WWDE-FM
Encyclopedia
WWDE-FM is a Light Adult Contemporary formatted broadcast
radio station
licensed to Hampton, Virginia
, serving Hampton Roads
. WWDE-FM is owned and operated by Entercom Communications
.
as WVEC AM and FM. The 101.3 frequency has a long history. In the 1960s and early '70s, the 101.3 MHz frequency was the FM side of WVEC. There was WVEC-AM 1490, and WVEC-FM 101.3. In the mid 1970s, the FM became WVHR, for the Voice of Hampton Roads. Both radio stations were sold in 1978.
WWDE was founded in 1978 by Dick Lamb and business partners Larry Saunders and Gene Loving as an Adult Contemporary station with new calls WWDE AM & FM.At first they ran separate Adult Contemporary formats as 2WD AM & 2WD FM The station was always successful with Lamb, from owning it, to being behind the "mike" in the mornings. The AM station was later sold and became WLRT. (On August 1 2007, WLRT was sold again to sports broadcasters Red Zebra Communications and began a simulcast of their FM sports station, WXTG-FM
.)
On January 28, 2005, Dick Lamb stepped aside from his self-titled morning show "Dick Lamb in the Breakfast Bunch". About a month afterward, Paul Richardson, another "Breakfast Buncher" also left the station. Now both can be heard on Max Media's WVBW
92.9 the Wave's "Dick Lamb and the Morning Wave". They were replaced on 2WD with Jennifer Pulley and Ted Alexander. In September of 2006 The station became an affiliate of Whoopi Goldberg's nationally syndicated "Wake Up With Whoopi" morning show but dropped the Whoopi show on Dec. 3rd 2007. Shortly after Lamb's departure, long time afternoon host Jeff Moreau resigned from the station.
While 2WD's music format has changed slightly, the station's positioning statements have evolved over the years. In the '90s the station slogan was "Best Variety of the 70's, 80's, and 90's." Later, in the 2000s, it became "Best Variety of the 80's, 90's, and Today." Since late 2006 the station has positioned itself with "Continuous Soft Rock 101.3 2WD". The station is also the market affiliate for the highly successful nationally syndicated "Delilah After Dark" from 7 pm to midnight. Musically, the station continues to play pop/soft rock songs from the 1970s to present (and 1960s on seldom occasion).
After Lamb's morning show moved to WVBW, 2WD experienced a brief decline in listenership. However, rumours that had circulated within Norfolk media circles that current owner Entercom considered flipping the station to Country turned out to be unfounded. 2WD in fact managed to not only rebound from a slight ratings dip, but overtake Lamb's WVBW within many key demographics. In December 2007 the addition of a second Country music station by Sinclair Telecable threatened to further decrease Max Media's already steadily declining market share by dismantling their long standing Country format monopoly.
2WD started broadcasting a digital signal (HD Radio) the first week of November 2008 and at the same time debuted their HD2 stream on 101.3 doing "Deep Tracks."
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
radio station
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...
licensed to Hampton, Virginia
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton is an independent city that is not part of any county in Southeast Virginia. Its population is 137,436. As one of the seven major cities that compose the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, it is on the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula. Located on the Hampton Roads Beltway, it hosts...
, serving Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
. WWDE-FM is owned and operated by Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications Corporation is the fourth-largest broadcasting company in the United States. As of November 2009, Entercom operates 110 radio stations in 23 markets across the United States....
.
History
This radio combo were originally sister stations to WVEC-TVWVEC-TV
WVEC is the ABC affiliate television station for the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, which includes Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, and the surrounding area. It is licensed to Hampton, with its main studio in downtown Norfolk. Its transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia...
as WVEC AM and FM. The 101.3 frequency has a long history. In the 1960s and early '70s, the 101.3 MHz frequency was the FM side of WVEC. There was WVEC-AM 1490, and WVEC-FM 101.3. In the mid 1970s, the FM became WVHR, for the Voice of Hampton Roads. Both radio stations were sold in 1978.
WWDE was founded in 1978 by Dick Lamb and business partners Larry Saunders and Gene Loving as an Adult Contemporary station with new calls WWDE AM & FM.At first they ran separate Adult Contemporary formats as 2WD AM & 2WD FM The station was always successful with Lamb, from owning it, to being behind the "mike" in the mornings. The AM station was later sold and became WLRT. (On August 1 2007, WLRT was sold again to sports broadcasters Red Zebra Communications and began a simulcast of their FM sports station, WXTG-FM
WXTG-FM
WXTG-FM is a Sports Radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Virginia Beach, Virginia, serving the Southside of Hampton Roads. WXTG-FM is owned and operated by Red Zebra Broadcasting.-History:...
.)
On January 28, 2005, Dick Lamb stepped aside from his self-titled morning show "Dick Lamb in the Breakfast Bunch". About a month afterward, Paul Richardson, another "Breakfast Buncher" also left the station. Now both can be heard on Max Media's WVBW
WVBW
WVBW is a Classic Hits formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Suffolk, Virginia, serving Hampton Roads. WVBW is owned and operated by Max Broadcast Group Holdings, LLC.-History:...
92.9 the Wave's "Dick Lamb and the Morning Wave". They were replaced on 2WD with Jennifer Pulley and Ted Alexander. In September of 2006 The station became an affiliate of Whoopi Goldberg's nationally syndicated "Wake Up With Whoopi" morning show but dropped the Whoopi show on Dec. 3rd 2007. Shortly after Lamb's departure, long time afternoon host Jeff Moreau resigned from the station.
While 2WD's music format has changed slightly, the station's positioning statements have evolved over the years. In the '90s the station slogan was "Best Variety of the 70's, 80's, and 90's." Later, in the 2000s, it became "Best Variety of the 80's, 90's, and Today." Since late 2006 the station has positioned itself with "Continuous Soft Rock 101.3 2WD". The station is also the market affiliate for the highly successful nationally syndicated "Delilah After Dark" from 7 pm to midnight. Musically, the station continues to play pop/soft rock songs from the 1970s to present (and 1960s on seldom occasion).
After Lamb's morning show moved to WVBW, 2WD experienced a brief decline in listenership. However, rumours that had circulated within Norfolk media circles that current owner Entercom considered flipping the station to Country turned out to be unfounded. 2WD in fact managed to not only rebound from a slight ratings dip, but overtake Lamb's WVBW within many key demographics. In December 2007 the addition of a second Country music station by Sinclair Telecable threatened to further decrease Max Media's already steadily declining market share by dismantling their long standing Country format monopoly.
2WD started broadcasting a digital signal (HD Radio) the first week of November 2008 and at the same time debuted their HD2 stream on 101.3 doing "Deep Tracks."