97X - Rumblings from the Big Bush

Mark Abuzzahab (who just went by "Mark" on air... we can't imagine why) was at 97X for a year and change (Jul '98-Sept. '99) at the dawn of the streaming era. He then served as music director at seve…

Here's Part Deux of our chat with Brett Heartz, who bookended his long and illustrious radio career with stints at 97X in the late 80s and 2004. This episode includes the on-air banter between Brett …

Brett Heartz got the 97X bug when he was in high school, a fever that was aided and abetted by his interview with Danny Crash and Mr. K for a cable-access program. Thanks to his Mr. K connection, he …

In the second part of our interview with 97X station owners Doug & Linda Balogh, we find out why Steve Baker was the soul of the station, Dave was Mr. Sunshine, and Linda was the lady behind the curt…

Doug and Linda Balogh bought 97.7 FM in Oxford, Ohio in July of 1981, adjusted the format to modern rock in September of 1983, and spent 23 years giving their heart and soul to a "mom and pop" radio …

Dayton native Dan Bockrath left San Diego in the mid-90s, returning to southwest Ohio and joining forces with editor John Fox to launch CityBeat, Cincinnati's alternative weekly newspaper. One of the…

Stase worked weekends at 97X in 1995-96, and then handled the midday shift in 1997. She got the gig partly due to the fact that her previous job was working alongside Rictile (in his side hustle) at …

Brian Ewing spent the early to mid-90s on the air at 97X, including three full years doing the overnight shift, which surely must be a record for "the cave." During that same time, he was also playin…

Dorsie Fyffe worked at 97X from 1993 to 1998, eventually winding up as Music Director (nominated by Billboard Magazine for "Music Director of the Year") and afternoon host. During that same era, he l…

We continue our conversation with Mark Messerly, a key player in the Cincinnati music scene. In this episode, he talks about the genius of his Wussy bandmates Chuck Cleaver and Lisa Walker, and pays …

Mark Messerly has been a key player in the Cincinnati music scene for decades, and he's still going strong. Mark was the longtime co-leader of Messerly & Ewing, which won 97Xposure in 2002, and he jo…

Tina Christina was on the air at 97X for more than a decade (1991-2003), doing weekend shifts, then overnights, and eventually middays with her distinctive New York accent. She's still in the radio b…

Dave and Damian continue their chat with Phil Manning, who joined 97X in the summer of 1988 and was with the station until December of 1994, spending most of those years in the program director role.…

Phil Manning started at the very bottom of the totem pole at 97X shortly after he graduated from college in 1988. He began with a single weekend overnight shift but gradually worked his way up to pro…