Radioactive LLC, owned by veteran radio executive Randy Michaels, is reviving the legendary WKRP call letters on FM radio in the Cincinnati market for the first time in decades.
Michaels filed Thursday to assign WKRP-FM to 97.7 WOXY in Mason, Ohio. At the same time, the calls will also appear on 94.5 WYDB in Englewood/Dayton. Both stations are part of the “The Oasis” oldies trimulcast alongside 106.7 WNKR in Williamstown, Kentucky, operated by Grant County Broadcasters.
The format change requests are scheduled to take effect Friday, May 8.
The move required approval from Oak City Media, which has held 101.9 WKRP-LP in Raleigh, North Carolina, since 2015. In a formal letter, Oak City Media granted Radioactive LLC limited use of the calls while retaining preferential rights to the WKRP brand overall. Radioactive agreed not to challenge Oak City Media’s rights to use WKRP-LP in Raleigh, authorize the calls for other eligible stations under FCC rules, or transfer those rights in any future sale.
The agreement ensures these protections remain in place for any successor owner.
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| 97.7 FM (2.7 Kw) |
The WKRP calls gained national fame from the 1978–1982 CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, which followed the comedic misadventures of a struggling radio station. Although the show was fictional, the call letters have long held nostalgic value in the actual Cincinnati market and among radio enthusiasts.
Bringing them back to FM signals in the region marks a significant branding win for the trimulcast, potentially boosting listener recognition and heritage appeal for the oldies format.
This revival comes as Michaels continues to invest in local radio properties, leveraging classic call letters to differentiate stations in an increasingly competitive media landscape dominated by streaming and digital platforms.