Every so often, something happens in broadcasting that reminds us radio isn’t just about transmitters, formats, or ratings.
Sometimes…
It’s about a name.
For generations of Midwestern listeners, those three letters—WOW—weren’t simply a set of call letters. They represented one of the most legendary stations in American broadcasting. Now, after more than a quarter-century, WOW is returning to the Omaha radio dial.
Beginning Monday, July 6, Walnut Media will relaunch AM 590 WOW, bringing sports radio back to the frequency just months after the previous sports format left the market.
The company acquired the 590 AM license earlier this year for $40,000 and successfully restored the historic WOW call letters, which were synonymous with the station from 1926 until 1999. The revived station will feature a lineup anchored by ESPN Radio, complemented by local programming from Nick Handley and Grant Hansen in afternoon drive, Sports Nightly, and additional syndicated programming. It will also serve as a primary destination for University of Nebraska Athletics, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball, and related game-day coverage.
But here’s the twist.
This story isn’t really about a sports station.
It’s about preserving a piece of broadcasting history.
Across the country, heritage call letters have quietly disappeared as stations have changed ownership, flipped formats, or adopted new branding. When a legendary identity returns, it reconnects generations of listeners with a station that helped define radio in its community.
That part of the story resonates with me personally.
Years ago, I served as Program Director for the Omaha cluster that owned 590 WOW after the historic call letters had left the frequency. Even then, you could still feel the weight those three letters carried throughout the market. That’s why it’s genuinely exciting to see WOW return to Omaha where so many believe it belongs.
There are very few stations whose call letters instantly evoke memories spanning decades.
WOW is one of them.
Walnut Media isn’t simply launching another station.
It’s bringing back an icon.
And in an era when radio often looks ahead to the next technology or the next platform, there’s something refreshing about honoring a legacy while creating a new future.
Sometimes the biggest win isn’t inventing something new.
Sometimes…
It’s knowing when to bring something unforgettable back home.
#WOW590 #OmahaRadio #WalnutMedia #HuskerSports #ESPNRadio #BroadcastHistory #SportsRadio #Nebraska #RadioNews #OnTheDial
On The Dial covers breaking radio industry news, including layoffs, programming changes, talent moves, and broadcast trends across the United States.