City Thomasville, Alabama Frequency 95.5 MHz Format Country | Branding CD Country 95.5 First air date September 9, 1972 ERP 25,000 watts | |
WJDB-FM (95.5 FM, "CD Country 95.5") is an American full-service radio station licensed to serve Thomasville, Alabama, USA. The station, one of only two FM stations licensed to Thomasville, is owned by Griffin Broadcasting Corporation. Griffin Broadcasting also owns Thomasville's only AM station, WJDB.
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Programming
WJDB-FM broadcasts a country music format described in the station's promotions as "hot country". However, the station is locally programmed and is not a subscriber to the Hot Country satellite-fed syndicated format from Dial Global.
In addition to its regular music programming, WJDB-FM is an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves radio network, airs Auburn Tigers college football and men's basketball games, and broadcasts select local high school football games.
History
The station was assigned the "WJDB-FM" call sign by the Federal Communications Commission in 1972. The station's call letters were chosen to honor the radio station's creator, Joel Dige Bishop.
In the early-to-mid-1980s, WJDB went off the air at 6:00 pm with the famous sign off which started with, "It's sundown in Thomasville and WJDB has concluded another day of broadcasting." While the AM station was concluding a day, WJDB-FM continued till 10:00 pm. Taking into consideration the number of youth in the area, WJDB-FM took this opportunity to not play country music, but rather the pop music of the day, including A-Ha, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, and The Fat Boys.
In November 1990, licensee WJDB Radio, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Griffin Broadcasting Corporation. The deal was approved by the FCC on January 4, 1991, and the transaction was consummated on January 31, 1991.
On October 25, 2005, WJDB-FM was granted a construction permit by the FCC to upgrade to a class C2 station, increase their effective radiated power to 40,000 watts, and relocate their broadcast transmitter to the current tower site of sister station WJDB. Station owners told the local press that construction would be completed in about one year. However, the construction was not completed when the permit expired three years later on October 27, 2008, and the permit was ultimately cancelled by the FCC on November 18, 2008.
Current
The Morning Rush with Trey Rowell runs weekday mornings. The Morning Rush is one of the only live morning shows at that hour statewide. The 5 a.m. hour consists of classic oldies and classic country called "Flashbacks at 5". From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., the format shifts to a mix of country, rock, folk, blues, and americana from the 1950s-to the present. Comedy bits from comedians like Jerry Clower, Lewis Grizzard, James Gregory, and Jeff Foxworthy can also be heard. WJDB Also offers Award-winning local news. Friday mornings during football season You can hear high school football picks with "The Swami".
Other local programming includes The Sheriff Ray Norris Show and Gettin' Outdoors with Big Daddy Lawler on Saturday mornings, Top rated programs include The Three Guys Pies Coaches Show with Ross Wood on Thursday night, and The McDonald's High School Football Scoreboard on Friday nights during the sports season.
On Sunday, programming shifts to Gospel.
Former
In August 1976, WJDB announcer and ad salesman John D. McDonald, affectionately known as "Johnny Mac", was a candidate for mayor of Thomasville, Alabama. A US Navy veteran and former member of the local school board, McDonald was elected mayor by a narrow margin.
In popular culture
WJDB is name-checked as the "one good station" in the area in the mystery short story "Poachers" by Tom Franklin as published in The Best American Mystery Stories 1999, edited by Otto Penzler and Ed McBain.