WHLO
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| Broadcast area | Akron, Ohio |
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| Branding | News/Talk 640 WHLO |
| Slogan | Akron's News Talk |
| First air date | January 5, 1927 |
| Frequency | 640 (kHz) |
| Format | News/Talk |
| ERP | 5,000 watts (daytime) 500 watts (nighttime) |
| Class | B |
| Callsign meaning | HeLlO Radio |
| Former callsigns | WHKK (1945-1962) WCLE (1936-1945) WJAY (1927-1936) |
| Owner | Clear Channel Communications |
| Website | www.640whlo.com |
WHLO is an AM radio station in Akron, Ohio, USA, operating on 640 kHz, and owned by Clear Channel Communications. The station has a news/talk format with Jim Quinn's morning drive program from WPGB in Pittsburgh and a schedule of syndicated talkers during the day, headed by Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. The station also carries Kent State University sports and local high school sports on Friday nights.
WHLO carries local news updates from Clear Channel's Akron/Canton newsroom for part of the day, and airs local Akron/Canton news produced by Clear Channel's Cleveland facilities outside of drive-time hours. It also carries national news updates from Fox News Radio.
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[edit] History
The station traces its origin to WJAY, which began broadcasting in Cleveland on January 5, 1927 on 610 kHz. WJAY was purchased on October 30, 1936 by United Broadcasting, which also owned WHK in Cleveland. The new owners changed the call sign from WJAY to WCLE. In 1945 as the FCC began implementing a ruling limiting station owners to a single AM outlet in a market, United Broadcasting moved WCLE to Akron, and changed the call sign to WHKK and the frequency to 640 kHz. In turn, United moved the 610 frequency to Columbus, Ohio to create WHKC from WAIU (formerly WBAV) which had been broadcasting daytime only on 640. WHKC became WTVN in the 1950s.
In the 1950s WHKK was in the forefront of stations broadcasting rock and roll, led by Pete "Mad Daddy" Myers. Myers contribution to the story rock and roll has been overshadowed by other better known DJs such as Alan Freed. He began his career in 1957 at WHKK, and he developed into one of the most unique DJs in the northeast. As Mad Daddy, he had a frenetic, rapid-fire patter delivered entirely in rhyme. Playing an eclectic mixture of rock and roll and rhythm and blues, he coined phrases still used today, such as "wavy gravy" and "mellow jello". By January 1958 he moved on to WJW radio in Cleveland, which he promptly left in June of that year. After staying off the air until August 1958 as required by his WJW contract, he switched to WHK in Cleveland, where he reached the peak of his popularity, hosting record hops and live after-midnight shows dressed in a Dracula costume.
WHKK became WHLO in 1962, reflecting "Hello Radio" due to its low dial position. The station continued to operate as a "daytimer" for many years, having to sign off at Los Angeles sunset for I-A clear channel signal KFI. This would mean that WHLO would stay on until around 7:30pm during the winter, and as late as 11:00pm during certain summer months. WHLO would attain nighttime service many years later, but it would only be at 500 watts as opposed to their 5,000 daytime signal. After airing a popular top-40 format featuring disk jockeys known as "The Good Guys," WHLO turned to news/talk radio in the mid-1970s. By then, the station came under the ownership of Susquehanna Radio Corporation, which had acquired WNYN-FM in Canton, changing the FM station's call sign to WHLQ in the process.
Some of the personalities on WHLO's first talk incarnation include Nick Anthony, Steve Cannon (later at WTVN), Steve Fullerton (later at multiple Cleveland stations) Ron Vereb (today with WKBN as "Ron Verb") and Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton (later with XETRA in San Diego, today with KLAC in Los Angeles).
After a brief attempt at an all-news format, WHLO aired "Middle of the Road" music until Mortenson Broadcasting changed it to a religious format. This format continued under different versions throughout the late 1990's. The station itself came under ownership of Salem Communications, and picked up Salem's syndicated "Solid Gospel" format service. In 1998, Salem relocated WHLO's operations to their Independence facility.
In the fall of 2001, WHLO was sold to Clear Channel Communications. The station briefly simulcast top-40 WKDD during this period, and adopted their second talk format (this time featuring syndicated talkers) in June 2002.
[edit] Programming
[edit] Weekdays
- 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.: The War Room with Quinn and Rose
- 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Glenn Beck
- 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.: Rush Limbaugh
- 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.: Sean Hannity
- 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.: Michael Savage
- 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.: Laura Ingraham
- 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.: Rollye James
- 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.: Coast to Coast AM with George Noory
[edit] Saturdays
- 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.: In the Garden with Ron Wilson
- 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Glenn Beck Weekend
- 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.: The Weekend with Mike McConnell
- 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.: Kim Komando
- 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.: The Best of Sean Hannity
- 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.: Cigar Dave
- 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.: Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell
[edit] Sundays
- 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.: WHLO News: Sunday Magazine with Tom Duresky
- 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.: Paid Programming
- 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: At Home with Gary Sullivan
- 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.: TBA
- 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.: John Bradshaw Layfield
- 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.: TBA
- 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.: Costas on The Radio
- 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.: Matt Drudge
- 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.: Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell
[edit] Sports
- Kent State University football and women's basketball
[edit] External links
- Biography of Pete "Mad Daddy" Myers
- Aircheck recording of Pete “Mad Daddy” Myers on WHK on April 25, 1959
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WHLO
| AM Radio Stations in the Akron, Ohio Market (Arbitron #74)
By Frequency: 640 | 1150 | 1350 | 1520 | 1590 |
