WTOD (FM)

WTOD
City Delta, Ohio
Broadcast area Toledo metropolitan area
Branding 106.5 The Ticket
Frequency 106.5 MHz (also on HD Radio)
First air date August 1, 1994 (August 1, 1994) (as WBUZ)
Format Sports Talk
ERP 4,800 watts
HAAT 111.9 meters
Class A
Facility ID 67275
Transmitter coordinates 41°30′49.2″N 83°50′59.8″W / 41.513667°N 83.849944°W / 41.513667; -83.849944 (NAD83)
Callsign meaning originally used on the current WWYC, whose dial position (1560 kHz) was regarded at the time as the Top Of the AM Dial
Former callsigns WUIA (1990)
WMHE (1990–1994)
WBUZ (1994–2000)
WRWK (2000–2009)
WLQR-FM (2009–2016)
Affiliations ESPN Radio
Ohio State IMG Sports Network
Owner Cumulus Media
(Cumulus Licensing LLC)
Sister stations WKKO, WLQR, WRQN, WMIM, WQQO, WXKR, WXKR-HD2/W265CB
Webcast Listen Live
Listen Live via iHeart
Website 1065theticket.com

WTOD is a radio station licensed for Delta, Ohio on 106.5 MHz and part of the Toledo radio market. It uses the nickname "106.5 The Ticket", and is the Toledo affiliate for ESPN Radio and the Ohio State IMG Sports Network.

History

Beginnings

The construction permit for this station was first issued in 1990 to Dickey Broadcasting, with the first assigned call letters WUIA and then WMHE, though neither would ever be used.

Dickey Broadcasting (which would slowly evolve into Cumulus Broadcasting), whose other local market interests included WWWM AM in Toledo and WWWM FM in Sylvania, did not put the station on the air, largely due to confusion surrounding whether doing so would compromise FCC rules concerning more stringent ownership regulations that at the time prohibited holding more than one AM and one FM property in the same market. Because of the station's close proximity to Toledo, Dickey's eligibility to hold this license was in question.

The Buzz

The license was sold for $149,920 in August 1993 to Toledo Radio, Inc. "Buzz 106.5" signed on in late 1994 when new owner Dan Dudley saw a lack of an alternative rock music outlet in Toledo to fill the void.

Despite its weak signal, it caught on very quickly and became very popular. The format was a cross between new grunge and alternative rock mixed with blue collar hard classic rock and Metal. Howard Stern's show came to the station in June 1996.

Despite the station's popularity, many on the east side of town complained about poor radio reception. So, during the Summer of 1998, instead of 97.3 WJZE going country as rumored, they began a full-time simulcast. The station now referred to itself as "Buzz 106.5 and 97.3". "Double the buzz 106.5 west 97.3 east" was one of the station's slogans. One aircheck also said to tune into 106.5 west of I-75, and 97.3 east of I-75.

Notable D.J.s on the Buzz— Kelly Gates (Program Director), Dan Bozyk (Program Director), Matt Willauer (Music Director), Zman, Scott Hammer, Holly Frick, Kid Mitchell, Steve-O, J. Michaels, Bill Steele, Nikki Wylde (Music Director), Roach (aka Lazlo, Scott G) Stoney Vasco, Mike Davis, Stevie Knight, Vinnie

Rock 106 Toledo's pure rock

The station was sold to Cumulus Broadcasting in early 1999. The station stunted for a weekend and after the Howard Stern show on Monday, February 22, 1999, "Pure Rock 106" signed on with Brain Stew by Green Day. By early 2000, Howard Stern's show was gone as well. The music playlist was tightened, a permanent replacement for the station's morning show was never really found, and on August 1, 2000 the WJZE simulcast was dropped in favor of "classic hits", ending the LMA with Dan Haslinger. The call letters were changed from WBUZ to WRWK.

Notable D.J.s on Rock 106 include Pablo & Mo in the Mornings, Nikki Wylde, Murphy, Zman and Chris Ammel.

106.5 The Zone

Rock 106 received consistently poor ratings. At one point, Rock 106's ratings were so low that out-of-market CIMX 89X (on 88.7 from Windsor, Ontario) was beating them in the ratings. In November 2001, after stunting for a couple days with Swans Splashdown by Jean-Jacques Perrey, the format was changed to alternative rock as 106.5 The Zone.

Kevin Murphy was tapped to do mornings with Stoney Vasko. Chris Ammel in mid-days and as program director.

By the end 2003 Kevin Murphy was replaced in mornings with jockless music. Chris Ammel decided to leave the business for a few years and Dan McLintock was brought in as PD and afternoon talent.

The Zones ratings were very rocky. From book to book they would go from high numbers to low numbers never really sticking stable ratings.

In 2005 Troy Michaels (who came from rival WIOT) was hired to mornings. After a few months Dafoe was teamed up with him (who came from top-40 WVKS). At this same time Caroyln Stone (From WRIF and Q106) became the mid-day host and MD. Ratings were still unstable but showed more higher ratings were more of the norm.

Troy Michaels left at the beginning of 2007, Dafoe departed to Cumulus top 40 WTWR, and Kevin Murphy jumped back to do mornings. By the end of 2008 Murphy was let go again due to budget cuts, and Carolyn left the business to take care of her family.

Cumulus then began to use anyone and everyone in the building to pull air shifts. The station played just music in the morning and ran jox-less, middays was a revolving door with anyone filling in, middays was Voice tracked by Dan Mclintock as he had a live air shift on 94.5 WXKR, and nights was run jockless.

106.5 The Ticket

Current 106.5 The Ticket afternoon host Bob Frantz

On June 22, 2009, the alternative rock format on 106.5's primary FM signal was moved to HD Radio and online only, while 106.5 FM broadcast a full-time simulcast of sports talk 1470 WLQR "The Ticket".[1]

WLQR-FM broadcast in HD radio with "The Ticket" format, as used on their analog AM simulcast.

Beginning January 2, 2013, WLQR-FM became an affiliate of CBS Sports Radio, ending its relationship with ESPN Radio.[2] In February 2013, the station now broadcasts in mono. In 2016, the station went back to ESPN Radio.

As of July 2009, "The Zone" again broadcasts over the air on 94.5 WXKR's HD-2 channel, which can be received on HD Radios. In April 2010 WXKR's HD-2 began broadcasting analog over W265CB on 100.9 MHz, which Cumulus got from Calvary Chapel of Twin Falls.[3]

WLQR call letter history

WLQR-FM was licensed to Susquehenna Broadcasting of York, PA, in the 1970s and 1980s and was the top rated station in the Toledo SMSA market through the use of an easy listening format, broadcasting on 101.5MHz. When Clear Channel purchased its license and changed the call sign and branding from "Stereo 101, WLQR" to "WRVF, The River", Cumulus Radio acquired the WLQR call letters for their AM station on 1470, which was then using WWWM (AM), and originally WOHO 1470. The WLQR call letters were used on AM 1470 until March 11, 2016, and were added to 106.5 WLQR-FM/WLQR-FM-HD1 in June 2009.

The WLQR call sign were moved back to AM 1470 on September 29, 2016;[4] at that time, WLQR-FM took the WTOD call letters previously held by 1470.[5] The change came after the previous WTOD went silent on September 24 and transferred its programming to W264AK (100.7 FM).

References

  1. ↑ Format changes - Toledo Blade
  2. ↑ CBS Sports Radio affiliates - CBS Sports Radio
  3. ↑ "Alternative Returns To Toledo At 100.9 The Zone". Malibu, California: All Access Music Group. 2010-04-23. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
  4. ↑ "Call Sign History (WLQR)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Call Sign History (WTOD)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
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