WYNT
Encyclopedia
WYNT is a Hot AC station formerly located in Upper Sandusky, Ohio
now located with its studios in Marion, Ohio
and its transmitter and city of license moved to Caledonia, Ohio
. It broadcasts music from the 80s through today as "Majic 95.9" and is part of the Clear Channel Marion cluster which includes WMRN-FM and WMRN
-AM. Its Cleveland FM sister WMJI
also uses the "Majic" branding for its 60s/70s oldies station.
The station had for years, served as a full-service adult contemporary/country music station serving Upper Sandusky, the seat of Wyandot County, as well as the communities surrounding Upper Sandusky, which is not to be confused with the town of Sandusky, Ohio...about 50 miles due north in Erie County, best known as the home of Cedar Point
.
The station was founded by Wendell A. Triplett, president of Triplett Broadcasting of Bellefontaine, Ohio
; which also owned the former WTOO (now WBLL) in Bellefontaine, founded the former WPNM (currently WBUK
) in Ottawa and the former WAXT (later WHTI,now WMQX
) in Alexandria, Indiana. Company vice president Robert S. Triplett served as the station's first general manager. T.P. Communications, a company headed by Charles Earl, then acquired WYAN in October of 1979. Forest Whitehead, who would become a driving force in the station's future rescue from financial turmoil, became the station's general manager in 1980.
By 1981 the company had run into financial trouble and WYNT was silenced. However, the license was already in the planning stages of a return to the air by the end of 1982.
Determined to keep the radio station in local hands, then-general manager and morning DJ Forest Whitehead and a local funeral director formed an ownership group, which subsequently returned the station to the air under the name U.S. Broadcasting in 1986. The funeral director stated he would invest in the station on the condition that it would provide the community with local high school sports game broadcasts, especially football.
According to the Radio Locator website, a construction permit has been granted to move the transmitter and city of license from Upper Sandusky to Caledonia located northeast of Marion, Ohio
.
As of November 20, 2006, this station was advertised for sale, along with other Clear Channel-owned radio stations operating out of Marion, Ohio. In May 2007, WYNT and the other stations of the Marion cluster of Clear Channel Communications
was to have been sold to Florida-based GoodRadio.TV LLC
, but the deal has since collapsed.
Upper Sandusky, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,533 people, 2,744 households, and 1,682 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,246.2 people per square mile . There were 2,910 housing units at an average density of 555.1 per square mile...
now located with its studios in Marion, Ohio
Marion, Ohio
Marion is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Marion County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus....
and its transmitter and city of license moved to Caledonia, Ohio
Caledonia, Ohio
Caledonia is a village in Marion County, Ohio, United States. The population was 578 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Caledonia is located at ....
. It broadcasts music from the 80s through today as "Majic 95.9" and is part of the Clear Channel Marion cluster which includes WMRN-FM and WMRN
WMRN (AM)
WMRN is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Marion, Ohio, USA, the station serves the Mid-Ohio area. The station is currently owned by Citicasters Licenses, L.P. and features programing from Fox News Radio, Fox Sports Radio and Premiere Radio...
-AM. Its Cleveland FM sister WMJI
WMJI
WMJI — branded Majic 105.7 — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio broadcasting a classic hits format. The station serves Cleveland, Akron and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio....
also uses the "Majic" branding for its 60s/70s oldies station.
The station had for years, served as a full-service adult contemporary/country music station serving Upper Sandusky, the seat of Wyandot County, as well as the communities surrounding Upper Sandusky, which is not to be confused with the town of Sandusky, Ohio...about 50 miles due north in Erie County, best known as the home of Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
.
History
According to the 1981 Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook, WYNT first went on the air on December 11, 1973 with the original call letters WYAN, licensed to Upper Sandusky.The station was founded by Wendell A. Triplett, president of Triplett Broadcasting of Bellefontaine, Ohio
Bellefontaine, Ohio
Bellefontaine is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,069 at the 2000 census. It is the center of the Bellefontaine Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau in 2003...
; which also owned the former WTOO (now WBLL) in Bellefontaine, founded the former WPNM (currently WBUK
WBUK
WBUK "106.3 The Fox" is a commercial classic rock FM station at 106.3 MHz licensed to Ottawa, Ohio with studios in Lima and transmitter located near Pandora in southeastern Putnam County north of Bluffton which borders in Allen and Hancock counties....
) in Ottawa and the former WAXT (later WHTI,now WMQX
WMQX
WPAW is a country music radio station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and serving the Piedmont Triad region, which includes Greensboro and High Point. The Entercom outlet broadcasts at 93.1 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW....
) in Alexandria, Indiana. Company vice president Robert S. Triplett served as the station's first general manager. T.P. Communications, a company headed by Charles Earl, then acquired WYAN in October of 1979. Forest Whitehead, who would become a driving force in the station's future rescue from financial turmoil, became the station's general manager in 1980.
By 1981 the company had run into financial trouble and WYNT was silenced. However, the license was already in the planning stages of a return to the air by the end of 1982.
According to the Radio Locator website, a construction permit has been granted to move the transmitter and city of license from Upper Sandusky to Caledonia located northeast of Marion, Ohio
Marion, Ohio
Marion is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Marion County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus....
.
As of November 20, 2006, this station was advertised for sale, along with other Clear Channel-owned radio stations operating out of Marion, Ohio. In May 2007, WYNT and the other stations of the Marion cluster of Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
was to have been sold to Florida-based GoodRadio.TV LLC
GoodRadio.TV LLC
Good Radio Networks LLC is a West Palm Beach, Florida based radio ownership group headed by former Pax president Dean Goodman. Partners in this venture include former NAB Chairman Eddie Fritz, and former founder of NextMedia, Carl Hirsch.GoodRadio was established in late 2006 with the purchase of...
, but the deal has since collapsed.