WMHO

WMHO 1620 kHz on the AM band is the name of a micropower radio broadcaster in Marysville, Ohio operating 24/7....and is adherent to the rules stated in Part 15 of the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission. WMHO now airs oldies..formerly a classic country format.
Brief history
WMHO was formed to fill the void for local community radio when the offices and studios of WUCO 1270 AM moved from Marysville to Columbus which took place in 2007 following the sale of the local AM station from Frontier Broadcasting to St. Gabriel Radio Inc. WUCO's format was mostly country music but also aired adult contemporary at times. WUCO aired Catholic programming from that point until January of 2010 when it was sold once again to ICS Holdings Inc. and has applied for the new callsign WQTT along with moving the offices and studios back to Marysville. Ironically, it has also switched its format to oldies, although AM 1270's programming comes via satellite from Citadel Media's True Oldies Channel as opposed to a locally-originating oldies playlist being aired by WMHO. Bart Johnson(son of the late farm broadcaster and ABN founder Ed Johnson),who owned Frontier Broadcasting later formed Ohio Ag-Net with former ABN anchorman and farm director Dale Minyo in 2008.
The FCC currently lists no licensed stations using the WMHO callsign.
Gene Kirby a veteran broadcaster from Columbus (and a Marysville resident) stepped up to the microphone once again to fill that void. Kirby for many years worked as an on-air personality at the former WRFD-FM (now WNCI) in Columbus in the 1960s. He now opereates WRPO-FM,a low power station in Russells Point since 2002. In 2007,he decided to venture forward to start a micropower service after WUCO made its move to Columbus. WMHO can be heard only within the corporation limits of Marysville which has the advantage of mostly flat terrain which allows the micropower signal to travel a little further than normal as 100 milliwatts is maximum power allowed without a license...in essence, microbroadcasting as opposed to low power broadcasting which allows 100 watts maximum power..as is the case with WRPO which he programs on behalf of the Indian Lake area village who owns it.
Programming
Originally classic country when it first took to the air in 2007,WMHO (like WRPO) switched to an oldies format in 2009,and broadcasts yearly remotes from the Union County Fair.
Gene Kirby also operates Audio Sensations Productions,an itinerate DJ and audio production service,also based in Marysville which helps provide partial support for WRPO. DJ Dale Madison and local singing talent Kelsie Ross also serve as ambassadors for Gray Fox Broadcasting.
Kirby, a big band enthusiast since his youthful days of being a drummer for an orchestra also hosts a big band program on WSWO-LP in Huber Heights near Dayton which otherwise airs an oldies format. In addition to all this,he is also an amateur radio operator.

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