Sometimes the smartest radio move isn’t chasing the next trend.
It’s rediscovering the songs listeners never stopped loving.
Total Media has given WATH-AM (970) and its 97.3 FM translator in Athens, Ohio, a fresh identity, retiring the station’s Sports format in favor of a new Oldies presentation branded as “Southern Ohio Gold.”
The station officially introduced the new format on Friday afternoon, delivering a playlist built around timeless hits that helped define generations of radio listeners.
Programming for the new station is being guided by Steve Clendenin, CEO of Seaboard Networks, whose experience in music programming and classic hits formats brings another layer of expertise to the launch.
The move reflects a trend quietly gaining momentum across smaller and medium-sized markets.
While streaming services continue offering millions of songs, stations built around familiar music, local personalities, and community identity continue finding loyal audiences. For many listeners, radio isn’t simply about hearing music.
It’s about hearing the right music.
That’s where “Southern Ohio Gold” hopes to carve out its niche.
Rather than competing in an increasingly crowded Sports landscape, Total Media is positioning the station around nostalgia, familiarity, and songs that continue to resonate decades after they first climbed the charts.
It’s another reminder that radio’s greatest strength isn’t always what’s new.
Sometimes it’s the soundtrack that listeners have been waiting to hear again.
For Athens and much of Southern Ohio, that soundtrack is back on the dial.
#SouthernOhioGold #WATH #TotalMedia #SteveClendenin #Oldies #ClassicHits #AthensOH #OhioRadio #FormatFlip #Broadcasting #RadioNews #OnTheDial
On The Dial covers breaking radio industry news, including layoffs, programming changes, talent moves, and broadcast trends across the United States.