: WXRK, which continued airing Rover's Morning Glory, though now as an affiliate.
The move to Chicago was broadly considered a misstep both on the part of Rover and CBS Radio. The talk format of WCKG skewed more to an audience of 35 years or older, while Rover’s show targeted persons between the ages of 18 and 34, thus the show never gained ratings traction.
Memphis and Rochester were the only stations to remain show affiliates following the return to Cleveland.
. Rover's Morning Glory was subsequently barred from airing during the remainder of their contract with CBS. On March 17, 2008 Rover formally announced he would move the show to WMMS; the move was considered "a big blow" to WKRK/K-Rock Cleveland and "a coup" for WMMS. Rover's Morning Glory began broadcasting the show from WMMS on April 1, 2008.
WMFS, the show's Memphis affiliate since January 2006, abruptly flipped its format and dropped the show in May 2009. On January 7, 2010 Rover returned to the airwaves in Columbus, OH at WRXS after negotiating with the station for more than a year. Rover's stint in Columbus proved to be unsuccessful as WRXS would change to a gold-based 90s format that June 28th, canceling Rover's Morning Glory in the process.
, Denver
and in New York by Nick Cannon
. Rover later said "No, there was no cat out there. It was all theater of the minds."
The first RoverFest was held June 20, 2008. West 6th Street in the Warehouse District of downtown Cleveland was closed, a large stage was built, and food and beer vendors were present. A competition for girls to be in Rover's annual Miss Morning Glory Calendar was conducted as well. Approximately 10,000 people made their way through the festival, surpassing expectations.
RoverFest 2009 was held July 24, 2009 at Voinovich Park in downtown Cleveland. The event again featured a search for girls to be in the 2010 Miss Morning Glory Calendar, along with comedian Jim Florentine
, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels
from Run-D.M.C.
and the band Saliva
. A television special was taped to air on MavTV
in October 2009. The event sold out with over 10,000 people attending.
RoverFest 2011 was held August 13, 2011 in Eastlake, Ohio
at Classic Park
. Sick Puppies, Saving Abel, and Coolio performed as main acts, as well as local bands. Comedian Jim Florentine co-hosted the event along with DJ E-V. As usual, the calendar search was held, as well as skits related to the show.
in a bout billed as “War on the Shore”. Months earlier Dieter called Butterbean a fat slob on the air, and the two got into a fight in the studio. Over the next couple of months Dieter trained with a professional fight instructor for his first boxing match.
Rover worked with the City of Cleveland to shut down a street in the downtown area, had a ring erected in the middle of the road and brought in beer-vending trucks. Rover told the city he wasn’t sure how many people would attend, but guessed 750. Police estimated over 12,000 people came out to see the three-round fight, forcing the fight to start almost an hour early because of crowd control concerns.
Butterbean knocked Dieter down a number of times during the fight, but each time Dieter was able to get up before the ten-count. It ended in a unanimous decision for Butterbean on all judges’ scorecards, while Dieter suffered a broken rib.
Afterwards Butterbean expressed a great respect for Dieter’s ability to withstand the punishment given by a professional fighter, and the two became friends. Butterbean has since been in-studio and participated in other events with the show.
on October 10, 2007, the "Rover's Morning Glory" website leaked a crime scene photo taken of the gunman after his suicide. A Cleveland policeman, Walter Emerick, was later found to have taken the picture using his personal cell phone camera. Rover stated on the air it was his intent to show kids the real final result of a school-shooting (the perpetrator lying dead).
Steve Loomis, president of the Cleveland police union, claimed the picture could have been taken for legitimate evidentiary purposes.
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
on 100.7 FM WMMS
WMMS
WMMS — 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...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio 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...
. Hosted by Rover (Shane French), the show is distributed by Clear Channel
Clear Channel Communications
Clear 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...
and features a blended discussion of current events and pop culture, targeted primarily at young (ages 18-34) male listeners. The show is syndicated on The Zone
WZNE
WZNE — branded The Zone @ 94.1 — is a modern rock commercial radio station in Brighton, Monroe County, New York, broadcasting to the Rochester, New York area...
(WZNE/94.1 FM) of Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
.
WXTM - Cleveland, OH
Rover joined WXTM (92.3 FM/Xtreme Radio) of Cleveland, OhioOhio
Ohio 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...
— now WKRK
WKRK-FM
WKRK-FM — branded Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio, WKRK-FM is owned by CBS Radio and broadcasts a sports format...
/Radio 92.3 — in March 2003. It was here that Rover created Rover’s Morning Glory, a name he thought of just days before the show's premiere, widely believed to be a double-entendre for morning wood
Morning wood
Morning wood is a colloquialism referring to the phenomenon of penile erection following sleep, related to nocturnal penile tumescence.Morning wood may also refer to:*Morningwood, a rock band from New York City...
. The show began syndication in March 2005.
| Show affiliate | Callsign | Frequency | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Big Wazoo | WAZU | 107.1 FM | Columbus Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city... , OH Ohio Ohio 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... |
WCKG - Chicago, IL
CBS RadioCBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
announced in October 2005 that it would use Rover's Morning Glory to fill some of the morning vacancies created by Howard Stern's
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
move to satellite radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
. In January 2006, Rover's Morning Glory moved its flagship station to WCKG of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
; new affiliates included stations in Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis and Rochester. WXTM/Cleveland, Rover's former flagship, adopted the K-Rock brand
K-Rock
K-Rock is a common radio brand, generally carried by radio stations airing a modern rock format. CBS Radio has owned the K-Rock brand in the United States since 1986. Then known as Infinity Broadcasting, CBS acquired the K-Rock brand after purchasing noted Los Angeles rock station KROQ-FM , its...
and took on a new callsign: WXRK, which continued airing Rover's Morning Glory, though now as an affiliate.
The move to Chicago was broadly considered a misstep both on the part of Rover and CBS Radio. The talk format of WCKG skewed more to an audience of 35 years or older, while Rover’s show targeted persons between the ages of 18 and 34, thus the show never gained ratings traction.
| Show affiliate | Callsign | Frequency | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97.3 Everything Alternative WAQZ WREW is a radio station broadcasting an Adult Hits/Rhythmic AC format. Licensed to the suburb of Fairfield, Ohio, it serves the Cincinnati, Ohio metropolitan area... |
WAQZ | 97.3 FM | Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's... , OH Ohio Ohio 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... |
| The Big Wazoo | WAZU | 107.1 FM | Columbus Columbus, Ohio Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city... , OH Ohio Ohio 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... |
| Live 97.1 Free FM | WKRK | 97.1 FM | Detroit, MI Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... |
| 93X | WMFS | 92.9 FM | Memphis Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... , TN Tennessee Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area... |
| K-Rock Cleveland* *former flagship as WXTM: 92.3 Xtreme Radio |
WXRK | 92.3 FM | Cleveland, OH Ohio Ohio 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... |
| The Zone WZNE WZNE — branded The Zone @ 94.1 — is a modern rock commercial radio station in Brighton, Monroe County, New York, broadcasting to the Rochester, New York area... |
WZNE | 94.1 FM | Rochester Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City... , NY New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
WXRK, WKRI, WKRK (all formerly WXTM) - Cleveland, OH
Rover’s Morning Glory left WCKG/Chicago in August 2006 and moved the flagship back to Cleveland at WXRK: K-Rock Cleveland. The station changed its call letters twice during the show's return: first, to WKRI, as WXRK went back to its former New York station; and then to WKRK, ironically the same callsign used by Rover's former Detroit affiliate. The station continued the K-Rock branding through both changes.Memphis and Rochester were the only stations to remain show affiliates following the return to Cleveland.
| Show affiliate | Callsign | Frequency | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 93X | WMFS | 92.9 FM | Memphis Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers.... , TN Tennessee Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area... |
| The Zone WZNE WZNE — branded The Zone @ 94.1 — is a modern rock commercial radio station in Brighton, Monroe County, New York, broadcasting to the Rochester, New York area... |
WZNE | 94.1 FM | Rochester Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City... , NY New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
WMMS - Cleveland, OH
On February 15, 2008, Rover reportedly informed CBS management that he had signed a contract with cross-town rival WMMSWMMS
WMMS — 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...
. Rover's Morning Glory was subsequently barred from airing during the remainder of their contract with CBS. On March 17, 2008 Rover formally announced he would move the show to WMMS; the move was considered "a big blow" to WKRK/K-Rock Cleveland and "a coup" for WMMS. Rover's Morning Glory began broadcasting the show from WMMS on April 1, 2008.
WMFS, the show's Memphis affiliate since January 2006, abruptly flipped its format and dropped the show in May 2009. On January 7, 2010 Rover returned to the airwaves in Columbus, OH at WRXS after negotiating with the station for more than a year. Rover's stint in Columbus proved to be unsuccessful as WRXS would change to a gold-based 90s format that June 28th, canceling Rover's Morning Glory in the process.
| Show affiliate | Callsign | Frequency | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Zone WZNE WZNE — branded The Zone @ 94.1 — is a modern rock commercial radio station in Brighton, Monroe County, New York, broadcasting to the Rochester, New York area... |
WZNE | 94.1 FM | Rochester Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City... , NY New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
Stunts
Rover purportedly tied helium balloons to various objects to see how many it would take to lift them off the ground. One was supposedly a kitten, "Jinxy the Cat", which escaped on a 45-minute flight, followed closely by Cleveland television stations and prompting 911 calls from concerned listeners. The stunt was copied by radio stations in PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia 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,...
, Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and in New York by Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
. Rover later said "No, there was no cat out there. It was all theater of the minds."
Dare Dieter
Dieter began work on the show as a phone-screener. When a full-time on-air position became available, he volunteered to start a segment called Dare Dieter, in which he would do any stunt or dare submitted by listeners every Friday. Dieter said if he ever turned down a dare he would go back to phone-screening, a promise that was often held over his head during the segment by listeners. The feature was ended by Rover and CBS Radio management after Dieter suffered a serious injury and temporary paralysis during a stunt involving a barrel roll on July 13, 2007. Although it is not certain whether the segment will return, an on-air conversation between Dieter and Rover on April 1, 2008 suggested that Dieter may attempt to bring it back.RoverFest
An annual beer-drinking festival and concert to celebrate all-things-Rover.The first RoverFest was held June 20, 2008. West 6th Street in the Warehouse District of downtown Cleveland was closed, a large stage was built, and food and beer vendors were present. A competition for girls to be in Rover's annual Miss Morning Glory Calendar was conducted as well. Approximately 10,000 people made their way through the festival, surpassing expectations.
RoverFest 2009 was held July 24, 2009 at Voinovich Park in downtown Cleveland. The event again featured a search for girls to be in the 2010 Miss Morning Glory Calendar, along with comedian Jim Florentine
Jim Florentine
James "Jim" Florentine is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, comedian, voice artist, and performer...
, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels
Darryl McDaniels
-Video game appearances:*The Warriors - Scopes*Guitar Hero: Aerosmith - Himself- External links :* * * * * http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/12/entertainment/la-et-people-speak12-2009dec12...
from Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...
and the band Saliva
Saliva (band)
Saliva is an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in September 1996 and currently under Island Records. Saliva released their self-titled debut album on August 26, 1997, under Rocking Chair Records....
. A television special was taped to air on MavTV
MavTV
Mav TV is a digital cable channel, focused towards men in the 18-54 age group. It features original programming centered around topics that appeals to men, such as sports, comedies, gadgets, gaming, and women.-History:...
in October 2009. The event sold out with over 10,000 people attending.
RoverFest 2011 was held August 13, 2011 in Eastlake, Ohio
Eastlake, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,255 people, 8,055 households, and 5,557 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,166.5 people per square mile . There were 8,310 housing units at an average density of 1,299.1 per square mile...
at Classic Park
Classic Park
Classic Park is a stadium in Eastlake, Ohio, in suburban Cleveland. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Lake County Captains minor league baseball team. It was built in 2003 at a cost of $22 million and holds 7,273 people....
. Sick Puppies, Saving Abel, and Coolio performed as main acts, as well as local bands. Comedian Jim Florentine co-hosted the event along with DJ E-V. As usual, the calendar search was held, as well as skits related to the show.
Miss Morning Glory Calendar
In 2003 Rover produced his first Miss Morning Glory Calendar (for the 2004 calendar year). The show conducts a search for local, non-professional girls to be in the calendar and offers cash and other prizes to the girl who is crowned Miss Morning Glory, who gets to be featured on the calendar's cover. A large party is held for the release of the calendar (usually in November or December), which usually has all 12 girls in the calendar and everyone from the show on hand to autograph copies of the calendar.War on the Shore
On Saturday, July 16th, 2005 Dieter fought professional boxer Eric “Butterbean” EschEric Esch
Eric Scott Esch is an American heavyweight boxer, kick-boxer, professional wrestler, and mixed martial artist commonly referred to as Butterbean....
in a bout billed as “War on the Shore”. Months earlier Dieter called Butterbean a fat slob on the air, and the two got into a fight in the studio. Over the next couple of months Dieter trained with a professional fight instructor for his first boxing match.
Rover worked with the City of Cleveland to shut down a street in the downtown area, had a ring erected in the middle of the road and brought in beer-vending trucks. Rover told the city he wasn’t sure how many people would attend, but guessed 750. Police estimated over 12,000 people came out to see the three-round fight, forcing the fight to start almost an hour early because of crowd control concerns.
Butterbean knocked Dieter down a number of times during the fight, but each time Dieter was able to get up before the ten-count. It ended in a unanimous decision for Butterbean on all judges’ scorecards, while Dieter suffered a broken rib.
Afterwards Butterbean expressed a great respect for Dieter’s ability to withstand the punishment given by a professional fighter, and the two became friends. Butterbean has since been in-studio and participated in other events with the show.
SuccessTech Academy School shooting
After the SuccessTech Academy school shootingSuccessTech Academy shooting
The SuccessTech Academy shooting was a school shooting that occurred on October 10, 2007, at the SuccessTech alternative high school in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. 14-year-old freshman Asa H. Coon shot two students and two teachers before committing suicide in the fourth floor of the...
on October 10, 2007, the "Rover's Morning Glory" website leaked a crime scene photo taken of the gunman after his suicide. A Cleveland policeman, Walter Emerick, was later found to have taken the picture using his personal cell phone camera. Rover stated on the air it was his intent to show kids the real final result of a school-shooting (the perpetrator lying dead).
Steve Loomis, president of the Cleveland police union, claimed the picture could have been taken for legitimate evidentiary purposes.
Television projects
- Rover was a Cleveland BrownsCleveland 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...
pregame reporter for CBS affiliate WOIO-TV Cleveland for two seasons. He would roam the stadium parking lots partying with fans prior to the game.
- Rover was a commentator on Rover’s Fightfest TV, a mixed-martial-arts fighting program that aired on the SportsTime OhioSportsTime OhioSportsTime Ohio is a regional sports network in Cleveland and northern Ohio, launched in 2006. It was created to air Cleveland Indians games, and is owned by the family which owns the team. It is also the cable television home of the Cleveland Browns...
network.
- A pilot for a reality-TV program based on Rover's Morning Glory has been filmed and produced. It was shown at the Miss Morning Glory Calendar Release Party in 2009.
Awards and recognition
- Nominated Radio & Records Morning Show of the Year, 2005
- Winner Best Morning Radio Show Cleveland Scene Magazine 2004, 2005, 2007
- Winner Best Morning Radio Show in 2007 Cleveland Freetimes Reader's Poll
- Rover named one of Cleveland's Most Interesting People by Cleveland Magazine, January 2007
- AIR Award: Best Show, 1999