WLW

Infobox Radio Station
city = Cincinnati, Ohio
name = WLW


area = Cincinnati, Ohio (AM)
United States (SDARS)
branding = NewsRadio 700 WLW
slogan = "The Big One"
"or:" "The Nation's Station"
airdate = March 2, 1922
frequency = 700 kHz HD Radio
XM173
format = News/Talk
power = 50,000 watts
class = A
Satellite Radio Station
affiliations = ABC Radio News
Reds Radio Network
Bengals Radio Network
Bearcat Radio Network
Xavier University
WLWT-TV
callsign_meaning = "World's Largest Wireless"
"
owner = Clear Channel Communications
(Jacor Broadcasting Corporation)
website = [http://www.700wlw.com www.700wlw.com]
facility_id = 29733
coordinates = coord|39|21|11|N|84|19|30|W|type:landmark_region:US|display=inline,title|

WLW is a clear channel radio station located in Cincinnati, Ohio, run by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasting on 700 kHz AM. The station's programming also airs all across the United States on XM Satellite Radio channel 173. Like most commercial talk stations, WLW has a delay system to remove anything obscene from the airwaves, but the XM feed of the station is uncensored, as is the online stream.

WLW airs a nearly entirely locally-produced talk format, and is the flagship station for three nationally syndicated shows: America's Trucking Network (formerly The Truckin' Bozo), a popular nationwide, overnight program especially for truckers; "Live on Sunday Night" with Bill Cunningham; and "The Weekend with Mike McConnell". McConnell and Cunningham also host weekday programs on the station. "America's Trucking Network" is syndicated by Clear Channel Syndication; the others are syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks.

In addition, WLW is the flagship radio station for the Cincinnati Reds, and a co-flagship station for Cincinnati Bengals football. WLW has a 24-hour local news department, and is affiliated with ABC Radio and Hearst-Argyle's WLWT-TV (the former TV sister to WLW). WLW was also affiliated with Paul Harvey until May 2008.

The WLW studios are in the Towers of Kenwood building next to I-71 in the Kenwood section of Sycamore Township and its transmitter is located in Mason.

The station frequently uses its nickname, "The Big One", as a tagline (since copied by sister stations WTAM in Cleveland and WWVA in Wheeling). It also uses the original tagline, "The Nation's Station", which is mainly used today to refer its broadcast coast-to-coast on XM Satellite Radio.

History

The station was started on March 22, 1922 by radio manufacturer Powel Crosley Jr. and operated by the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation until the 1960s when it became Avco Broadcasting until the mid 1970s. Powell owned a number of enterprises including the Crosmobile, a refrigerator/freezer company, and for many years he held ownership of The Cincinnati Reds baseball club. Powell was innovative, personally inventing or funding the development of many cutting-edge (for their time) technological advances in all his ventures. From that point until the 1990s, WLW had different owners which included Queen City Communications, Mariner Communications, Seven Hills Broadcasting and finally Jacor Communications before its merger with Clear Channel.

Prior address - In the late 70's through 1989 700 WLW's downtown studios were located at 3 East 4th Street. What is now the National City Bank tower in downtown Cincinnati.

From 1989–2005 WLW was located in Mt. Adams, a trendy neighborhood overlooking downtown. The address was 1111 St. Gregory Street. WLW was originally on the 4th floor where it shared studios with sister station WEBN. In 1992 as Jacor started to consolidate stations the 5th floor was taken over to house HR and Traffic Departments along with new studios for 550 WLWA formerly WKRC Radio. In 1994, the failed attempt at a second version of WLW became 550 WCKY. The name of the station has returned to 55KRC. In 1995, Jacor moved all of its stations into the Mt. Adams facility leasing the entire building.

"The Nation's Station"

WLW currently broadcasts using 50,000 watts of power, the maximum allowed for an AM clear channel broadcaster under current FCC rules. For about six years, WLW experimented with broadcasting at 500,000 watts, the first station in the world to do so (during initial testing under the callsign W8XO, then as WLW when regular programs began with the higher overnight power). It stopped in 1939 because of complaints from around the United States and Canada that WLW was overpowering other stations as far away as Toronto. Many reports have surfaced over the years of the power fluctuations from those who lived near the transmitter. People would see their lights flicker in time to the modulation peaks of the transmitter. The signal was so overpowering it was widely reported some people actually picked up WLW radio on the metal coils of mattress and boxed bedsprings, similar to KDKA-AM in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The high power broadcasts led WLW to call itself "The Nation's Station", a slogan renewed with WLW's inclusion on XM Channel 173 on 2006-03-01, giving it a signal coverage that extends throughout the continental United States. WLW also broadcasts using the HD-Radio digital system.

WLW powered up to higher wattage a few times during World War II in order to send special broadcasts to American troops in Europe, but has not broadcast regular programming at 500 kW since. However, the 500 kW transmitting equipment was used by the US government for broadcasting to Cuba early in the Kennedy administration.

After sundown, the 50 kW signal can be heard across much of the eastern half of the United States and Canada, and as far west as Denver, CO. In 1985 overnight host Dale Sommers received a call from Hawaii on his overnight program. It is believed WLW can be heard, regularly, in at least 38 U.S. states at night, and the station refers to this in some advertising.

The station's first 50 kW transmitter, made by Western Electric, is still functional and sees occasional service, including on December 31, 1999, when it was powered up and helped to bring WLW into the new year on January 1, 2000. The station's unusual diamond-shaped antenna (designed and erected by Blaw-Knox Tower company) is one of eight still operational in the United States and is featured on the official seal of the City of Mason.

WLW carries games of the Cincinnati Reds, which makes it among the last of the Clear Channel AM radio stations to carry live Major League Baseball games. Similar stations WJR in Detroit, WSB in Atlanta, KMOX in St. Louis, and KDKA in Pittsburgh have all lost their respective team's broadcast rights in recent years. KNBR in San Francisco is an example of a Clear Channel AM radio station that still broadcasts baseball, being the voice of the San Francisco Giants.

Former personalities

The station claims many well-known alumni, including Merle Travis, Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney, Ruth Lyons, Bob Braun, Wally Phillips, NBC sportscasters Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels, longtime "Sportstalk" hosts Bob Trumpy and Andy Furman, former morning host Bill Wills (now with WTAM), Dale Sommers (better known as the "Truckin' Bozo"), J. R. Gach (who was fired for referring to Japanese as "yellow monkeys"), Gary Burbank (comedy talk host, impressionist, and creator of the nationally syndicated Earl Pitts monologues) and former Clear Channel radio CEO Randy Michaels.Rod Serling, the creator of the classic TV series "The Twilight Zone", worked for WLW from 1950-51 producing historical documentaries, community profiles and commercials, before leaving to pursue other opportunities in the broadcasting industry.

Randy Michaels is credited for developing WLW from an MOR signal into a successful all-local talk station in the early 1980s. Much of WLW's lineup has remained intact for several years. 700 WLW today is one of the only stations left with original 24 hour locally produced programming.

Network affiliations

Along with other Clear Channel talk stations, WLW switched from ABC Radio to Fox News Radio. However, on June 26, 2006, a realignment of network affiliations by Clear Channel's Cincinnati AM stations reunited WLW with ABC Radio. (WKRC (AM) picked up Fox News Radio, while WCKY (AM) took CBS Radio.)

Not included in the rearrangement was ABC Radio commentator Paul Harvey. WLW continued to carry Harvey's commentaries through all the changes, although after extended absences, Harvey was dropped by WLW in April 2008.

WLW clones

A short lived attempt at a WLW clone was WLWA, airing on the 550 frequency in Cincinnati, from 1992 to 1994.

In 1997, WLW owner Jacor purchased 700 KFAM in Salt Lake City. As a joke, they changed the call letters to KWLW and even began to air programming such as The Truckin' Bozo on the station. The call letters and format stayed on the station until 1999. That station is now known as KALL and carries a sports radio format.

ource

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

External links

* [http://www.700wlw.com Official station website (with streaming audio)]
* [http://members.aol.com/jeff1070/wlw.html History of WLW, Cincinnati, by John Price, 1979]
* [http://hawkins.pair.com/wlw.shtml WLW Transmitter Page]
** [http://www.hawkins.pair.com/wlw500schematic.shtml Simplified Schematic of the 500 kW transmitter]
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