WDOK

WDOK (102.1 MHz) – branded as Star 102 – is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio. Owned by Entercom, the station serves Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. WDOK has an adult contemporary radio format, switching to all-Christmas music for much of November and December. The studios and offices are located at the Halle Building in Downtown Cleveland.

For the Cleveland AM radio station which identified as WDOK from 1950 to 1965, see WCCR (AM). For the court, see United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.
WDOK
CityCleveland, Ohio
Broadcast areaGreater Cleveland
Northeast Ohio
Frequency102.1 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingCleveland's Star 102
SloganToday's Hits, Yesterdays Favorites
Programming
FormatAdult contemporary
SubchannelsHD2: Adult album alternative
Ownership
OwnerEntercom
(Entercom License, LLC)
History
First air date
October 4, 1954 (1954-10-04)
Former call signs
WDOK-FM (1954–65)
Call sign meaning
OKay[1]
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID28525
ClassB
ERP12,000 watts
HAAT306 meters (1,004 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
41°22′58″N 81°42′07″W
Links
Public license information
Profile
LMS
WebcastListen live (via Radio.com)
Websitestar102cleveland.radio.com

WDOK has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 12,000 watts. The transmitter is off Hawthorne Drive in Parma.[2] Besides a standard analog transmission, WDOK broadcasts using HD Radio technology and is available online via Radio.com.[3] The HD-2 digital subchannel carries an album adult alternative format.

History

Beautiful Music

The station signed on as WDOK-FM on October 4, 1954, simulcasting its sister station, WDOK 1260 AM. Eventually, WDOK-FM originated its own programming and featured a beautiful music format. It featured quarter hour sweeps of mostly instrumental cover versions of popular adult hits, as well as Broadway and Hollywood show tunes.

On December 12, 1965, the AM station changed its call sign to WIXY and adopted a Top 40 format. That allowed FM 102.1 to drop the FM suffix, now identifying as WDOK. The station was branded "Stereo Cleveland", with the slogan "Beautiful Music for the Lands of the Western Reserve."

Station personalities included Wayne Mack, the founder of WDOK's beautiful music format and producer of the many memorable monthly odes and station breaks that he composed and set to music; Ken Nordine (the famous voice of Word Jazz), Tom Armstrong, previously the morning host at WGAR AM in the 1940s and 50s; and David Mark, who also worked for Cleveland market "beautiful music" stations WQAL, WKSW, WJW (AM), and WDBN. The station was programmed by Peter Irmiter and Neil Hershberger after the station was no longer automated.

By the 1980s, WDOK had come under common ownership with WWWE 1100 AM. Both stations were sold on November 30, 1987 by Lake Erie Radio Company, owned by Art Modell and Al Lerner, to the Independent Group Limited partnership, owned by Tom Embrescia, Larry Pollock, and Tom Wilson.

Soft Rock 102.1

By the mid-1980s, WDOK's beautiful music format had brightened to a more contemporary flavor, with more vocals being played and the instrumental selections reduced. Vocal artists included James Taylor, Elton John, Madonna and Lionel Richie. Ratings remained high. But the audience was getting older, while advertisers usually seek young to middle aged customers. WDOK made the final and complete switch to a soft adult contemporary format in 1987 with Sue Wilson as program director.

The station promoted its new AC format with TV commercials announcing that it was "coming out of the elevator" (as in "elevator music"). WDOK initially positioned itself midway between beautiful music (which continued for a few more years on former easy listening rival 104.1 WQAL) and the mainstream AC format played on 106.5 WLTF and 105.7 WMJI.

New 102/Star 102

On January 9, 2012, WDOK debuted a new and more up tempo playlist (going from soft AC to more mainstream Adult Contemporary), re-branding as "The New 102". A new logo and imaging accompanied the changes.[4] On November 13, 2012, WDOK moved from its longtime studio home at One Radio Lane, off East Saint Clair Avenue in Downtown Cleveland, to the Halle Building on Euclid Avenue, also Downtown.

Sister station WQAL joined WDOK in the move, bringing all four CBS Radio stations in Cleveland located in the same building.[5]

On December 19, 2012, longtime WDOK morning host "Trapper" Jack Elliot announced that the station had opted not to renew the contracts of both he and cohost Jim McIntyre, much to the dismay of many listeners.[6] On April 3, 2015, WDOK rebranded as "Star 102".[7]

Entercom ownership

On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with Entercom.[8] The merger was approved on November 9, 2017, and was consummated on the 17th.[9][10]

Christmas music

Traditionally, WDOK plays Christmas music throughout the holiday season under the brand "Christmas 102", usually beginning around mid-November.[11] In December 2018, after the station did their annual switch to all Christmas music, WDOK decided to stop playing the well-known 1944 Christmas song Baby, It's Cold Outside, saying the lyrics seemed inappropriate in a time of the #MeToo movement, with increasing sensitivity and awareness of sexual manipulation and harassment of women.[12][13] The station's move sparked national, and even international, attention and controversy.[14][15]

Current programming

The weekday schedule includes WDOK personalities Jen Toohey and Tim Richards (mornings), Liz Campbell (middays), Glenn Anderson (afternoons),[16] and Chelsea Lyons (evenings).[17]

The HD2 digital subchannel broadcasts an adult album alternative format under the brand "The Coffee Shop".[18]

References
  1. WebMasters, Mike Olszewski (2002-03-04). "Cleveland, Ohio Broadcast Radio Archives Project". Cleve-radio.com. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
  2. Radio-Locator.com/WDOK
  3. http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=70 Archived 2015-09-27 at the Wayback Machine HD Guide for Cleveland
  4. "Cleveland's New 102". New102.cbslocal.com. 2013-04-06. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
  5. "New 102 Is Moving Tomorrow, Kory Remembers One Radio Lane « Cleveland's New 102". New102.cbslocal.com. 2012-11-12. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
  6. "Trapper Jack Elliott, Jim McIntyre cut from WDOK". WKYC-TV. 2012-12-19. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
  7. Venta, Lance (April 3, 2015). "WDOK Cleveland Rebrands As Star 102". RadioInsight.com. Radio BB Networks. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  8. CBS Radio to Merge with Entercom
  9. "Entercom Receives FCC Approval for Merger with CBS Radio". Entercom. November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  10. Venta, Lance (November 17, 2017). "Entercom Completes CBS Radio Merger". Radio Insight. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  11. "Cleveland's New 102 Becomes Christmas 102". AllAccess.com. All Access Media Group. November 14, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  12. "Star 102 Abruptly Stops Playing This Christmas Song. Here's Why". Star 102. 2018-11-27. Retrieved 2018-12-04.
  13. Maglio, Tony (2018-12-01). "Radio Station Yanks 'Baby It's Cold Outside' in Support of #MeToo Movement". www.thewrap.com. Retrieved 2018-12-04.
  14. Cant, Ash (2018-12-02). "Baby It's Cold Outside: Christmas carol banned from radio station". www.news.com.au. Retrieved 2018-12-04.
  15. Van Evra, Jennifer (2018-12-03). "Radio station pulls Baby, It's Cold Outside from airwaves, sparks internet firestorm | CBC Radio". CBC. Retrieved 2018-12-04.
  16. "Jeremiah :: Afternoons 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM « Cleveland's New 102". New102.cbslocal.com. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  17. "Jen Toohey & Tim Richards Reunite As 'Jen And Tim In The Morning' « Cleveland's New 102". New102.cbslocal.com. 2013-02-14. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
  18. "Stations | More Music. More Stations. More Features. Digital Sound. No Subscription". HD Radio. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
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