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WYSO satellite studio coming to the historic Dayton Arcade

Arcade Dome.jpeg. Looking up through the Arcade's iconic Rotunda dome.  Dayton Arcade
Jerry Kenney
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Looking up through the Arcade's iconic Rotunda dome.

WYSO, a public radio station serving the Miami Valley, will expand with the addition of a satellite studio that will be located inside the Dayton Arcade.

The 500 square foot recording and production studio was made possible by multiple donors, including longtime supporter Chuck Berry.

WYSO General Manager, Luke Dennis, said the downtown Dayton studio has been a goal of the station for some time.

"(We're) not replacing everything that we do in Yellow Springs, but planting a flag in downtown Dayton," he says. "And we're also excited about all of the energy around the Arcade renovation, so we want to be part of that, too.”

The Arcade is historically significant for the city of Dayton. Its two-year construction was completed in 1904 with an additional 10-floor commercial space added by 1908.

In its 100-plus year history, the five building complex survived the Great Flood of 1913, the Depression of the 1930s and a shutdown that lasted for 30 years.

That history is detailed on the Arcade's website, but in 2007 a serious movement to renovate the building began.

WYSO will join a growing list of businesses, organization and residents making their home in the Arcade.

The satellite studio is expected to be completed in January of 2023.

Jerry Kenney was introduced to WYSO by a friend and within a year of first tuning in became an avid listener and supporter. He began volunteering at the station in 1991 and began hosting Alpha Rhythms in February of 1992. Jerry joined the WYSO staff in 2007 as a host of All Things Considered and soon transitioned into hosting Morning Edition. In addition to now hosting All Things Considered, Jerry is the host and producer of WYSO Weekend, WYSO's weekly news and arts magazine. He has also produced several radio dramas for WYSO in collaboration with local theater companies. Jerry has won several Ohio AP awards as well as an award from PRINDI for his work with the WYSO news department. Jerry says that the best part of his job is being able to talk to people in the community and share their experiences with WYSO listeners.