WDNC (AM)
Encyclopedia
WDNC is a Sports Talk
radio station
licensed to Durham, North Carolina
but based in Raleigh, North Carolina
with a frequency of 620 AM
. WDNC and branded 620 the Buzz and is affiliated with the ESPN Radio
Network. In addition, WDNC is the flagship station for the Duke Blue Devils
and is the local affiliate of the Charlotte Bobcats
.
-based 1370 WRAM (formerly WRBT
) and moved its license and equipment to studios in Durham atop the Washington Duke Hotel downtown at the corner of Corcoran and Chapel Hill Streets (later known as the Carolina and the Jack Tar Hotel; the structure was imploded in 1975). The newly relocated station signed on with 100 watts at 1500 AM as CBS
affiliate WDNC. In 1936, WDNC was purchased by the Herald-Sun Newspapers
, publishers of the Durham Morning Herald and The Durham Sun. At this time, the station's studios were moved into the Herald-Sun's building at 138 East Chapel Hill Street, literally next door to the Washington Duke Hotel. In 1938, WDNC increased its power from 100 to 250 watts.
The NARBA frequency realignment of 1941
saw the station relocate to 1490 AM. During this time, their antenna was located near present-day Forest Hills Park on South Street. WDNC's last broadcast from this site came on February 28, 1948. On the next day, which was Leap Day, WDNC abandoned its 1490 dial position and 250-watt signal for a new three-tower directional array on Shocoree Drive in western Durham which operated with 5,000 watts daytime and 1,000 watts nighttime at a new frequency on the other end of the dial, 620 AM. Leap Day 1948 turned out to be a very eventful day in Durham broadcasting history: As WDNC fired up their new, more powerful plant, they also signed on WDNC-FM, at 105.1 MHz. Making the day even more memorable was that WDNC's old 1490 dial position was immediately occupied by a new station, WSSB.
In 1952, WDNC's parent company, the Herald-Sun Newspapers, applied to build a TV station in Durham on the city's newly alloted VHF channel 11. The owners of cross-town competitor WTIK had also applied for channel 11. The two parties later joined their efforts under the banner "Durham Broadcasting Enterprises" and signed on WTVD
, channel 11 on September 2, 1954. The newly formed enterprise sold the station to Albany, NY-based Capital Cities Broadcasting
in 1957 (the same Capital Cities which bought the ABC TV network
in the mid-1980s). WDNC remained a CBS affiliate and the home of big band
and popular standards until 1991, when their focus shifted towards more talk-based programming. In 1992, WDNC and its FM sister station, by now known as WDCG "G-105", relocated to Park Forty Plaza, just off Interstate 40
along NC Highway 55 in southeastern Durham, as the newspaper abandoned their downtown building for a new facility at 2828 Pickett Road in southwestern Durham. Shortly thereafter, the newspaper, wanting to focus more on its publishing divisions, put the two radio properties on the market. It was around this time that radio ownership rules were being relaxed.
WDCG was sold in 1993, but there were no takers for WDNC. In 1994, the company entered into a local marketing agreement with Capitol Broadcasting Company
(CBC), which allowed the Raleigh-based company control over WDNC's sales, marketing and programming with an option to buy. Capitol, already in the process of moving their minor league baseball team, the Durham Bulls
, into the new Durham Bulls Athletic Park
being built by the city, announced plans to move WDNC into the ballpark upon its completion in 1995. In the meantime, the station would operate from the basement of the new Herald-Sun building. Capitol redubbed the station the "Smart Choice for News and Sports", and, in late 1995, implemented an all-news format under the handle, "The News Station", using the Associated Press
' all-news network supplemented with reports from the WRAL-TV
newsroom. After three years, the agreement proved non-profitable for CBC. In 1997, Curtis Media Group
took over the LMA
from Capitol, replacing the news-centered schedule with more syndicated talk shows and paid programming until it bought the WDNC license from the Herald-Sun in 2000.
In November 2002, WDNC began a simulcast with Raleigh station WDNZ (now WQDR (AM)), 570 AM. That arrangement lasted until November 1, 2005, when WDNC entered into yet another LMA, this time with McClatchey Broadcasting, then-owner of WRBZ "850 the Buzz", a more locally-oriented sports talk station. The station flipped to sports talk as "620 The Bull".
From July 2006 to June 2007, WDNC was home to an afternoon talk show featuring former ECU football
head coach
Steve Logan
, before moving on to take the offensive coordinator
position at Boston College
.
Late in 2008, Don Imus
returned to the Triangle for the first time since the incident involving the Rutgers women's basketball team. Imus replaced Mike and Mike in the Morning
as WDNC de-emphasized ESPN
programming.
On August 10, 2009, Curtis Media (which still owned the station) sold WDNC and sister station WCLY
to Capitol Broadcasting Company, in exchange for the North Carolina News Network
. The move enables Capitol to concentrate its sports programming across three channels, with WDNC and WCMC-FM
receiving some carry-over programming from WRBZ (which Curtis Media received from McClatchey Broadcasting), while WCLY will carry Spanish-language sports programming from ESPN Deportes
. WDNC was expected to change its handle to 620 the Buzz beginning in September 2009, but the official changeover happened on November 2 with Adam Gold and Jeff Ovies transferring their morning show over from WRBZ.
Raleigh-Durham is Arbitron's #42 ranked metro radio market, according to Radio-Info.com.
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
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 Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
but based in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
with a frequency of 620 AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
. WDNC and branded 620 the Buzz and is affiliated with the ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
Network. In addition, WDNC is the flagship station for the Duke Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils
Duke University's 26 varsity sports teams, known as the Blue Devils, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry...
and is the local affiliate of the Charlotte Bobcats
Charlotte Bobcats
The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...
.
History
Durham's first radio station hit the air in February 1934, when then-Mayor W.F. Carr and several investors saw the need for a radio station in what was then the state's 3rd-largest city. They bought WilmingtonWilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
-based 1370 WRAM (formerly WRBT
WRBT
WRBT is a country music radio station broadcasting in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasts with a power of 25 kilowatts from a transmitter site in Enola, Pennsylvania.-History:...
) and moved its license and equipment to studios in Durham atop the Washington Duke Hotel downtown at the corner of Corcoran and Chapel Hill Streets (later known as the Carolina and the Jack Tar Hotel; the structure was imploded in 1975). The newly relocated station signed on with 100 watts at 1500 AM as CBS
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
affiliate WDNC. In 1936, WDNC was purchased by the Herald-Sun Newspapers
The Herald-Sun (Durham, North Carolina)
The Herald-Sun is a daily newspaper in Durham, North Carolina, published by the Paxton Media Group of Paducah, Kentucky.-History:The Herald-Sun began publication on 1 January 1991 as the result of a merger of The Durham Morning Herald and The Durham Sun.The Herald-Sun and The Durham Morning Herald...
, publishers of the Durham Morning Herald and The Durham Sun. At this time, the station's studios were moved into the Herald-Sun's building at 138 East Chapel Hill Street, literally next door to the Washington Duke Hotel. In 1938, WDNC increased its power from 100 to 250 watts.
The NARBA frequency realignment of 1941
North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement
The North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement, usually referred to as NARBA, is a treaty that took effect in March 1941 and set out the bandplan and interference rules for mediumwave AM broadcasting in North America. Although mostly replaced by other agreements in the 1980s, the basic bandplan...
saw the station relocate to 1490 AM. During this time, their antenna was located near present-day Forest Hills Park on South Street. WDNC's last broadcast from this site came on February 28, 1948. On the next day, which was Leap Day, WDNC abandoned its 1490 dial position and 250-watt signal for a new three-tower directional array on Shocoree Drive in western Durham which operated with 5,000 watts daytime and 1,000 watts nighttime at a new frequency on the other end of the dial, 620 AM. Leap Day 1948 turned out to be a very eventful day in Durham broadcasting history: As WDNC fired up their new, more powerful plant, they also signed on WDNC-FM, at 105.1 MHz. Making the day even more memorable was that WDNC's old 1490 dial position was immediately occupied by a new station, WSSB.
In 1952, WDNC's parent company, the Herald-Sun Newspapers, applied to build a TV station in Durham on the city's newly alloted VHF channel 11. The owners of cross-town competitor WTIK had also applied for channel 11. The two parties later joined their efforts under the banner "Durham Broadcasting Enterprises" and signed on WTVD
WTVD
WTVD, channel 11, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Durham, North Carolina. The station serves the areas of Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Fayetteville, known as the Triangle...
, channel 11 on September 2, 1954. The newly formed enterprise sold the station to Albany, NY-based Capital Cities Broadcasting
Capital Cities Communications
Capital Cities redirects here. For the article about the seat of a government, see Capital .Capital Cities Communications was an American media company best known for its surprise purchase of the much larger American Broadcasting Company in 1985...
in 1957 (the same Capital Cities which bought the ABC TV network
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in the mid-1980s). WDNC remained a CBS affiliate and the home of big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
and popular standards until 1991, when their focus shifted towards more talk-based programming. In 1992, WDNC and its FM sister station, by now known as WDCG "G-105", relocated to Park Forty Plaza, just off Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
along NC Highway 55 in southeastern Durham, as the newspaper abandoned their downtown building for a new facility at 2828 Pickett Road in southwestern Durham. Shortly thereafter, the newspaper, wanting to focus more on its publishing divisions, put the two radio properties on the market. It was around this time that radio ownership rules were being relaxed.
WDCG was sold in 1993, but there were no takers for WDNC. In 1994, the company entered into a local marketing agreement with Capitol Broadcasting Company
Capitol Broadcasting Company
Capitol Broadcasting Company is a TV and radio broadcast company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They also own and operate the minor league baseball team, the Durham Bulls.-TV:*WRAL-TV 5...
(CBC), which allowed the Raleigh-based company control over WDNC's sales, marketing and programming with an option to buy. Capitol, already in the process of moving their minor league baseball team, the Durham Bulls
Durham Bulls
The Durham Bulls are a minor league baseball team that currently plays in the International League. The Bulls play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park located in the downtown area of Durham, North Carolina. Durham Bulls Athletic Park is often called the "DBAP" or "D-Bap". The Bulls are...
, into the new Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Durham Bulls Athletic Park, frequently called the DBAP , is a ballpark in Durham, North Carolina that is home to the Durham Bulls, the AAA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball. It is also home to the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Central Eagles college baseball teams. The...
being built by the city, announced plans to move WDNC into the ballpark upon its completion in 1995. In the meantime, the station would operate from the basement of the new Herald-Sun building. Capitol redubbed the station the "Smart Choice for News and Sports", and, in late 1995, implemented an all-news format under the handle, "The News Station", using the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
' all-news network supplemented with reports from the WRAL-TV
WRAL-TV
WRAL-TV, virtual channel 5 , is a television station in Raleigh, North Carolina. WRAL-TV has been the flagship station of Capitol Broadcasting Company since its inception, and is currently the CBS affiliate for the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill/Fayetteville area, known collectively as the Triangle...
newsroom. After three years, the agreement proved non-profitable for CBC. In 1997, Curtis Media Group
Curtis Media Group
Curtis Media Group is a broadcast media company based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. The company owns and operates several North Carolina radio stations and four radio networks.-AM:*WPTF 680 AM *WQDR 570 AM...
took over the LMA
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...
from Capitol, replacing the news-centered schedule with more syndicated talk shows and paid programming until it bought the WDNC license from the Herald-Sun in 2000.
In November 2002, WDNC began a simulcast with Raleigh station WDNZ (now WQDR (AM)), 570 AM. That arrangement lasted until November 1, 2005, when WDNC entered into yet another LMA, this time with McClatchey Broadcasting, then-owner of WRBZ "850 the Buzz", a more locally-oriented sports talk station. The station flipped to sports talk as "620 The Bull".
From July 2006 to June 2007, WDNC was home to an afternoon talk show featuring former ECU football
East Carolina Pirates football
The East Carolina Pirates is a college football team that represents East Carolina University . The team is currently a member of the Conference USA, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .The Pirates have won seven conference championships and...
head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Steve Logan
Steve Logan (football)
Steve Logan is an American football coach currently serving as the running backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was the head coach at East Carolina University from 1992–2002, where he is the all-time winning coach in program history.-Early years:Logan is a...
, before moving on to take the offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
position at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
.
Late in 2008, Don Imus
Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
returned to the Triangle for the first time since the incident involving the Rutgers women's basketball team. Imus replaced Mike and Mike in the Morning
Mike and Mike in the Morning
Mike and Mike in the Morning is an American sports-talk radio show hosted by Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg on ESPN Radio and simulcast on television, normally on ESPN2. If ESPN is broadcasting a live sporting event during the show's timeslot, Sportscenter will air on ESPN2, and the show's...
as WDNC de-emphasized ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
programming.
On August 10, 2009, Curtis Media (which still owned the station) sold WDNC and sister station WCLY
WCLY
WCLY is a Spanish language sports radio station located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company.-History:WCLY began broadcasting from Raleigh, North Carolina in 1962 as WNOH. WNOH was a country station founded by N.O. Harris, owner of Harris Distributors...
to Capitol Broadcasting Company, in exchange for the North Carolina News Network
North Carolina News Network
The North Carolina News Network is a news and information service established in 1942. It provides programming to approximately 75 radio stations, primarily in the state of North Carolina, and can also be heard by Internet streaming via its website.-History:The roots of this network go back to...
. The move enables Capitol to concentrate its sports programming across three channels, with WDNC and WCMC-FM
WCMC-FM
WCMC-FM is a Sports Talk radio station based in Raleigh, North Carolina and licensed to nearby Holly Springs. Its studios are located in downtown Raleigh along with WRAL-FM, an adult contemporary music station...
receiving some carry-over programming from WRBZ (which Curtis Media received from McClatchey Broadcasting), while WCLY will carry Spanish-language sports programming from ESPN Deportes
ESPN Deportes
ESPN Deportes is a cable television and radio network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day to the Spanish-speaking community in the United States...
. WDNC was expected to change its handle to 620 the Buzz beginning in September 2009, but the official changeover happened on November 2 with Adam Gold and Jeff Ovies transferring their morning show over from WRBZ.
Raleigh-Durham is Arbitron's #42 ranked metro radio market, according to Radio-Info.com.
WDNC Past On-Air Staff
WDNC has a storied history developing personalities. Many of these on-air figures become long-time Raleigh-Durham favorites, and others moved to bigger markets. Below are some of a few.- Jim Sackett (????-1997)
- Tom Britt
- Tom Gongaware
- Will Vickers
- Melinda Stubbee
- Tom Guild
- Rob Friedman
- Bill Hard
- Doc SearlsDoc SearlsDavid "Doc" Searls , co-author of The Cluetrain Manifesto, is an American journalist, columnist, author and a widely-read blogger, a fellow at the Center for Information Technology & Society at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a fellow alumnus of the Berkman Center for Internet &...
(weekends, 1974) - Rita Chapman (1980 - 1983)
- Pat Patterson
- Cabell Smith
- Eddie Crabtree
- Barry Brown
- Andy Poe
- Bob Harris
- Jeff Dantre