KWDM
Encyclopedia
KWDM, "88.7 KWDM The Point," is a modern rock
high school radio
station serving the Des Moines, Iowa
, area. It is located at 88.7 on the FM dial. The radio station's studio is located at Valley High School in West Des Moines. It is owned and operated by the West Des Moines Community School District, though it is typically operated by students at Valley. As it is a station run by high school students, it rarely broadcasts on weekends.
in 1959. 1150 AM's call letters changed to KWKY
.
In 1964, Webber revived KWDM via the frequency 93.3 FM. The station consisted of block programming of music, usually ethnic music not heard elsewhere in Des Moines
as well as a talk show by his wife and play-by-play sports. KWDM was never a top performer in the ratings, but it did have a loyal following. However, that following was not enough to keep it afloat and the station was in constant financial trouble.
In 1968, George Webber began selling KWDM on contract to The SEQ Corporation. On April 10, 1969, the station went dark, after the owner of the tower and transmitter site shut down the station due to non-payment of rent. A month later, Webber regained control of the station, operating it at reduced hours until it shut down.
In 1994, KWDM's frequency was migrated from 88.9 FM to 88.7 FM and its power increased from 10 watts ERP to 100 watts. The station is one of two high school radio
station in Iowa, the other being KDPS
operated by Des Moines Public Schools
.
/Top 40 music. The move was abandoned after Clear Channel
owned KKDM
switched from Alternative to Top 40 and re-branded itself as "Kiss 107FM." The station continues to play the Modern Rock
format today.
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
high school radio
High school radio
High school radio within the United States is almost as old as radio broadcasting itself. Simply defined as a radio station, with its studios located at a high school and usually operated by its students with faculty supervision, stations fitting this description existed in the mid-1920s...
station serving the Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, area. It is located at 88.7 on the FM dial. The radio station's studio is located at Valley High School in West Des Moines. It is owned and operated by the West Des Moines Community School District, though it is typically operated by students at Valley. As it is a station run by high school students, it rarely broadcasts on weekends.
History
KWDM first began broadcasting in 1948 by George Webber under the frequency 1150 AM. He then sold the station to investors from 3M3M
3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
in 1959. 1150 AM's call letters changed to KWKY
KWKY
KWKY is a radio station broadcasting a Talk/Personality format to the Des Moines, Iowa, USA area. The station is owned by Saint Gabriel Communications and features programming from Salem Communications and Westwood One.-Early years:...
.
In 1964, Webber revived KWDM via the frequency 93.3 FM. The station consisted of block programming of music, usually ethnic music not heard elsewhere in Des Moines
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
as well as a talk show by his wife and play-by-play sports. KWDM was never a top performer in the ratings, but it did have a loyal following. However, that following was not enough to keep it afloat and the station was in constant financial trouble.
In 1968, George Webber began selling KWDM on contract to The SEQ Corporation. On April 10, 1969, the station went dark, after the owner of the tower and transmitter site shut down the station due to non-payment of rent. A month later, Webber regained control of the station, operating it at reduced hours until it shut down.
Current Ownership
In 1976, the West Des Moines Community School District took control of the KWDM call letters on the frequency 88.9 FM. The school district has control of the station to this day.In 1994, KWDM's frequency was migrated from 88.9 FM to 88.7 FM and its power increased from 10 watts ERP to 100 watts. The station is one of two high school radio
High school radio
High school radio within the United States is almost as old as radio broadcasting itself. Simply defined as a radio station, with its studios located at a high school and usually operated by its students with faculty supervision, stations fitting this description existed in the mid-1920s...
station in Iowa, the other being KDPS
KDPS
KDPS is a radio station in Des Moines, Iowa. The station is currently owned by Des Moines Public Schools. The school district programs the station during daytime hours with a variety of rock music styles and staffs it with high school students who are learning radio...
operated by Des Moines Public Schools
Des Moines Public Schools
The Des Moines Public Schools is the largest public school district in Iowa...
.
Programming
KWDM's student staff dictates what format that station will play. Students have the option to change the format at the beginning of any school year. In the late 70s and through much of the 80s, the station played a free-form format where the on-air jock played the music of their choice. In the early 1990s, the station was a strictly classic rock format. In 1993, the station began playing the popular Alternative or Modern Rock format. In 1999, KWDM began to experiment a switch to CHRContemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
/Top 40 music. The move was abandoned after Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
owned KKDM
KKDM
KKDM is a contemporary hit radio station based in Des Moines, Iowa. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:KKDM was established by local businessman Rich Eychaner as Midwest Radio, Inc...
switched from Alternative to Top 40 and re-branded itself as "Kiss 107FM." The station continues to play the Modern Rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
format today.
Student Management
One of KWDM's hallmarks is its student management. While a faculty advisor oversees operations and is responsible for regulatory and engineering issues, students are predominantly responsible for the station's programming and music selection. One student is selected each year through a competitive application process to serve as station manager.| School Year | Student Station Manager(s) | Faculty Advisor | Station Identity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-1988: | Howie Hoffman | Lil McDonald | 88.9 KWDM |
| 1988-1989: | Rob Lettington | Lil McDonald | 88.9 KWDM |
| 1989-1990: | Ryan Burger | Lil McDonald | 88.9 KWDM "Tiger 89, the Hot FM" |
| 1990-1991: | N/A (Five Production Directors instead of one Station Manager) | Lil McDonald | 88.9 KWDM |
| 1991-1992: | Damond Fudge | Lil McDonald | 88.9 KWDM |
| 1992-1993: | Brian Romig | Brian Christensen | "Power 89" |
| 1993-1994: | Chris Wulf | Brian Christensen | "Power 89" |
| 1994-1995: | T.G. Stouffer | Brian Christensen | 88.7 KWDM "Your Only Alternative" |
| 1995-1996: | Jeremy Bingaman | Brian Christensen | 88.7 KWDM "Des Moines' Only Alternative" |
| 1996-1997: | Brian Gongol | Brian Christensen | "New Rock 88.7" |
| 1997-1998: | Marianne Coppock | Brian Christensen | "New Rock 88.7" KWDM "The Source" |
| 1998-1999: | Justin Schoen | Brian Christensen | "New Rock 88.7" KWDM "The Source" |
| 1999-2000: | Jesse Hoffman | Brian Christensen | "88.7 KWDM The Point" |
| 2000-2001: | Tonya Garner | Brian Christensen | "88.7 KWDM The Point" |
| 2001-2002: | Nicole Faust | Brian Christensen | "88.7 KWDM The Point" |
| 2002-2003: | Joe Quinn/Jason Loe | Brian Christensen | "88.7 KWDM The Point" |
| 2003-2004: | MacKenzie Carey / Kate Maletta | Brian Christensen | "88.7 KWDM The Point" |
| 2004-2005: | Ryan Snider/Jeff Edwards | Janell Mikels | "88.7 KWDM The Point" |
| 2005-2006: | Hannah Korpela/Alex Salem | Janell Mikels | "88.7 KWDM The Point" |
| 2006-2007: | Lauren Mease/Cole Cheney | Janell Mikels | "88.7 KWDM The Point" |
| 2007-2008: | Joanna McNurlen | Janell Mikels | "88.7 KWDM The Point" |
| 2008-2009: | Ryan Mueksch/Jillian Shkolnick | Janell Mikels | "88.7 KWDM The Point" |
| 2009-2010: | Jillian Shkolnick/John Menken | Janell Mikels | "88.7 KWDM The Point" |
| 2010-2011: | Jacob Menken/Nailah Bakari | Janell Mikels | "88.7 KWDM The Point" |
KWDM Alums in Broadcasting
In the more than 30 years that the West Des Moines School District has owned KWDM, many of the station's alumni have gone on to careers in the radio and television industry.| Student | Years on KWDM | Current Station | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alan Kline | 1977-1978 | KCCI KCCI KCCI is a television station that broadcasts on channel 8 in Des Moines, Iowa. It is affiliated with the CBS television network and serves most of central Iowa. Owned by Hearst Television, KCCI has studios in downtown Des Moines. The station's transmitter is located in Alleman, Iowa, about midway... -TV, Des Moines, IA |
Engineer |
| Dave Smiley | 1987-1990 | WZPL WZPL WZPL is a radio station based in Greenfield, Indiana, and serving the Indianapolis metropolitan area. The station, known as "99-5 WZPL", airs an Adult Top 40 format. WZPL is owned by Entercom.-History:... -FM, Indianapolis, IN |
"The Smiley Morning Show The Smiley Morning Show The Smiley Morning Show is a morning radio program on radio station WZPL broadcasting from Indianapolis, Indiana... " |
| Brian Allen | 1987-1991 | KSFY-TV, Sioux Falls, SD | News Anchor |
| Chris Bradshaw | 1991-1995 | KWQW KWQW KWQW "WOW-FM" is a radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Licensed to Boone, Iowa, the station serves the Des Moines area. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media. KWQW's studios are in Urbandale, Iowa, along with Cumulus' other stations: KGGO, KJJY, KHKI, and KBGG.-History: The... -FM, Des Moines, IA |
Talk Show Host (Known as "Bradshaw") |
| Jeremy Bingaman | 1992-1996 | KSTZ KSTZ KSTZ, known as "Star 102.5," is an FM radio station based in Des Moines, Iowa. The station plays Hot Adult Contemporary music. KSTZ is part of Saga Communications' Des Moines Radio Group, along with KPSZ, KRNT, KAZR, KIOA, and KLTI-FM.-History:... -FM, KLTI KLTI-FM KLTI-FM is an American radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary music format. Licensed to Ames, Iowa, USA, the station serves the Des Moines area... -FM, Des Moines, IA |
On Air Personality (Known as "Luke Matthews") |
| Chad Rufer | 1992-1996 | KZZO-CBS Radio, Sacramento, CA | Program Director |
| Brian Gongol | 1993-1997 | WHO (AM) WHO (AM) WHO is a clear channel radio station broadcasting 50,000 watts on 1040 AM with a news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is located in Des Moines, Iowa. The station can be heard over most of the continental United States during nighttime hours... , Des Moines, IA |
"The Brian Gongol Show," "WHO Radio Wise Guys WHO Radio Wise Guys The WHO Radio Wise Guys is an American radio program broadcast on WHO in Des Moines, Iowa Saturdays from 12:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. , hosted by Dan Adams and Brian Gongol. The show focuses on computers and consumer technology news, with secondary features on science and medical technology... " |
| Marianne Coppock | 1994-1998 | KSTZ KSTZ KSTZ, known as "Star 102.5," is an FM radio station based in Des Moines, Iowa. The station plays Hot Adult Contemporary music. KSTZ is part of Saga Communications' Des Moines Radio Group, along with KPSZ, KRNT, KAZR, KIOA, and KLTI-FM.-History:... -FM, Des Moines, IA |
Director of Marketing |
| Brian Stark | 1994-1998 | Starz Entertainment, Englewood, Colorado Englewood, Colorado The city of Englewood is a Home Rule Municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. As of 2007, the city is estimated to have a total population of 32,532. Englewood is part of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area. Englewood is located in the South Platte River Valley east of the... |
Media Systems Administrator |
| Leigh McNabb | 1995-1999 | WXSS WXSS WXSS-FM is a top 40 radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The station was created and is programmed by Brian Kelly. It is licensed to Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. They are known as "103.7 Kiss FM" and are owned by Entercom, along with WMYX-FM and WSSP. KISS FM has taken 3rd place for the past 4... -FM, Milwaukee, WI |
Midday Host |
| Kenzie Stroud | 1996-2000 | KCWI-TV, Des Moines, IA | Account Executive |
| Ashley Hinson | 1998-2001 | KCRG-TV KCRG-TV KCRG-TV, channel 9, is a television station, operating as the ABC affiliate for the Cedar Rapids, Iowa metropolitan area, and the nearby cities of Waterloo, Iowa City and Dubuque.... , Cedar Rapids, IA |
Morning and Midday News Anchor |
| Nicole Faust | 1999-2002 | KCWI-TV, Des Moines, IA | On air host, Marketing Manager |
| Sarah Moritz | 2001-2004 | KAZR, Des Moines, IA | Saturday late nights, (known as Sarah Greene) |
| Nick Ratcliff | 2003-2006 | KSTZ KSTZ KSTZ, known as "Star 102.5," is an FM radio station based in Des Moines, Iowa. The station plays Hot Adult Contemporary music. KSTZ is part of Saga Communications' Des Moines Radio Group, along with KPSZ, KRNT, KAZR, KIOA, and KLTI-FM.-History:... -FM, Des Moines, IA |
Weekends |