Local Streaming Radio

And the death of Dolly's.

Despite early indications that Big Boy came to fight Frisch’s—I was convinced!—the Michigan-based company is shuttering all of its Cincinnati and Dayton locations.

Shame. While I am not optimistic that Frisch’s is going to be bringing back much in the way of former locations, we’ll see. Whatever your side, if you had one, I think we can all agree that fewer Big Boy-style restaurants, on net, is bad for the region.

Their last day is tomorrow. Maybe now they’ll sell me some Big Boy Seasoning?

Let’s get off food for a bit and go to music.

As I drive around, I do love discovering terrestrial radio stations. And, given the topography… it can be hard!

The Price Hill FM tower.

While there’s something of a dearth of true local news radio here—nothing quite like WTOP—the NPR affiliates are solid, and WLW does fine for sports and top-of-the-hour updates, but little else… I’ve got to admit: as much as I love WGRR’s music selection, the ads make it impossible to listen with my kids in the car.

I’m not a prude! But between the boner ads and the tongue-in-cheek “Big Lou” insurance spots with winking innuendo, I find myself reaching for the dial before my kids start asking questions. Maybe I’m just not the target demo—which seems to be divorced, fifty-something men.

So lately I’ve been turning more and more to SiriusXM, my own streaming library, and longtime favorites like BBC’s 6 Music. The only catch? While 6 Music is easy to stream in my home office, there’s still no simple way to take it on the road.

Luckily, I’ve discovered a great locally-run streaming radio station, and entirely by accident: BlackFork Radio.

I was at the Mercantile Library and discovered a stack of stickers near the checkout and elevator bank. I asked Cedric Rose, the Librarian/Collector there, “what’s the deal with these?” I was curious if they were left by a member. A recent event at the library had a patron leave the stickers and mission accomplished: I immediately went home and gave it a try.

A day later after a few hours of listening, the sticker was on my daily notebook and the app on my phone.

So what does BlackFork play? “Real music, performed by real musicians, using real instruments, and singing with their real voices.”

Their app listing describes the sound as “an eclectic blend of melodies, harmonies, rhythms, cultures, confessionals, tall tales, and time travel that may result in various emotional or psychological states.” It’s an apt description. The app itself is slick, intuitive, and—unlike the hassle of firing up 6 Music—easy enough that I now stream it over Bluetooth for local drives.

Looking at my playlist, I now have a bunch of artists I’d never heard of (Labi Siffre, Clairo, Jim Trace and the Makers, David Rhodes Brown) and others I’d rarely listened to (Canned Heat, Los Lobos, among them).

BlackFork Radio quickly became one of my daily listens, so I set out to meet its founder, Robert Fugate, who happens to live nearby in Mt. Washington. We met for coffee at Luckman’s so I could learn more about him and his operation.

As you might imagine, a digital streaming station that runs only house ads isn’t exactly a money-maker—at least not yet. But Rob isn’t looking to burn cash. He has plans to turn this beautifully executed passion project into a sustainable business.

A native of Shelby—Cleveland Indians country—he noticed my 2025 Guardians playoffs hat (RIP). His day job as an audio engineer sometimes brings him to Great American Ball Park to work with the Reds, and he’s called Cincinnati home for about 25 years.

He runs front-of-house sound for Over the Rhine and musician Philip Myers and his eight-piece band. He’s also the founder of Mind Ignition, a boutique audio, video, and event production company.

BlackFork launched in 2023. Beyond hosting costs and app development, one of Rob’s biggest expenses is paying artists. As someone deeply rooted in the music scene, he’s committed to making sure musicians get compensated. Blanket licenses from groups like ASCAP are costly, so he hopes to offset those through a related venture, BlackFork Adventures—a kind of bucket-list music travel company offering trips to places like Ireland, the Netherlands, and Woodstock.

What he doesn’t plan to change is the price of listening: free. Rob wants BlackFork to stay free.

He also filled me in on Cincinnati’s rich music ecosystem. Working with Over the Rhine, especially at their magical Martinsville home venue—the Barn Loft at Nowhere Else—has been, as he puts it, “life-changing.”

While I knew about Bootsy Collins (who doesn’t?), Rob deepened my appreciation for King Records—a cornerstone of Cincinnati’s music heritage that the city, sadly, once held at arm’s length. It’s hard not to see racism’s shadow there.

Still, others like Collins are preserving that legacy. Out in Loveland, Rob told me about Colemine Records, a label built on the ethos of “making cool records, working with cool people, being kind.” What began as a fictional label for a CD release grew into a real thing. I don’t own a record player—and given my hobbies, I probably shouldn’t start another collection—but I’m sold on checking out Colemine next time I’m in Loveland.

Our conversation eventually drifts from music to Cincinnati’s food and venue scene. A few new items land on my local to-do list: visit Camp Springs Tavern and try Fratelli’s Pizza.

It was nice to put a face with the name I hear when I tune into BlackFork Radio. If you want a friendly guide to introduce you to some great music, much of it local, Rob Fugate is a damn good guide and good guy to boot. And if you want some of his cool stickers, email him and he’ll send you a few.