WYDE-FM
Encyclopedia
WYDE-FM is a radio station
that serves Birmingham
and nearly all of north-central Alabama
. The station is licensed to Cullman, Alabama
. Because of the location of the station's broadcast tower and its strong signal, WYDE serves the Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Gadsden and Florence markets as well. The station is owned by Crawford Broadcasting Company
. The transmitter for WYDE-FM is located in Good Hope, AL near the border between Cullman County
and Blount County
, approximately 40 miles north of downtown Birmingham.
Except for a brief period in the late 1990s, the WYDE call letters have been a part of the radio landscape in Birmingham for nearly 50 years. The history of WYDE
(850 AM) is closely intertwined with the current WYDE-FM.
Initially, Reality 101.1 proved to be moderately successful, but the location of the station's broadcast tower hindered the signal from adequately reaching the southern suburbs of Birmingham. Also, in reaction to the presence of WRRS in the market, WDJC dropped all of its Christian teaching programming as well as its nighttime Southern gospel music program and became a full-time contemporary Christian music station. Faced with bankruptcy, the station was sold for $9 million to STG Media LLC, an ownership group that held several stations in the Huntsville
market, and the station changed music formats, becoming a modern rock
/adult contemporary hybrid station known on the air as "101.1 the Spot". "The Spot" was no more successful in the Birmingham market than its predecessor, and the ownership of the station began looking for an opportunity to sell the station.
Crawford Broadcasting purchased Radio Disney
affiliate WMKI (850 AM) in 1999 and re-launched the station as a talk radio station. The station reacquired its heritage call letters, WYDE. The new WYDE established itself as a leader in conservative talk, becoming one of the more listened-to talk stations in Birmingham. However, the station's reduced nighttime signal limited its coverage area. In 2002, Crawford, who was looking to expand the listening area of WYDE, purchased WRRS-FM for $8.5 million and temporarily took the station off the air in order to upgrade its transmitter. In August of that year, 101.1 FM returned to the air as Birmingham's first FM talk station as WYDE-FM. At first, both WYDE-FM and AM were full-time simulcast partners, but by the fall, the AM station changed its call letters to WDJC-AM. The call letters of AM 850 were changed once again, this time to WXJC-AM, when Crawford Broadcasting acquired an FM station that it used to simulcast the AM station's programming. It became a full-time Christian programming station, featuring syndicated Bible studies and teaching and Southern gospel music.
In 2003, WYDE-FM began simulcast
ing its programming on co-owned WLGS-AM (1260), which formerly had been an oldies
/adult standards
station. The call letters of the AM station were changed to WYDE-AM. That simulcast continued until September 2006, when the AM station was taken off the air in preparation for its relaunch as an adult standards
station. The new call letters of the AM station were WLGD
.
On Wednesday, June 27, 2007, weekend paid programming host David Billings of the "Home 101 Program" announced on his website that the station would be dropping the FM Talk format.
On July 2, 2007, WYDE-FM dropped the news/talk format, and began stunting with Christmas music
, in a "Christmas in July" format, simulcasting with WLGD
. At 12:00 A.M. on July 5, the station debuted "The New WYDE 101.1", with an oldies
-based adult contemporary format. As part of the format switch, the AM station WLGD once again changed its call letters to WYDE (AM)
.
format in January 2009. Once again known as "101.1 The Source", WYDE-FM airs "America's Morning News" plus Laura Ingraham
, Dennis Miller
, Dave Ramsey
, Phil Hendrie
, and Fred Thompson's syndicated shows. Local shows include "The Michael Hart Show" weekday mornings and "The Lee Davis Show" in the afternoon.
There are several local weekend shows as well. They include "The Rack Attack", "Shop Talk with Jim Moore", "House Studs", and "Whatever...with Steve West".
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...
that serves 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 nearly all of north-central Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. The station is licensed to Cullman, Alabama
Cullman, Alabama
Cullman is a city in Cullman County, State of Alabama. Cullman is located along Interstate 65, about north of Birmingham, and about south of Huntsville. According to the U.S...
. Because of the location of the station's broadcast tower and its strong signal, WYDE serves the Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Gadsden and Florence markets as well. The station is owned by Crawford Broadcasting Company
Crawford Broadcasting
Crawford Broadcasting is a family-owned media company based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. Crawford Broadcasting primarily owns radio stations mostly with Christian and Oldies/Nostalgia formats.-History:...
. The transmitter for WYDE-FM is located in Good Hope, AL near the border between Cullman County
Cullman County, Alabama
Cullman County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Colonel John G. Cullmann. As of 2010, the population was 80,406. Its county seat is the town of the same name, Cullman, Alabama. It is a "moist" county in terms of availablity of alcoholic beverages, which means...
and Blount County
Blount County, Alabama
Blount County is a county located in the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 57,322. Its county seat is Oneonta.Blount County is a dry county.-History:...
, approximately 40 miles north of downtown Birmingham.
Except for a brief period in the late 1990s, the WYDE call letters have been a part of the radio landscape in Birmingham for nearly 50 years. The history of WYDE
WXJC (AM)
WXJC is a radio station licensed to serve Birmingham, Alabama. The station is licensed to Kimtron, Inc. and owned by Crawford Broadcasting Company...
(850 AM) is closely intertwined with the current WYDE-FM.
History
The station signed on in Cullman in 1950 as WFMH-FM. Before it began targeting the Birmingham market, WFMH-FM had several different formats, including classic country music and adult standards. In 1998 Eddins Broadcasting Co. sold 101.1 FM to a group of businessmen in Birmingham (Eddins moved WFMH to the 95.5 frequency in Holly Pond),which purchased the station with the intent of launching a second contemporary Christian music station in Birmingham. Competing against WDJC-FM, the station was rebranded as Reality 101.1 with the new call letters WRRS (for "Reality Radio Station").Initially, Reality 101.1 proved to be moderately successful, but the location of the station's broadcast tower hindered the signal from adequately reaching the southern suburbs of Birmingham. Also, in reaction to the presence of WRRS in the market, WDJC dropped all of its Christian teaching programming as well as its nighttime Southern gospel music program and became a full-time contemporary Christian music station. Faced with bankruptcy, the station was sold for $9 million to STG Media LLC, an ownership group that held several stations in the Huntsville
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....
market, and the station changed music formats, becoming a modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
/adult contemporary hybrid station known on the air as "101.1 the Spot". "The Spot" was no more successful in the Birmingham market than its predecessor, and the ownership of the station began looking for an opportunity to sell the station.
Crawford Broadcasting purchased Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
affiliate WMKI (850 AM) in 1999 and re-launched the station as a talk radio station. The station reacquired its heritage call letters, WYDE. The new WYDE established itself as a leader in conservative talk, becoming one of the more listened-to talk stations in Birmingham. However, the station's reduced nighttime signal limited its coverage area. In 2002, Crawford, who was looking to expand the listening area of WYDE, purchased WRRS-FM for $8.5 million and temporarily took the station off the air in order to upgrade its transmitter. In August of that year, 101.1 FM returned to the air as Birmingham's first FM talk station as WYDE-FM. At first, both WYDE-FM and AM were full-time simulcast partners, but by the fall, the AM station changed its call letters to WDJC-AM. The call letters of AM 850 were changed once again, this time to WXJC-AM, when Crawford Broadcasting acquired an FM station that it used to simulcast the AM station's programming. It became a full-time Christian programming station, featuring syndicated Bible studies and teaching and Southern gospel music.
In 2003, WYDE-FM began simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
ing its programming on co-owned WLGS-AM (1260), which formerly had been 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....
/adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
station. The call letters of the AM station were changed to WYDE-AM. That simulcast continued until September 2006, when the AM station was taken off the air in preparation for its relaunch as an adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
station. The new call letters of the AM station were WLGD
WYDE (AM)
WYDE is a radio station currently acting as a simulcast partner of WYDE-FM. It was formerly known as WLGD, an adult standards/oldies radio station that served Birmingham, Alabama, and nearly all of Jefferson County. The station was previously known on the air as "Legends 1260". The station is...
.
On Wednesday, June 27, 2007, weekend paid programming host David Billings of the "Home 101 Program" announced on his website that the station would be dropping the FM Talk format.
On July 2, 2007, WYDE-FM dropped the news/talk format, and began stunting with Christmas music
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
, in a "Christmas in July" format, simulcasting with WLGD
WYDE (AM)
WYDE is a radio station currently acting as a simulcast partner of WYDE-FM. It was formerly known as WLGD, an adult standards/oldies radio station that served Birmingham, Alabama, and nearly all of Jefferson County. The station was previously known on the air as "Legends 1260". The station is...
. At 12:00 A.M. on July 5, the station debuted "The New WYDE 101.1", with 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....
-based adult contemporary format. As part of the format switch, the AM station WLGD once again changed its call letters to WYDE (AM)
WYDE (AM)
WYDE is a radio station currently acting as a simulcast partner of WYDE-FM. It was formerly known as WLGD, an adult standards/oldies radio station that served Birmingham, Alabama, and nearly all of Jefferson County. The station was previously known on the air as "Legends 1260". The station is...
.
Format change
On October 17, 2008, Crawford Broadcasting informed the staff of WYDE-FM that the station would be dropping its adult contemporary format soon. After several months of continuing playing music with no live studio announcers, the station debuted an all-talk radioTalk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format in January 2009. Once again known as "101.1 The Source", WYDE-FM airs "America's Morning News" plus Laura Ingraham
Laura Ingraham
Laura Anne Ingraham is an American radio host, author, and conservative political commentator. Her nationally syndicated talk show, The Laura Ingraham Show, airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
, Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller is an American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality. He is known for his critical assessments laced with pop culture references...
, Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey
David L. Ramsey III is an American financial author, radio host, television personality, and motivational speaker.Ramsey's syndicated radio program The Dave Ramsey Show is promoted with a tagline that "It's about your life and your money," and it is heard on over 450 radio stations throughout the...
, Phil Hendrie
Phil Hendrie
Philip Stephen Hendrie is an American radio personality. He is best known as the host of The Phil Hendrie Show, a comedy talk radio program that is syndicated throughout North America on Talk Radio Network...
, and Fred Thompson's syndicated shows. Local shows include "The Michael Hart Show" weekday mornings and "The Lee Davis Show" in the afternoon.
There are several local weekend shows as well. They include "The Rack Attack", "Shop Talk with Jim Moore", "House Studs", and "Whatever...with Steve West".