WDSJ

Infobox Radio Station
name = WDSJ


airdate = 1964 (as WDRK)
frequency = 106.5 (MHz)
area = Dayton, Ohio
format = Smooth jazz
owner = Clear Channel Communications
branding = "Smooth Jazz 106.5"
former_callsigns = WDRK (1964-1989)
WLSN (1990-1997)
WBKI (1998-2003)
WDJO (2003-2005)
slogan = "The Smoothest place on your radio"
website = http://www.daytonjazz.com | callsign_meaning = Dayton's Smooth Jazz

WDSJ (Smooth Jazz 106.5) is a radio station licensed to Greenville, Ohio and is based in the Dayton /Metropolitan Area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and plays Smooth Jazz.

Early history

WDSJ's history dates back to 1964 as WDRK "The Brightest Spark In Darke (County)" known for its upper-case "W-spark" logo(possibly inspired by a similar logo used by the former WIFE(AM) in Indianapolis) when its studios were located in Greenville, Ohio (its city of license)and was operated by Lewell Broadcasting.

The station switched from traditional middle of the road to adult contemporary in 1972 when it aired the automated "Hitparade" package produced by Drake-Chenault Enterprises throughout a good part of the 1970s. The adult contemporary format however was tweaked by switching to locally produced automation tapes before the end of the decade. It later switched to a satellite country music format in the 1980s and later an oldies format in the late 80s.

During this time WDRK was cited by the FCC in the late 1970s for leaving the transmitter unattended overnight and making false entries on its logs claiming otherwise. The station's owners fought a long battle with the FCC to keep it on the air until around 1989 when WDRK went silent and never returned to the air.

mooth jazz and easy listening WLSN

A newer station in its place emerged in 1990 as WLSN, owned by Treaty City Broadcasting airing beautiful music mixed with smooth jazz with a taller and more powerful transmitter installed north of Greenville replacing the less powerful WDRK tower on the south edge of town. Around this same time the former WHIO-FM switched from a similar format to country as WHKO "K-99.1 FM."

Buckeye Country and Jammin' Oldies

In 1997 WLSN was sold to Jacor Communications, later becoming "Buckeye Country 106.5 WBKI" in 1998 competing with WHKO until the merger with Clear Channel becoming WDJO (a call sign used previously at 1230-AM in Cincinnati) as "Dayton's Jammin' Oldies 106.5." But eventually, the late 60's and 70's rhythmic oldies format failed to attract sizeable listeners. The WDJO calls itself have since moved back to a station licensed to Florence, Kentucky serving the Cincinnati market at 1160-AM, interestingly enough as an up and coming 50's and 60's oldies station.

mooth jazz returns

When a group of listeners of the former WLSN joined together and complained about the lack of smooth jazz in the Dayton market, it was recommended that it would go back to what it was a decade earlier. Thus it became WDSJ which now enjoys a considerably large following in the Dayton market, eastern Indiana and the northern suburbs of Cincinnati since its switch to smooth jazz.

ource

* [http://home.cinci.rr.com/cincyradio/history.html Greater Cincinnati Radio Guide]

External links

* [http://www.daytonsjazz.com Official WDSJ site (with streaming audio)]
* [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WDSJ Query the FCC's FM station database for WDSJ]
* [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=WDSJ Technical information for WDSJ from Radio-Locator website]