WOSU (AM)

WOSU (AM)

WOSU (820 AM) was a National Public Radio news and talk radio station located in Columbus, Ohio serving the Columbus metro area. WOSU is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission as a daytime and nighttime radio station, operating with a non-directional power of 5 kW during the day, and dropping to 790 watts at night, to protect clear channel WBAP in Fort Worth, Texas. The license holder was The Ohio State University until the license changed hands over to St. Gabriel Radio Inc. It is now WVSG.

WOSU-AM was the oldest radio station in Columbus from 1922 until 2011. WOSU's origins trace back to 1920 when Ohio State University was granted an experimental license on April 20, 1920. On June 3, 1922, the station received the call letters WEAO (Willing Energetic Athletic Ohio). In 1933, the call letters were changed to WOSU.

For much of the 1960s and 70s,WOSU's programming was mostly locally originating featuring diverse music programs from classical and jazz...and later to the seasonal Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts on Saturday afternoons moderated by its long-time announcer Milton Cross and later by Peter Allen after Cross' passing leading to the gradual evolution of National Public Radio and its WOSU affiliation. WOSU also broadcast live remotes from the Ohio State Fair.

Today, WOSU is primarily an NPR member station which started on AM 820 and is now at 89.7 FM, formerly a classical music station (now moved to WOSA). However, it also broadcasts programs from American Public Media and Public Radio International. WOSU is also home to the Ohio State ice hockey and women's basketball broadcasts. On weekend evenings the station features 12 hours of bluegrass music on a program called The Bluegrass Ramble hosted by a group of three rotating announcers.

In addition to its sports and news coverage, the station also produced an award-winning talk show, Open Line with host Fred Andrle who retired in May 2009 after 25 years in radio. In September 2009 Andrle's program was rechristened "All Sides With Ann Fisher," hosted by a former Columbus Dispatch reporter and columnist with 20 years of journalism experience.