WPDH
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| WPDH | |
| City of license | Poughkeepsie, New York |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Hudson Valley and Catskills |
| First air date | 1962 |
| Frequency | 101.5 MHz |
| Format | Mainstream Rock |
| Power | 4.4 kW |
| ERP | 50 kW |
| Class | D |
| Callsign meaning | W Poughkeepsie Dutchess Hudson (River/Valley) |
| Owner | Cumulus Media |
| Website | www.wpdh.com] |
WPDH is a mainstream rock radio station licensed to Poughkeepsie, New York and serving New York's Hudson Valley and Catskills. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts on 101.5 MHz at 50 kilowatts ERP from a tower site on Illinois Mountain in Marlborough, New York. Since 1976, the station has had a rock format which has gone through several evolutions.
Though WPDH is one of only four Class B FM stations between New York City and Albany (WSPK, WHUD, and WFGB the three others), WPDH has two satellite stations which bring the signal to other areas.
- 106.1 WPDA Jeffersonville, New York (has simulcasted WPDH since its 1993 sign-on)
- 106.3 WFAF Mount Kisco, New York (has simulcasted WPDH since 2004)
Contents |
[edit] History
WPDH signed on as WEOK-FM in 1962 as the sister to WEOK and Poughkeepsie's second FM station after WKIP-FM (today's WSPK). The main purpose of the station at the outset was to provide Muzak programming to area offices and businesses via its subcarrier; as a result the on-air programming was limited to simulcasts of the AM's middle of the road format and block programming between the AM's signoff and 10:00 PM.
In 1972, WEOK AM and FM were sold to the Dyson family and with the sale came key changes to the FM side. The station moved from a site in Milton (now used by WVKR) to the current Illinois Mountain site, upgrading to a full Class B and adding stereo capabilities in the process, and at the end of these upgrades relaunched as country music formatted WPDH. At the time, this format was largely unproven and given the newness of FM at the time struggled to the point of being beaten by New York City signal WHN after that station flipped to country. At this time, the hole for an album-oriented rock (AOR) station in the Hudson Valley (where WPLJ and WNEW-FM were had multiples of WPDH's ratings with marginal signals) was seen and in 1976 WPDH abandoned country for rock which lasts to this day.
[edit] Formatic evolution
In its three decades in rock radio, there have been several variations of WPDH's format. At the outset, it was a typical AOR for the period with a slight lean towards Top 40 and the occasional jazz track though as that format evolved the station tightened its focus. The splintering of rock in the 1980s and early 1990s had varying effects on WPDH, they were quick to intergrate heavy metal into the playlist in moderation but were less open to early alternative rock. Nevertheless, the station remained successful and by the 1990s was alternating the #1 spot in the market with WSPK though the station's reluctance to incorporate much alternatve into the playlist had an effect on its future.
In 1994, WPDH owners Crystal Radio Group (the Dyson family spinoff headed by now-family head Rob Dyson) purchased Middletown-based WKOJ and WALL from Orange & Rockland Utilities. With this purchase came an opportunity to both solve the new rock dilemma and to strengthen WPDH by taking out its only direct competition. WPDH spent the latter part of 1994 and early 1995 evolving to Classic rock while WKOJ flipped to alternative WRRV in April 1995.
WPDH's ratings went through some instability in the early years as classic rock, however being with no competition they became the regular #2 to WSPK's #1 by the turn of the 21st Century. It was at this time, amid consolidation, in which Rob Dyson sold the Crystal Radio Group to Aurora Communications in 2001 which, in turn was bought out by Cumulus Media in 2002. Amid an extended drop in ratings, WPDH was relaunched as a mainstream rock station over Labor Day Weekend in 2003 and has stabilized at the top of the ratings in both Dutchess and Orange counties.
[edit] Weekday airstaff
- 5:30-10:00 AM: Cooper & Tobin with Kricket
- 10:00 AM-3:00 PM: Robyn Taylor
- 3:00-7:00 PM: Gary Cee (also Program Director)
- 7:00 PM-12:00 AM: "Tigman"
- 12:00 AM-5:30 AM: Scotty Perry
[edit] Notable alumni
- Jason Barrett, former program director of WPEN in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, began his career hosting the wrestling show "No Holds Barred" on Sunday nights.
- Freddie Coleman, now of GameNight on ESPN Radio, entered radio at WPDH as music director and overnight host, later working at sister station WCZX.
- Karlson and McKenzie of WZLX in Boston, Massachusetts spent time at WPDH before returning to Boston.
- Bob "The Wolf" Wolffeld, longtime morning host, now the same at WPYX in Albany.
[edit] External links
In-Market AM Stations: 920 | 950 | 1020 | 1260 | 1390 | 1450 | 1490
NYC/Albany AM Stations: 660 | 770 | 810 | 880 | 1050 | 1130 | 1560
FM Stations: 88.3 | 88.7 WFNP | 88.7 WRHV | 89.7 | 90.9 | 91.3 | 91.7 | 92.1 | 92.9 | 93.3 | 94.3 | 96.1 | 96.9 | 97.7
98.1 | 100.1/106.3 | 100.7 | 101.5 | 103.3 | 104.7 | 105.5 | 107.3
In-Market AM Stations: 1110 | 1170 | 1220 | 1260 | 1340 | 1370 | 1490
NYC AM Stations: 660 | 710 | 770 | 880 | 1010 | 1050 | 1130 | 1560
FM Stations: 88.9/89.3 | 91.7 | 92.7 | 95.9 | 96.7 | 97.3 | 98.3 | 99.3 | 100.7 | 101.5 | 103.1 | 103.7 | 104.7 | 107.3
