WFDL (AM) explained

WFDL
City:Waupun, Wisconsin
Area:Fond du Lac and Dodge Counties
Branding:The Source
Frequency:1170 kHz
Translator:93.7 W229DE (Fond du Lac)
103.3 W277AC (Waupun)
Airdate: (as WLKE)
Format:Oldies
Power:1,000 watts (day)
Class:D
Facility Id:42092
Coordinates:43.6417°N -88.7228°W
Callsign Meaning:Fond du Lac[1]
Former Callsigns:WLKE (1966–1982)
WGZS (1982–1984)
WLKE (1984–1987)
WLKD (1987–1990)
WMRH (1990–2002)
Affiliations:CBS News Radio, Westwood One, The True Oldies Channel
Owner:Radio Plus, Inc.
Sister Stations:WFDL-FM, WMDC, WTCX
Webcast:Listen Live
Website:am1170radio.com
Licensing Authority:FCC

WFDL (1170 AM) is a radio station broadcasting an oldies format. Licensed to Waupun, Wisconsin, United States, the station is owned by Radio Plus, Inc.[2] and features programming from CBS News Radio and The True Oldies Channel.

History

Originally 1170 was known as WLKE and played top-40 rock from 1966 to 1971. From 1971 to 1983, it broadcast country music and was known as "Lucky 1170". After an ownership change it briefly became WGZS, which featured a Christian format. The station was reassigned the call letters WLKE on January 9, 1984 and simulcast a country music format with WLKE-FM (99.3 FM). In 1985, the station flipped the format to a rock oldies format using the Satellite Music Network Pure Gold music format and was call "The Lake". On February 25, 1987, the station changed its call sign to WLKD, when the owner moved the WLKE calls to an AM station he owned in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, (690 kHz). 1170 WLKD retained "The Lake" branding and oldies format, and was simulcast on 690 WLKE. On July 12, 1990, calls changed to WMRH, "Marsh Area Radio" and played S.M.N.'s Stardust format. And on October 14, 2002, the call letters changed again to the current WFDL[3] which aired ABC/Citadel's Timeless Favorites until that satellite format ended on February 15, 2010. On February 16, 2010, WFDL began airing "Hit Parade Radio" in certain day-parts.

From 1971 to July 1990, WLKE had an FM sister station at 99.3 FM; that station is now separately-owned WPKR on 99.5.

WFDL is licensed as a daytime-only station.[2] The station added a translator on 103.3 FM in 2013, which is allowed to broadcast 24 hours a day. However the signal does not reach far outside of Waupun; to solve this issue, a second translator on 93.7 FM signed on in late August 2018.[4]

On November 19, 2019, the station rebranded as "The Source", and began carrying The True Oldies Channel in time periods not occupied by local programming.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Call Letter Origins . Radio History on the Web .
  2. Web site: WFDL Facility Record . United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division .
  3. Web site: WFDL Call Sign History . United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. Web site: Waupun Gets New Radio Station . Waupun WISC News, audio division.
  5. Web site: Rusch . Nick . The Source "Launch" . WFDL-FM Twitter . Nick Rusch . 19 November 2018.