Thursday, January 20, 2022

WOBL Hits the Airwaves – Jan. 1972

Here’s a nice ad announcing the arrival of local country radio station WOBL that ran in the Journal back on January 18, 1972. The station had first gone on the air the month before.
As explained on the radio station’s website,”WOBL first began broadcasting on Christmas Eve of 1971 when Harry Wilber broadcast his first words and played the first record. 
"WOBL Radio was first heard on AM 1570 and then moved to 1320 AM in September of 1976. Most recently it began simulcasting on 107.7 FM. From day one, WOBL 1320 AM / 107.7 FM has kept its finger on the pulse of the community it serves. 
"50 years later, WOBL Radio remains one of the longest running country music stations in Ohio. The station currently broadcasts under the "Gold Country" banner staying loyal to the genre’s roots with a classic country format.
Click here to visit the WOBL website.

The home of WOBL and WDLW on U. S. Route 20, east of Ohio 58


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think a couple years ago Harry Wilburs son,Doug Wilbur and his wife Lorrie retired and sold the station.I don't know about WOBL,but their sister station,WDLW,has changed formats since the sale and plays mostly 1960s-1970s progressive British type rock n roll.WDLW used to play early 1950s-1960s rock n roll when it first started out.It was really something to hear rock n roll royalty like Chuck Berry,Jerry Lee Lewis,Carl Perkins,Bill Haley,Gene Vincent,Elvis Presley,The Platters,The Flamingos,Little Anthony and the Imperials,Little Richard,Fats Domino,etc all in a row.As nobody played the greats anymore.But since the sale WDLW mostly plays The Beatles and Herman's Hermits.With the occasional Gerry and the Pacemakers thrown in.I don't know about you but I like original American rock n roll,not British covers of American classics.I own a 1930 Ford.And it's a 1950s style hot rod.And I don't want to listen to 1970s music when the car looks like it's straight out of the 1950s,if you can understand where I'm coming from.I can only guess that WOBL has changed their format too as I quit listening after the sale.