iHeartMedia Country 99.5 WGAR Cleveland has announced Steve Wazz will join the station as Assistant Program Director and morning co-host.
Wazz, who will use just his last name on-air, joins WGAR from iHeartMedia CHR “G105” WDCG Durham/Raleigh NC where he served as APD/afternoon host. He is a native of the Cleveland suburb of Parma and has previously worked at iHeart’s “107.5 Kiss-FM” KKDM Des Moines and 101.3 KDWB Minneapolis and well as Entercom Country “Buz’n 102.9” KMNB Minneapolis.
Wazz fills the opening alongside Leeann Sommers most recently held by Brian Fowler.
iHeartMedia’s 99.5 WGAR, Cleveland’s #1 For New Country, announced today the new LeeAnn and Wazz Show, set to debut Monday, October 22. LeeAnn and Wazz will broadcast weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. EST.
Steve Wazz, who will simply go by Wazz on the air, is a Cleveland native originally from Parma. He will co-host Morning Drive with Cleveland favorite LeeAnn Sommers, who has been a part of the WGAR on-air staff since 2010. The new morning show will focus on Country music, its stars, the community lifestyle and live events that make Cleveland a favorite tour stop for Country performers.
“Bringing Wazz back home to Cleveland is an important step for WGAR as we develop a fresh new morning show for Clevelanders by Clevelanders,” said Keith Hotchkiss, President of iHeartMedia’s North Ohio Region. “We are thrilled to pair Wazz with LeeAnn Sommers who is already a fan favorite on WGAR. Wazz is not only an engaging on-air talent, but he also possesses incredible talents off-air and in the social space.”
“It’s great to be home,” said Wazz. “It’s crazy, my parents still live in the same house I grew up in, and to think I would have the opportunity to work at WGAR, is incredible. I love Cleveland, I love Cleveland sports and I love everything this city stands for. The goal of this amazing radio journey was to eventually get back home and do radio in my home town. I could not be more excited.”
Wazz left Cleveland in 2003 to start his radio career and has developed a track record for success at huge stations in Des Moines, Minneapolis and most recently Raleigh, NC where he was the Assistant Program Director and top ranked afternoon personality for G105. Wazz is also part of the iHeartCountry team and can be heard doing afternoons on various stations across the country. In addition to his new co-host role, he will also serve as the Assistant Program Director at WGAR.
Sommers went country in October of 2010 when she joined WGAR. Her Cleveland radio resume includes stints on WZJM, WENZ, 96.5 KISS FM, and WMVX. Sommers also spent five years in Denver, Colorado working on-air in middays and afternoon drive for KIMN, KWLI, and KXKL. Her television credits include entertainment reporter at WEWS and WJW, both in Cleveland.
