If you tuned into 105.9 expecting to hear Classic Country, but instead you find yourself listening to The Oasis, you might wonder what happened to Ohio’s Classic Country radio station; some fans provided critiques behind the action while some showed positive responses towards the change.
Many listeners tuning in to listen to their favorite country records this summer were surprised to hear a change in programming for a well-known Ohio radio network. Listeners were wondering where to catch the old Classic Country show now that the new station is up and running.
The Oasis has positioned itself as “all the music you do not hear on the radio anymore” the station emphasizes playing songs for people above the age of forty-five. Owner of Grant County Broadcaster Jeff bought the former WNKU-FM network station in Middletown from Northern Kentucky University in 2017.
What Happened To 105.9?
On Tuesday, July 12, 2022, a new radio program entitled The Oasis was broadcasted instead of Classic Country; the signal reached from Florence to Wapakoneta to Columbus. Grant County Broadcasters alerted its regular listers that the standard program for WNKN Middletown OH will change to The Oasis, which aims to promote popular rock songs from the 1980s.
On Tuesday, the FM station blanketing Southwestern Ohio flipped Classic Count 105.9 WNKN Middletown OH to 105.9 The Oasis. The station changed the slogan to “radio for grown-ups” and “where the music went”; it now focuses on rock music by the most significant artist from the 60s to 80s, emphasizing 70s music.
Cincinnati radio veteran Jeff Bolen, who has hosted mornings on the classic country, will become the DJ on The Oasis from 5-10 am as Bolen; after that, Gina Matthews will cover The Oasis from 2-7 pm. The program will play the popular hits by Chicago and The Beatles and include other artists and bands from that era.
Why Ohio’s Classic County Is Now The Oasis?
Jeff Ziesman, the owner of Grant County Broadcaster, asserted that Classic County was not as successful in the ratings as some may think; he also claimed that classic county did not do what he thought it would do in terms of rating. He explains that the music of the late 60s to ’80s has been off the air for a long time because the big companies did not want the older audience.
Grant county broadcaster hopes to return listeners to terrestrial radio from the satellite or the internet music services. He also implies that there is a big hole in the market for programs that broadcast popular rock songs from the late 70s in Dayton and Cincinnati.
Ziesman says that it just makes to put two different products on the air; he adds that the classic country format did help the station bring in some initial success but never became popular. DJ Ernie Brown from Cincinnati, who has been doing weekends and fill-in shifts on the station, will host 5-10 am on the classic county, and the listener will not hear DJs for the rest of the day.