 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(July 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 | |
| Broadcast area | Dayton metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1290kHz |
| Branding | AM 1290 and News 95.7 WHIO |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/Talk |
| Network | CBS News Radio |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | February 9, 1935; 90 years ago (1935-02-09) |
Call sign meaning | Ohio[1] |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 14244 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000 watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°40′44″N84°7′49″W / 39.67889°N 84.13028°W /39.67889; -84.13028 |
| Repeater | 95.7 WHIO-FM (Pleasant Hill) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast |
|
| Website | www |
WHIO (1290kHz) – brandedAM 1290 and News 95.7 WHIO – is acommercialradio station inDayton, Ohio. Itsimulcasts anews/talkradio format withsister stationWHIO-FM 95.7. They are owned by theCox Media Group.[3] The studios are at the Cox Media Center on South Main Street (Ohio State Route 48) in Dayton.
WHIO is powered at 5,000watts. By day, the signal isnon-directional. But at night, to protect other stations from interference, WHIO uses adirectional antenna with a three-tower array. Thetransmitter is on East David Road inKettering.[4]
The original call letters and origin of the station was WLBW inOil City Pennsylvania. To create a new radio service in Dayton, Cox had to purchase WLBW[5] in Oil City, from the Petroleum Telephone Company.[6] Cox shut down the Pennsylvania operation and moved the radio station to Dayton.[7]
WHIO wasCox Radio's first station started by company founderOhio GovernorJames M. Cox. Itsigned on the air on February 9, 1935; 90 years ago (February 9, 1935).[8] The original studios were in theDayton Daily News building downtown, on Ludlow Street.
The station first broadcast with a power of 1,000 watts on 1260 kHz, which had been the frequency of WLBW.[9] With the enactment of theNorth American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA) in 1941, WHIO moved to its current frequency at 1290 kHz. When NARBA went into effect, 90% of all AM stations in America were forced to change frequencies.[10]
At its founding, WHIO was anNBC Red Networkaffiliate, also taking some shows from theNBC Blue Network.[11] In the 1940s, WHIO switched to theCBS Radio Network. WHIO carried CBS's line up of dramas, comedies, news and sports during the "Golden Age of Radio." Then, as network programming moved from radio to television, WHIO switched to afull service,middle of the road format of popular music, news and sports.[12]
In 1946, Cox Radio added an FM station, 99.1 WHIO-FM. At first, WHIO-FMsimulcast the AM station. But in the 1960s, it began airing abeautiful music format. And in 1989, it becameWHKO with acountry music format.
In 1949, Cox added a TV station,WHIO-TV on Channel 13 (later on Channel 7). Because WHIO had been a CBS Radio affiliate, WHIO-TV also began airing CBS television programs. WHIO-TV, along with WHIO 1290 and WHKO 99.1, have been owned by Cox since their founding.
WHIO's long history in the market included Lou Emm. Emm was a popular host of variety shows, live remote broadcasts and station promotions. He started at WHIO in the early 1940s and retired in 1992. When Emm died a few years later, all Dayton radio stations paused for a moment of silence.
Phil Donahue started at WHIO as the host of the weekday talk show "Conversation Piece" in the 1960s before his move to television and competitor Channel 2 WLWD (nowWDTN) in 1967. His show became nationally syndicated beginning in 1970. During this era, Winston Hoehner was news director at WHIO for 25 years and was a member of the OhioAssociated Press Broadcast Journalism Hall of Fame. He died in 1990.
WHIO was the originating station of a regional news network in the 1960s and 1970s which was aired late afternoons on stations in surrounding communities throughout the Miami Valley as "The DP&L News Network" (named for its sponsor,The Dayton Power and Light Company). A similar network aired in the 1990s during this same time frame as "The Newscenter 7 Radio Network".
On October 30, 2006, Cox Radio pulled the plug on the all-1980s hits format on WDPT "95.7 The Point". The FM station switched to asimulcast of WHIO's news/talk format. WDPT took the newcall signWHIO-FM. The FM station has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000 watts.
WHIO-FM strong FM signal helps the two stations cover much of south centralOhio, also reaching into EasternIndiana. The simulcast gives listeners the choice of hearing WHIO on either AM or FM.
Weekdays on WHIO-AM-FM begin withThe Miami Valley's Morning News anchored by Larry Hansgen, Brittany Otto, and Jeremy Ratliff.[13] In PMdrive time, a local talk program is heard,The Evening Edge Todd Hollst. The rest of the day featuresnationally syndicated talk programs:Brian Kilmeade and Friends,The Erick Erickson Show,The Sean Hannity Show, Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla andCoast to Coast AM withGeorge Noory. Weekends feature specialty shows on money, health, cars and gardening as well as repeats of weekday programs. The station is the Dayton Fox News Radio affiliate, however most of the news featured at the top and bottom of the hour is hosted by local anchors.
WHIO-AM-FM serve as theflagship stations forUniversity of DaytonFlyers football andbasketball. WHIO also serves as the Dayton home forCleveland Browns play-by-play football during theNFL season.
