WRPO-LP

WRPO-LP
City of license Russells Point, Ohio
Broadcast area Indian Lake area and northwestern portion of Logan County.
Branding Oldies Radio 93.5
Slogan WRPOldies
Where all the GOOD songs have gone!
Frequency 93.5 MHz
First air date May 27, 2002
Format Ultimate Oldies
Community radio
ERP 100 watts
HAAT 25.1 meters
Class L1 Low power FM (LP)
Callsign meaning Russells Point, Ohio
Affiliations Gray Fox/Audio Sensations
Owner Village of Russells Point
(programmed by Gene Kirby)
Website wix.com/wrpofm/wrpo-fm

WRPO-LP "Indian Lake Radio" (for Russells Point, Ohio, its city of license) is a non-commercial and educational low power FM community radio station at 93.5 mHz licensed to the village of Russells Point which up until early 2008 aired a Big Band and Adult Standards format. The station then aired a smooth jazz format from that point until May 9, 2009 when it switched to an oldies format. Its studios and transmitter are both located in the city of license and serves the communities of Russells Point, Lakeview, the perimeter of Indian Lake State Park, and surrounding portions of west-central Ohio.

Brief history

WRPO-LP, originally nicknamed "The Point," was founded in 2002 and commenced broadcasting on Memorial Day May 27 of that year. Its transmitter power is 100 watts ERP. Robbie Robinson and station manager Gene Kirby are just a few of the station's air personalities who are all volunteers. Its studios and offices are located at 433 State Route 708 in the village municipal building.

WRPO's former big band format was a tribute to the live performance venue of the now long gone Sandy Beach Amusement Park which was frequented by many of the popular orchestras and singers of that era...many of which were broadcast live nationwide on network radio.

WRPO is owned by the Village of Russells Point and is programmed by Gene Kirby, who also owned and operated WMHO, a micropower AM broadcaster (now defunct) at 1620 kHz in Marysville that initially aired a classic country format (following the three year departure of WUCO's studios and offices to Columbus when it was part of Saint Gabriel Cathiolic Radio) but has since employed a similar oldies format, as well as have programmed WDEQ-FM, 91.7mHz in DeGraff on behalf of its owner, the Riverside Board of Education until 2010. Kirby is also operations manager of WQTT (the former WUCO) in Marysville which moved back to its original city of license in 2010. WQTT is now owned by ICS Commuinications.

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Programming

WRPO-LP now airs an oldies format after a previous one year run as a smooth jazz station. The switch to oldies, coupled with more professional on-air production values and audio imaging (possibly inspired by kindred spirit WSWO-LP) has produced a much more positive feedback from local listeners compared to its previous jazz format and has resulted in increased support by listener contributions and underwriting by local businesses.

Live local programming on Saturday mornings include Robbie Robinson's "Not-so News" a tongue-in-cheek perspective on local events and vignettes with a homespun flavor at 6:30 am and again at 7:30 am. "The Saturday Morning Show"...a talk/information/interview program with Robbie Robinson and Gene Kirby which comes on from 9 to 9:30 am after "Blues on The Lake" a one hour program hosted by WRPO volunteer Jim Matthews airing a mix of traditional delta blues,vintage R&B,soul music and blues-fusioned rock from 8 to 9am. At 10am, "The Famous Old Time Music Show", a one hour program of traditional bluegrass, Americana and classic country music hosted by Larry Roose is aired on behalf of fellow bluegrass musician Vernon McIntyre,the owner of The Famous Old Time Music Company located in St. Johns east of Wapakoneta. Sunday morning programming includes local church services religious and public affairs programs followed by the two hour "Sunday Morning With The Beatles" locally produced and hosted by Jason Roberts from 10am until 12 noon.

WRPO's oldies format has been on the air now for over 2 years, garnering great support from the individuals and businesses in the Indian Lake Resort Region. With their support, the station has upgraded to an on-air digital audio processor, and as of October, 2011 had upgraded the quality of the music on-air to the highest quality mp-3 sound possible. (Many commercial radio stations air music in far lower quality than the music on WRPO.)

The station's music comes from the 1950s to the 1980s. Or, to quote one of the station ID's, "From The Start Of Rock And Roll...To The Start Of M-TV!" The music is carefully selected by the station's Production Manager, Kevin Fodor (AKA - Jason Roberts, formerly with then-oldies formatted WCOL-FM in Columbus, Ohio in the early 1990s. Jason currently works full-time for Cox Media Group/Dayton and volunteers his time with WRPO.)

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Previous formats:(2002-2008)

According to its current website as of February 22, 2008, the station announced a switchover from Big Band and Adult Standards to a smooth jazz format. "The Best of Old Time Radio" featuring vintage episodes of Fibber McGee and Molly, The Green Hornet, Lum and Abner, The Great Gildersleeve, Gunsmoke among others were also aired to coincide with its earlier formats.

The format switch to smooth jazz took place on Saturday March 8, 2008. Ovenight programming also included oldies from 12 midnight until early morning. The format switch was also reflected in its website which was upgraded on April 8, 2008. From February until May 2009, the overnight oldies were replaced by "Music 'Till Dawn" a mix of beautiful music and big band prior to its switch to a full-time oldies format.

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Ultimate Oldies

A survey of local listeners took place in March and April 2009 by the local low power station which helped determine the switch to Ultimate Oldies on Saturday May 9, 2009 at 11am local time.

In February 2012, a second studio used for audio production and live programs was constructed. A vintage radio museum constructed at the time of WRPO's 2002 debut is now expanding and being upgraded by Gene Kirby and Dale Madison.

WRPO celebrated its tenth anniversary on the air during Memorial Day weekend of 2012. Leading up to this event,Ken Deutsch, a broadcaster and journalist from Toledo wrote an article about low-power FM radio detailing WRPO's community involvement and hometown flavor for Radio World, a trade publication published on April 24 of 2012

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Programs

Other local programs include:

  • Dial A Deal with Dale Madison and Larry Armstrong Saturdays from 11am to 12 noon during the spring and summer months.
  • Sunday Morning At The Memories- a two hour program of traditional middle of the road adult standards of the 1950s and early 1960s from 6 until 8am.
  • Sunday Morning With The Beatles with Jason Roberts-Sunday mornings from 10am until 12 noon.

Sydnicated programs:

  • The Ultimate Oldies Show-with Mike Ficher Saturdays from 12 noon to 2pm and again on Sundays from 8 to 10 am
  • Glenn Sauter's Hits of Yesteryear Saturday evening from 6 to 8pm and again on Sunday evening from 7 to 9pm

Kirby also hosts a Saturday morning Big Band program on WSWO-LP, an oldies station in Huber Heights which also uses the Ultimate Oldies branding.

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See also

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External links

Oldies radio stations in the state of Ohio
By frequency
By callsign
By city


Coordinates: 40°28′05″N 83°53′31″W / 40.468°N 83.892°W / 40.468; -83.892

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Last modified on 28 March 2013, at 15:49