WRDZ-FM

WRDZ-FM
City of license Plainfield, Indiana
Broadcast area Indianapolis metropolitan area
Branding Radio Disney Indianapolis
Slogan Your Music, Your Way
Frequency 98.3 MHz (also on HD Radio)
First air date August 16, 1964[1]
Format Contemporary hit radio
ERP 3,000 watts
HAAT 91 meters
Class A
Facility ID 54705
Transmitter coordinates 39°45′33″N 86°22′30″W / 39.75917°N 86.37500°WCoordinates: 39°45′33″N 86°22′30″W / 39.75917°N 86.37500°W
Callsign meaning We're Radio DiZney
Former callsigns WJMK-FM (1964–1974)[2]
WART-FM (1974–1980)[1]
WXIR (1980–2003)
Affiliations Radio Disney
Owner ABC, Inc. (Disney)
(Sale pending)
(Radio Disney Group, LLC)
Website www.radiodisney.com

WRDZ-FM (98.3 FM) is a Children's Contemporary hit radio[3] formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Plainfield, Indiana, serving the Indianapolis metropolitan area. The station, which began broadcasting in 1964, is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company. The WRDZ-FM broadcast license is held by Radio Disney Group, LLC.[4] WRDZ-FM is the only Radio Disney station broadcasting on FM.[5]

History

Previous Radio Disney 98.3 FM ident.

The station signed on August 16, 1964 as WJMK-FM, broadcasting a Variety format, and was owned by James Barlow and his wife, Mabel Wiatt.[1][6] WJMK-FM was one of the first FM stations to broadcast in stereo. The calls WJMK stood for "James, Mabel and Karen Barlow".

In 1974, the station was sold to A&R Broadcasting, Inc. and changed the call sign to WART-FM.[1]

In 1980, A&R Broadcasting sold the station to Radio One Five Hundred Inc. (the owner of WBRI) and changed its format to Christian radio.[1][7] On December 15, 1980 it changed the call sign to WXIR.[8]

In 2003, WXIR was sold to ABC, Inc. (a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) for $5.6 million and became the Radio Disney affiliate on the Indianapolis metropolitan area.[9][10] On August 19, 2003, Disney changed the call sign to WRDZ-FM.[8]

In 2004, WRDZ-FM started to broadcast in the HD Radio format[11] and since then, is licensed to broadcast under that format.[12]

On August 13, 2014, Disney put WRDZ-FM and twenty-two other Radio Disney stations up for sale, in order to focus more on digital distribution of the Radio Disney network.[5][13][14] Disney originally planned to temporarily shut down the station on September 26, 2014.[15] However, will remain on the air and continue carrying Radio Disney programming until it is sold.[16]

As of April 2015, rumors abound online that IHeartMedia will soon buy the station, the last remaining FM station in Radio Disney's portfolio, and flip it to Country as "Big 98.3", matching similar stations in Pittsburgh and Chicago under the branding. These rumors only heated up as the company registered the domain Big983Indy.com the same month.[17]

Programming

Since 2003, WRDZ-FM carries programming from the Radio Disney network,[1] which broadcasts a contemporary hit radio music format[3] except weekdays at noon (12:00–1:00 p.m.) when the format changes to children's.[18] In addition, WRDZ-FM locally produces a public affair show called Kids Concern Show, which airs at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday mornings.[19][20]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "WRDZ". The Indiana Radio Archive. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  2. ↑ "The Lake Union Herald" (PDF). July 2, 1974. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Radio Disney". Disney–ABC Television Group – Corporate & Press Information. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  4. ↑ "WRDZ-FM Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Schoettle, Anthony (August 23, 2014). "Demise of Radio Disney causing static; local station in play". Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Descendants of Enoch Barlow". Barlow Genealogy. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  7. ↑ Bodenhamer, David; Barrows, Robert, eds. (1994). The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. pp. 1392–1393. ISBN 0-253-31222-1. LCC F534.1357E63.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "WRDZ-FM Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  9. ↑ Davis, Andrea Muirragui (June 2, 2003). "Can Mickey sell ads? Radio Disney targets Indy, but advertisers might balk at its young demographic". Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved June 29, 2014 – via HighBeam Business.
  10. ↑ O'Malley, Chris (January 24, 2014). "Fishers to get Christian station as radio format grows in Indy". Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  11. ↑ "WRDZ-FM Digital Notification". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  12. ↑ "FCC status page for WRDZ-FM". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  13. ↑ Lafayette, Jon (August 13, 2014). "Exclusive: Radio Disney Moving Off Air to Digital". Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Radio Disney to Sell the Majority of Its Stations". Billboard. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  15. ↑ Venta, Lance (August 13, 2014). "Radio Disney To Sell All But One Station". Radio Insight. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  16. ↑ "NERW Extra: No Signoffs for Disney AMs". Northeast Radio Watch. Retrieved 27 September 2014. (subscription required)
  17. ↑ Venta, Lance (April 12, 2015). "iHeart Buying Disney FM?". Radio Insight. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Radio Disney Set to Debut Format for Kids 2-7". Radio Ink. February 10, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  19. ↑ Cooper, Matt (January 8, 2014). "Radio Disney show features United Way". United Way of Central Indiana. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Humane Society of Indianapolis (official Facebook account)". Facebook. January 3, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.

External links