WDRC-FM
Encyclopedia
WDRC-FM, known as 102.9 DRC FM, is a radio station
based in Bloomfield, Connecticut
, which primarily serves the Hartford
market. DRC-FM broadcasts an oldies
format, at a frequency of 102.9 MHz. Owned by Buckley Broadcasting, the station offers a late 1960s/early 1970s based oldies format mixing in moderate amounts of late 70's music, a handful of 1980s songs, and a rather small helping of pre 1964 oldies—mostly during specialty shows such as that of 'Rockin' Ron Sedaille. The station has offered oldies for over 20 years but did lean classic hits during much of 2006.
radio station, launched as W1XPW on May 13, 1939. In 1941, the call sign
was changed to W65H, and finally became simply WDRC FM two years later (though for a brief time in the 1950s it was WFMQ, before switching to its current 102.9 MHz frequency).
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 and WHCN. However, by 1979, the station leaned Rock/AC and than 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 the positive feedback, in 1986 WDRC-FM became an oldies station full-time. At that point, the station focused on the 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
, Righteous Brothers, Dion
, and many 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 21st Century virtually unchanged. In 2001, WDRC-FM began playing several songs from the 1970s per hour adding artists like Billy Joel
, Doobie Brothers, Eagles, James Taylor
, and others into the mix. At that time they were playing music from throughout the 1970s. The station also began adding about a dozen or so songs from the 1980s by oldies artists playing about one every couple hours. They also began decreasing music from the pre 1964 era.
In August 2000, WDRC 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. They later completely eliminated all the pre 1964 oldies and added a lot of 1980s music 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. They continued streaming more traditional oldies online to appease oldies fans.
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 product making those songs core hits once again on a gradual basis. The amount of 70's 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 did begin increasing 80's songs to about one per hour. Its HD-2 station now plays a blend of 50's and 60's oldies focusing on the pre 1964 era.
Currently, the main station identifies itself as "Good Time Rock 'n' Roll", while occasionally throwing in the "Big D" moniker. Its music playlist is once again focused on 60's from 1964 on, while also emphasizing 70's hits and including a few 80's 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.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
based in Bloomfield, Connecticut
Bloomfield, Connecticut
Bloomfield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,626 at the 2009 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and 0.2 square miles is water.Bloomfield is bordered by Windsor to the...
, which primarily serves the Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
market. DRC-FM broadcasts an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format, at a frequency of 102.9 MHz. Owned by Buckley Broadcasting, the station offers a late 1960s/early 1970s based oldies format mixing in moderate amounts of late 70's music, a handful of 1980s songs, and a rather small helping of pre 1964 oldies—mostly during specialty shows such as that of 'Rockin' Ron Sedaille. The station has offered oldies for over 20 years but did lean classic hits during much of 2006.
History
WDRC-FM was America's first commercial FMFrequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
radio station, launched as W1XPW on May 13, 1939. In 1941, the call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
was changed to W65H, and finally became simply WDRC FM two years later (though for a brief time in the 1950s it was WFMQ, before switching to its current 102.9 MHz frequency).
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 and WHCN. However, by 1979, the station leaned Rock/AC and than 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 the positive feedback, in 1986 WDRC-FM became an oldies station full-time. At that point, the station focused on the 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 Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Four Seasons
The Four Seasons (group)
The Four Seasons are an American rock and pop band who became internationally successful in the mid-1960s. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame has stated that the group was the most popular rock band before The Beatles...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Supremes, Everly Brothers, Temptations, The Hollies
The Hollies
The Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...
, Righteous Brothers, Dion
Dion DiMucci
Dion Francis DiMucci , better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop oldies music, rock and R&B styles....
, and many 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 21st Century virtually unchanged. In 2001, WDRC-FM began playing several songs from the 1970s per hour adding artists like Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Doobie Brothers, Eagles, James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, and others into the mix. At that time they were playing music from throughout the 1970s. The station also began adding about a dozen or so songs from the 1980s by oldies artists playing about one every couple hours. They also began decreasing music from the pre 1964 era.
In August 2000, WDRC 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. They later completely eliminated all the pre 1964 oldies and added a lot of 1980s music 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. They continued streaming more traditional oldies online to appease oldies fans.
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 product making those songs core hits once again on a gradual basis. The amount of 70's 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 did begin increasing 80's songs to about one per hour. Its HD-2 station now plays a blend of 50's and 60's oldies focusing on the pre 1964 era.
Currently, the main station identifies itself as "Good Time Rock 'n' Roll", while occasionally throwing in the "Big D" moniker. Its music playlist is once again focused on 60's from 1964 on, while also emphasizing 70's hits and including a few 80's 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.