Gorman’s oWow Signing Off… For Now
• The unprecedented financial damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has done severe — and in some cases irreparable — damage to businesses across the country, including the radio industry, resulting in large-scale layoffs and other cuts across the board. Sadly, the loss of revenue from local retail stores, restaurants, events, concerts, etc. has created an untenable position for Cleveland radio icon John Gorman and crew of “Timeless Rock” outlet oWOW.radio, Cleveland’s first and most prominent commercial online radio station, which announced that, “after five and a half years of continuous broadcasting, oWOW.radio will cease streaming on Friday, October 2. Our closing exemplifies the devastating economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Gorman’s letter continued, “After much consideration and weighing several factors in our industry, we recognized that continued operation of oWOW.radio is no longer viable in this negative business environment. Since we are not in a situation to influence the uncertainty of the future, we are unable to ride out the storm.”
WOW Media, LLC was established 2014 by John Gorman and the late Jim Marchyshyn and began streaming in February 2015 with an air staff that included fellow Cleveland radio icons Ravenna Miceli and Steve Pappas. There is one ray of hope — The letter concludes by saying that the current principals of oWOW, including Gorman, Miceli, Pappas and their financial partners “will remain together to examine and pursue additional processes of returning oWOW to online and other broadcast platforms.” In the meantime, John Gorman can be reached at gman@owow.radio.
