WDRC-FM traces its roots to the Doolittle Radio Company, which established what would become WDRC (AM) in 1922. In 1941, Doolittle upgraded an experimental FM station to a commercial license and used the call letters WDRC-FM. Doolittle sold the FM station in 1956 to General Broadcasting Corporation and the AM station in 1959 to Buckley Broadcasting. Buckley inherited a second FM license, which it used to establish the current WDRC-FM. The original WDRC-FM is now WHCN.[2][3][4]
The current WDRC-FM was issued a program test authority by the FCC on October 26, 1959. It officially signed on at 8:15p.m. that same day. On August 31, 1966, WDRC-FM increased power from 7,000 to 17,500 watts, then to 50,000 watts the following May. It began broadcasting in stereo in September 1969. In 1973, the station began calling itself "Big D 103," and employed a Top 40 format. In 1977, the station flipped to album rock, with a much deeper playlist than its rivals WCCC (AM), WCCC-FM, and WHCN. However, by 1979, the station leaned Rock/AC, and then abruptly flipped back to Top 40 in early 1980. By 1984, WDRC-FM was an oldies-based adult contemporary station, but only played oldies on the weekends. Due to positive listener feedback, on September 26, 1986, WDRC-FM became an oldies station full-time.[5] At that point, the station focused on hits of 1964 to 1969, with about four songs per hour from the 1955-63 era. The station also played about one song from the early 1970s per hour. The AM station also offered oldies until 1990. Core artists included The Beatles, The Four Seasons, Elvis Presley, Supremes, Everly Brothers, Temptations, The Hollies, The Righteous Brothers, and Dion, among others. The station also had quite high ratings, even being number one at least a few times.
The format continued throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s virtually unchanged. In August 2000, WDRC-FM stopped using the "Big D 103" name and became known as "Oldies 102.9 DRC-FM." The station stopped referring to themselves as "Oldies" a short time later. In 2001, WDRC-FM began playing several songs from the 1970s, adding artists like Billy Joel, Doobie Brothers, Eagles, James Taylor, and others into the mix. The station also began adding about a dozen or so songs from the 1980s by oldies artists, playing about one every couple of hours. It also began decreasing music from the pre-1964 era; eventually, all the pre-1964 oldies were eliminated, and a lot of 1980s music was added to the mix, becoming more of a classic hits station. The station also became heavily based in the 1970s, playing only a few 1960s songs per hour along with about the same amount of 1980s’ hits. To appease traditional oldies fans, WDRC-FM launched an internet radio station playing music from 1955 to 1964.
In the winter of 2007, WDRC-FM slowly phased out most of the 1980s music, cutting that back to about one every couple hours. The station also increased the 1964 to 1969 era, making those songs core hits once again on a gradual basis. The amount of 1970s music was cut back slightly to about 5 per hour. The station even brought back select songs from the 1950s and early 1960s, playing them about once every 90 minutes. By 2008, the station began increasing 1980s songs to about one per hour. Its HD2 station now plays a blend of 1950s’ and 1960s’ oldies focusing on the pre-1964 era.
In the early 2010s, the main station identified itself as "Good Time Rock 'n' Roll", while occasionally using in the "Big D" moniker. Its music playlist once again focused on the 1960s from 1964 on, while also emphasizing 1970s hits and including a few 1980s songs. Jingles were also reintroduced in 2008. In late 2008, the station started adding reverb to the audio chain as well as improving the audio processing, thus improving the overall audio quality of the station.
In 2011, Richard D. Buckley, Jr., president of Buckley Radio since 1972, died. On March 5, 2014, Buckley Broadcasting announced that it would sell its Connecticut radio stations, including WDRC-FM, to Connoisseur Media.[6] The sale was consummated on July 7, 2014, at a price of $7,922,035.
On July 7, 2014, WDRC-FM changed its name to "102.9 DRC", and modified its slogan to "Classic Hits of the 70s, 80s and More." In addition, a majority of the station's airstaff was let go.
On January 20, 2015, at 10:29a.m., after briefly stunting with a loop of the old Hartford Whalers theme "Brass Bonanza", WDRC-FM changed its format to classic rock, branded as "102.9 The Whale".[7]
On January 15, 2018, it was announced that the station was sold to Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation. The deal included sister station “Talk of Connecticut” WDRC 1360 Hartford and two of its three simulcasts, WMMW 1470 Meriden and WSNG 610 Torrington, and translator W272DO 102.3 New Haven.[8]
HD2 is known as The Big D, uses old DRC-FM jingles, and plays mostly 1950s to mid-1960s oldies that the main channel does not (though the main channel played a handful of such songs up until its format adjustment in July 2014). It also mixes in a moderate amount of mid-to-late 1960s oldies as well.
Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music.
KJEB is a commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. It broadcasts a classic hits radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The radio studios and offices are in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood northwest of downtown.
KRTH is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States and serves the Greater Los Angeles area. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a classic hits format. KRTH's studios are located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile district of Los Angeles. The station's signal covers an extremely large area of Southern California due in part to its antenna location on Mt. Wilson. It can be heard as far south as San Diego, as far east as Moreno Valley, as far west as Santa Barbara, and as far north as Barstow. KRTH is the flagship station for the nationally syndicated program Rewind with Gary Bryan.
WCBS-FM is a radio station offering a classic hits format licensed to New York City and is owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. The station's studios are in the combined Audacy facility in the Hudson Square neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, and its transmitter is located at the Empire State Building.
WOGL is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a classic hits radio format. The broadcast tower used by the station is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia, at. The station's studios and offices are co-located within Audacy's corporate headquarters in Center City, Philadelphia. The station features mostly hits from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s with some 2000s hits.
WCCC (106.9 FM) – branded K-Love – is a non-commercial contemporary Christian radio station licensed to serve Hartford, Connecticut. Owned by the Educational Media Foundation, WCCC does not broadcast any local programming, functioning as the K-Love network affiliate for Greater Hartford, the Pioneer Valley and portions of the Naugatuck Valley. The station's transmitter is located in West Hartford; in addition to a standard analog transmission, WCCC is also available online.
WTIC-FM is a commercial radio station in Hartford, Connecticut. It is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a hot adult contemporary radio format. The station's studios and offices are located on Executive Drive in Farmington.
WZMX, better known as "Hot 93.7" is an urban-leaning rhythmic contemporary radio station licensed to Hartford, Connecticut, in the United States. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. Its transmitter is located on West Peak in Meriden, Connecticut, and the station's studios and offices are located on Executive Drive in Farmington.
WWBB is a radio station in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. The station plays classic hits from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. WWBB's offices and studios are located on Oxford Street in Providence, on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Roland Building near Interstate 95. WWBB's transmitting antenna is located on the roof of One Financial Plaza, also in Providence. WWBB transmits a directional signal to reduce interference to Boston-based sister station 101.7 WBWL. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.
WHCN is a commercial radio station licensed to Hartford, Connecticut. It broadcasts a classic hits radio format for the Hartford, Waterbury and New Haven areas, and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. It is called "The River 105.9," a reference to the Connecticut River. The studios and offices are located on Columbus Boulevard in Hartford.
WTRY-FM, is a commercial radio station licensed to Rotterdam, New York. It airs a classic hits format. WTRY-FM serves the New York State Capital District in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy radio market. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, and broadcasts at 6,000 watts ERP from a tower in between Altamont and Duanesburg off U.S. Route 20. Studios and offices are on Troy-Schenectady Road in Latham.
WWCO is a commercial radio station licensed to Waterbury, Connecticut, and owned by Trignition Media LLC. WWCO simulcasts sister station WRYM 840 AM in New Britain and WCUM 1450 AM in Bridgeport.. WWCO, WCUM and WRYM both air a Spanish contemporary hit radio format, including tropical music and reggaeton.
WMTR is an American AM radio station owned by Beasley Broadcast Group. It is licensed to Morristown, New Jersey and serves Morris County and surrounding areas. The station features "The Morning Team" featuring Alan David Stein, Ginny Otte for middays, and Rich DeSisto for afternoon drive. From July through December 2008, WMTR employed a satellite oldies format, playing music from mostly 1964 to 1979. The Classic Oldies format was reinstated after Christmas.
Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel is a radio network begun in the spring of 2004. Originally distributed by ABC Radio Networks via satellite, the service plays a hybrid oldies/classic hits format comprising music mostly from 1964 to 1979 but also plays selected cuts from the 1955-1963 era and also from the 1980s. As of September 22, 2016, it is distributed via United Stations Radio Networks.
WHYN-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Springfield, and serving the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. It airs a hot adult contemporary format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. It carries several nationally syndicated shows from co-owned Premiere Networks, including On with Mario Lopez weekday evenings and American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest on Sundays. The studios and offices are in downtown Springfield's "Marketplace" along with sister stations 560 WHYN, and 100.9 WRNX.
WPOP is a commercial radio station in Hartford, Connecticut, broadcasting a news/talk/sports radio format. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are located on Columbus Boulevard in Hartford.
WDRC is a commercial AM radio station in Hartford, Connecticut. It is owned by Red Wolf Broadcasting and airs a talk radio format. The studios and transmitter site are located on Blue Hill Avenue in Bloomfield, Connecticut, with other radio stations.
WBOM is a commercial radio station licensed to Meriden, Connecticut, and covering Central Connecticut. The station broadcasts an R&B format, aimed at the Hartford area. The station is owned by Full Power Radio, through Red Wolf Broadcasting Corporation. WBOM's programming is also heard on FM translator W273DS (102.5); the station's branding emphasizes the FM frequency.
WSNG is a radio station licensed in Torrington, Connecticut, broadcasting a talk radio format. WSNG is simulcasting 1360 WDRC (AM), Hartford. The stations use the slogan "The Talk of Connecticut" featuring Mornings with Gary Byron and syndicated programs the rest of the day, including Michael Savage. The station is owned by Red Wolf Broadcasting and features programming from Fox News Radio, Salem Radio Network, and Westwood One. The Talk of Connecticut stations also broadcast sporting events such as New York Yankees major league baseball, New Britain Rock Cats minor league baseball, Hartford Hawks college basketball and high school sports.
Franklin Malcolm Doolittle was a radio industry pioneer, who founded WDRC, the oldest AM station in Connecticut, in addition to that state's first FM station, WHCN, which was also one of the first FM broadcasters in the United States. In 1924–1925, he conducted the first tests made of stereo radio broadcasts.
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