This is the Cincinnati History section of 
The Broadcast Archive

Maintained by: Barry Mishkind - The Eclectic Engineer
Last Update 9/25/19

Cincinnati, Ohio (Market #29), is located in the heartland of the US. Cincinnati is famous for a whole lot more than a fictional radio station, WKRP. Among other things, Cincinnati was home to the most powerful AM station ever licensed in the US for broadcasting, WLW. And, there is a lot more. 

We invite you to visit, enjoy, even share some history with us.

WLW History
WLW Picture Show
VOA-Bethany site,
(being restored as a museum)

 

Cincinnati Radio 1921:

AM

833/618 WMH   Precision Equipment Co.
617 8XAA 20 W. Crosley Radio
800/1500 8YAC   St. Xavier College
800/1500 8YAD   C. M. Howe

 

Cincinnati 1938:

AM

550 WKRC Cincinnati 5/1 kW CBS CBS
700 WLW Cincinnati 50/500 kW*   Crosley Radio
1200 WCPO Cincinnati 250/100 watts   Scripps-Howard
1330 WSAI Cincinnati 5/1 kW NBC/Mutual Crosley Radio
1490 WCKY Covington, KY 10 kW NBC Red and Blue L.B. Wilson

  *At night, WLW had authority for 500,000 watts, the most ever by a US AM station!

Cincinnati 2008:

AM:

CALLS/locality kHz Power #Towers Mode Format Owner Notes
WKRC Cincinnati 550 5000 D 1000 N 2D 4N DA-2 Talk Clear Channel  
WLW Cincinnati 700 50000 1 NDA News/Talk Clear Channel Class A. Once ran with 500kw. Reds,Bengals
WONE Dayton 980 5000 1D 4N DA-N Sports Citicasters  
WDJO Florence KY 1160 5000 D 990 N 4D 3N DA-2 Oldies Christian Bsys  
WHIO Dayton  1290 5000 1D 3N DA-N   Cox  
WSAI Cincinnati 1360 5000 1D 3N DA-1 Sports Clear Channel  
WCIN Cincinnati 1480 5000 D 500 N 3D 4N DA-2 Urban Bob Cox  
WCKY Cincinnati 1530 50000 1D 4N DA-N Sports Clear Channel Class A. Day signal until Sunset KFBK. Bengals
WCNW Fairfield 1560 5000 D 1000CH 4D 2CH DA-2 Religious Baldwin  

FM:

88.3 WAIF 1.6 kW Cincinnati Great Oaks Joint Voc Sch Dist
88.3 WJVS .175 kW Cincinnati Stepchild Radio of Cincinnati
90.9 WGUC 15 kW Cincinnati Cincinnati Classical Public Radio
91.7 WVXU 26 kW Cincinnati Xavier University
92.5 WOFX 16 kW Cincinnati Clear Channel Communications 
93.3 WAKW 50 kW Cincinnati Pillar of Fire
94.1 WVMX 32 kW Cincinnati Clear Channel Communications 
94.9  WMOJ 10.5 kW Fairfield, OH Susquehanna
96.5 WYGY 19.5 kW Hamilton, OH Susquehanna  
98.5 WRRM 17.5 kW Cincinnati Susquehanna
100.9 WIZF 1.25 kW Erlanger, KY Radio One
101.9 WKRQ 16 kW Cincinnati Infinity
102.7 WEBN 16 kW Cincinnati Clear Channel Communications
103.5 WGRR 11 kW Hamilton, OH Infinity
105.1 WUBE-FM 14.5 kW Cincinnati Infinity

Cincinnati 2019:

AM:

CALLS/locality kHz Power #Towers Mode Format Owner Notes
WKRC Cincinnati 550 5000 D 1000 N 2D 4N DA-2 Talk iHeart Media  
WLW Cincinnati 700 50000 1 NDA News/Talk iHeart Media Class A. Once ran with 500kw. Reds,Bengals
WONE Dayton 980 5000 1D 4N DA-N Sports iHeart Media  
WDJO Florence KY 1160 5000 D 990 N 4D 3N DA-2 Oldies Christian Bsys  
WHIO Dayton  1290 5000 1D 3N DA-N   Cox  
WSAI Cincinnati 1360 5000 1D 3N DA-1 Sports iHeart Media  
WCIN Cincinnati 1480 5000 D 500 N 3D 4N DA-2 Urban Cox  
WCKY Cincinnati 1530 50000 1D 4N DA-N Sports iHeart Media Class A. Day signal until Sunset KFBK. Bengals
WCNW Fairfield 1560 5000 D 1000CH 4D 2CH DA-2 Religious Baldwin  

FM:

88.3 WAIF 1.6 kW Cincinnati Great Oaks Joint Voc Sch Dist
88.3 WJVS .175 kW Cincinnati Community Stepchild Radio of Cincinnati
90.9 WGUC 15 kW Cincinnati Jazz Cincinnati Classical Public Radio
91.7 WVXU 26 kW Cincinnati NPR Talk Cincinnati Classical Public Radio
92.5 WOFX 16 kW Cincinnati Classic Rock iHeart Media
93.3 WAKW 50 kW Cincinnati Christian AC Pillar of Fire
94.1 WVMX 32 kW Cincinnati Country Hits Cumulus
94.9  WREW 10.5 kW Fairfield, OH Alternative Hubbard
96.5 WNNF 19.5 kW Hamilton, OH Active Rock Cumulus
98.5 WRRM 17.5 kW Cincinnati AC Cumulus
100.3 WOSL 3.2 kW Norwood, OH Urban Blue Chip
100.9 WIZF 1.25 kW Erlanger, KY Radio One
101.9 WKRQ 16 kW Cincinnati Top 40 Hubbard
102.7 WEBN 16 kW Cincinnati iHeart Media
103.5 WGRR 11 kW Hamilton, OH Classic Hits Cumulus
105.1 WUBE-FM 14.5 kW Cincinnati Country Hubbard

 

Thanks to Jeffrey.P.Bottalico for his help on this page.