WDYN Celebrates 55th Anniversary

WDYN Radio is celebrating its 55th Anniversary of broadcasting the Gospel throughout the Tennessee Valley.

The station started in 1968 when Buddy and Jack Nichols approached Highland Park Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Lee Roberson about applying for a non–profit radio license for Tennessee Temple University.

The Federal Communications Commission approved 10 watts for the Chattanooga school and the transmitter was located on Missionary Ridge.

Broadcast engineer Gene Landau was friends with another engineer, Glen Morgan, a Signal Mountain pastor. Mr. Landau said the radio station plans were laid out on Mr. Morgan’s kitchen table and, within a few months, they went on the air. Mr. Morgan served as the station’s chief engineer until his death.

Dr. Jimmy DeYoung was the first voice heard on the station. Dr. DeYoung said he was doing broadcasting in Florida when approached by Dr. Roberson about coming to Chattanooga to help with the school's new venture. Dr. DeYoung joked, “The station barely got across the Walnut Street Bridge.” The power was later increased to 62,000 watts and then, in the early 90’s, the FCC approved 100,000 watts.

When Dr. Roberson came to Chattanooga in 1942 he started the daily radio program, “Gospel Dynamite” which originated for many years live from the Highland Park Baptist Church main auditorium over WDOD and WAPO. When WDYN came on the air it was one of the first programs added to the schedule. Although in a different format today, “Gospel Dynamite” still airs every morning at 9:00.

Early WDYN broadcasts included worship services at the Highland Park Baptist Church, revival meetings, Bible Conferences and TTU chapel services.

WDYN broadcast Tennessee Temple University sports including the TTU Crusaders basketball championship games in the 80’s coached by the late Ron Bishop.

Changes at TTU in 2010 resulted in the 89.7 frequency being sold to the Bible Broadcasting Network in Charlotte, North Carolina. General Manager Tom Sneed said there was still an interest in radio so the school purchased the AM 980 frequency from Three Sisters Broadcasting and kept the same format but with much less power.

The station's format currently includes a mixture of Southern Gospel and Sacred music and WDYN receives newscasts from the Salem Radio Network. The stations broadcasters include Dr. Michael Youseff, Dr. Chuck Swindoll, Dr. Charles Stanley, Dr. James Dobson, Dr. David Jeremiah Dr. Lester Roloff and Dr. J. Vernon McGee.

For several decades the station has carried the popular national talk show “Crosstalk” at 3 p.m. It re-airs at 9 p.m. in the evening.

Another popular program is Bill Gaither’s Homecoming radio heard each afternoon at 1 p.m.

WDYN has collected thousands of sermons in their tape library and airs some of these at 7:30 p.m. each evening including messages by the late Dr. Roberson on Monday night.

Mr. Sneed has been general manager since 1991 and he’s seen many changes at the station but said, “The message of broadcasting the Gospel hasn’t changed.” He said, “We added simulcasting our programs on WDYN.com and now have two FM translators at 94.7 and 94.9. Mr. Sneed said because of the Internet, the station can be heard anywhere in the world there’s a computer by clicking WDYN.com.

The FCC has approved increasing the AM 980 station power to 2,500 watts, which will improve the signal over counties in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia. Mr. Sneed hopes to complete this project by the end of 2023.

He said, “WDYN is totally supported by listeners and depends on financial gifts to stay on the air.”

The station is offering listeners who give a gift of any amount a CD of 23 program excerpts of actual broadcasta. They include President Reagan’s visit to Tennessee Temple in 1976, and News Free Press Publisher Roy McDonald speaking to the student body in 1984. At that address the student body sang Mr. McDonald's favorite song “Amazing Grace.”

There’s a portion of Dr. Roberson hosting a Gospel Dynamite live radio program every morning at 8:30 a.m. with Mrs. Jean Smith singing, “Some Golden Daybreak.’

Mr. Sneed said for a gift of $200 or more the station has a flash Drive with 126 actual broadcast excerpts. He said, “This is a very historical collection of Chattanooga Christian radio broadcast. I don’t know of anything like it anywhere.”

The collection includes Dr. Charles Stanley’s 1985 address to the Chattanooga Prayer Breakfast, Dr. David Jeremiah’s commencement speech to the 1987 graduating class of Tennessee Temple University, Dr. Glenn Draper talking about his heart attack while in Washington, D.C. to sing at the White House, and Dr. Rick Stanley, half-brother of Elvis Presley, talking about the girl that led him to Christ. (He later married the lady.)

One of the station's biggest supporters was the late Hamilton County Commission Chairman Curtis Adams who hosted a weekly program, “Getting to Know You.” This audio collection includes Mr. Adams' interviews with his friends Trustee Bill Hullander, County Clerk Bill Knowles and former Sheriff Jim Hammond.

Former Chattanooga city treasurer and Hamilton County trustee Carl Levi talks about changing Dr. Roberson’s oil when he came to the city. Mr. Levi said Dr. Roberson, in his double breasted suit, would get underneath the car with him.

There are stories from Caroline Nichols Rowell, granddaughter of Dr. Roberson, Chief Engineer Glenn Morgan shares his business experience with Central and Baylor Football Coach Red Etter, Luther Masingill talks about being hired by baseball legend Joe Engel and Buddy Houts tells the story of going with his mother to Highland Park Baptist Church on Mother’s Day. There are several remarks from Dr. Roberson and his associate, Dr. J.R. Faulkner, about the ministry and school, according to Mr. Sneed.

The collection includes a conversation with Dr. Tom Hammett and Cliff Barrows, America’s song leader. Mr. Barrows talks about leading the large choir during Billy Graham crusades and Mr. Barrows' connections to First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga.

Mr. Sneed said,"We even found an actual broadcast of car dealer Forrest Cate (at Highland Park Baptist Church) that aired when he lost his vision and went around with his Seeing Eye dog speaking in various churches.

Mr. Sneed said, "We can’t leave out the evening at Bill Hullander’s farm when a young Mallory Ledford from Cleveland, Tn. joined Southern Gospel Legend Eva Mae Lefevre in singing her son’s famous hymn, “Without him.” Mr. Sneed said the station has played that recording many, many times.

The collection also includes former Highland Park Baptist Church Pastor Dr. David Bouler explaining Easter.

Mr. Sneed said: “The unique thing is these are actual radio broadcasts heard through the years on WDYN.” Those interested in acquiring these recordings should contact the station at area code 423-493-4382.

Mr. Sneed said in 55 years so many individuals have helped in making WDYN a solid Christian voice in the South "and with God’s blessing we plan to continue. It’s impossible to name names because we’ll leave someone out, there are so many.”

During the recent station spring share-a-thon Mr. Sneed told the listeners, “God still has his hand on us and isn’t finished with WDYN. We are still on the air and have broadcast plans for the future.”