WDIG (AM)
Encyclopedia
WDIG is a radio station
broadcasting an urban adult contemporary
music format
. Licensed to Steubenville, Ohio
, USA, it serves the Wheeling, West Virginia
, area. The station is currently owned by World Witness For Christ Ministries, Inc. WDIG operates at the assigned frequency of 950 kHz, with a power output of 1,000 watts day, and 35 watts at night. The station broadcasts using a four-tower directional antenna system with changing patterns, day and night. Programming comes from Citadel Media's satellite-delivered Urban AC format, The Touch
.
Steubenville, like Pittsburgh
and Wheeling
, the larger cities surrounding it, fell economically due to the collapse of the steel industry in the early 1980s. The steel industry supported much of the retail industry, which radio depends upon for its survival. After the collapse, many local stations in the area were in a fight for survival. WLIT was no exception to this, and despite hard times, managed to forge ahead and struggle through the 1980s.
was changed to WDIG in January 1987 and the station adopted an oldies
format, delivered via satellite through the "Pure Gold" 60's and 70's oldies format delivered through the Satellite Music Network
. The call letters were a play on words for "DIG", the popular youth slang term of the 60's to reflect the new sound.
Financial troubles forced the station's ownership into bankruptcy in February 1989, pushing them to seek refinancing or a new buyer. In March 1989, an agreement was reached to transfer WDIG to Romano R. Cironi, Sr. The sale was consummated on June 9, 1989.
However, in the early 1990s, the station began to have much more serious problems, as two oldies-formatted FM stations began to dominate the landscape. WJPA
in Washington, Pennsylvania
, switched to oldies and embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign to attract new listeners. A new adult contemporary FM station, WWYS
, had been launched in Cadiz, Ohio
, at 106.3 back in 1990. It too switched to oldies and now with the FM competition, WDIG found itself fighting for its survival, but the fight proved futile, as the station fell briefly silent.
format after the station was purchased from Cironi by World Witness For Christ Ministries in November 1991. Time on the station was leased under a local marketing agreement
by Pittsburgh urban radio programmer and manager Del King, who had leased an AM station in Pittsburgh trying to launch his adult urban contemporary format, but the lease deal ended in the early 1990s.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
broadcasting an urban adult contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
music format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
. Licensed to Steubenville, Ohio
Steubenville, Ohio
Steubenville is a city located along the Ohio River in Jefferson County, Ohio on the Ohio-West Virginia border in the United States. It is the political county seat of Jefferson County. It is also a principal city of the Weirton–Steubenville, WV-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, USA, it serves the Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, area. The station is currently owned by World Witness For Christ Ministries, Inc. WDIG operates at the assigned frequency of 950 kHz, with a power output of 1,000 watts day, and 35 watts at night. The station broadcasts using a four-tower directional antenna system with changing patterns, day and night. Programming comes from Citadel Media's satellite-delivered Urban AC format, The Touch
The Touch (radio network)
The Touch is a 24-hour music format produced by Cumulus Media Networks . It draws an adult audience between the ages of 25-49 with an Urban Adult Contemporary format since its inception by Satellite Music Network in 1972.In January 2010, Citadel Broadcasting has rebranded this network as...
.
Beginnings as WLIT
This station first signed on the air as WLIT back in 1973, and was the last AM station to come on the air in the Steubenville market. Contemporary Communications, Inc., sold WLIT to Frederick J. Staffilino in June 1982.Steubenville, like Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
and Wheeling
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, the larger cities surrounding it, fell economically due to the collapse of the steel industry in the early 1980s. The steel industry supported much of the retail industry, which radio depends upon for its survival. After the collapse, many local stations in the area were in a fight for survival. WLIT was no exception to this, and despite hard times, managed to forge ahead and struggle through the 1980s.
Change to WDIG
The station's call signCall sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
was changed to WDIG in January 1987 and the station adopted an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format, delivered via satellite through the "Pure Gold" 60's and 70's oldies format delivered through the Satellite Music Network
Satellite Music Network
Satellite Music Network was the first satellite delivered network to provide complete live 24-hour a day music programming to local stations, under several different formats...
. The call letters were a play on words for "DIG", the popular youth slang term of the 60's to reflect the new sound.
Financial troubles forced the station's ownership into bankruptcy in February 1989, pushing them to seek refinancing or a new buyer. In March 1989, an agreement was reached to transfer WDIG to Romano R. Cironi, Sr. The sale was consummated on June 9, 1989.
However, in the early 1990s, the station began to have much more serious problems, as two oldies-formatted FM stations began to dominate the landscape. WJPA
WJPA
WJPA is an oldies simulcast on both the FM and AM bands. Officially, it serves Washington County, Pennsylvania, but can also be heard in parts of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County...
in Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh Metro Area in the southwestern part of the state...
, switched to oldies and embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign to attract new listeners. A new adult contemporary FM station, WWYS
WCDK
WCDK is a radio station licensed to Cadiz, Ohio, USA, the station serves the Steubenville, Ohio and Wheeling, West Virginia, area. The station is currently owned by Priority Communications Ohio, LLC...
, had been launched in Cadiz, Ohio
Cadiz, Ohio
Cadiz is a village in Harrison County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,308 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Harrison County.-Geography:Cadiz is located at ....
, at 106.3 back in 1990. It too switched to oldies and now with the FM competition, WDIG found itself fighting for its survival, but the fight proved futile, as the station fell briefly silent.
Rebirth
WDIG returned to the air with a new gospel musicGospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
format after the station was purchased from Cironi by World Witness For Christ Ministries in November 1991. Time on the station was leased under a local marketing agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
by Pittsburgh urban radio programmer and manager Del King, who had leased an AM station in Pittsburgh trying to launch his adult urban contemporary format, but the lease deal ended in the early 1990s.