WEOL

Catholic radio station in Elyria, Ohio

WEOLSimulcast of WCCR, Cleveland, OH

* Elyria, Ohio
* United States

Broadcast area|

* Lorain County
* Medina County

Frequency| 930 kHz
Branding| AM 1260 The Rock
Programming
Format| Religious (Catholic)
Affiliations| EWTN Radio
Ownership
Owner| Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Company
(sale to St. Peter the Rock Media pending)[1]
Operator| St. Peter the Rock Media, Inc.

Sister stations

* WKFM
* WLKR
* WLKR-FM

History

First air date

| October 17, 1948 (76 years ago) (1948-10-17)

Call sign meaning

| "Elyria, Oberlin, and Lorain"
Technical information[2]

Licensing authority

| FCC
Facility ID| 19463
Class| B
Power| 1,000 watts

Transmitter coordinates

| 41°16′8.59″N 82°0′13.91″W﻿ / ﻿41.2690528°N 82.0038639°W﻿ / 41.2690528; -82.0038639
Translator(s)| 100.3 W262DM (Elyria)
Links

Public license information

* Public file
* LMS

Webcast| Listen live
Website| am1260therock.com

WEOL (930 AM) is a non-commercial radio station licensed to Elyria, Ohio, United States. Currently owned by the Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Company and operated by St. Peter the Rock Media, Inc, it features a Catholic–oriented religious format as a full-time simulcast of WCCR, serving Lorain and Medina counties and the western parts of Greater Cleveland. The station's transmitter is in nearby Grafton; in addition to a standard analog transmission, WEOL simulcasts over low-power analog Elyria translator W262DM (100.3 FM), and is available online via WCCR's website.

From 1948 to 2025, this station featured a full-service radio format oriented towards Lorain County.

## History

[edit]

WEOL signed on October 17, 1948, at both 930 kHz and 107.3 MHz, in Elyria, Ohio with studios in the Elyria Savings and Trust Building in downtown Elyria. The FM installations, like most of the era, were established as an adjunct to the AM programming. Both stations were owned by the newly created Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co. The station's early years were spent fighting for its very survival. In the 1930s and 1940s, the Lorain Journal (today known as The Morning Journal) enjoyed a monopoly in news coverage and advertising revenue in Lorain. With the establishment of WEOL, however, the Journal feared the presence of this new competitor. In response, the Journal unofficially instituted an "exclusivity policy" that prevented Journal advertisers from doing business with WEOL. WEOL's owners sued Journal Publishing, and it went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the 1951 decision Lorain Journal Co. v. United States, 343 U.S. 143, it was found that the Journal violated key provisions of the Sherman Antitrust Act by seeking to maintain their near monopoly on advertising revenue. In addition, the Journal was found to have acted in a "predatory" and illegal manner.[3]

On May 15, 1958, Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co. was purchased by the Lorain County Printing and Publishing Company, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. LCP&P also owns the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and Medina Gazette; in effect forming a radio/newspaper duopoly. This arrangement has lasted to this day, grandfathered by FCC legislation that now prohibits such arrangements. Through the 1950s, WEOL was a "real hot rocker," playing the early gyrating rhythms of rock 'n roll to sock hops throughout Lorain County, and as far away as Ontario, Canada. By this same time, records show that the station had obtained a construction permit in the mid-1950s for WEOL-TV on channel 31, but the television station never made it on the air.[4]

Personalities who worked at WEOL in their early years include Alice Weston (later with WUAB-TV \- and who was present at WEOL's sign-on), Dick Conrad, Gary Short (later with WERE, WDBN, WDOK, WJW-TV, WUAB-TV), Ron and Dick Barrett, Ron Penfound (better known as "Captain Penny" on WEWS-TV), Neil Zurcher (later with WJW-TV), Jim Mehrling (later with WERE and WCLV), David Mark (later with WEWS-TV, WNCR/WKSW, WQAL, and WDOK, the promotional voice of many Fox and UPN TV stations across the country, and radio image voice for radio stations around the world) and Jeff Baxter (later with WWIZ/WLRO, WDBN, WLEC, who later teamed up with Jack Riley at WERE). For over 30 years, Jim Mehrling has produced and hosted The High School Scholastic Games of Lorain County programs on WEOL with David Mark as the program announcer. Jeff Baxter also helped make nationally popular a recording artist in Laura Lee Perkins. Laura, who recently moved to Elyria from her home state of West Virginia, broke out into a song while visiting the WEOL studios. Hearing her sing, Jeff gave her airtime on the station, and eventually parlayed it into a west-coast recording deal.

In 1968, WEOL-FM started separate programming under new calls WBEA with an automated easy-listening format that still served the Lorain County audience. The format changed in 1982 to top-40 while retaining the same call letters. Initially an independent station, WEOL affiliated with the Mutual Broadcasting System in the early 1960s, and then switched to ABC Radio's American Entertainment Network in 1968. Throughout the 1970s, '80s and '90s, WEOL was "Your Hometown Radio Station," a middle-of-the-road outlet that put a heavy emphasis on local news and sports programming. WEOL also hired the first radio newswoman in the county back in the mid-1970s with Sandy Kozel, now with Associated Press Radio.[5]

In 1982, WEOL and WBEA moved to new studios on 538 Broad Street, where WEOL remains to this day. WEOL began broadcasting in C-QUAM AM stereo in the mid-1980s before dropping the standard in the late 1990s. On New Year's Day 1987, WBEA changed to "Z-Rock" WCZR with an automated rock format; then eleven months later, WCZR changed to smooth jazz as "The Wave" WNWV, positioned to serve the Cleveland market. WNWV was sold off in December 2011 to the Akron-based Rubber City Radio Group, and subsequently moved out of their Elyria studios.

Over the course of time, WEOL's news and sports department has garnered dozens of awards from the Ohio Associated Press and Cleveland Press Club, particularly "Outstanding News Operation" in large market radio.

## Talk and information era

[edit]

WEOL dropped all music programming on November 28, 1997, for a hybrid format: all-news in the daytime largely supplied by the Associated Press, and sports in the nighttime via One on One Sports.[6] Program director Mike Whitmore (who also hosted mornings as "Mike James") said the move was partly made because of a decline of music listening on the AM dial, noting, "[w]e never were a music station".[7] Whitmore left the station in March 1998;[8] Bill King—with the station since 1996[9]—took over for him in mornings, while news director Craig Adams became operations manager.[10] While the format initially eschewed talk radio,[6] by 2003, WEOL carried syndicated hosts Clark Howard and Mitch Albom, along with The Other Side of Morning Drive, a late-morning local interview program.[11]

WEOL picked up The Glenn Beck Program in May 2005, several weeks after WTAM dropped it; The Other Side was also cancelled[12] and King was replaced as morning host by Les Sekely.[13] Beck's addition came after an assessment of the all-news format by station management.[12] The station also affiliated with Fox Sports Radio on July 16, 2005, for evenings and weekends.[14] Distribution of Albom's show ended on January 2006, with WEOL replacing it with The Sean Hannity Show.[15] Sekely's show was the lone local program remaining on WEOL's schedule by May 2008 as the station's noon news block was phased out.[16][17] The Laura Ingraham Show replaced Beck on November 3, 2008, after WTAM reacquired the rights to Beck's program;[18][19] Ingraham was replaced with The Stephanie Miller Show on April 30, 2012.[20]

Tim Alcorn was elevated to station operations manager in the mid-2010s;[21] under Alcorn, WEOL launched a local news/interview program hosted by Andy "Bull" Barch, replacing Hannity.[22] Alcorn left the station in October 2019 to become the radio voice of the Cleveland Cavaliers;[23] Joe Tait, the Cavaliers' first radio voice, frequently called high school basketball and softball games for the station alongside Alcorn, and lobbied for the team to hire him.[24][25] Tait additionally co-hosted a podcast for WEOL until his 2021 death, featuring recordings from his tape archive.[26][27] Barch's afternoon show ended in October 2020.[28] By 2013,[29] Craig Adams and Bruce Van Dyke co-hosted the morning show,[21] which ended in December 2023.[30]

## Switch to Catholic radio

[edit]

On May 31, 2025, Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting announced the sale of WEOL's license to St. Peter the Rock Media, owner of Catholic radio station and EWTN Radio affiliate WCCR (1260 AM); the station became a WCCR repeater the next day. Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting retained WEOL's intellectual property and call sign with the sale, and concurrently announced WEOL's local programming—primarily high school sports coverage—would only be available online with new studios at the Chronicle-Telegram offices.[1][31] WEOL's broadcast of weekly services from the Elyria First United Methodist Church, heard over the station since 1958, was also dropped.[32]

## FM translator

[edit]

Since August 2, 2019, WEOL has been rebroadcast over Elyria, Ohio, FM translator W262DM (100.3 FM).[33] The translator was applied for as part of the FCC's "AM Revitalization" initiative.[34]

Broadcast translator for WEOL  Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info

|
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|
|
|
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W262DM  | 100.3 FM | Elyria, Ohio | 202991 | 25 | 196.48 m (645 ft) | D | 41°16′10.2″N 82°0′15.5″W﻿ / ﻿41.269500°N 82.004306°W﻿ / 41.269500; -82.004306 | LMS

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Woytach, Carissa (May 31, 2025). "WEOL moves to digital streaming in June". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
2. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WEOL". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
3. ^ "LORAIN JOURNAL v. UNITED STATES, 342 U.S. 143 (1951) | FindLaw".
4. ^ "U. S. and Canadian TV stations (1958)". Archived from the original on March 2, 2000.
5. ^ "About".
6. ^ a b Exner, Rich (December 4, 1997). "All information, all the time: Elyria station WEOL-AM drops music to concentrate on news and sports". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. B1. Retrieved June 8, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ Mohrman, Jeff (December 3, 1997). "All news (& sports) good news at WEOL". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. pp. C1, C5. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
8. ^ Fogarty, Steve (March 26, 1998). "Mike James quits WEOL AM radio". The Chronicle Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. pp. A1, A8. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
9. ^ Brown, Steve (May 17, 1997). "WEOL has 'King of the Oldies'". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. p. C7. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
10. ^ Waksmundski, Nicole (May 20, 1998). "WEOL promotes newsman". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. pp. C1–C2. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
11. ^ Fogarty, Steve (February 7, 2003). "WEOL announces new programming". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. p. C1. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
12. ^ a b Fogarty, Steve (May 12, 2005). "WEOL makes big changes: Glenn Beck is in, Bill King is out". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. p. D2. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
13. ^ Keener, Matt (May 27, 2005). "WEOL gets new voice for its morning show: Les Sekely brings comedy background". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. pp. A1–A2. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
14. ^ O'Connor, Clint (July 16, 2005). "Format flipping bounces listeners around AM dial". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. E7. Retrieved June 8, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
15. ^ Fogarty, Steve (January 9, 2006). "WEOL drops Albom, picks up Hannity". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. p. C2. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
16. ^ Fogarty, Steve (May 21, 2008). "WEOL changes lineup". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. p. B1. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
17. ^ Dietz, Allison (October 17, 2008). "WEOL celebrates landmark years". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. pp. C1–C2. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
18. ^ Washington, Julie E. (October 25, 2008). "Fantasy TV returns with 'Seeker'". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. E4. Retrieved June 8, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
19. ^ Fogarty, Steve (November 9, 2008). "Off the beat: WEOL loses Beck, gets Ingraham". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. p. C1. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
20. ^ "AM930 WEOL Welcomes Stephanie Miller; Giving listeners Real Balance, Real Choice". WEOL. April 30, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
21. ^ a b Mahoney, Scott (October 17, 2018). "On the air for 70 years: WEOL celebrates with open house today". The Chronicle Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. p. B1. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
22. ^ Nix, Katie (February 1, 2017). "WEOL-AM 930 adds local afternoon drive duo". The Chronicle-Telegram. Elyria, Ohio. p. A2. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
23. ^ Pluto, Terry (October 23, 2019). "Overnight success at age 56: New radio voice of Cavs a veteran of local airwaves". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. p. B5. Retrieved June 8, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
24. ^ Pluto, Terry (March 7, 2021). "Joe Tait talks life, death, basketball and a cat named Penelope". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, Ohio. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
25. ^ Metzger, Roger; Morrison, Lee (March 11, 2021). "Joe Tait's love of basketball sounded on Tuscarawas County airwaves". Times Reporter. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
26. ^ "Over the Timeline with Joe Tait: Presented by Life Care Center of Elyria, Medina, and Westlake". WEOL. July 3, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
27. ^ "Remembering Joe Tait". WEOL. March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
28. ^

* "WEOL QUARTERLY REPORT: July 1 – Sept 30, 2020" (PDF). License and Database Public Inspection File. Federal Communications Commission. October 8, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
* "WEOL QUARTERLY REPORT: Oct 1-Dec 31 2020" (PDF). License and Database Public Inspection File. Federal Communications Commission. January 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2025.

29. ^ Gallatin, Jeff (October 28, 2013). "Radio Days". Pulse: Lorain County's Magazine. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
30. ^

* "WEOL QUARTERLY REPORT: Oct 1-Dec 31, 2023" (PDF). License and Database Public Inspection File. Federal Communications Commission. January 5, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2025.
* "WEOL QUARTERLY REPORT: Jan 1-Mar 31, 2024" (PDF). License and Database Public Inspection File. Federal Communications Commission. April 2, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2025.

31. ^ Venta, Lance (June 1, 2025). "WEOL Programming To Move Online With Sale To Catholic Operator". RadioInsight. Retrieved June 6, 2025.
32. ^ "Bulletin for April 20, 2025" (PDF). elyriafirstumc.org. April 20, 2025. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
33. ^ O'Brien, Dave (August 2, 2019). "WEOL expands news/sports/talk broadcast to FM". The Chronicle-Telegram. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
34. ^ Venta, Lance (February 7, 2018). "Looking At The 873 New Translator Applications". RadioInsight. Retrieved June 8, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* "FCC History Cards for WEOL". Federal Communications Commission.
* Facility details for Facility ID 19463 (WEOL) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
* WEOL in Nielsen Audio's AM station database

FM translator

* Facility details for Facility ID 202991 (W262DM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
* W262DM at FCCdata.org

* v
* t
* e

Radio stations in the Greater Cleveland area

AM|

* 850
* 930
* 10001
* 11002
* 1220
* 1260
* 1300
* 1320
* 1330
* 1350
* 1380
* 1420
* 1460
* 1490

FM|

* 88.3
* WBWC
* WHWN
* 88.7
* 89.3
* 89.7
* 90.3
* 91.1
* 91.5
* WKHR
* WOBC-FM
* 92.3
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* 96.5
* 98.5
* 99.5
* 100.7
* 102.1
* 103.3
* 104.1
* 104.9
* 105.7
* 106.5
* 107.3
* 107.9

| LPFM|

* 93.7
* 95.9

|

Translators|

* 89.1
* 92.7
* 94.5
* 96.9
* 98.9
* 99.1
* 100.3
* 101.1
* 101.5
* 102.9
* 103.7
* 105.3
* 106.1
* 106.9
* 107.7

NOAA|

* 162.5
* 162.55

Digital|

* 89.7-1
* 89.7-2
* 89.7-3
* 89.7-4
* 90.3-1
* 90.3-2
* 90.3-3
* 92.3-1
* 92.3-2
* 92.3-3
* 93.1-1
* 93.1-2
* 93.1-3
* 96.5-1
* 96.5-2
* 98.5-1
* 98.5-2
* 99.5-1
* 100.7-1
* 100.7-2
* 100.7-3
* 102.1-1
* 104.1-1
* 104.1-2
* 104.9-1
* 104.9-2
* 104.9-3
* 104.9-4
* 105.7-1
* 105.7-2
* 106.5-1
* 106.5-2
* 107.3-1
* 107.9-1
* 107.9-2

Call signs|

* KHB59
* W206CH
* W224CD
* W233CG
* W245CY
* W255CW
* W256BT
* W262DM
* W266CJ
* W268CO
* W273DG
* W279BT
* W287DQ
* W291BV
* W295DE
* W299CJ
* WABQ
* WAKS
* HD2
* WARF
* WBWC
* WCCD
* WCCR
* WCLV
* HD2
* HD3
* WCPN
* HD2
* HD3
* HD4
* WCRF-FM
* WCSB
* WDLW
* WDOK
* WENZ
* HD2
* WEOL
* WERE
* WGAR-FM
* WHK
* WHKW
* WHLK
* HD2
* WHWN
* WINT
* WJCU
* WJMO
* WKHR
* WKLV-FM
* WKNR
* WKRK-FM
* HD2
* HD3
* WKSU
* HD2
* HD3
* HD4
* WMJI
* HD2
* WMMS
* HD2
* HD3
* WNCX
* HD2
* WNG698
* WNWV
* WOBC-FM
* WOBL
* WOVU-LP
* WQAL
* HD2
* WRUW-FM
* WSAV-LP
* WTAM1
* WZAK
* HD2
* HD3

Sports|

* Cleveland Browns Radio Network
* Cavaliers AudioVerse
* Cleveland Guardians Radio Network

Defunct|

* KDPM
* oWOW Radio
* WATJ
* WBOE
* WDBK
* WJTB
* WWGK
* WWIZ

Radio stations in Northeast Ohio
Akron
Ashtabula
Canton
Cleveland
Youngstown

Other nearby regions
Mid-Ohio
Vacationland
Toledo

See also
Media in Cleveland
List of radio stations in Ohio

* * *

Notes
1\. Daytime only station
2\. Clear-channel stations with extended nighttime coverage

* v
* t
* e

Religious radio stations in the state of Ohio

Active|

* Ada
* WOHA
* Anna
* WHJM
* Archbold
* WBCY
* Athens
* WYWH-LP
* Baltimore
* WKVR
* Beach City
* WOFN
* Belpre
* WCVV
* Bolivar
* WJEE
* Bowling Green
* WJYM
* WNOC
* Brunswick
* WKJA
* Buchtel
* WAIS
* Cambridge
* WYFY
* Canton
* WILB
* Cedarville
* WKCD
* Chillicothe
* WOHC
* WZCP
* Cincinnati
* WAKW
* WGRI
* Cleveland/Elyria
* WCCR/WEOL
* WCRF-FM
* WHKW
* Clyde
* WHVT
* Columbus
* WVSG
* Columbus-Worthington
* WRFD
* Conneaut
* WGOJ
* Coshocton
* WHVY
* Cuyahoga Falls
* WCUE
* Dayton
* WQRP
* Delaware
* WJJE
* Delphos
* WBIE
* Delta
* WTOD
* Edon/Bryan
* WRRO
* Glandorf/Leipsic
* WJTA
* Greenville
* WTKD
* Hillsboro
* WLRU-LP
* Hubbard
* WYLR
* Jefferson
* WCVJ
* Lancaster
* WFCO
* Lexington
* WFOT
* Lima
* WCBV-LP
* WTGN
* WTTP-LP
* Loudonville
* WZLP-LP
* Marion
* WXMF
* Miamisburg
* WFCJ
* Middletown
* WPFB
* Millersburg
* WVML
* Mowrystown
* WAOM
* Napoleon
* WTPS-LP
* New Boston
* WSGR

* Rossford
* WPAY
* Sandusky
* WHRQ
* WVMS
* Shelby
* WAUI
* Spencerville
* WBCJ
* Springfield
* WEEC
* WULM
* Steubenville
* WBJV
* Sycamore
* WXMW
* Tiffin
* WSJG-LP
* Upper Sandusky
* WXML
* West Union
* WZWP
* Toledo
* WOTL
* WWYC
* Warren
* WHKZ
* Wauseon
* WNKL
* Whitehouse
* WTPG
* Willard
* WSHB
* Youngstown
* WYTN
* Zanesville
* WJIC

Defunct|

* Canton
* WCER
* Carrollton
* WJDD
* Fairfield
* WCNW
* Fostoria
* WLBJ-LP
* Zanesville
* WTLL-LP

See also
adult contemporary
classic hits
college
country
news/talk
NPR
oldies
religious
rock
sports
top 40
urban
other radio stations in Ohio

See also
Classical
Jazz
Religious
Spanish
Smooth Jazz
Other
*[FID]: Facility ID
*[ERP]: Effective radiated power
*[W]: watt
*[HAAT]: Height above average terrain
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