This first posted just under eight years ago. Most of this stations air staff moved on to bigger markets.
92.3 is now WCOL. Those call letters were in use on a dominant AM Top 40 from the 1960s and early 1970s.
Contributor: Robyn Watts
Posted in92.3 WXGT Baltazar Columbus OH Robyn Watts
Baltazar, WXGT 92X Columbus OH | 1989
92X was the FM side of WCOL, the top forty giant of the day. 92X was essentially an attempt to keep the format going on FM after the days of top forty AM were over. 92X had competition for the contemporary hit format in Columbus and sometimes needed to overhaul the format to play catch up with more powerful WNCI, the first FM top forty in Columbus. Ironically, when station ownership restrictions were loosened, both stations wound up under the same owner and remain so to this day. 92X now uses its original calls, WCOL and plays country, WNCI is still the Adult Hit Contemporary leader in the market.
92-X was usually the higher rated station and WNCI floundered. But WNCI was owned by Nationwide Insurance (it was their 175,000 watt flagship). They redoubled their efforts and at one point were giving away $1,000 daily prizes (maybe it was more). 92-X couldn’t keep up and eventually had to change formats. 92-X was always leaned more toward CHR, WNCI was the more boring adult leaning Top-40.
Hi Steve,
92X (WXGT) was a great mainstream CHR during the 80s, but for one reason or another had always played second-fiddle against CHR jagaunaunt WNCI. In late 1989, 92X went Rock 40 based on the success of Pirate Radio/LA. However, the format adjustment didn’t last and the station went back to CHR before throwing in the towel in late 1990 and switching to Oldies as WCOL.
Baltazar had wound up in Boston at WJMN at some point in the 1990’s, but i don’t know is he is still there or not.
Robyn
Uh Robyn I Hate To Break It To You But Baltazar Is Alive & Still Kickin’ To The Beat With Pebbles & Other Former Jam’n 94.9 Jocks At The New WBQT A.K.A. Hot 96.9 Every Weekday Morning From 6:00am To 10:00am.
Vaughn B.
Uh, Vaughn, I hate to break it to YOU, but I wrote that comment like almost 4 years ago and Baltazar was at KZZO/Sacramento at the time (as commented by Mike below me). Thanks for the update on Baltazar, though.
Baltazar is doing mornings at KZZO Sacramento and at 115 KW is the second most powerful fm station in the state of california. Now 100.5 FM
If by some small chance that Baltazar would read this…I worked with him at 92X and we had a blast….we buried him alive and brought new life to and old radio station. I am very excited that you have gone onto bigger and better things!!!! I hope that he is still very family oriented and that his family is doing well! Big hug and kiss, I was Randy Rahe’s assistant.
Most 92X dominated Columbus Top 40/CHR from 1978 until about 1987. WNCI was a non-factor for almost a decade until Bill Richards and then Dave Robbins came into program WNCI in the late 1980s.
92X rode the MTV/CHR tidal wave and was still doing very well until management panicked in early 1989 and blew up 10 years of CHR dominance. Remember – 92X was essentially 1230 WCOL on the FM dial so there was almost 30 years of Hit Music legacy that was destroyed when they went to Rock 40.
Even Dave Robbins was shocked that Great Trails gave in so easily. The Rock 40 thing that you hear on that air check lasted about six months.
If you want to hear a Most Musc 92X air check the way the sation sounded before it changed and then died – go to the website I linked and you’ll find my air check from January 1989 when the station was still true CHR and my day part was #3 in the market.
How awesome to hear a Balt aircheck from the “new” 92X even if it is a little s l o w e d d o w n .
Nobody works the phones like Baltazar. Nothing digital. All calls recorded on a reel to reel and edited with a razor blade. He’s a natural and was all of 18 or so when we were playing Today’s Best Rock.
I grew up with WCOL-FM and had the thrill of a lifetime eventually working there. I now work for Dave Robbins in Orlando and we often talk about how much fun he had hunting us down at WNCI.
He left KZZO in Feb. 2013.
Sounds like a failing cassette player or cassette tape. Whoever dubbed this should speed up the playback a little.
Hi Roberta!
I remember you! I sold air time and remember you and Randy!! Great time and experience there~!
Best to you and your family –
Sunni Boswell