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Revealed: The Cincinnati Radio Station That Snagged The WKRP Calls
It's called WUXP-FM right now, branded "The Oasis" on air. But on May 8th, that changes with the debut of a legendary set of call letters: WKRP.
The station broadcasts to Cincinnati, but the calls will also appear on affiliated WYDB-FM in Dayton and WNKR in Williamston, Kentucky. The owners leased the legendary letters from a low power station in Raleigh, North Carolina and intends to use the publicity bonanza to refocus the stations.
But what will it be? So far, those in charge aren't really saying, according to station veteran Joe Ziesmann:
"Our goal is to put an interesting, entertaining, hyper-local radio station on the air and just call it something that will cause people to be curious enough to try it out. We feel that the product will be good enough that once they try it, they’ll stay."
The new calls are already featured on their website.
And yes, you can expect something special on "Turkey Drop" day next Thanksgiving.
After 40 Years and for the First Time, WKRP Returns to Cincinnati 
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Re: Revealed: The Cincinnati Radio Station That Snagged The WKRP Calls
From the new WKRP website, what you'll hear when you tune in:
"A much larger library means that our station won't bore you to tears with endless repetition. High quality, music-focused personalities means that you get relevant commentary.
Finally, our focus on music from the 1960s, 70s and early 80s means that - if you are over 40, there is finally a station playing what you want to hear.
So, baby, if you’ve ever wondered, wondered whatever became of the best music ever, it’s living on the air at WKRP!"
You can listen live here.
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Thread Starter- RadioAaron
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Re: Revealed: The Cincinnati Radio Station That Snagged The WKRP Calls
RadioActive wrote:
Finally, our focus on music from the 1960s, 70s and early 80s means that - if you are over 40, there is finally a station playing what you want to hear.
Technically correct!
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Re: Revealed: The Cincinnati Radio Station That Snagged The WKRP Calls
Been listening for the past few minutes and so far, I like what I've heard. So I guess I'm in the demo.
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Re: Revealed: The Cincinnati Radio Station That Snagged The WKRP Calls
The Cincinnati Enquirer weighs in with more on the change:
WKRP in Cincinnati is finally real. This station has new call letters
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Thread Starter- ckg927
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Re: Revealed: The Cincinnati Radio Station That Snagged The WKRP Calls
19 News in Cleveland also reported on the change(and with the bonus of Richard Sanders commenting on the change via e-mail....and yes, he's still among us)...
Last edited by ckg927 (May 4, 2026 6:01 pm)
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Re: Revealed: The Cincinnati Radio Station That Snagged The WKRP Calls
The very first voice heard on the newly rebranded "WKRP in Cincinnati" radio? Gary Sandy, the actor who played the P.D. in the show, is doing liners for the newcomer, and was asked to make the official anouncement when the station "signed on."
Sandy remembers desperately wanting the part on the now iconic series after years of playing the bad guy on soap operas. The casting people were unsure unitl one voice sealed the deal.
"I had screen tests twice, and the CBS and MTM people were going to pick somebody else, but Mary Tyler Moore stood up and said, “Sandy’s the guy. I think he’s sexy. And if I do, so will millions of other women,” and walked out of the room."
And the rest, as they say, is classic TV history.
Gary Sandy on the Real-Life Launch of WKRP in Cincinnati
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Thread Starter- Shorty Wave
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Re: Revealed: The Cincinnati Radio Station That Snagged The WKRP Calls
Last night, Radio One’s “As It Happens” did a piece on this, mostly an interview with the owner, and they played a liner Gary Sandy had done for them. This is getting a fair amount of coverage as it has popped up a few times in news feeds etc.
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Re: Revealed: The Cincinnati Radio Station That Snagged The WKRP Calls
Veteran radio consultant and programmer Sean Ross did a listening test on the new WKRP and for the most part, likes what he heard. And it wasn't just the music.
"On Monday, with p.m. driver John “B-Man” Beaulieu, there was also a 5 p.m. newscast that was inspired not by WKRP’s Les Nessman but by the rugged “20/20 News” of top 40 CKLW Detroit in the ’70s. The first five stories were a shooting, a car crash, the price of gas, a house fire, and a fired police chief suing for his job back. There were, at least that afternoon, no hog reports.
Beaulieu did have some rapid-fire free-association breaks, more easily heard than recreated in print, that would have fit on the same station with Dr. Johnny Fever and Venus Flytrap."
WKRP In Ckincinnati: A First Listen
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Thread Starter- RadioActive
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Re: Revealed: The Cincinnati Radio Station That Snagged The WKRP Calls
I have to give the owners of this place credit. I have never seen so many online articles about a single radio station as I have in the past week. It's prompted stories in almost every major newspaper and even on other out-of-market radio stations. How often does that happen?
Buying those call letters was defiinitely worth the money, with one of the station's co-owners admitting, "The phones have not stopped ringing."
They've certainly handled the P.R. brilliantly and many people who would otherwise never have heard of, let alone listen to, a Cincinnati FM have tuned in online. Including yours truly. And I have to say I enjoyed what I heard of the expanded playlist, which features a ton of tunes you never hear anymore.
Their latest gambit is a thank you to those who tuned in - and I love the word at the very end of the ad, another reminder of the original TV show. 
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