WHKO
 | |
| Broadcast area |
Dayton, Ohio Springfield, Ohio Cincinnati, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Branding | K99.1FM |
| Slogan | New Country |
| Translator(s) | 98.7 W254BA (Riverside, relays HD3) |
| Format |
Country HD2: Classic Hits (WZLR simulcast) HD3: Urban Oldies "The Soul of Dayton" |
| ERP | 50,000 watts |
| HAAT | 325 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 14245 |
| Callsign meaning | A portmanteau of former WHIO callsign and K99.1 branding |
| Owner |
Cox Media Group (Cox Radio, Inc.) |
| Sister stations | WHIO, WHIO-FM, WHIO-TV, WZLR |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | K99.1FM |
WHKO (99.1 FM, "K99.1") is a country music radio station licensed to Dayton, Ohio. The station is owned by Cox Media Group. With its 50,000 watt signal, WHKO is one of the strongest FM stations in the Southwestern Ohio area, and frequently makes mention of this during on-air promos. Its studios are co-located with the Dayton Daily News, WHIO-AM-FM-TV and two more radio stations in the Cox Media Center building near downtown Dayton. WHKO has a transmitter in Dayton's westside.
K99.1FM plays a mix of "New country and your familiar favorites" and has historically played more music and fewer commercials than most radio stations in the Dayton/Cincinnati radio market. With a strong signal and a commitment to playing more music than the competition, WHKO has a long history of being near the top of the Dayton Arbitron ratings since it began its country format in March 1989. K99.1 also shows up regularly in the Cincinnati Arbitron ratings, as its signal comes in clear throughout the greater Cincinnati market as well.
Early history
WHKO was founded in 1946 as WHIO-FM, with a Beautiful music format which since the 1960s was a kindred compliment to the middle of the road format of WHIO (AM). While many FM stations initially failed during its inception in the 1950s in favor of AM, WHIO-FM flourished and remained solid. It eventually became and remained the top-rated station in the Dayton market for many years as FM was considered to be an easy alternative to commercial pop music and the rise of Top 40 and country music on the AM dial during that time.
Final Years
During its later years WHIO-FM ran the Bonneville live assist beautiful music format. During WHIO-FM's final year of operation the 25-54 demographic ratings were slipping, so management decided to add more modern hits from the adult contemporary charts in an attempt to help increase ratings; when this tactic failed, Cox Broadcasting decided to research the market for a format hole.
WHKO Today
On March 17, 1989, the station switched its call signal to WHKO, and the format abruptly changed from beautiful music to country. The last song played on WHIO-FM was Rick Astley's "Together Forever", at which point the format flipped to country music, although the announcer pre-sold another 30 minutes of easy listening favorites. The first song played under the new format was Barbara Mandrell's "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool".
The previous format's audience, mainly the older listeners, were very unhappy about the format change. The station received hundreds of complaint letters, and other radio stations in and around the Dayton area fielded numerous phone calls demanding to know why "FM 99" was playing country music. The change was otherwise well-received in the market; after 2 ratings periods WHKO maintained its number one ranking among its target demographic of 25-54. Prior to the switch, the top-rated country station in Dayton through the 1970s and 1980s was WONE (AM), which now employs a sports/talk format.
At first the station was "easy listening country" playing soft crossover hits from Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie, Rita Coolidge, Gordon Lightfoot and more. The DJ style was very laid back, at times it sounded almost like the previous format. Over the next several years the station modernized the format and today is reminiscent of a CHR country format with tight rotations, upbeat jocks and community involvement.
In November 2006 the WHIO-FM calls were reborn at 95.7 FM in Piqua (the former WDPT) as a simulcast of WHIO-AM's news talk format.
WHKO-HD2/HD3
WHKO's HD-2 digital subcarrier airs a simulcast of 80s classic rock formatted WZLR 95.3 in Xenia and Dayton translator 101.1 The Eagle.
WHKO's 99.1 HD-3 digital subcarrier is leased to BC Dayton Broadcasting as "The Soul of Dayton," a possible reference and tribute to the former WDAO-FM (now WMMX) which airs an urban oldies format. The service made its debut on Monday September 9, 2013 and is re-transmitted on analog 98.7 FM (translator W254BA)[1]