City Delaware, Ohio Translator(s) W225CM 92.9 Delaware | Frequency 1550 kHz First air date 1960 | |
Branding Local 1550 and 92.9 WDLR Format Full Service
Classic Hits
Adult Contemporary | ||
WDLR (1550 AM) — branded Local 1550 and 92.9 WDLR — is a commercial radio station licensed to Delaware, Ohio. The station primarily serves the Delaware County region, with limited coverage in the Columbus market. The station is under ownership of Brent Casagrande through licensee Delmar Communications, Inc, and features a locally-programmed mixture of adult contemporary and classic hits.
Contents
The station broadcasts at 500 watts during the day and 29 watts at night as a Class D operation, to protect nearby Class-A clear-channel station CBEF Windsor, Ontario.
WDLR also simulcasts over Delaware translator W225CM (92.9 FM).
History
WDLR signed on the air in October 1960. Initially locally owned through Delaware Broadcasting, Inc., the station was purchased in 1968 by Cardinal Communications Group which was the broadcast arm of tobacco conglomerate R. J. Reynolds. In 1973 it was sold to Radio Delaware Incorporated which was principally owned by James N Shaheen.
In the early 1990s, WDLR was famous among Ohio Wesleyan students for its lunchtime program "TRadio," hosted by Stu Sisk.
In 1997 Radio Delaware sold the station to Fifteen Fifty Corporation which was owned by Patrica Casagrande of Powell, Ohio (FCC Ownership report) and her son Robert G. Casagrande - best known as WCMH helicopter pilot Robb Case - who died in September 2007 at age 50 from cancer.
In Summer 2008, WDLR was acquired by ICS Holdings, Inc., which is owned principally by Mark Litton.
For several years, WDLR was a Spanish language Regional Mexican music format under the branding "La Jefa 1550" and was geared to the Hispanic communities of the greater Columbus area." La Jefa is Spanish for "The Chief" and the name of the branding of a group of similarly related branded format stations,many of which owned by Univision Radio. During this time, the station was also the local affiliate of The Don Cheto Show in morning drive.
In 2014, WDLR flipped from Regional Mexican to a gold-based 70's/80's AC format under the name "Local 1550". Until recently, WDLR - along with sister station WQTT in Marysville - had derived a portion of its programming from Scott Shannon's The True Oldies Channel from Cumulus Media Networks. After distributor Cumulus Media Networks discontinued The True Oldies Channel in June 2014, WDLR began programming their music format in-house.
Prior to taking back the WDLR calls in July 2007, the station used WXOL after June 9, 2004, and before that also used WDLR. FCC Call Sign History
The call letters WDLR represent the station's city of license: W Delaware.
ICS Holdings sold WDLR, along with WQTT and WVXG, to Delmar Communications, Inc. effective December 30, 2014. The price for the transaction was $250,000.
WDLR began simulcasting its programming on 92.9 FM in June 2016. The FM signal is transmitted from the same location as the AM towers, off U.S. 36/State Route 37 on the east side of Delaware.
Current Programming
WDLR broadcasts high school football and basketball, along with serving as the Delaware affiliate for both the Cleveland Indians Radio Network and the Ohio State IMG Sports Network. WDLR also features live coverage of the annual Little Brown Jug horse racing event.
WDLR is a local affiliate for ABC News Radio, ONN Radio and the Ohio Ag Net and carries hourly updates from Fox Sports Radio. Localized weather forecasts are also provided by WeatherBug.