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WCOL lineup

L

localandlive

Anyone remember/know the DJ lineup from the Cool 92/Oldies 92.3 days in the early 90's. The two I remember are Michael Cruise and Kelly Quinn in the morning, and Jason Roberts in the afternoon.
 
Was Michael O'Malley perhaps there for a time? I know he was at WNCI way back in the mid-70s, but I thought he was also at some oldies station after that. Not at all sure, just throwing it out there...
 
Yeah, a Don Shannon WCOL jingle sounds familiar from those days. I think O'Malley was on the 103.1 signal in Johnstown after his WNCI days. I believe they tried the oldies format for a bit, but couldn't compete with Columbus stations on that small signal out of Johnstown.
 
Don't forget after leaving WNCI, O'Malley spent some time at 92X WXGT too, OMalley Chad and Marty, Mark the Shark was part of that show as well as I remember
 
localandlive said:
Yeah, a Don Shannon WCOL jingle sounds familiar from those days. I think O'Malley was on the 103.1 signal in Johnstown after his WNCI days. I believe they tried the oldies format for a bit, but couldn't compete with Columbus stations on that small signal out of Johnstown.
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They did, sometime in the early 90s. I could barely hear it on the Far East Side, out near Brice and Refugee, on a run of the mill radio. Better in a car, but not great to this day.
 
The "Oldies" format started dying after WCOL flipped to Country, in my opinion. Never thought 97.1 did it as well, even though they got WCOL's imaging voice guy, and Bob Simpson from Sunny 95. It was relegated to small rimshot signals from then on, WSWZ Lancaster, WNKO Newark, WYBZ Crooksville, WODB B107.9/104.3 with Saga, then the format evolved into Classic Hits.
 
As long as we're on the topic of Oldies stations...in 1986 (I believe), 99.7 became WMGG Magic 99.7 with an Oldies format. Ironically they called it "Classic Hits," which back then usually referred to a slightly poppier version of Classic Rock. That only lasted about a year, as in '87 they switched to Classic Rock (and *not* a poppier version, although for a short time they threw in a little Motown and garage-rock hits). As for 103.1 WXLE (for "Wexley," the early nickname for the development of New Albany), IIRC they were Oldies in the late 80s, and segued to Z-Rock before WCOL-FM and WBNS-FM started their Oldies stints.
 
Nu_Roo_2 said:
As long as we're on the topic of Oldies stations...in 1986 (I believe), 99.7 became WMGG Magic 99.7 with an Oldies format. Ironically they called it "Classic Hits," which back then usually referred to a slightly poppier version of Classic Rock. That only lasted about a year, as in '87 they switched to Classic Rock (and *not* a poppier version, although for a short time they threw in a little Motown and garage-rock hits). As for 103.1 WXLE (for "Wexley," the early nickname for the development of New Albany), IIRC they were Oldies in the late 80s, and segued to Z-Rock before WCOL-FM and WBNS-FM started their Oldies stints.
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WXLE left oldies when WCOL eroded their lucrative but fragile hold on the oldies market. WCOL made the switch to oldies in November of 1990 and WXLE abandoned the format in May of 91. While 103.1’s 12+ numbers were never all that great, they did do well in their target demographic. Enough so that they participated in agency buys. And made good money as long as they had no competition. Sadly the didn’t have the horse power to compete with WCOL. WBNS joined the oldies fray I believe in November of 91.
 
Wasn't 103.1 one of the first stations to start playing Spanish/Mexican music in the Columbus market? If our memories serve, quite the pioneering little signal... Back on the subject of WCOL, it's a shame they couldn't stick with oldies, especially with the 1230 AM history/legacy/connection. But I get it, gotta go where the money is. Now I have to pay for a satellite or streaming service to listen to Buddy Holly, Elvis, the Beatles, or any artist that didn't have a hit after 1970.
 


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