91.7 WVXU Cincinnati | Jazz With OT

In the Summer of 2005 Cincinnati Public Radio was delighted to announce the return of Oscar Treadwell to Cincinnati’s airwaves. The beloved former WGUC and WVXU jazz host reprised Jazz with OT on 91.7 WVXU every Sunday evening. As a tribute to OT, these programs continue, taking jazz fans on a wonderful musical journey. In these programs OT spins the tunes of the jazz masters, tells their stories, and provides counterpoint with his beautiful poetry narrations.

“WGUC and WVXU are two of my favorite stations,” said OT in 2005. “This is like coming home. I’m happy to be back on the air again with all the people I love”

Treadwell’s career as a radio personality spanned the years from 1947 to 2001. His first radio job was at WEEU in Reading, PA. From there he moved to WKDN in Camden, NJ before joining WDAS in Philadelphia. His concentration in jazz led to friendships with many jazz luminaries including Dave Brubeck, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, many of whom immortalized him in music. First came Wardell Grey’s “Treadin with Treadwell.” Then, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie created “An Oscar for Treadwell” in honor of their friend. Thelonious Monk followed suit with “Oska T.”

OT moved to Cincinnati in 1960. He joined WZIP in 1962 and broadcast jazz on Saturday evenings for a year and half until the station switched formats. In 1965, WNOP invited him to join their staff. He hosted a jazz program there until 1973 when a move toward fusion ended his more traditional jazz show. WNOP’s loss was WGUC’s gain.

“I received a call from WGUC’s General Manager George Bryant and Music Director Myron Bennett,” recalled Treadwell. “I wanted to get back into radio so I told them I would learn how to say Shostakovich. But they said no. They wanted me to play jazz.”

Thus began OT’s 22- year relationship with WGUC. Jazz with OT brought classic American music to WGUC’s audience until 1995 when the station management made the decision to focus the station’s programming totally on classical music. But, to help maintain the presence of jazz on Cincinnati’s airwaves and make Jazz with OT more available to jazz listeners, General Manager Ann Santen made arrangements with WVXU for the program to move there.

When the move was announced in July of 1995, Santen said “Total integrity, and encyclopedic knowledge of jazz and a passionate love for the music have made OT a giant in his own right. As far as jazz goes he is as good as it gets. No other jazz announcer in the country can come close to him.”

Treadwell stayed at WVXU for about a year and a half. Programs at WAVE and WMKV followed until his retirement in June 2001. In 1997, the University of Cincinnati awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.

“In the Spring of 2005 we surveyed the WGUC and WVXU members and listeners,” said Rich Eiswerth, President and General Manager of Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc. “When asked what new programming listeners wanted to hear on WVXU, jazz was mentioned time and time again. Everyone associated with Cincinnati Public Radio was thrilled to be able to fill this void in Cincinnati’s broadcast landscape by returning jazz to the airwaves with the legendary Oscar Treadwell. We were honored that he agreed to come out of retirement and work with us, and we miss him. We are pleased that we are able to continue his legacy through the restoration of his archived recordings.”

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WVXU 91.7 FM | 1223 Central Parkway | Cincinnati, OH 45214-2890