WLDX
Encyclopedia
WLDX is a radio station
licensed
to serve Fayette, Alabama
, USA. The station is owned by Dean Broadcasting, Inc.
WLDX broadcasts a full-service country music
format. Sports programming on the station includes University of Alabama
Crimson Tide football
and men's basketball as a member of the Crimson Tide Sports Network plus Fayette County High School football
. News programming is provided by FOX News Radio and the Alabama Radio Network. The tradio
program "Switch and Swap" has been a constant fixture on the station since it first signed on in 1949.
daytime-only signal. The station was licensed to Bankhead Broadcasting Company, Inc., whose sole owner was Walter Will Bankhead. Bankhead's first station, WWWB in Jasper, Alabama
(1240 AM, now WJLX) which he put on the air in 1946, was named for his initials. Sister station WWWR in Russellville, Alabama
(920 AM, now WGOL
) which also went on the air in 1949, was named for "Walter Will's Russellville". WWWF was similarly chosen as the callsign to mean "Walter Will's Fayette".
In the 1960s, WWWF broadcast a format called "Something for Everyone" featuring country in the morning, a half-hour of Gospel music
at midday, easy listening
until mid-afternoon, then rock music
for the rest of the day. In the 1980, WLDX changed their format to country music full-time.
Gorman Jackson "Jack" Black was the station's original program director and became the general manager in 1954. Black also founded the weekly Fayette Country Broadcaster newspaper and served as its editor and publisher from 1962 to 1982. An Alabama native and University of Alabama
graduate, Black remained as general manager of WWWF until the station was sold in 1986.
In March 1986, Bankhead Broadcasting Fayette, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to W. A. Grant Jr. and Eloise Thomley doing business as SIS Sound of Fayette, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on June 4, 1986, and the transaction was consummated on October 28, 1986. Under the new ownership, the station was assigned the current WLDX call letters by the FCC on June 22, 1987.
In September 1996, SIS Sound of Fayette, Inc., contracted to sell this station to co-owner Eloise Thomley and her husband Wayne, as owners of Thomley Broadcasting Co., Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on October 23, 1996, and the transaction was consummated on November 5, 1996. Eloise Thomley served as General Manager from 1986 until May 31, 2005.
In April 2005, Thomley Broadcasting Co., Inc. (Eloise F. Thomley, president/director) agreed to sell this station to Dean Broadcasting, Inc. (J. Wiley Dean, president) for a reported sale price of $450,000. The deal was approved by the FCC on June 1, 2005, and the transaction was consummated on the same day.
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
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to serve Fayette, Alabama
Fayette, Alabama
Fayette is a city in Fayette County, Alabama, United States. The 2000 census lists the population as 4,922. The city is the county seat of Fayette County.-Geography:Fayette is located at .According to the U.S...
, USA. The station is owned by Dean Broadcasting, Inc.
WLDX broadcasts a full-service country music
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...
format. Sports programming on the station includes University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
Crimson Tide football
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
and men's basketball as a member of the Crimson Tide Sports Network plus Fayette County High School football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
. News programming is provided by FOX News Radio and the Alabama Radio Network. The tradio
Tradio
Tradio is the name given to a type of talk radio show format where listeners call in to buy or sell items. The concept of is analogous to classified ads in local newspapers....
program "Switch and Swap" has been a constant fixture on the station since it first signed on in 1949.
History
This station began broadcasting as WWWF on September 3, 1949, with a 1,000 wattWatt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
daytime-only signal. The station was licensed to Bankhead Broadcasting Company, Inc., whose sole owner was Walter Will Bankhead. Bankhead's first station, WWWB in Jasper, Alabama
Jasper, Alabama
Jasper is a city in Walker County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 14,659. As of 2011 the population had was 13,857. The city is the county seat of Walker County, and once ranked among the world's leading producers of coal....
(1240 AM, now WJLX) which he put on the air in 1946, was named for his initials. Sister station WWWR in Russellville, Alabama
Russellville, Alabama
Russellville is a city in Franklin County in the U.S. state of Alabama. At the 2000 census, the population of the city was 8,971. The city is the county seat of Franklin County.-History:...
(920 AM, now WGOL
WGOL
WGOL is a radio station licensed to serve Russellville, Alabama, USA. The station is owned by Pilati Investments Corporation.-Programming:WGOL broadcasts a Classic Country music format in C-QUAM AM Stereo....
) which also went on the air in 1949, was named for "Walter Will's Russellville". WWWF was similarly chosen as the callsign to mean "Walter Will's Fayette".
In the 1960s, WWWF broadcast a format called "Something for Everyone" featuring country in the morning, a half-hour of Gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
at midday, easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
until mid-afternoon, then rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
for the rest of the day. In the 1980, WLDX changed their format to country music full-time.
Gorman Jackson "Jack" Black was the station's original program director and became the general manager in 1954. Black also founded the weekly Fayette Country Broadcaster newspaper and served as its editor and publisher from 1962 to 1982. An Alabama native and University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
graduate, Black remained as general manager of WWWF until the station was sold in 1986.
In March 1986, Bankhead Broadcasting Fayette, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to W. A. Grant Jr. and Eloise Thomley doing business as SIS Sound of Fayette, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on June 4, 1986, and the transaction was consummated on October 28, 1986. Under the new ownership, the station was assigned the current WLDX call letters by the FCC on June 22, 1987.
In September 1996, SIS Sound of Fayette, Inc., contracted to sell this station to co-owner Eloise Thomley and her husband Wayne, as owners of Thomley Broadcasting Co., Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on October 23, 1996, and the transaction was consummated on November 5, 1996. Eloise Thomley served as General Manager from 1986 until May 31, 2005.
In April 2005, Thomley Broadcasting Co., Inc. (Eloise F. Thomley, president/director) agreed to sell this station to Dean Broadcasting, Inc. (J. Wiley Dean, president) for a reported sale price of $450,000. The deal was approved by the FCC on June 1, 2005, and the transaction was consummated on the same day.