WCIN

[Interstate 78]

WCIN is a great sounding station. great to hear smooth jazz back on radio in the area. i don't live in the immediate area but enjoy listening online.

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

Regardless of its format over the years, WCIN has never had the watt-power to be heard very well in the Cincinnati market; particularly at night. Unless you are right in the immediate area of its transmitter, there doesn't even seem to be much of an amplification to its sound. It's kind of an unfortunate for a station that has been on the air here for over 50 years and has never changed its call-letters.

 

[Time Traveler]

I haven't listened to the station in over 40 years, but when I lived in Cincinnati, back in the mid-60s, I recall that the 5000 watt daytime signal at that time was reasonably good. The 500 watt night time signal left alot to be desired and wasn't much better than WCPO's meager night time power of 250 watts...

 

[uppendowndadial]

They get a lot of online listening.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

I haven't listened to the station in over 40 years, but when I lived in Cincinnati, back in the mid-60s, I recall that the 5000 watt daytime signal at that time was reasonably good. The 500 watt night time signal left alot to be desired and wasn't much better than WCPO's meager night time power of 250 watts...

I remember standing at Pippin & Springdale in the early 70's & seeing their towers in the distance, but there was no trace of them there. The daytime signal with those very tall towers (for the high end of the dial) did a good job. It was a major loss the day they left that site.

 

[darksoldier]

[/quote]I remember standing at Pippin & Springdale in the early 70's & seeing their towers in the distance, but there was no trace of them there. The daytime signal with those very tall towers (for the high end of the dial) did a good job. It was a major loss the day they left that site.
[/quote]

Out of Curiosity...Where were the towers in the early 70's that they were seen from Pippin and Springdale?

 

[Arbitorn]

The former towers were in Avondale as far back as I can remember. Four that were the same height and a tiny one. Springdale and Pippin is a pretty high spot.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

I went to Roger Bacon High School for a year in the mid 60's & the towers were visible from that general area. Seems as though when you were approaching the school on the main road that runs off of Spring Grove, the towers were on the right and past Vine Street. Forgive the lack of better detail, but after 40 years (30 of which has been away from Cincinnati), my recollections are far from perfect. It seems that the studios were located with the transmitter...I think I recall a camera in front of the transmitter so that the operator could observe the transmitter from the control room. I also recall lots of kids playing near the studio ready to run up to the building & win contest prizes in person. T'was a pretty cool station in the day...

Side note...the old towers live on...200' of one is the STL tower at WJCP 1460, North Vernon,IN and another 200' are used as the antenna at WZZB 1390, Seymour,IN. I was there when Charlie Barber put them up...chances are good Charlie dismantled them from the old site.

 

[darksoldier]

The former towers were in Avondale as far back as I can remember. Four that were the same height and a tiny one. Springdale and Pippin is a pretty high spot.

Rather than flat out dispute, I thought I would question....I only remember them being on Glenwood Avenue in the 70's and being moved to their present site in 94 which is just of eastbound CC Hwy at Drake Hospital. Having lived in Pleasant Run in those days, I dont remember EVER seeing those towers from that far out (Pippin & Springdale), but then again, I wasn't exactly looking for them either. I do however remember the studio and transmitter/tower being at the Glenwood address.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

The former towers were in Avondale as far back as I can remember. Four that were the same height and a tiny one. Springdale and Pippin is a pretty high spot.

Rather than flat out dispute, I thought I would question....I only remember them being on Glenwood Avenue in the 70's and being moved to their present site in 94 which is just of eastbound CC Hwy at Drake Hospital. Having lived in Pleasant Run in those days, I dont remember EVER seeing those towers from that far out (Pippin & Springdale), but then again, I wasn't exactly looking for them either. I do however remember the studio and transmitter/tower being at the Glenwood address.

For some reason 106 Glenwood Avenue sticks in my mind. I saw the facility as a teenager only a year or so into my budding radio career at WAKW in College Hill. I was far from seasoned in the business, but do recall the station looking pretty old. That leads me to believe it was there well before 1967.

Pippin & Springdale (a mile or so east of Northgate Mall) is a high spot & in 1972, there were few towers & a lot less light polution in general. I remember being amazed at the distance I saw them from...but now that I look at a map, it was about 7.8 miles. Not hard to see four 350' or so towers that far in hindsight. Radio history...hated to see that decent signal downgraded. I heard that the property became so valuable that it was sold to build new homes on...was that the real story?

 

[knowbetter]

The former towers were in Avondale as far back as I can remember. Four that were the same height and a tiny one. Springdale and Pippin is a pretty high spot.

Rather than flat out dispute, I thought I would question....I only remember them being on Glenwood Avenue in the 70's and being moved to their present site in 94 which is just of eastbound CC Hwy at Drake Hospital. Having lived in Pleasant Run in those days, I dont remember EVER seeing those towers from that far out (Pippin & Springdale), but then again, I wasn't exactly looking for them either. I do however remember the studio and transmitter/tower being at the Glenwood address.

For some reason 106 Glenwood Avenue sticks in my mind. I saw the facility as a teenager only a year or so into my budding radio career at WAKW in College Hill. I was far from seasoned in the business, but do recall the station looking pretty old. That leads me to believe it was there well before 1967.

Pippin & Springdale (a mile or so east of Northgate Mall) is a high spot & in 1972, there were few towers & a lot less light polution in general. I remember being amazed at the distance I saw them from...but now that I look at a map, it was about 7.8 miles. Not hard to see four 350' or so towers that far in hindsight. Radio history...hated to see that decent signal downgraded. I heard that the property became so valuable that it was sold to build new homes on...was that the real story?

I would doubt those towers could have been seen from that area... The toweres were 106 Glenwood Ave, and they were nestled on the hillside behind the station, the hills were what I would call rolling, I think the bases were adjusted to get the four towers the same height. Then there was a shorter dogleg tower there also, making five in total.. Those towers were definately in a valley, I don't remember being able to see them from most of the surrounding streets, although you could see them from the interstate Mitchell avenue exit, for just a few seconds.. You had to be close.

Actually, I did just look at a map... and I do remember seeing some towers looking down the hill from proctor and gambles research area... and the WCIN towers seem right.. but I remember Three towers, and they seem to have been in a row...which WCIN's were not... Could they have been something else there, in Elmwood place??? I'll ask my brother?

I do think you could probably see the WCET tower if you were looking in that general direction, and maybe some of the other TV towers. Or possibly the Daly road towers (WSAI)

I definitely remember the building being in use in 1964, I was in elementary school, and went there on a tour, Jimmy Wonder, Bob ??, Lil Abraham, and others come to mind, Also Sonny Burns as GM, I remember the HNIC Burns sign on his desk, he was very amused that I didn't know what that meant.

My grandmother lived next to Buggs Scruggs, (which is probably one of the reasons I got hooked on this silly business, and that house was really close to the Glenwood address, It was a fairly recent installation, so it probably was build around 62 or 63.. Something around the Kennedy assassination seems to be the date they moved?? I do remember before that WCIN was in Evanston

Also remember the transmitter installation, they were recent for the time, RCA's, ad a very nice setup. I think I do remember the camera there too, and the studio was fairly close proximity to the transmitters, there was a 5000 watt one, and a smaller 1 kw.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

The former towers were in Avondale as far back as I can remember. Four that were the same height and a tiny one. Springdale and Pippin is a pretty high spot.

Rather than flat out dispute, I thought I would question....I only remember them being on Glenwood Avenue in the 70's and being moved to their present site in 94 which is just of eastbound CC Hwy at Drake Hospital. Having lived in Pleasant Run in those days, I dont remember EVER seeing those towers from that far out (Pippin & Springdale), but then again, I wasn't exactly looking for them either. I do however remember the studio and transmitter/tower being at the Glenwood address.

For some reason 106 Glenwood Avenue sticks in my mind. I saw the facility as a teenager only a year or so into my budding radio career at WAKW in College Hill. I was far from seasoned in the business, but do recall the station looking pretty old. That leads me to believe it was there well before 1967.

Pippin & Springdale (a mile or so east of Northgate Mall) is a high spot & in 1972, there were few towers & a lot less light polution in general. I remember being amazed at the distance I saw them from...but now that I look at a map, it was about 7.8 miles. Not hard to see four 350' or so towers that far in hindsight. Radio history...hated to see that decent signal downgraded. I heard that the property became so valuable that it was sold to build new homes on...was that the real story?

I would doubt those towers could have been seen from that area... The toweres were 106 Glenwood Ave, and they were nestled on the hillside behind the station, the hills were what I would call rolling, I think the bases were adjusted to get the four towers the same height. Then there was a shorter dogleg tower there also, making five in total.. Those towers were definately in a valley, I don't remember being able to see them from most of the surrounding streets, although you could see them from the interstate Mitchell avenue exit, for just a few seconds.. You had to be close.

Actually, I did just look at a map... and I do remember seeing some towers looking down the hill from proctor and gambles research area... and the WCIN towers seem right.. but I remember Three towers, and they seem to have been in a row...which WCIN's were not... Could they have been something else there, in Elmwood place??? I'll ask my brother?

I do think you could probably see the WCET tower if you were looking in that general direction, and maybe some of the other TV towers. Or possibly the Daly road towers (WSAI)

I definitely remember the building being in use in 1964, I was in elementary school, and went there on a tour, Jimmy Wonder, Bob ??, Lil Abraham, and others come to mind, Also Sonny Burns as GM, I remember the HNIC Burns sign on his desk, he was very amused that I didn't know what that meant.

My grandmother lived next to Buggs Scruggs, (which is probably one of the reasons I got hooked on this silly business, and that house was really close to the Glenwood address, It was a fairly recent installation, so it probably was build around 62 or 63.. Something around the Kennedy assassination seems to be the date they moved?? I do remember before that WCIN was in Evanston

Also remember the transmitter installation, they were recent for the time, RCA's, ad a very nice setup. I think I do remember the camera there too, and the studio was fairly close proximity to the transmitters, there was a 5000 watt one, and a smaller 1 kw.

I was curious to know what this 8.19 mile path from Pippin & Springdale to 106 Glenwood Avenue looks like. Delorme Topo 5.0 to the rescue. Pippin & Springdale is about 904' above mean sea level (AMSL). 106 Glenwood is about 610', placing it in a valley, although not in the lowest part of the valley. The lowest spot is almost to the railroad tracks north of Spring Grove Avenue. If the towers were 350' tall (that number is from memory & very near to 5/8 wave at 1480), that would put the beacons at 960' AMSL. The highest point between is 875' in North College Hill. During the cold winter night of early 1973 I recall with no leaves on the trees, there was nothing physical to block the view of the tower beacons from that location. Another mile north & it wouldn't have happened. My memory is of 4 towers in a row with their tops equal in elevation. That part is a 40 year old recollection...take that part of the equation for what it's worth...

 

[uppendowndadial]

from AllAccess:
Also filed with the FCC, a receiver is selling Smooth Jazz WCIN-A/CINCINNATI to AMERICAN BROADCASTING, LLC out of bankruptcy. Receiver ROBERT L. COX is transferring the station to the buyer pursuant to a court order after no other bids were submitted for the station, which was owned by J4 BROADCASTING before the receivership.

 

[CatFM]

I don't know anything about who owned the land at the former transmitter site or how much it might have been worth, but a friend who was an engineer in Cincinnati told me that site could no longer be used because it was on a hillside and there was a lot of land slippage going on that was messing up the ground system. The damage was so bad, everything would have needed to be rebuilt to get it to pass proof, and it just wasn't economically viable for a stand alone AM. His speculation was that even if it was rebuilt, which it was, it would be moved to a different site (which it also was) so there wouldn't be any future problems of that kind.

 

[JerryK]

WCIN was infact at 106 Glenwood Ave. The four 5/8th wave (419 ft) towers and a 81 degree (150) tower were on the hill to the north of the studios. They used two of the big boys and the little one durng the day and the four tall ones at night. The night pattern threw everything to the SW, the ERP was 2500 watts.
Before the days of Bob Hudson, Tom Knox, Larry Dailey, Dennis Grant, Tom Hankerson and the crew, Eddie Castleberry and Bugs Scruggs held court down on Beekman St. where the studio and tower were located when CIN was 1 kw day only. After Robert Roundsaville bought the station the upgrade came.
The late Rev. Abraham Issac Jacob Swanson the 12th was the pastor of the Bibleway Church of God in Christ on Reading Rd in Avondale. Lil Abe did an hour from 5-6 in the morning then came back for another hour at 10am.

 

[knowbetter]

WCIN was infact at 106 Glenwood Ave. The four 5/8th wave (419 ft) towers and a 81 degree (150) tower were on the hill to the north of the studios. They used two of the big boys and the little one durng the day and the four tall ones at night. The night pattern threw everything to the SW, the ERP was 2500 watts.
Before the days of Bob Hudson, Tom Knox, Larry Dailey, Dennis Grant, Tom Hankerson and the crew, Eddie Castleberry and Bugs Scruggs held court down on Beekman St. where the studio and tower were located when CIN was 1 kw day only. After Robert Roundsaville bought the station the upgrade came.
The late Rev. Abraham Issac Jacob Swanson the 12th was the pastor of the Bibleway Church of God in Christ on Reading Rd in Avondale. Lil Abe did an hour from 5-6 in the morning then came back for another hour at 10am.

yep, true, and thanks for the memories... I remember most of them well, and remember a broadcasting school TKO was setting up, after he left the station...

thanks

 

[darksoldier]

The late Rev. Abraham Issac Jacob Swanson the 12th was the pastor of the Bibleway Church of God in Christ on Reading Rd in Avondale. Lil Abe did an hour from 5-6 in the morning then came back for another hour at 10am.

Little Abraham could be tardy from time to time, but he is quite alive, and stilll the Sr. Pastor at Bibleway.

 

[major]

So what's going to happen now that the station has been purchased? What was the selling price?

 

[RadioBill]

I remember WCIN's "Tiger Radio" days in the early-mid 1960's. If I recall, WCPO was not rockin'&rollin' at the time and 1480 picked up quite a few listeners that were tired of WSAI. Does anybody remember an afternoon drivetime jock by the name of Smoochy Causey, or something like that? Or perhaps he was on WDAO.

 

[Time Traveler]

I remember WCIN's "Tiger Radio" days in the early-mid 1960's. If I recall, WCPO was not rockin'&rollin' at the time and 1480 picked up quite a few listeners that were tired of WSAI. Does anybody remember an afternoon drivetime jock by the name of Smoochy Causey, or something like that? Or perhaps he was on WDAO.

I remember that WCIN did seem to play some Top 40 cross over music during that period...enough so that I did pay some attention to them. However, I don't recall any period in the early-mid 60s, that WCPO wasn't rockin & rollin...right up to the end...