WOL (AM) facts for kids
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| Broadcast area | Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1450 kHz |
| Branding | Newstalk 1450 WOL |
| Programming | |
| Format | Urban talk |
| Affiliations | Syndicated One |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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Sister stations
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WKYS, WMMJ, WPRS-FM, WYCB |
| History | |
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First air date
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1941 |
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Former call signs
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WWDC (1941–1950) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 54713 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 370 watts |
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Transmitter coordinates
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38°57′19″N 77°00′15″W / 38.95528°N 77.00417°W |
| Translator(s) | 95.9 W240DJ (Washington) |
| Repeater(s) | 93.9-2 WKYS-HD2 102.3-2 WMMJ-HD2 104.1-2 WPRS-FM-HD2 |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | woldcnews.com |
WOL (1450 AM) is a radio station in Washington, D.C.. It broadcasts "urban talk" shows, which means it focuses on discussions and news important to the African-American community. WOL is the main station for Urban One, a big media company. It shares studios in Silver Spring, Maryland, with other stations like WKYS and WMMJ. Its broadcast tower is located in Fort Totten, Washington.
Contents
The Story of WOL Radio
Early Days as WRHF
The radio station we know as WOL first started broadcasting on December 22, 1924. Its original name was WRHF. An insurance agent named Leroy Mark owned it. He called his company the American Broadcasting Company. This was not related to the ABC Radio Network that started later.
The station's equipment was said to be rebuilt from an old transmitter. Its first studios were on the third floor of the Radio Parlor building. WRHF broadcast with 150 watts of power. Its call letters (the station's unique ID) stood for Washington Radio Hospital Fund.
Changing Names and Frequencies
On November 11, 1928, the station changed its call letters to WOL. This happened after a change by the Federal Radio Commission. It moved to broadcasting at 940 kHz. By 1930, it was broadcasting at 1310 kHz. In 1940, it moved again to 1230 kHz.
Another station, WWDC, began broadcasting on May 3, 1941. It started at 1450 kHz. WWDC promised to air news updates five minutes before every hour. Its studios were located on Connecticut Avenue.
The Big Switch in 1950
On January 26, 1950, the F.C.C. (Federal Communications Commission) approved a big change. The company that owned WWDC bought WOL. They decided to swap the call letters of the two stations. This change happened on February 20, 1950.
So, the old WOL became WWDC, and the old WWDC became WOL. The morning host from the old WOL moved to the new station. The old WOL also lost its connection with the Mutual Broadcasting System.
A New Sound for WOL
In 1965, Sonderling Broadcasting Corporation bought WOL. They changed the station's music from easy listening to rhythm and blues. That same year, WOL became the first rhythm and blues station in Washington to have public affairs programming. This means they broadcast shows about important community issues.
WOL became very important to black Washingtonians. The Washington Post newspaper said WOL had a lot of influence. It helped make "Chocolate City" a popular nickname for Washington.
From Music to Talk
WOL used to broadcast on its sister FM station, WMOD, for wider coverage. Later, the FM station changed to playing oldies music. Over time, WOL started playing less music. It slowly changed into a talk station focused on the African-American community.
For many years, Sonderling Broadcasting owned WOL. They later sold the station to Viacom Broadcasting. After Viacom took over, WMOD-FM became a country music station called WMZQ-FM.
Challenges and New Ownership
In the late 1970s, WOL faced more competition. Newer FM stations had stronger signals and stereo sound. This caused WOL's listener ratings to go down. In 1976, the F.C.C. finished an investigation into some practices at WOL.
In late 1979, the Almic Corporation bought the station. This company was led by Dewey and Cathy Hughes. Dewey Hughes said that the time for "rapping jocks" (DJs who talked a lot) was over. He felt radio was becoming calmer and focusing more on adult music.
Famous Voices at WOL
During the 1960s and 1970s, WOL was home to Petey Greene. He was a popular talk show host, comedian, and activist. He started his broadcasting career at WOL. His life story was even made into a movie in 2007 called Talk To Me.
In the early 1990s, a similar station was created in Baltimore. It is called WOLB. It shares some of the same programs as WOL in Washington, D.C.
