The buyer of an Omaha radio station has requested a waiver from the FCC to restore the station’s historic three-letter callsign.
Walnut Radio is awaiting FCC approval to purchase KXSP/590 (Omaha) from SummitMedia. KXSP is currently off the air after SummitMedia sold its longtime transmitter site to a separate buyer.
The frequency had been known as WOW for most of its history. It began using the callsign in 1926, standing for insurance company Woodmen Of the World, its owner at the time. WOW switched to KOMJ in 1999 when the station switched to Nostalgia as “Magic 590.” The change to KXSP followed in 2005 when 590 switched to Sports.
The waiver request describes the switch from WOW as a decision by “a well-meaning, but misguided program director” in an effort to reposition the station.
“This short-sighted decision has haunted the station ever since and likely contributed to its ultimate closure earlier this year,” the request states.
Three-letter callsigns are no longer issued unless they are transferred from a co-owned station where it is still in use. In this case, there hasn’t been a station licensed as WOW since WOW-FM/94.1 (Omaha) became KSSO-FM in 2000.
(A derivation of the callsign continues on WOWT/6, which changed from WOW-TV in 1975 when a sale split the radio and TV stations.)
Walnut’s waiver requests states that allowing 590 to return to WOW will advance the FCC’s effort to preserve and revitalize the AM band. The request notes that two current employees of Walnut Radio, which runs the “Boomer Radio” format heard on other stations in the market, previously worked at the old WOW.
“Restoring the WOW call sign would do more than honor history—it would actively contribute to the future of AM radio. The recognition and nostalgia associated with WOW would help re-engage listeners, strengthen community identity, and draw renewed attention to the value of local broadcasting. Walnut Radio intends to pair that heritage with a modern, compelling format focused on news, sports, information, and entertainment that serves the heartland with relevance and integrity,” the waiver request states.
The application requests the callsign change to be effective May 27, though it appears unlikely the station will be able to return to the air by that date as it has not yet filed an application to move to a new transmitter site.
Above: A WOW ad from the 1952 Broadcasting Yearbook