| Broadcast area | Dayton metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1210 kHz |
| Branding | Real Rhythm of the City |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Format | Urban adult contemporary |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Johnson Communications, Inc. |
| History | |
First air date | September 4, 1947 |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | "Dayton, Ohio" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 31880 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 1,000 watts day |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°43′36″N 84°12′23″W / 39.72667°N 84.20639°W |
| Translator(s) | 102.3 W272DR (Drexel) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wdaoradio |
WDAO (1210 AM) – branded Real Rhythm Of The City – is a commercial daytime-only urban adult contemporary radio station licensed to Dayton, Ohio. Owned by minority-owned business Johnson Communications, Inc., WDAO serves the Dayton metropolitan area.
Originally established in Springfield in 1947 as WWSO, the station relocated to Dayton in 1954 under the WAVI call sign—the fourth AM station to operate in Dayton proper. Along with a variety of formats ranging from big band to adult contemporary to country, WAVI became an early adopter of the talk radio format in 1971 and was one of the first radio homes for political commentator Mike Gallagher. Assuming the call letters and format of its former FM adjunct WDAO in 1985, it later became the first and only minority-owned radio station in Dayton in 1987, a distinction it holds to this day.
The WDAO studios are located in Dayton's Wright-Dunbar Historic District, while the transmitter also resides in Dayton. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WDAO is relayed over low-power Drexel FM translator W272DR (102.3 FM)[2] and is available online.