WTVN

Encyclopedia : W : WT : WTV : WTVN

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WTVN is a full-service AM radio station in Columbus, Ohio located at 610 kHz. It has news, talk, and sports programs, is the dominant AM station in the Columbus market and is consistently rated either #1 or #2 (to WNCI's #1) by Arbitron. WTVN is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications.

Although WTVN only uses 5kW of power during the day, the station can be heard as far away as Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Cleveland. At night, the signal is much more limited and can be difficult to receive even within Columbus.

There were plans to improve WTVN's signal by adding a new antenna array and increasing power to 50 kW, but these plans fell through when zoning problems could not be resolved. Ultimately, WTVN tried to claim the right to build new towers as a "public utility" but lost in court on May 12 2002 [link].

At one time, when WTVN still aired music programming, the station broadcast using C-QUAM AM Stereo. The stereo equipment was installed in 1988 but it was not until 1992 that the station operated in full stereo. Analog stereo transmissions ended many years ago. WTVN began broadcasting in HD-Radio in June 2005.

The former WTVN-TV now operates as WSYX. The former WTVN-FM now operates as WLVQ. Neither is owned by Clear Channel.

History

WTVN originally started as WBAV 640 on April 29, 1922. The call letters were later changed to WAIU, which stood for American Insurance Union. The call letters were again changed in 1945, this time to WHKC (to go with those of then commonly owned station WHK in Cleveland). Shortly thereafter, WHKC (still at 640 kHz) swapped frequencies with WHKK in Akron which was operating at 610 kHz, forming 610 WHKC. The station adopted its current call letters in the early 1950s.

Trivia

American Insurance Union owned the AIU Building (now the LeVeque Tower) in Columbus, which at the time was the tallest building in the city. Various radio facilities were located at the top of the skyscraper. American Insurance Union later became part of Nationwide Insurance, owner of Nationwide Communications - former parent company of WNCI, which is a current sister station to WTVN.

Programming

Current weekday programming on WTVN includes:

• midnight to 5 a.m.: Coast to Coast AM
• 5:35 a.m. to 9 a.m.: The Bob Connors Show
• 9 a.m. to 11:42 a.m.: The Glenn Beck Program
• noon to 3 p.m.: Rush Limbaugh (since December 1993 when Limbaugh moved from WCOL (AM))
• 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.: The John Corby Show
• 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Joel Riley
• 9 p.m. to midnight: Sean Hannity

Current weekend programming on WTVN includes:

• Saturday 6 a.m.-10:00am.: Bob Connors Saturday Open Phones
• Saturday 10 a.m.-noon: In the Garden with Ron Wilson
• Saturday Noon-1:00p.m.: The Mutual Fund Store Show
• Saturday 1:30p.m.-4:00p.m.: The Weekend with Mike McConnell
• Saturday 4 p.m.–7 p.m.: RadioDeli with Dirk Thompson
• Saturday 7 p.m.-9 p.m.: Handel on the Law with Bill Handel

• Sunday 6 a.m.-6:30 a.m.: 610 WTVN's Week in Review
• Sunday 6:30 a.m.-7 a.m.: 610 WTVN's Community Profile
• Sunday 7 a.m.–8 a.m.: Town Hall Ohio
• Sunday 8 a.m.-9 a.m.: Wall Street This Weekend
• Sunday 9 a.m.–Noon: Sports Talk with Dave Maetzold
• Sunday 12 p.m.–3 p.m.: RadioDeli with Dirk Thompson
• Sunday 5 p.m.-7 p.m.: Glenn Beck Weekend
• Sunday 7 p.m.-10 p.m.: Carla Wren
• Sunday 10 p.m.–1 a.m.: Matt Drudge

WTVN aired Dr. Laura beginning in 1994, but she was replaced with Glenn Beck shortly after 9/11. Sterling Scheissler hosted the show following John Corby until October 2004, at which time his contract ended and was not renewed.

On days when Ohio State is hosting a football game, WTVN usually airs the "Hineygate Party" at Holiday Inn on the Lane about three to four hours before the game starts. Munch Bishop, former sports director at WTVN, returns to Columbus to host his "Munch on Sports" show before Ohio State games.

The Steve "Boom Boom" Cannon late-night radio rampage left the airwaves on November 4, 2005.

Curt Boster quit in early January 2006.

External links

• [Official website]

• [Collection of Prank Calls to WTVN]

 

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