By Anna Gerber

Upper Arlington residents have a new way to tap into the community, and it can be done without leaving their desks.

WUAR, a radio station with a UA-focused format, launched Jan. 5 online. The station can be found streaming 24 hours a day at www.upperarlingtonradio.com.

Mike Holman, president and general manager of WUAR, started the radio station with help from his wife Kari. He has a background in radio: in college Holman worked part-time for WFOB-FM in Fostoria, Ohio as the on-air talent and also ran the audio board for broadcasts. He has also worked as a sales representative for the former WCEZ “Easy 108,” WLVZ-FM and RadiOhio, all in Columbus.

Holman says his passion for the industry and UA community led him to create WUAR.

“The UA community deserves and needs a radio station,” Holman says. “The best way to go about it and to launch one, rather than buy a transmitter and a tower, is to do it via an Internet-based radio station.”

The online station is funded by advertising and carries music, sports, weather, local news, national news and state news. Holman says the fledgling station’s reception by the community has been positive.

“So far it’s been a success. We’re getting great feedback from the community and with area businesses,” Holman says. “People are starting to see the value of advertising in your own city. And people outside of UA that want to talk to the residents of UA and advertise to the UA community are seeing WUAR as a great medium to get their marketing word out.”

Holman is the voice behind the live morning news broadcast, along with some of the commercials. The station also features the Ohio News Now (ONN) radio network at the bottom of the hour, and the Information Radio Network (IRN) USA radio network (national radio network) at the top of the hour.

Listeners can also tune into a weekly show featuring the Upper Arlington Chamber of Commerce and a monthly show hosting the City of Upper Arlington. Depending on the season, there are also broadcasts of UA High School and Bishop Watterson sports games.

For listeners who miss a broadcast, archive downloads are available. Homan says the archives are gaining popularity as they offer listeners the opportunity to tune into old ball games or missed UA Chamber of Commerce talks.

After nine weeks on the air, WUAR’s first audience numbers totaled 350 listeners a week – a number that Holman hopes to see increase as time goes on.

“(We hope) to continue to garner listenership here in Upper Arlington and to be a source to the community for their music, news, weather and sports, and to continue to be a positive and successful marketing tool for area businesses,” says Holman.

For a program schedule or to hear WUAR streaming 24 hours a day, seven days a week, visit www.upperarlingtonradio.com.

Anna Gerber is a contributing writer for Upper Arlington Magazine.