WMMO
Encyclopedia
WMMO is a Cox Radio
station in Orlando, Florida
, broadcasting at 98.9 FM with an Adult Hits
format. The station signed on as WEZO in 1990 before taking its current callsign. Previous owners of this station include Infinity Broadcasting, Granum Communications, and Radio Orlando L.P., a partnership controlled by Jim Martin.
for better coverage. This was the original planned location for WMMO's transmitter, but a breakdown in negotiations with WHTQ's former owner, John Tenaglia, forced the change of location to SunBank Center. The station derives its call letters from WMMS
in Cleveland, Ohio
. The founding programmer and chief engineer, Cary Pall, was reported to have been a fan of WMMS, and secured the call letters to honor the longtime Cleveland rock station. WMMS and WMMO are owned by different companies, and have been owned by different companies throughout their histories despite several ownership changes for each station. The two stations also feature different radio formats.
WMMO is known for its pioneering format, Rock AC, that blended elements of adult contemporary, adult alternative and album rock radio. Its creators sought to bring back a listening experience similar to early FM rock stations of the late 60s and 70s, focusing on music rather than contests and promotions. A popular slogan in its early days was, "if you want to win money, play the lottery." WMMO used a wide ranging playlist of songs from many genres, and its library stretched from the mid 60s to the present day, unlike many stations of its time that focused on small slices of music from specific genres. WMMO also made a promise to always identify songs by title and artist frequently, and to never talk over the music as it played, as many Top 40 stations and DJs like to do. "We love the music as much as you do" was another slogan pioneered by WMMO that has been copied widely in the radio industry ever since.
90 days after signing on, WMMO was ranked number one in adult listeners in the Orlando market, and was among the ratings leaders in Orlando for its first four years. In the mid 90s, management changed and the station shifted to a more aggressive playlist of new "progressive" music. Ratings fell dramatically until, in 1996, Cox Radio took over and, for the most part, returned the format to its original Rock AC roots. WMMO has regained its leading position in the market ever since.
In 2008, longtime personalities Jerry Steffen and Jay Francisco were let go. Steffen was at WMMO for 18 years and Francisco for 14 years.
Cox Radio
Cox Radio, Inc. is a division of Cox Enterprises that holds a number of radio stations. Cox Radio is headquartered at 6205 Peachtree Dunwoody Road in Sandy Springs, Georgia....
station in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, broadcasting at 98.9 FM with an Adult Hits
Adult hits
Adult hits is a radio format, popular in the early 2000s, that does not adhere to a specific music genre, but instead draws from a wider playlist...
format. The station signed on as WEZO in 1990 before taking its current callsign. Previous owners of this station include Infinity Broadcasting, Granum Communications, and Radio Orlando L.P., a partnership controlled by Jim Martin.
History
WMMO signed on August 19, 1990 as one of only two radio stations in the world broadcasting from a fully enclosed transmit antenna. The station broadcast from the top of Orlando's SunBank Center (now the SunTrust Center), Orlando's tallest building. When Cox Communications purchased WMMO and WHTQ, the station moved to WHTQ's former tower in Pine HillsPine Hills, Florida
Pine Hills is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area of Orange County, Florida, United States . It is part of the Greater Orlando metropolitan statistical area. The population was 41,764 at the 2000 census. In 2007, the population was estimated to be 49,222...
for better coverage. This was the original planned location for WMMO's transmitter, but a breakdown in negotiations with WHTQ's former owner, John Tenaglia, forced the change of location to SunBank Center. The station derives its call letters from 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
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland 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...
. The founding programmer and chief engineer, Cary Pall, was reported to have been a fan of WMMS, and secured the call letters to honor the longtime Cleveland rock station. WMMS and WMMO are owned by different companies, and have been owned by different companies throughout their histories despite several ownership changes for each station. The two stations also feature different radio formats.
WMMO is known for its pioneering format, Rock AC, that blended elements of adult contemporary, adult alternative and album rock radio. Its creators sought to bring back a listening experience similar to early FM rock stations of the late 60s and 70s, focusing on music rather than contests and promotions. A popular slogan in its early days was, "if you want to win money, play the lottery." WMMO used a wide ranging playlist of songs from many genres, and its library stretched from the mid 60s to the present day, unlike many stations of its time that focused on small slices of music from specific genres. WMMO also made a promise to always identify songs by title and artist frequently, and to never talk over the music as it played, as many Top 40 stations and DJs like to do. "We love the music as much as you do" was another slogan pioneered by WMMO that has been copied widely in the radio industry ever since.
90 days after signing on, WMMO was ranked number one in adult listeners in the Orlando market, and was among the ratings leaders in Orlando for its first four years. In the mid 90s, management changed and the station shifted to a more aggressive playlist of new "progressive" music. Ratings fell dramatically until, in 1996, Cox Radio took over and, for the most part, returned the format to its original Rock AC roots. WMMO has regained its leading position in the market ever since.
In 2008, longtime personalities Jerry Steffen and Jay Francisco were let go. Steffen was at WMMO for 18 years and Francisco for 14 years.