Happenings


WDOD Radio Expected To Change Formats

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

The city's oldest radio station, WDOD, may be changing formats soon - possibly moving to a liberal talk format.

Gary Downs, general manager, said it has become more difficult to sell advertising for the "nostalgia" music now played on the "Music Of Your Life" format.

He said station officials have been looking at other formats, but no changes have yet been implemented.

Mr. Downs said, "Right now we are playing Music of Your Life. I can't say that will be the case a month from now."

He said, "We are a business, and we need to be able to sell commercials and make a profit."

Mr. Downs said morning host Earl Fruedenberg "is a fixture on WDOD and we expect he will remain a fixture for a long time to come."

Asked if the 6-10 a.m. slot for Mr. Freudenberg would be affected by the changes, he said, "Probably not."

One possibility is that WDOD would move to Air America, a liberal talk show network that has 67 stations across the country.

It features such hosts as Al Franken, Jerry Springer, Randi Rhodes and Mike Mallow as well as Morning Sedition. It currently is featuring a petition effort to "Fire Karl Rove" and has his bobblehead on its website.

WDOD is an AM station at 1310 on the dial.

It is owned by Bahakel Company of Charlotte, N.C.

Earl Freudenberg has been at WDOD since 1963 except for two years with the Armed Forces Network and a year when he was news director at Channel 12.

The station is 80 years old, having gone on the air April 13, 1925.

The studios are on South Broad Street.


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