Radio WNCI 97.9

WNCI (97.9 FM) is a radio station in Columbus, Ohio. Its official print brand identifier is WNCI 97.9 in a purple oval, while the station is known on-air as 97.9 WNCI. WNCI primarily plays Top 40/CHR music, and is consistently one of the top-rated stations in Central Ohio by Arbitron.WNCI started broadcasting with a classical music format in July of 1961 as WRFD-FM, sharing studios with AM sibling WRFD, east of Powell, Ohio. In 1972, WNCI moved to the sixth floor of the new Scot's Inn, later the Carousel Inn, at 4900 Sinclair Road. Since that time, the studios of WNCI have been relocated to various places in the Columbus area, including the Nationwide Building, The Continent, Broadcast Lake (a former quarry overlooked by several Clear Channel radio studios and the television studios of WSYX), and their current location at 2323 West Fifth Avenue.WNCI began its Top 40 programming in 1970, although the station also broadcast an evening "progressive rock" album-based program during the first half of the decade. From 1979 to 1982, the station attempted a full-service adult contemporary music format to compete with WTVN, adding a 5-person news staff. Its slogan at the time was "The Best Is At The Center," playing on its location on the FM dial. The format was abandoned in 1982 and the station returned to the Top 40 format.In early 1993, WNCI again morphed into an AC-leaning station to compete with rival Sunny 95 WSNY. This lasted for nearly a year before they moved back into a CHR/Pop formatted-direction. As of 2010, WNCI currently competes with WCKX, who shifted from Mainstream Urban to Rhythmic Top 40, since WNCI tends to be more mainstream, conservative, and still at times, leans slightly towards Hot AC, while WCKX, who targets the younger demos that WNCI also goes after, concentrates on mostly hit-driven R&B/Hip-Hop and Rhythmic Pop product that WNCI doesn't add much of.WNCI is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications. Previously, the station was owned by Jacor Communications Incorporated. Jacor acquired the assets of Nationwide Communications in 1997 for $620 million. WNCI was once the flagship station for the 17 radio station group Nationwide Communications, a division of the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. In fact, the call letters NCI stand for Nationwide Communications Inc. Although owned by Clear Channel Communications, they integrate the Nationwide Insurance "Life Comes At You Fast" slogan in the station IDs in exchange for financial compensation (advertising).[citation needed]Throughout much of its history, WNCI was known as Stereo 98.Although WRFD is still broadcasting, it no longer has any affiliation with WNCI.