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WMMR

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WMMR is a hard rock radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93.3 MHz FM. The station is one of the most recognized rock music stations in the United States.

WMMR is held in high esteem by its listening audience and by many rock music bands and musicians for its influential role and longevity in American rock radio. It is widely recognized as the leading rock station in one of the nation's largest markets.

Rolling Stone magazine, in its annual ranking of best rock music stations, has consistently ranked WMMR among the top such stations in the nation and several times as the best such station.

Contents

WMMR tag line

WMMR's tag line, which appears on station advertising and is mentioned periodically by station DJs, is: "93.3 WMMR Everything That Rocks" and, sometimes, "Philly's First Rock Station." also "MMR Rocks". In the past they have used "WMMR, the home of rock and roll."

History

WIP-FM was the initial broadcaster at this frequency, starting on April 20, 1942. It simulcast its WIP-AM twin's programming, which was Middle of the road (MOR) music.

The station changed its call letters to WMMR sometime around 1966; they signified the station's owner, MetroMedia Radio. The MOR format was still being used, but with different programming than the AM side, although the AM disc jockeys' announcements were used for both stations.

Beginning in 1968 WMMR began adopting a progressive rock radio format, similar to that of several Metromedia-owned stations including New York's WNEW-FM (these two stations had a close relationship, ran the similar promotions, and sometimes featured each other's disc jockeys on the air) and Cleveland's WMMS.

WMMR's most influential disc jockey during the 1970s was Ed Sciaky, who was known for playing and boosting the careers of new artists such as Billy Joel and Yes. Most of all he introduced Bruce Springsteen to Philadelphia, and decades later the city remains one of Springsteen's strongest fan bases and the scenes of many of his best-received concerts. Other alumni include two National Public Radio hosts: David Dye, still a local radio personality and host of the syndicated World Cafe, and Nick Spitzer, now a New Orleans resident and host of American Routes. John DeBella was the morning drive disc jockey of most note, while some WMMR jocks such as Dave Herman and Carol Miller would later became more famous on New York stations. Late 1970s morning and midday personality Dick Hungate would in 1981 create and implement the nation's first classic rock format at another Philadelphia station. As with almost all progressive rock radio stations, over time WMMR morphed into an album-oriented rock format, and in the early 1990s leaned towards classic rock.

A breakthrough station

Throughout its existence, WMMR has broadcast live rock music shows and interviewed leading rock music stars. In addition to the role it played in expanding the mainstream audience of Springsteen, Billy Joel, and Yes, the station has helped elevate many other leading rock bands. It was one of the first East Coast stations to play acts such as the Grateful Dead, U2, and Van Halen. The station also has featured local, Philadelphia-area rock music acts, such as The Hooters and George Thorogood, helping promote them to national status within the music industry. The station also has heavily promoted the grunge rock band Pearl Jam; at 10pm every night during the week it plays a set of Pearl Jam songs in what the station calls "The Ten Club." While Pearl Jam is known as a Seattle band, WMMR was one of the stations that gave it broad, East Coast exposure and played a role in the band's breakthrough popularity. It is a very popular WMMR segment among listeners.

WMMR currently programs itself as a Mainstream Rock station, to complement co-owned WMGK's classic rock format, which more typically plays classic rock from the 1970s and caters to a slightly older demographic.

Competition

The Philadelphia rock radio landscape changed drastically in the year 2005, when most of the stations that competed with WMMR for listeners changed formats. One of WMMR's primary competitors was WYSP, which broadcasts at 94.1 MHz FM. WYSP played more heavy metal rock music than WMMR. However, with the departure of Howard Stern in January of 2006, WYSP was changed to the hot talk-based Free FM format by parent company CBS Radio. This made WYSP an all-talk station during the daytime, although the station still plays rock at night. Though the stations still tend to attract from the same demographic, WYSP's current format means it can no longer properly be considered a competitor of WMMR.

Y100 was another competitor to WMMR, but it too disappeared in 2005 when it was replaced at the 100.3 frequency with WPHI.

The station also competes in the Philadelphia marketplace with sister station WMGK, which broadcasts at 102.9 MHz FM. WMGK plays classic rock, though its listening demographic tends to be older than that of WMMR and WYSP.

On-air schedule

A picture of the entire WMMR staff from the 1988 cover of Rolling Stone magazine; WMMR was voted the country's "Best Radio Station". The picture includes former staff members, such as "John DeBella and the Morning Zoo", and Lyn Kratz. The picture also includes current staff members, such as Pierre Robert.
Enlarge
A picture of the entire WMMR staff from the 1988 cover of Rolling Stone magazine; WMMR was voted the country's "Best Radio Station". The picture includes former staff members, such as "John DeBella and the Morning Zoo", and Lyn Kratz. The picture also includes current staff members, such as Pierre Robert.

Weekdays

Weekends

Specialty Programming

External links

FM radio stations in the Philadelphia market
By frequency: 88.1 | 88.1 | 88.5 | 88.7 | 88.9 | 89.1 | 89.1 | 89.3 | 89.5 | 89.5 | 89.7 | 90.1 | 90.9 | 91.5 | 91.5 | 91.7 | 91.7 | 91.7 | 92.5 | 93.3 | 93.7 | 94.1 | 94.5 | 94.9 | 95.7 | 96.5 | 97.1 | 97.3 | 97.5 | 98.1 | 98.9 | 99.5 | 99.9 | 100.3 | 101.1 | 101.5 | 102.1 | 102.9 | 103.3 | 103.9 | 104.5 | 105.3 | 106.1 | 106.9 | 107.9
By callsign: WBEB | WBEN | WBMR | WBYO | WCUR | WDAS | WDBK | WDNR | WGLS | WHHS | WHYY | WIOQ | WJBR | WJJZ | WKDN | WKDU | WKXW | WMGK | WMMR | WNJS | WOGL | WPEB | WPHI | WPPZ | WPRB | WPST | WRDW | WRDV | WRNB | WRSD | WRTI | WSJI | WSNI | WSRN | WSTW | WTHK | WUSL | WWLU | WXHL | WXPN | WXTU | WXVU | WYBF | WYSP | WZZE
See also: List of radio stations in the Philadelphia market

 

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