Ohio Beautiful Music Roll Call

[xmusicmatt]

Back to small town Michigan and Ohio: Too bad there's scant few of the county-seat stations anymore. Hard to believe the FCC let Cumulus move WVMO, then as WTWR, to Luna Pier (which actually was where the transmitter was), then move the studios into Toledo and essentially not have a local identity anymore. That, plus AM560 having studios in Detroit, means a rather large population between-market county like Monroe County really has no local radio.
Goldilocks

Didn't WTWR move its studios back into Michigan?

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

There should also be a mention of WQMS at 96.7-FM in Hamilton, Ohio. The call-letters stood for "Quality Music Station". It featured what might now be called "Beautiful Music" with minimal interuption for station ID's which were voiced by an older-sounding gentleman. On Saturday nights in the early 1960's, WQMS featured recordings by: Guy Lombardo, Freddy Martin and Eddy Howard.

My mistake with one of the bands I mentioned here. On Saturday nights in the early 1960's, WQMS played music by Guy Lombardo, Jan Garber (not Feddy Martin) and Eddy Howard. Now I've corrected this.

 

[ChrisInMI]

Goldilocks,

One of the "county seats" you mentioned - Adrian - still does have an excellent local radio station in 103.9 FM WLEN. They are still live and local around the clock except for a few nationally syndicated programs on the weekends like "Magic of the '80s" and the weekend version of John Tesh, and are still committed to superserving Lenawee County with local news, sports etc. (No, I don't work there... but it is my favorite commercial radio station.) A little bit farther away in Hillsdale there's also WCSR, but they switch to Dial Global's AC format at night and on weekends... but when they are local they sound undisputably small-town.

Tower 98 is once again trying to be a Monroe station but the magic just isn't there as before Cumulus took over. Cumulus is still programming its ultra-bland and vanilla variety of CHR there. And since the tower moved south into Ohio, Monroe is now on the fringe of the station's main coverage area, instead of the heart of it. Smile FM at 88.1 (WDTR) doesn't count as a Monroe station as the programming comes 100% from Lansing, and AM 560 is based in Detroit, which means that the closest thing Monroe has to a true local station is WYDM Dream 97.5, owned by the school district but operated by Monroe Community College, and its miniscule signal is already fading by the time you get to the city limits.

 

[johnbasalla]

As mentioned previously, North East Ohio was a hotbed for BM. WDBN ("The Quiet Island") from Medina came in loud and clear, just as the Country format of WQMX does on that frequency today. Other Cleveland area BM stations would include the short-lived WKSW "Kiss-FM" at 99.5 which is now Country WGAR. On AM from 1968-1973 WHK, AM-1420 had a Beautiful Music format. WDOK and WQAL (whose calls remain) were BM competitors back then, now both owned by CBS. The one that comes closest to still doing it is the former WBEA 107.3 FM in Elyria. They are now WNWV, and play "Smooth Jazz" with some pop added. The "Smooth Jazz" impresses me as the modern version of BM, at least to some degree.

 

[nightfly61]

WDOK 102.1-Cleveland
WQAL "Easy 104"-Cleveland
WBBG-Cleveland(but they were more big band)
CKLW-Windsor went BM for a while before flipping to talk. Both decisions a crying shame from what it was thru the '70's.
WBEA-107.3 Elyria
WRKG-1380 AM, Lorain-but were CHR some of the '70's.

 

[gr8oldies]

I remember CKLW doing Music of Your Life but not BM.

 

[FredRichards]

One of the "county seats" you mentioned - Adrian - still does have an excellent local radio station in 103.9 FM WLEN. They are still live and local around the clock except for a few nationally syndicated programs on the weekends like "Magic of the '80s" and the weekend version of John Tesh, and are still committed to superserving Lenawee County with local news, sports etc.

Is Doug Spade still at that station? I imagine he has long moved on, but back in the "old days" he was quote the pro and really a team player of that station.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Warm 98 was beautiful music...it was WLQA-FM

And before that it was WAEF, owned by Al & Ed Fishman...therefore the AEF. Beautiful Music under those calls in the late 60's...

 

[doug41160]

There was WMRN-FM 106.9, Marion, "the most beautiful sound around" and sometimes referring to themselves as "Stereo Marion". This station was heard in offices and work places as far north as Findlay!!
also, WBCQ-FM 92.7 in Bucyrus
WVNO-FM 106.1 Mansfield
WLQR-FM 101.5 in Toledo

We talked about Top 40, now since there recently was a topic about beautiful music on one of the other boards, it did get me thinking about how many big and small Ohio stations carried that format. There were a few BMers that had their own little quirks.

Some I'm familiar with:

WHIO-FM Dayton (started in the 60s or earlier, had live personalities such as Gary Calvert.)
WPTW-FM Piqua (WPTW AM Piqua and WPTW-FM Piqua Troy Ohio)
WMVR-FM Sidney (very cheaply run using three extra large carts and the AM operator would throw a switch, interrupting the song whenever there was an asterik on the log in order to simulcast the spot
WOGM Bellefontaine
WWEZ Cincinnati
WDBN, Medina (had a rather long slogan as I recall, ending with "and all the way back again")
WBEA Elyria
WLQR (?) Toledo
WBNS-FM, Columbus
WAEZ, Akron
I'm sure there are tons more

 

[Larry the radio guy]

WRWR at Port Clinton was BM for years so was WLEC Fm for a short time now WCPZ. WNRR at Bellevue was beautiful music days and rock nights for a while in the late 70's. WFRO Fm would break away from the AM for automated BM. WLKR at Norwalk was BM in the 60's. WAWR now WRQN at Bowling Green was BM days and rock at night in the late 60's. WEOL fm at Elyria was BM. WVNO at Mansfield was BM for years. I believe WRFD FM Columbus was BM and classical at one time before becoming WNCI. WTOL FM became WCWA FM both doing BM before the change to WIOT and progressive rock. I believe WFIN FM in Findlay did BM but was one of the first to do progressive rock at night.

 

[Ken Gustafson]

Springfield, Ohio

I worked in radio in Springfield when FM started growing and AM was going to rock music. The joke was that FM stood for "fine music" and AM stood for "awful music"". When FM started doing rock, some thought it marked the end of civilization.

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

I worked in radio in Springfield when FM started growing and AM was going to rock music. The joke was that FM stood for "fine music" and AM stood for "awful music"". When FM started doing rock, some thought it marked the end of civilization.

There was a time when some AM rock stations simulcast 100-percent of their programming on an FM frequency. In many cases, it did enable them to be heard over a wider area especially at night. Some I recall were WCPO and WSAI in Cincinnati; WONE in Dayton and WKEE in Charleston, West Virginia.