Smooth Jazz WNWV To Flip To Triple A

Smooth Jazz Goes Boom!

ELYRIA-LORAIN BROADCASTING Smooth Jazz WNWV (THE WAVE)/CLEVELAND plans to flip to Triple A "within the next 10 days," reports THE CHRONICLE TELEGRAM. Expect to see THE WAVE to then be called, "BOOM!"

"We've been the Smooth Jazz station for 22 years, but we are going to flip formats," ELYRIA-LORAIN BROADCASTING GM LONNIE GRONEK. "There is a hole for this ... no one is doing it in the CLEVELAND market.

"Most other commercial stations are owned by large national corporations such as CLEAR CHANNEL, CBS, RADIO ONE and SALEM COMMUNICATIONS," GRONEK continued. "They can't maneuver locally. They tend to plug in formats in CLEVELAND and 20 to 30 other markets, so you're hearing pretty much the same format with a different set of call letters."

The stations will bring in "seasoned announcers" to man the dayparts. "These are people who have been in or around radio for 18 to 20 years,’’ GRONEK said. "They are a very mature staff for an adult-focus station."

In fact, the station’s staff is expected to increase with the format switch. "It won’t be a large number, but it will mean more work for more people," he said.

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