oWOW Radio
| File:OWOW Radio logo.png | |
| City of license | Cleveland, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Greater Cleveland Northeast Ohio Worldwide |
| Branding | oWOW! Cleveland |
| Slogan | Timeless Rock |
| Frequency | n/a (Online only) |
| First air date | February 20, 2015 |
| Format | Adult album alternative (AAA) |
| Language(s) | English |
| Owner | Wow Media, LLC |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | owownow |
oWOW Radio is a commercial Internet radio station based in Cleveland, Ohio, serving primarily Greater Cleveland and surrounding Northeast Ohio. Independently owned by Wow Media, LLC, the station streams an adult album alternative (AAA) format promoted as "timeless rock". The oWOW Radio studios and offices are located at the 78th Street Studios complex in Cleveland's Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.
History
Radio programmer John Gorman, known for stints at longtime Cleveland rock station WMMS and oldies station WMJI, states he first saw potential for Internet radio in the mid-1990s. Gorman recalls growing frustrated with the radio industry at that time, citing among other things a general lack of creativity, including for online streaming.[1] He believes the success of Pandora and Spotify many years later helped establish Internet radio as a more viable alternative for radio listeners.[2][3] On February 20, 2015, oWOW Radio launched in a small, temporary studio while construction continued on what is now the current 1,600-square foot facility located at the 78th Street Studios complex in the Gordon Square Arts District, part of the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood on Cleveland's west-side.[4]
Funding for oWOW Radio was acquired through private investors, traditional bank loans, and a small business grant from city of Cleveland.[5] Serving as chief content officer, Gorman recruited former WMMS director of marketing Jim Marchyshyn to manage sales; the two function as oWOW's "principal partners". John Chaffee, formerly president of Malrite Communications, was announced as a consultant in late April 2015. Veteran local radio personalities were hired for regular on-air shifts, and illustrator David Helton, perhaps best known for designing the WMMS Buzzard, also designed the oWOW Radio logo.[2][6][7]
Although Gorman is critical of traditional radio – he compares terrestrial AM and FM stations to outdated fax machines[8] – he also believes services like Pandora and Spotify have a limited ability to serve local markets. oWOW personalities have had a say over what gets played, rather than relying on "complex computer algorithms" to pick songs, and the station itself has actively targeted Northeast Ohio listeners.[9] The local approach has been emphasized during what has been an "uphill battle" to find advertising clients.[8][10] RadioInsight.com speculates that oWOW Radio may find a "niche local audience".[11]
oWOW Radio was awarded "Best Single Streaming Webcaster" by an independent panel at the 2015 RAIN Internet Radio Awards in Atlanta, Georgia.[12]
Current programming
oWOW Radio broadcasts what Radio Ink describes as a "macro-local" playlist.[13] On-air talent include: former WMJI personality Ravenna Miceli; former WQAL morning show producer Steve Pappas; voice-over talent Chuck Matthews; and former WDJQ morning show host Charlotte DiFranco. Friday Night Live features recordings of live rock concerts.[7][14]
References
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External links
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