Dusty Rhodes returns to the radio next week for his annual Christmas special, and he may be back soon on the air full-time if WSAI-AM changes formats.

Mr. Rhodes, whose Sunday night oldies show was dropped by WGRR-FM (103.5) in August, will be heard Christmas Eve on two Clear Channel stations, WLW-AM (700) and WSAI-AM (1530).

HOLIDAY TV TODAY

1:30 p.m. FAMILY MATTERS Steve's Christmas note to the Winslows. TBS 5:30 p.m. BEWITCHED Samantha introduces a joyless miser to Santa. HALL 7:30 p.m. 'TIS THE SEASON CINCINNATI - YOUR GUIDE TO HOLIDAY FUN. Tristate attractions. Channel 48. 8 p.m. JINGLE ALL THE WAY (1996) A dad (Arnold Schwarzenegger) looks for a rare toy. Channels 9, 2. 8 p.m. FAIRLY ODD PARENTS "Christmas Every Day." NICK. 8 p.m. LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA. Animated. TOON. 8:30 p.m. AS TOLD BY GINGER The Even Stevens holiday special. NICK. 4:15 a.m. CHIPS An antique church bell is stolen at Christmas. TBS.

His Christmas countdown of the top 50 holiday songs will air 6 p.m.-midnight on WLW-AM. WSAI-AM will air his syndicated 24-hour Christmas music marathon also starting at 6 p.m. Christmas Eve.

He could be back on WSAI-AM - for good - early next year. People are talking in the Mount Adams Clear Channel building about dropping the pop standards/big band format in favor of 1950s and '60s oldies, with Mr. Rhodes as the morning disc jockey.

Mr. Rhodes, who has moonlighted in radio while serving as Hamilton County auditor, is coy about his radio future.

"I can't say anything yet," says Mr. Rhodes, who started here in 1961 at old WSAI-AM, then the city's powerhouse rock 'n' roll station on 1360 AM.

"Some people are talking to me. There's nothing definite yet, but they've been kicking around some ideas.... (for) something after the first of the year," he says.

"I don't want to be coy with you, but I can't say what will happen."

Joe Zerhusen, WSAI-AM program director, also ducked the question about a format change.

"Those rumors have been flying around hot and heavy ever since 'GRR showed him the door, haven't they?" he says. (That's what Watergate reporters would call a "non-denial denial.")

Changing to oldies would benefit Clear Channel in two ways. The '50s rock dropped in recent years by WGRR-FM would appeal to a younger audience than big band tunes. And it could take a bite out of WGRR-FM, usually a top 5 station in this market.

From what I've heard, Mr. Rhodes could do a morning show before heading to his county office. The rest of the day would be recorded ("voice tracked") shows by Marty Thompson or other former Tristate rock DJs.

Again older listeners would be disenfranchised, which happened when WWEZ-FM switched from "music of your life" to soft rock more than a decade ago. The only station catering to older listeners full time would be WMKV-FM (89.3), where retired broadcasters Bill Myers, Bob Miller, George Bryant, Bill Nimmo and others fill the airwaves with big band music.

Stay tuned.

More Christmas: Dusty's Christmas show will air on more than 100 stations from Boston to Honolulu. He's also placed it on WMOH-AM (1450) in Hamilton and WNKR-FM (106.5) in Dry Ridge.

On the move: All-volunteer WAIF-FM (88.3) took a huge step in its 27-year history by purchasing a building at 1434 McMillan St. for $150,000 on Tuesday. WAIF-FM will move into new studios by spring.

Since its inception, the station has been broadcasting from the old WKRC-AM studios in the basement of the Alms Hotel, Walnut Hills.

The station recently raised a record $31,000 in its fall fund drive. Members also were asked to make an additional donation to a capital fund to pay off the building loan and buy new equipment.

News to us: Lyn Tolan, former WLWT-TV news director, is making an interesting claim about her 1997-99 stint at Channel 5.

Ms. Tolan, just named news director at Hartford's WFSB-TV, tells the Hartford Courant: "The bottom line is WLWT in Cincinnati was in last place when I got there, and No. 1 when I left."

But Channel 5 has been No. 1 only once in the past decade - during NBC's Winter Olympics last February - and she was long gone.

Channel 5 was in last place in the household ratings her two years here. In fact, the station had been last since Jerry Springer left the anchor desk in 1993 to become a full-time talk show host.

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com