WEOL

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WEOL
The News Station WEOL AM 930
Broadcast area Elyria, Ohio
Branding AM 930 WEOL
Slogan Local News First
First air date October 17, 1948
Frequency 930 (kHz)
Format News/Talk
Power 1000 watts DA2
Class B
Callsign meaning Wellington-Elyria-Oberlin-Lorain
Affiliations ABC Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Westwood One
Owner Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co.
Website www.weol.com

WEOL is an AM radio station broadcasting in Elyria, Ohio, operating on 930 kHz. Its transmitter is in Grafton, Ohio and studios are in downtown Elyria. The station is locally owned by Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co. and until recently used the on-air nickname "The News Station."

WEOL has a news/talk format, carrying syndicated talk shows hosted by Glenn Beck, Clark Howard, Sean Hannity and Jim Bohannon, and local talk host Les Sekely in morning drive. It carries programming from Fox Sports Radio on evenings and weekends, and is affiliated with ABC Radio and the Wall Street Journal Radio Network.

WEOL is the Lorain County affiliate for the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Cavaliers, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Ohio State Buckeyes. WEOL also has coverage of local high school sports, including football, basketball, softball, baseball, volleyball and hockey.

Contents

[edit] History

WEOL signed on in October 17, 1948 at both 930 kHz and 107.3 MHz, in Elyria, Ohio. The FM installations, like most of the era, were established as an adjunct to the AM programming. Both stations were owned by the newly created Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co.

The station's early years were spent fighting for their very survival. In the 1930's and 1940's, the Lorain Journal (today known as The Morning Journal) enjoyed a near monopoly in news coverage and advertising revenue in Lorain. With the establishment of WEOL, however, the Journal feared the presence of this new competitor. In response, the Journal unofficially insitiuted an "exclusitivity policy" that prevented Journal advertisers from doing business with WEOL.

WEOL's owners sued Journal Publishing, and it went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the 1951 decision Lorain Journal Co. v. United States, 343 U.S. 143, it was found that the Journal violated key provisions of the Sherman Antitrust Act by seeking to maintain their near monopoly on advertising revenue. In addition, the Journal was found to have acted in a "predatory" and illegal manner. [1]

On May 15, 1958, Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co. was purchased by the Lorain County Printing and Publishing Company, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. LCP&P also owns the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and Medina Gazette; in effect forming a radio/newspaper duopoly. This arrangement has lasted to this day, grandfathered by FCC legistation that now prohibit such arrangements.

Through the 1950's, WEOL was a "real hot rocker," playing the early gyrating rhythms of rock 'n roll to sock hops throughout Lorain County, and as far away as Ontario, Canada. By this same time, records show that the station had obtained a construction permit in the mid-1950s for WEOL-TV on channel 31, but the television station never made it on the air.[2]

Among the personalities who worked at WEOL in their early years include Alice Weston (later with WUAB-TV - and who was present at WEOL's sign-on), Dick Conrad, Gary Short (later with WERE, WDBN, WDOK, WJW-TV, WUAB-TV), Ron and Dick Barrett, Neil Zurcher (later with WJW-TV) and Jeff Baxter (later with WWIZ/WLRO, WDBN, WLEC, who later teamed up with Jack Riley at WERE).

Jeff Baxter also helped make nationally popular a recording artist in Laura Lee Perkins. Laura, who recently moved to Elyria from her home state of West Virginia, broke out into a song while visiting the WEOL studios. Hearing her sing, Jeff gave her airtime on the station, and eventually parlayed it into a west-coast recording deal. Laura, now retired, resides in Michigan. [3]

In 1968, WEOL-FM started separate programming under new calls WBEA with an automated easy-listening format that still served the Lorain County audience. This format lasted until 1986, when WBEA flipped to "Z-Rock" WCZR with an automated rock format. Fifteen months later, WCZR changed to smooth jazz as "The Wave" WNWV, positioned to serve the Cleveland market, which it is to this day.

Initially an independent station, WEOL affiliated with the Mutual Broadcasting System in the early 1960's, then switched to ABC Radio's American Entertainment Network in 1968. Throughout the 70's, 80's and 90's, WEOL was "Your Hometown Radio Station," a middle-of-the-road outlet that put a heavy emphasis on local news and sports programming. WEOL also hired the first radio newswoman in the county back in the mid-1970's with Sandy Kozel, now with Associated Press Radio. Over the course of time, WEOL's news and sports department has garnered dozens of awards from the Ohio Associated Press and Cleveland Press Club, particularly "Outstanding News Operation" in large market radio.

On November 28, 1997, WEOL dropped its MOR format for a "news all day, sports at night" approach with the Associated Press All News Radio network from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and One-on-One Sports (today Sporting News Radio) from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., along with long-form local news programming in drive-time hours. WEOL was re-branded as "The News Station," taking its cue from the All News Radio positioners.

WEOL started to segue into airing topical talk programming by adding Clark Howard in the late 90s, Jim Bohannon in 2000, Sam Donaldson in 2001, and Mitch Albom's show in early 2003. In May 2005, WEOL picked up Glenn Beck in the late morning slot, one year after the cancellation of Sam Donaldson's talk show. At the beginning of 2006, WEOL replaced Mitch Albom, whose show was no longer distributed nationally, with Sean Hannity. [4]

On July 15, 2005, the Associated Press All News Radio network ceased operations. While this prompted WEOL to pick up Fox Sports Radio for evening and weekend programming, the station maintained use of the All News Radio "News Station" name for on-air promotions until April 2006.

[edit] Programming

[edit] Weekdays

[edit] Saturdays

  • 5:00 a.m. - 6:00 a.m.: Fox Sports Radio
  • 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.: The Wall Street Journal This Weekend with Gordon Deal
  • 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.: Plant Talk with Fred Hower
  • 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.: The Joe Firment Chevrolet Saturday Sports Wrap-Up or The C.A.R. Show (see below)
  • 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: On the House with The Carey Bros.
  • 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.: The Midday Report
  • 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.: Fox Sports Radio (unless preempted for sports play-by-play)
  • 1:00 a.m. - 6:00 a.m.: Fox Sports Radio

[edit] Sundays

  • 6:00 a.m. - 7:30 a.m.: The Handyman Show with Glenn Haege
  • 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.: Radio Health Journal
  • 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.: El Cafetin de la Parada with Jose William Vaquez
  • 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.: Your Financial Life with Pat Vitucci
  • 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Elyria First United Methodist Church
  • 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.: Fox Sports Radio (unless preempted for sports play-by-play)
  • 1:00 a.m. - 5:00 a.m.: Fox Sports Radio

[edit] Seasonal Programs

  • WEOL Matia Monday Night Sports Spotlight with Tim Alcorn, Zoltan " Z " Zoltai, and Bob Tomaszewski: Mondays from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. during the NFL season.
  • The Joe Firment Chevrolet Saturday Sports Wrap-Up with Tim Alcorn, Zoltan "Z" Zoltai and Cam "Doc" Brown: Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. during the fall and winter.
  • The C.A.R. Show with Roger Kwapich, Dan Pietras, and Steve Stewart: Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. during the spring and summer.
  • The High School Scholastic Games, a weekly quiz show featuring teams from Lorain County high schools, produced and hosted by Jim Mehrling. Mondays from 6:05 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the spring.

[edit] Sports play-by-play

[edit] High School Sports

[edit] Football season
  • The Kolczun & Kolczun Football Forecast Show airs usually at 6:00 p.m. on Friday nights (but sometimes at 5:30 p.m.) Hosts: Tim Alcorn and Matt Loede
  • The Kolczun & Kolczun Gridiron Clash airs at 7:00 p.m. Friday nights, featuring high school football teams from Lorain County. Broadcasters: Tim Alcorn, Bob "Tomo" Tomaszewski, and Gary Pelter (sidelines). Some Gridiron Clashes occur on Saturday, with rotating broadcasters.
  • The Medina General Hospital Medina County Matchup airs on a tape-delay basis, featuring high school football teams from Medina County. Broadcasters usually rotate, but they usually feature at least one or more of the following: Rob Polinsky, Zoltan "Z" Zoltai, Tom Evans, Kevin Mayer. Joe Lull provides the scores of other games during some of the breaks.

[edit] Basketball season
  • The Kolczun & Kolczun Cage Matchup airs, on various days (but primarily Tuesday and Friday nights) when there is a high school basketball game, boys or girls, to be broadcast. Broadcasters rotate, but the games usually feature one or more of the following: Tim Alcorn, Rob Polinsky, Gary Pelter, Zoltan "Z" Zoltai, John McDermott, Kevin Mayer, Matt Loede or Jamie Smock.

[edit] Baseball/softball season
  • The Kolczun & Kolczun Diamond Duel airs on select days, featuring various high school baseball and softball matchups. Broadcasters usually rotate.

[edit] Regional coverage

[edit] External links

AM Radio Stations in the Cleveland, Ohio Market (Arbitron #26)

By Frequency: 850 | 930 | 1000 | 1040 | 1100 | 1220 | 1260 | 1300 | 1320 | 1330 | 1380 | 1420 | 1460 | 1490 | 1540

By Callsign: WABQ | WCCD | WDLW | WELW | WEOL | WERE | WHK | WHKW | WJMO | WJTB | WKNR | WOBL | WTAM | WWGK | WWMK

Past Radio Stations: WATJ | WBKC | WIXY | WRMR | WWIZ

See also: Cleveland (FM) (AM)

Ohio Radio Markets

Akron (FM) (AM) | Cincinnati (FM) (AM) | Cleveland (FM) (AM) | Columbus (FM) (AM) | Dayton (FM) (AM) | Canton (FM) (AM) | Lima | Marietta | Sandusky (FM) (AM) | Toledo | Youngstown (FM) (AM)

See also: List of radio stations in Ohio and List of United States radio markets
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