WDRM
Encyclopedia
WDRM is a country music
formatted radio station
licensed to Decatur, Alabama
, and owned by Clear Channel Communications
. It serves the Huntsville, Alabama
, area.
WDRM has been consistently ranked by Arbitron
as the most-listened to radio station in the Huntsville market for two decades. The weekday morning show, currently hosted by Dan McClain and Brent "Dingo" Crank, was top-rated in the Huntsville market for two decades until falling to #2 in the Summer 2008 ratings. Syndicated programming includes After Midnite with Blair Garner hosted by Blair Garner
from Premiere Radio Networks
.
Except for a short period from 1982 to 1986 when it was officially "WDRM-FM" to accommodate a co-owned AM station being branded as "WDRM", this station has been assigned the WDRM call letters by the Federal Communications Commission
since it was initially licensed.
WDRM simulcasts the audio of Huntsville-based television station WHNT when severe weather threatens its listening area.
-AM (800 kHz), but aired 24 hours a day, unlike WHOS, which could only air in the daytime. The station was later moved to 102.1 mHz in 1959.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the station, now known as WDRM, played a Top 40 and Album rock format; the station employed a youthful stable of on-air personalities during this era. Barry "The Nightcrawler" Cole, Doug "More Music" Micheals, and Thom Collins were a few of the disc jockeys on the station during that period. Comedic comments and an on-air attitude of "not following the rules" was very popular with younger listeners, most of whom had never heard hard rock on the radio before. The nearest stations to Decatur that played a hard rock format were in Birmingham
, and they were very difficult to receive except on external FM antennas.
Unfortunately, this type of broadcasting was not conducive to selling advertising in a predominantly religious and conservative part of the country (and with relatively few affluent teenagers and young adults) like northern Alabama, and the station suffered financially as a result. This was because few businesses wanted anything to do with what some of them considered "sinful" programming.
For a brief time in the early 1980s, WDRM made a first attempt at a country format, with little success due to the numerous AM outlets serving the Tennessee Valley at the time with that type of music, some of whom had played country for decades (one of those was WDRM's AM sister station, WHOS).
After that failure, WDRM decided to return to pop and rock in 1982, adopting what was then known as an "urban contemporary
" sound. The station used the branding "Jam 102" and played a mix of Top 40, album rock, and urban. Thom Collins was the program director at this time and the station was beginning to turn around after a long period of being unprofitable for the owner. The main sales market at that time was limited to Decatur and had not branched out to the Huntsville area. Unfortunately, Decatur was not ready for that format, which proved more controversial than even the late 1970s rock era; much of that probably had to do with the station's obvious attempts to attract a biracial audience, something still distasteful to many local whites. As such, the jockeys got continuous anonymous threats and local "bad press".
After much discussion of the station's community relations problem, consideration of the rising popularity of mainstream country music among younger listeners, and falling ratings against market leader WZYP
, station management decided to try a country format again in 1984, this time with an emphasis on current hits and a polished presentation. Collins and most of the other staff members were fired, a new program director was hired, and the station became successful, especially in the early 1990s when country listenership reached new heights all across the U.S. and it began selling advertising in the Huntsville area.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
formatted radio 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...
licensed to Decatur, Alabama
Decatur, Alabama
Decatur is a city in Limestone and Morgan Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, affectionately known as "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County...
, and owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
. It serves the Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
, area.
WDRM has been consistently ranked by Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
as the most-listened to radio station in the Huntsville market for two decades. The weekday morning show, currently hosted by Dan McClain and Brent "Dingo" Crank, was top-rated in the Huntsville market for two decades until falling to #2 in the Summer 2008 ratings. Syndicated programming includes After Midnite with Blair Garner hosted by Blair Garner
Blair Garner
Blair Garner is an American radio personality. According to his After MidNite with Blair Garner show website, he purchased his first car at age 12. He is the host of the syndicated radio programs After MidNite with Blair Garner and The Blair Garner Show...
from Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
.
Except for a short period from 1982 to 1986 when it was officially "WDRM-FM" to accommodate a co-owned AM station being branded as "WDRM", this station has been assigned the WDRM call letters by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
since it was initially licensed.
WDRM simulcasts the audio of Huntsville-based television station WHNT when severe weather threatens its listening area.
History
WHOS-FM started in the mid-1950s on 92.5 FM as a simulcast of WHOSWHOS
WHOS is a radio station licensed to serve Decatur, Alabama, USA. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications and the broadcast license is held by Capstar TX Limited Partnership. WHOS is one of five stations in the Huntsville, Alabama, market owned by Clear Channel...
-AM (800 kHz), but aired 24 hours a day, unlike WHOS, which could only air in the daytime. The station was later moved to 102.1 mHz in 1959.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the station, now known as WDRM, played a Top 40 and Album rock format; the station employed a youthful stable of on-air personalities during this era. Barry "The Nightcrawler" Cole, Doug "More Music" Micheals, and Thom Collins were a few of the disc jockeys on the station during that period. Comedic comments and an on-air attitude of "not following the rules" was very popular with younger listeners, most of whom had never heard hard rock on the radio before. The nearest stations to Decatur that played a hard rock format were in Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, and they were very difficult to receive except on external FM antennas.
Unfortunately, this type of broadcasting was not conducive to selling advertising in a predominantly religious and conservative part of the country (and with relatively few affluent teenagers and young adults) like northern Alabama, and the station suffered financially as a result. This was because few businesses wanted anything to do with what some of them considered "sinful" programming.
For a brief time in the early 1980s, WDRM made a first attempt at a country format, with little success due to the numerous AM outlets serving the Tennessee Valley at the time with that type of music, some of whom had played country for decades (one of those was WDRM's AM sister station, WHOS).
After that failure, WDRM decided to return to pop and rock in 1982, adopting what was then known as an "urban contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
" sound. The station used the branding "Jam 102" and played a mix of Top 40, album rock, and urban. Thom Collins was the program director at this time and the station was beginning to turn around after a long period of being unprofitable for the owner. The main sales market at that time was limited to Decatur and had not branched out to the Huntsville area. Unfortunately, Decatur was not ready for that format, which proved more controversial than even the late 1970s rock era; much of that probably had to do with the station's obvious attempts to attract a biracial audience, something still distasteful to many local whites. As such, the jockeys got continuous anonymous threats and local "bad press".
After much discussion of the station's community relations problem, consideration of the rising popularity of mainstream country music among younger listeners, and falling ratings against market leader WZYP
WZYP
WZYP is an adult-oriented Top 40 music-formatted radio station licensed to serve Athens, Alabama, and broadcasting in the Huntsville, Alabama, area. The station is owned by Cumulus Media...
, station management decided to try a country format again in 1984, this time with an emphasis on current hits and a polished presentation. Collins and most of the other staff members were fired, a new program director was hired, and the station became successful, especially in the early 1990s when country listenership reached new heights all across the U.S. and it began selling advertising in the Huntsville area.