Formed by physicians in 1948, WLOH radio celebrates its 75th anniversary

Jeff Barron, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
·2 min read

LANCASTER − WLOH 104.5 FM The Wolf has been informing and entertaining Fairfield County residents since Oct. 9, 1948.

Therefore, this is a big year for the country music station as it celebrates its 75th anniversary.

In 1948, a group of Lancaster physicians formed the Hocking Valley Broadcasting Corporation. The station's original call letters were WHOK and the physicians ran the station until 1972. Then from 1972 to 1994 Bill France and family owned the station. The station went through a series of ownership changes until Mark and Arlene Bohach bought it in 2005. They previously owned it from 1998 to 2001 before selling and buying it back.

Mark said it is the oldest station in the county. He said being able to change as needed is why the station has had such long-term success.

U.S. Navy Lieutenant Dr. Dana Robinson-Street, of Hilliard, walks out of the WLOH Radio tent as they were celebrating their 75th anniversary at the Fairfield County Fair on October 9. Robinson-Street was invited to the fair as a guest speaker and to administered the Oath of Enlistment for the Military Homecoming at the fair.
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Dr. Dana Robinson-Street, of Hilliard, walks out of the WLOH Radio tent as they were celebrating their 75th anniversary at the Fairfield County Fair on October 9. Robinson-Street was invited to the fair as a guest speaker and to administered the Oath of Enlistment for the Military Homecoming at the fair.

"As technology goes, we stay up to date," he said. "But the core mission in 1948 and what it is today has never changed. And that is to serve the community. Be a full-service station offering something unique to the community. That has never changed over all the years. So the secret is no secret, we cover local events."

Besides playing country music, WLOH is also the voice of the Lancaster High School football team and broadcasts other sporting events and community events.

"Those core principals and core services have never changed," Mark said.

But other things have changed, like the advent of satellite radio in the early 2000s. However, Mark said as long as the station continues serving local residents, satellite radio will not be an issue.

"Because satellite radio, Pandora, any of the streaming services, they're going to play music and they're going to be a national service," he said. "But they're not going to come to our community and broadcast a high school football game. And they're not going to be downtown for the (Lancaster) festival. We'll be."

Technology has benefited the local station, though. Mark said it reaches about 50,000 listeners worldwide on its website. He said a lot of those listeners are former residents or family members of local residents who want to stay in touch with what is going on.

"A great example is high school football," Mark said. "On Friday night we will see a huge upsurge in listenership online because aunts, uncles, grandparents, military people serving in Germany and England what want to hear what the local team is doing. What their kids, their cousins and their nephews are doing."

Locally, WLOH also transmits in Logan, New Lexington and Circleville, via repeater towers.

The station will officially celebrate its 75th anniversary on Nov. 11, at the Mill Event Center at 431 S. Columbus St.

Visit www.wolfohio.com for more information and to buy tickets for the event.

jbarron@gannett.com

740-681-4340

Twitter: @JeffDBarron

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: WLOH radio celebrates its 75th anniversary