WCHD
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| City | Kettering, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Dayton metropolitan area |
| Branding | Channel 999 |
| Slogan | Dayton's New #1 Hit Music Station |
| Frequency | 99.9 MHz (also on HD Radio) |
| First air date | February 20, 1962 (as WKET) |
| Format | Top 40 (CHR) |
| ERP | 28,000 watts |
| HAAT | 200 meters (656 feet) |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 55500 |
| Callsign meaning | We're CHannel 99.9 Dayton |
| Former callsigns | WKET (1962-1964) WVUD-FM (1964-1992) WLQT (1992-2011) WDKF (2011-2012) |
| Affiliations |
Premium Choice iHeartRadio |
| Owner |
iHeartMedia, Inc. (Citicasters Licenses, Inc.) |
| Sister stations | WRZX, WYDB, WMMX, WONE, WTUE, WZDA |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | Channel 99.9 |
WCHD (99.9 MHz, "Channel 999") is a commercial radio station licensed to Kettering, Ohio, and serving the Dayton metropolitan area. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and airs a Mainstream Top 40 (CHR) radio format. Its studios are located just outside downtown Dayton and its transmitter is off Sandridge Drive near Interstate 75.
WCHD broadcasts in the HD format. Its HD-2 channel is the primary station for the iHeart Smooth Jazz format.
The station began its history on December 16, 1993 on 94.5 MHz as alternative rock WZJX (94-5 X-Rock), Dayton's first-ever alternative station. George Wymer was General Manager; Randy Scovil was Program Director as well as the afternoon drive host. Steve Stone and Christy Chatman hosted the morning show, Andy Sims did mid-days, and Greg Johns hosted the evening shift. During the six months as an alternative station, X-Rock brought two sell-out shows to the Hara Arena: The Breeders and the Afghan Whigs, and later The Smashing Pumpkins. In the station's first ratings period (Jan–March 1994), X-Rock's ratings in the 18–34 demographic had already grown to half of longtime Dayton rock station WTUE.
In early May 1994, the station was sold to Terry Jacobs (formerly of Jacor) who decided to change the format to be Dayton's third oldies station, to compete with similar formats at 95.3 FM and 103.9 FM. On 3 May, the X-Rock staff was fired. The station began playing 20 different versions of "Louie Louie" and calling itself "Louie 95" in an effort to entice listeners by playing different versions of the mid-1960s hit "Louie, Louie", a Richard Berry-penned song popularized by The Kingsmen, and Paul Revere and The Raiders among many others. During that time it was known as "The Chicken" in reference to its mascot, a giant whole broiled chicken dressed in seasonal clothing. It became WDOL, an oldies outlet, until 1996 when consistently minuscule ratings led to a switch to Rhythmic contemporary as WBTT, "94.5 The Beat". By 1999 it shifted to Mainstream Top 40 and began a serious challenge to take on the area's longtime rival, WGTZ. It would later drop "The Beat" branding to become WDKF, "94.5 KISS-FM", in 2000, after Clear Channel expanded the brand to new markets. Despite the move, the station maintained a Rhythmic lean during that tenure.
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