WKDA
Encyclopedia
WKDA is a radio station
broadcasting a Spanish format. Licensed to Lebanon, Tennessee
, USA, the station serves the Nashville area. The station is currently owned by Wilson County Broadcasting, Inc.
format when that form of music first became popular; in the 1960s its on-air staff of disc jockey
s were promoted as the "WKDA Good Guys" and it had an on-air rivalry for much of this period with WMAK
. WKDA then had its studios in the downtown Nashville Stahlman Building; a giant neon
sign readily visible across the Cumberland River
in East Nashville advertised this fact.
As AM radio declined in popularity with music listeners in the 1970s, WKDA lost listenership, largely to its own FM sister, now WKDF
, which then had an Album Rock
format. WKDA was later sold to Nashville broadcaster and entrepreneur Teddy Bart, who used it to broadcast his own programming and to serve as the Nashville affiliate of CNN Radio during other hours. Later in the 1990s Bart sold the station to owners who changed to format to gospel music
and the callsign to WNSG; the historical WKDA callsign became available for reassignment and was purchased for use by the current station.
Its frequency, 900 AM, was the home of Lebanon's WCOR
from 1949 to 2005. WCOR now broadcasts on 1490 AM.
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 a Spanish format. Licensed to Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
, USA, the station serves the Nashville area. The station is currently owned by Wilson County Broadcasting, Inc.
History
The WKDA callsign was used in Nashville for a long period on the AM frequency of 1240 kHz. The old WKDA was the first Nashville station to adopt an all-rock and rollRock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
format when that form of music first became popular; in the 1960s its on-air staff of disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
s were promoted as the "WKDA Good Guys" and it had an on-air rivalry for much of this period with WMAK
WNQM
WNQM, or Nashville Quality Ministries, is a Christian radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee and owned by F.W. Robbert Broadcasting.-History:...
. WKDA then had its studios in the downtown Nashville Stahlman Building; a giant neon
Neon
Neon is the chemical element that has the symbol Ne and an atomic number of 10. Although a very common element in the universe, it is rare on Earth. A colorless, inert noble gas under standard conditions, neon gives a distinct reddish-orange glow when used in either low-voltage neon glow lamps or...
sign readily visible across the Cumberland River
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before...
in East Nashville advertised this fact.
As AM radio declined in popularity with music listeners in the 1970s, WKDA lost listenership, largely to its own FM sister, now WKDF
WKDF
WKDF is a Country music radio station broadcasting on a frequency of 103.3 MHz from Nashville, Tennessee. WKDF is owned by Cumulus Media.-History:...
, which then had an Album Rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
format. WKDA was later sold to Nashville broadcaster and entrepreneur Teddy Bart, who used it to broadcast his own programming and to serve as the Nashville affiliate of CNN Radio during other hours. Later in the 1990s Bart sold the station to owners who changed to format to gospel music
Gospel 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....
and the callsign to WNSG; the historical WKDA callsign became available for reassignment and was purchased for use by the current station.
Its frequency, 900 AM, was the home of Lebanon's WCOR
WCOR
WCOR is an AM radio station broadcasting in the eastern portion of the Nashville, Tennessee market with a power of 1,000 watts.In its early years, WCOR functioned as a community-oriented station aimed primarily at residents of Wilson County, Tennessee....
from 1949 to 2005. WCOR now broadcasts on 1490 AM.