WNCI

Infobox Radio Station
name = WNCI


area = Columbus, Ohio
branding = 97.9 WNCI
slogan = "All of Today's Best Music"
airdate = July 1961
frequency = 97.9 (MHz)
format = Top 40 (CHR)
erp = 175,000 watts
class = B
owner = Clear Channel Communications
licensee = Citicasters Licenses, Inc.
webcast = [http://www.wnci.com/cc-common/streaming_new/index.html?refreshed=yes Listen Live!]
website = [http://www.wnci.com/ www.wnci.com]
callsign_meaning = Nationwide
Communications
Inc.

WNCI (97.9 FM) is a radio station in Columbus, Ohio. Its official print brand identifier is "WNCI 97.9" in a purple oval, while the station is known on-air as "97.9 WNCI". WNCI plays mostly Top 40/CHR music, and is consistently the #1 rated station in Central Ohio by Arbitron. The station has had a hit music format since the early 1970s, making it one of the oldest continuously airing Top 40 stations still in the format. WNCI was named the Top 40 Station of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2007 for market size 26 to 100 at the national Radio & Records convention. [ [http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071119/GPG07/711190499/1273/GPGlife Other stations applaud WIXX in national radio judging] ; Warren Gerds; November 19 2007 "Green Bay Press-Gazette"; Retrieved November 19 2007]

The broadcast tower for the station is still located atop the skyscraper known as One Nationwide Plaza in Columbus, along with the transmitters for sister station WBWR. The station broadcasts with a power of 175,000 watts, which is 3.5 times what would normally be permitted. The station is permitted to do so because it was operating with a 175,000 watt power output before current Federal Communications Commission regulations were enacted. There are only 6 FM stations in the United States that operate with more power.

Programming

Mornings, the station airs the popular WNCI Morning Zoo with Dave, Jimmy Jam and Kelsey Webb. The Morning Zoo has been airing for at least 17 years now, and has had many members in the past. Such as KDWB host, Dave Ryan, Shawn Ireland now on Sunny 95 94.7 doing mornings and Alaina Sheer who now authors the blog, MsSingleMama.com at http://www.mssinglemama.com. The Morning Zoo is the most popular morning show in Central Ohio. The show is available for syndication to other stations as "Dave and Jimmy" and airs on WAKZ, WDKF, WLKT, WZKF and WLWD.

From 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight is their latest DJ on the station Maxwell. Michael McCoy aka "Food Dumpster" is Program Director.

History

WNCI started broadcasting with a classical music format in July of 1961 as WRFD-FM, sharing studios with AM sibling WRFD, east of Powell, Ohio. In 1972, WNCI moved to the sixth floor of the new Scot's Inn, at 4900 Sinclair Road. Since that time, the studios of WNCI have been relocated to various places in the Columbus area, including the Nationwide Building, The Continent, "Broadcast Lake" (a former quarry overlooked by several Clear Channel radio studios and the television studios of WSYX), and their current location at 2323 West Fifth Avenue.

WNCI is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications. Previously, the station was owned by Jacor Communications Incorporated. Jacor acquired the assets of Nationwide Communications in 1997 for $620 million. WNCI was once the flagship station for the 17 radio station group Nationwide Communications, a division of the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. In fact, the call letters NCI stand for Nationwide Communications Inc. Although owned by Clear Channel Communications, they integrate the Nationwide Insurance "Life Comes At You Fast" slogan in the station ID's. Fact|date=November 2007

Throughout much of its history, WNCI was known as "Stereo 98".

Although WRFD (AM) is still broadcasting, it no longer has any affiliation with WNCI.

Trivia

The former Scot's Inn studio site, now called "The Midwest Hotel and Conference Center", is located near The Alrosa Villa, site of the December 8, 2004 shooting spree which claimed the life of Dimebag Darrell.

References

External links

* [http://www.wnci.com/ WNCI official website]
*FMQ|WNCI
*FML|WNCI
*FMARB|WNCI