The End of Ethnic Programming in Dayton?

Early posts at Daytonlogy featured two radio programs, Melodies of Germany and Austria and the Hungarian Program, as something unexpected in the Dayton area.

The programs are accessible manifestations of their ethnic communities, now mostly assimilated, where one can hear folk music, but also German & Hungarian pop & oldies, and, in the case of the Hungarian Program, light opera.

The German show is on Saturday between 10 AM to 1 PM, the Hungarians on Sunday between 9 AM and Noon. 89.5 FM

So tune in while you can as they are going off the air. At least the German show is, and maybe the Hungarian too.

The frequency, 89.5, is shared by the Dayton Public Schools "WDPS" and a Christian radio station "Praise 89.5" (broadcasting Christian indy/alternative rock). Apparenlty the Germans and Hungarians buy time from the Christian station (they have telethons to raise the money).

The DJs on the German show announced last weekend that the Praise 89.5 was sold to a Christian station or network based in California, and this network isn't going to sell time anymore, it will be all Christian programming. I havn't listened to the Hungarians latley so not sure if they are in the same boat.

The end of these shows will mark the end of foreign language ethnic broadcasting in Dayton, unless there is a local Spanish-language station broadcasting to the Mexican community. Besides the Germans and Hungarians there used to be an Indian pop show and a polka show (mix of Polish, Czech, and German as well as English language tunes), both on WYSO. There may have been other programs earlier (I dont know the history of radio here).

The Indian and polka shows ended around 1990 or so when WYSO changed its programming around.

So, for foreign-language programming one has to tune in Cincinnati, but I don't think the signals of the relevant stations reach into the Dayton area.